Pre-Season F1 2026

[P1]

The Honda branding on this Aston Martin is more prominent than the Aston martin Branding.

Nonetheless nice to see a British Team racing in British Racing Green.

 

[cider_and_toast]

There are some strange design features going on around the sidepods this season.

 

[Il_leone]

Well Honda want to make it known they are a big having missed all the limelight in the Red Bull years since 2021

 

[FB]

Day 1 - Morning times

 

[cider_and_toast]

Decent number of laps from the Williams which is a positive given that they missed Barcelona.

Hopefully, someone has got the calculator out and is working on fuel adjusted times.

 

[F1Brits_90]

the more im learning about these new rules the more i think its now impossible to tell. because there so many way to sandbag. 15 years ago. you ran it full with fuel

now you've got fuel, engine modes, the electrical output & the tyres

 

[FB]

Times at the end of day 1

 

[F1Brits_90]

https://www.sportskeeda.com/f1/news-fernando-alonso-reportedly-gets-aston-martin-throws-away-gloves-another-disastrous-run-pre-season-test-bahrain

 

[FB]

For what it's worth, day 2 testing times.

 

[Johnny Carwash]

https://www.sportskeeda.com/f1/news-fernando-alonso-reportedly-gets-aston-martin-throws-away-gloves-another-disastrous-run-pre-season-test-bahrain

Hopefully it’s true.

 

[cider_and_toast]

For comparison, these are the day 2 times from Bahrain day 2 last year:

Day two times - 27 February 2025

1. Carlos Sainz (Williams) - 1:29.348
2. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.031
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.083
4. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.430
5. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.436
6. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +0.881
7. Liam Lawson (Red Bull) +0.904
8. Jack Doohan (Alpine) +1.020
9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +1.082
10. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) +1.327
11. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +1.352
12. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls) +1.445
13. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +1.473
14. Lando Norris (McLaren) +1.534
15. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) +1.709
16. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) +2.109
17. Esteban Ocon (Haas) +3.723
18. Oliver Bearman (Haas) +5.024

 

[F1Brits_90]

this is my fear. i know this before we are even near day 1. i dont think these Engine rules are here for the long haul. i think theyve gone too far on electrical power & we could have races like Formula E

 

[cider_and_toast]

we could have races like Formula E

Oh no, the lead changing hands every few laps and multiple different race winners across a season.

How will we ever cope?

 

[F1Brits_90]

Oh no, the lead changing hands every few laps and multiple different race winners across a season.

How will we ever cope?

you know me, i watch Formula E every week & ill be watching the saudi races today & tomorrow. but formula e at its worst is pretty bad. ive seen races where nobody wants to lead, peleton races desperate to save energy. drivers going from 12th to 1st in 1 corner by simply breaking at a normal place

last years Miami was dreadful. it was basically like watching 29 laps under the safety car & 5 racing laps at the end

 

[F1Brits_90]

Hopefully it’s true.

Lance stroll comments yesterday make me think the Spanish journalist is spot on about Alonso "we've got to find speed from the car & the engine, today tomorrow & in the next few weeks"

 

[F1Brits_90]

 

[FB]

Well boo hoo!

 

[cider_and_toast]

I don't think he likes his new car.

 

[FB]

Aston Martin trying out different cooling options on their car. The site I nicked this from are suggesting that it's something to do with performance, but the cars often need extra cooling, especially in Mexico and the Middle East races.

 

[F1Brits_90]

in fairness to alonso. mika hakkinen is the aston martin chef