The first testing event of the 2026 Formula 1 season in Bahrain is in the books, and the action on track and in the garages gave us plenty of talking points. Is Mercedes really the team to beat? Is McLaren quietly preparing to dominate again? Is Ferrari really back? Read on for the biggest news about the top teams.

They will resume testing in Bahrain this Wednesday through Friday. With the season kicking off in Australia in less than three weeks, the clock is ticking down for the teams to get their cars dialed in and ready to compete for championships.

Mercedes

Coming into Bahrain, Mercedes had been picked as early favorites for both 2026 titles. But testing started out poorly for the Silver Arrows. On day 1, Merc could not get their car’s balance right, leading to brake lockups, reduced traction and overall unpredictability. 

Neither George Russel nor Kimi Antonelli were anywhere near the top three in terms of best lap time on the first two test days. Antonelli, in particular, was cursed. On day 1, he spent hours in the garage as the team worked through a suspension issue. On day 2, Merc was forced to change engines, limiting Antonelli to just three laps on track.

But all that changed on day 3 as Mercedes finally found its footing and showed why many expect them to top the standings this season. Antonelli recorded the quickest lap time, with Russel in second place just 0.249 seconds behind. It was the best Mercedes has looked since an impressive shakedown performance in Barcelona in January.

Ferrari

It’s fair to say Ferrari turned in an impressive outing as they fight to join the top three teams (McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull) following a disappointing 2025 campaign. 

The team completed the third most laps (408), just behind Williams and McLaren. Lewis Hamilton recorded the third-fastest lap time during the three days of testing, with Charles Leclerc nailing the fourth-fastest time. In fact, Leclerc boasted the best lap time among all drivers on day 2.

Overall, Ferrari showed off decent speed and notable reliability, providing Scuderia tifosi a ray of hope for the 2026 season.

McLaren 

It’s telling that McLaren achieved fantastic results in Bahrain but didn’t make many headlines. Are we just becoming accustomed to the team being that spectacular after winning the 2025 Constructors Championship going away and providing us with the pilots who finished first and third in the Drivers Championship (Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri)?

Team Papaya notched the second-most laps during the three days of testing, with Piastri amassing a massive total of 215 laps, second only to Leclerc’s 219. Norris rocked the fastest lap time on day 1. Overall, Piastri and Norris clocked in at fifth and sixth in terms of overall fastest times, suggesting McLaren have more performance they’re choosing not to show off yet.

Perhaps the most interesting McLaren talking point from the week was seeing Piastri working with Pedro Matos again. Matos is a Portuguese engineer who collaborated with Piastri during his junior career, including 2021 when Piastri won the F2 title as a rookie. In 2025, Piastri let the Drivers Championship slip from his hands after leading the standings with eight races to go. This season, he’ll be counting on Matos as a consultant to help him sharpen his performance.

Red Bull

Red Bull kept a relatively low profile in Bahrain, which isn’t too surprising considering the massive changes they’ve undergone since last season. Not only are they debuting their first self-built power unit, but they’re also recovering from the loss of team principal Christian Horner and technical mastermind Adrian Newy.

Red Bull was solid but not spectacular. Verstappen completed the eighth-most laps of any driver, despite not driving at all on the second day of testing. On day 2, Isack Hadjar was forced to wait while the team resolved a technical problem. He completed just 87 laps. On day 3, the two drivers combined to complete just 120 laps — 16 less than Verstappen completed on day 1 alone.

Technical director Pierre Wach claimed the team lags behind McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull as they prepare for the 2026 campaign. But are they playing possum? Knowing how cagey Mad Max and his team have been in the past, the answer is most likely yes.