Lewis Hamilton sharply criticized the pace, drivability, and technical rules of Formula 1’s 2026 cars after the opening morning of official pre‑season testing in Bahrain. Driving Ferrari’s SF‑26, he called the new package “slower than GP2” and described the engine and energy‑management systems as “ridiculously complex.” He said the car felt “shorter, lighter” and “like rallying,” warned that adaptive algorithms that learn a driver’s style could be disrupted by incidents such as lock‑ups, and cautioned that the added complexity risks confusing fans.

The criticism centered on the radical shift in the 2026 power‑unit formula, roughly a 50/50 split of power between the internal‑combustion engine and electrical systems. The change has left many cars energy‑starved and forced teams to prioritize energy recovery. That has produced unconventional tactics in testing and qualifying, including deliberate backing off on straights, running lower gears to harvest battery, and long lift‑and‑coast stretches reported as roughly 600 meters. Hamilton nonetheless said basic energy management had felt “pretty straightforward” so far, while conceding that race trim could change the picture.

He qualified his remarks by noting Bahrain’s gusty, dusty, and hotter conditions compared with the Barcelona shakedown, contradicting earlier positive comments that the 2026 cars were “more fun” after Barcelona. Early in testing, he ran wide several times, spun in the morning, and finished roughly one second behind session leader Max Verstappen. He stressed it was still too early to judge the package because teams have not yet optimized tires, aero, ride height, or mechanical balance and are “all in the same boat” as they learn the new systems.

Audi brought a B-spec R26 to the Bahrain pre-season tests, carrying a markedly revised aerodynamic approach. The changes centered on a radically narrow, inverted forward-stretched vertical sidepod inlet and an almost two-tier bodywork arrangement that integrates the upper side-impact spar into the main body while allowing its tip to protrude. Surface-shaping changes include a pelican-style G-line (a pronounced surface crease to help guide airflow), a gentler gulley on the upper sidepod, a channel on the top surface, and a ramped undercut that directs flow toward the floor edges. Those elements are intended to shorten the pathway to the diffuser, increase downwash, and deliver cleaner, higher-energy airflow to the underfloor and rear. Observers compared the concept to Mercedes’ 2022 “zeropod” experiment, although Audi retained conventional sidepod bodywork rather than adopting a full zeropod layout.

Audi ran an early-January Barcelona shakedown using a more conventional inwashing sidepod layout, but that outing was limited to 240 laps by a technical issue. The team completed a later closed test in January and arrived in Bahrain with the B-spec R26. Gabriel Bortoleto ran the revamped car on Wednesday morning at Sakhir, and Nico Hülkenberg drove the afternoon session. The R26 carried large Kiel probe rakes (arrays of flow sensors) and wrapped sensors to correlate on-track airflow with CFD and wind-tunnel work. Audi also introduced hardware changes, including a new twin-pod front-wing activation system and a revised rear-wing activation layout designed to exploit the sport’s relaxed deployment rules.

Team management says the updates are part of an iterative aero development path rather than a wholesale concept switch. However, commentators called the package a clear technical wildcard for the start of the season. Audi engineers are using the Bahrain running to evaluate cooling, reliability, and unconventional flow management under full-test conditions. Factory development will continue, with a second three-day shakedown in Bahrain scheduled for February 18–20 and further parts planned ahead of the Australian season opener on March 8.

Aston Martin reassigned Andy Cowell from the Group CEO and team-principal roles he held through 2025 to chief strategy officer ahead of the 2026 season. Technical chief Adrian Newey assumed the team principal role late in 2025. The move prompted questions in the paddock about whether a designer is the right fit for team leadership. As part of the wider reorganization, Aston Martin also reassigned Mike Krack to a trackside performance role.

The personnel changes were closely tied to Aston Martin’s switch from Mercedes-supplied engines to a bespoke Honda power unit, a technical shift sources say reshaped Cowell’s responsibilities. The team refocused him on optimizing technical partnerships with Honda, Aramco, and Valvoline. As a result, he attended Honda’s power-unit launch in Tokyo and Aston Martin’s 2026 car unveiling.

Cowell joined Aston Martin in 2024 after two decades at Mercedes High-Performance Powertrains and a spell out of the sport after 2020. Aston Martin insiders and PlanetF1 sources described relations as strained as Cowell’s remit narrowed after the engine homologation process, and some reports characterized the split as acrimonious. Reports differ on Cowell’s departure timeline, with several outlets saying he could leave in June or before the summer break, while others expect him to remain on Aston Martin’s books through year-end.

Fernando Alonso warned that the 2026 Formula 1 regulations, with increased electrification, strict energy-management rules, and tighter technical limits, risk reducing driver control and even taking some of the joy out of driving. Speaking after his first day in the Aston Martin AMR26 and again at the team launch in Saudi Arabia, the two-time world champion said the rules push electrification toward a near 50/50 split between electric and combustion power, making harvesting and electrical deployment central to race strategy. It also forces lifting and coasting, even during qualifying, as drivers may need to recharge the hybrid battery mid-session.

Alonso singled out specific technical constraints he called “over-restrictive,” including ramp-down rates, activation zones for overtake mode, and a rule requiring maximum energy deployment for one second at corner exits. He warned that extensive team simulation work under the new package left little room for individual talent to alter race outcomes, saying teams “had most answers by Thursday and there were few surprises by Sunday.” In addition, Also warned that the changes had reduced some of the “adrenaline” that came with lighter, louder cars of the late 1990s and early 2000s. He described the heightened energy-management requirements as “a bit annoying,” but also said teams and drivers would adapt, pointing to series such as IndyCar and the World Endurance Championship.

Reactions in the paddock were mixed: Lando Norris and Toto Wolff suggested smarter drivers could still gain an edge under the new rules, while Aston Martin designer Adrian Newey and driver Lance Stroll were more skeptical or indifferent about how racing style would change. Mercedes’ George Russell said he did not find the situation unnatural, and Haas rookie Oliver Bearman called it “a bit sad.” Aston Martin has pursued radical new design concepts for pre-season testing, and there were reported concerns about Honda’s power unit after a Barcelona shakedown. Alonso’s views carried extra weight given he is 44, has started a record 425 Grands Prix, and has an Aston Martin contract due to expire at the end of the season.