All articles tagged with #bahrain pre season
Honda has admitted its 2026 F1 power unit is underperforming in both speed and reliability, as Aston Martin ran the Bahrain pre-season test with significant issues. A data anomaly and a power-unit fault restricted track time, leaving Aston Martin four seconds off Ferrari’s pace. Honda says it is collaborating across Sakura, Milton Keynes and Silverstone to identify solutions and improve both performance and reliability.
Lando Norris posted the fastest time at Bahrain’s F1 pre-season test, beating Max Verstappen as Ferrari unveiled a 180-degree rotating rear wing under the sport’s aero rules; Lewis Hamilton endured a chassis issue that limited his running but later resumed, while most teams concentrated on long runs rather than chasing outright pace.
Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time (1m32.803s) on day five of Bahrain pre-season testing, beating Oscar Piastri as Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull led a busy session; Aston Martin again struggled, with Fernando Alonso’s AMR26 limited by issues and finishing 4.669s off the pace after 68 laps.
Lando Norris set the fastest Bahrain pre-season lap (1m33.453s on the C3 tyre) to lead Max Verstappen by 0.131s, while Ferrari grabbed attention with a 180-degree rotating rear wing under the new aero rules. Lewis Hamilton faced a chassis issue and completed only five laps before returning for a late run, as teams focused on long-run simulations and reliability—George Russell and Alex Albon posted strong mileage behind Norris and Verstappen, with other drivers like Bortoleto, Bearman, Colapinto, Lawson, Alonso and Bottas also clocking times.