2026 Pre-Season Testing

[Emag]

With energy recovery via braking, different drivers might create different perceptions of the car potential. Moreover you can now play with both ICE modes and energy deployment to a much bigger extent. IMO clearly McLaren haven't shown their hand. Likewise neither have the others. I think the race simulations will be good for understanding tire degradation but lap time differences themselves shouldn't matter.

I honestly don't see the point why you would do this. I would agree if somehow all Mercedes teams were looking weak, but Mercedes did somewhat representative runs today. What does McLaren have to gain from sandbagging in this scenario? Other teams and especially Mercedes would be able to look past that bullsh*t and easily see how much McLaren are holding back. It seems rather pointless.

EDIT : I think the only reason would be if they want to test the limits of the ICE so they're strategically deploying very little just to see how much they can recharge. For the record, I don't think they're going to be 1 second off the pace either, but Lando's run yesterday seemed a bit more realistic and he was still 2-3 tenths away from Leclerc at the last stint. Unfortunately live timing cut off so we have no idea what happened in the middle of the runs though.

[f1isgood]

With energy recovery via braking, different drivers might create different perceptions of the car potential. Moreover you can now play with both ICE modes and energy deployment to a much bigger extent. IMO clearly McLaren haven't shown their hand. Likewise neither have the others. I think the race simulations will be good for understanding tire degradation but lap time differences themselves shouldn't matter.

I honestly don't see the point why you would do this. I would agree if somehow all Mercedes teams were looking weak, but Mercedes did somewhat representative runs today. What does McLaren have to gain from sandbagging in this scenario? Other teams and especially Mercedes would be able to look past that bullsh*t and easily see how much McLaren are holding back. It seems rather pointless.

EDIT : I think the only reason would be if they want to test the limits of the ICE so they're strategically deploying very little just to see how much they can recharge. For the record, I don't think they're going to be 1 second off the pace either, but Lando's run yesterday seemed a bit more realistic and he was still 2-3 tenths away from Leclerc at the last stint. Unfortunately live timing cut off so we have no idea what happened in the middle of the runs though.

All Merc-powered cars have incentive to show they are really not that powerful before next week's F1 commision meeting. We would be naive to think they would just show their potential right now though. Mercedes will already know where they stand in relation to McLaren. With Ferrari and Red Bull, not so clear....

[ToffeeTyres]

They have ruined the sport with these engine regs. Going to be more endurance racing battery saving not flat out gladiators. I hope these regs are dropped quickly in favour for just an internal combustion engine if they want any battery just used as a KERS system that’s it. It’s going to be a farce

[motobaleno]

All Merc-powered cars have incentive to show they are really not that powerful before next week's F1 commision meeting. We would be naive to think they would just show their potential right now though. Mercedes will already know where they stand in relation to McLaren. With Ferrari and Red Bull, not so clear....

Well...actually I don't know ...I think mercedes have to play this very carefully. We are in complete different times with respect to 2014...a big social and media attention now is on them: If they downplay too much now their real potential and then they come out with a beast the media/social pressure towards a cheating scheme could rise to a very worrying level. The social beast is always hungry.

[FittingMechanics]

I don't think Lando, Max and Charles did confirmed race stints did they?

Lando did a race stint yesterday, I think Charles as well but the data was not working so there is no reliable data on those stints.

[Sieper]

All Merc-powered cars have incentive to show they are really not that powerful before next week's F1 commision meeting. We would be naive to think they would just show their potential right now though. Mercedes will already know where they stand in relation to McLaren. With Ferrari and Red Bull, not so clear....

Well...actually I don't know ...I think mercedes have to play this very carefully. We are in complete different times with respect to 2014...a big social and media attention now is on them: If they downplay too much now their real potential and then they come out with a beast the media/social pressure towards a cheating scheme could rise to a very worrying level. The social beast is always hungry.

So they won’t unleash a beast. Just that 2 tenths faster and adjust. If and when needed.

[f1isgood]

With such a heavy electric component its not even clear to me anymore which car is more draggy/less draggy.. which car has more downforce right now and which corners are the strengths....

[TeamKoolGreen]

The start of the first race is going to look like a clown show akin to the robo race driverless series. Everyone will clumsily go off at different speeds. And some cars won't even move.

The one thing electric is good at is at the starts and you aren't allowed to use it until you are going 50kmh. It is just amazing how a committee designing process made the wrong call at every point. Not a single thing is right about these regs.

[upsidedowntoast]

Looking at the race sim data looks like Mclaren is suffering least when it comes to tyre degradation?

[motobaleno]

Well...actually I don't know ...I think mercedes have to play this very carefully. We are in complete different times with respect to 2014...a big social and media attention now is on them: If they downplay too much now their real potential and then they come out with a beast the media/social pressure towards a cheating scheme could rise to a very worrying level. The social beast is always hungry.

So they won’t unleash a beast. Just that 2 tenths faster and adjust. If and when needed.

Again, you are talking in 2026 with a 2014 logic. A beast would be simply a car that wins. you have seen that the other engine builders, Audi first, are not accepting to be fooled. Plus, Mercedes cannot favor one driver: Russel cannot be slowed down for obvious reasons and Toto will not accept to slow down his pupil Kimi. So, If they have a real winning car they will win 1-2.

[Luscion]

[pantherxxx]

Summary of Martin Villari's verdict:
Ferrari: Quick one lap, but the car is terrible at traction and is probably cooking its rear tires.

McLaren: Looked perfect on day 1 but has been experiencing more problems as the test has progressed. They are experiencing understeer in turn 11 and rear instability in turns 5-7.

Red Bull: Max is not happy with the type of racing being required, but the car is definitely the best one for energy and stability. The only car that is not trying to rotate or slide off the track every time the driver touches the throttle.

[FrukostScones]

Looking at the race sim data looks like Mclaren is suffering least when it comes to tyre degradation?

must be the water

[GrizzleBoy]

Summary of Martin Villari's verdict:
Ferrari: Quick one lap, but the car is terrible at traction and is probably cooking its rear tires.

McLaren: Looked perfect on day 1 but has been experiencing more problems as the test has progressed. They are experiencing understeer in turn 11 and rear instability in turns 5-7.

Red Bull: Max is not happy with the type of racing being required, but the car is definitely the best one for energy and stability. The only car that is not trying to rotate or slide off the track every time the driver touches the throttle.

The stronger electrical output is probably actually a big negative to cars that don't have sufficient chassis compliance or driveable deployment at lower revs.

[AR3-GP]

The stronger electrical output is probably actually a big negative to cars that don't have sufficient chassis compliance or driveable deployment at lower revs.

It's a double whammy in a place like Bahrain. It could be less sensitive on tracks with higher minimum speeds.