Here’s your first look at the new generation of Formula 1 cars: Jalopnik

In just under a month, Formula 1 will return to racing for the 2026 season, bringing with it a completely new set of engine and chassis rules. It’s impossible to say exactly what that means in terms of a performance shake-up, as we haven’t yet figured out which teams and drivers will adapt best to the changes. While F1 held a private test in Barcelona a few weeks ago, Wednesday was the first official test day open to the public. This official onboard video is our first real indication of what the cars are capable of and how they work.

Our first on board of 2026! 😍

Hop aboard Lando Norris’ McLaren as he set the fastest time of day one 👀#F1 #F1Testing pic.twitter.com/DjP6D5fbuc

— Formula 1 (@F1) February 11, 2026

Lando Norris set the fastest lap of the day in Bahrain, posting a run of 1 minute and 34.669 seconds. That made him just over a tenth faster than the Red Bull Ford of Max Verstappen, and half a second faster than the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc. I wouldn’t go into too much detail about the starting order yet, as there is still a lot of sandbagging happening on the track and the times don’t give the full picture of variables like tire compound or fuel load. However, I would say it’s a bit startling how slow that time is.

We always knew the 2026 cars would be slower than the 2025 spec, thanks to a significant reduction in downforce and a wholesale change in the way the drivetrains generate power. Yet Oscar Piastri’s pole position time in the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix was just five seconds faster than his McLaren teammate managed on Wednesday.

Firstly, there is still a bit of bounce at speed on the straight, which was characteristic of the current regulations. Now that the FIA ​​has all but abolished ground downforce, the cars should ride a little higher and there will be less porpoising. This is evident from the fact that we do not hear the McLaren descending when it is up to speed.

Due to the way Formula 1 cars generate power in 2026, split approximately 50/50 between the petrol engine and the electric hybrid unit, the cars appear to run out of power halfway through many of the longer straights on the Bahrain circuit. This is something else drivers have to deal with, and an aerodynamic slipstream plus a well-timed energy input can be quite effective during overtaking maneuvers.

Almost unanimously, drivers seem to agree that these regulations lead to a looser driving experience and many of them have reported that they enjoy driving more. With a little more sliding on the track and less reliance on aerodynamic downforce, drivers will essentially be forced to drive again, rather than steer. This sport will always require perfect input, but it seems that the driver is more connected than in recent seasons.

Don’t forget that Carlos Sainz set the fastest lap in pre-season testing in 2025so take all of this as lightly as you want. We’ll have to wait and see what happens in Australia next month, but for now I’m intrigued.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes: based on his reading of telemetrywhich Red Bull has found no less than one second per lap, thanks to the incredibly powerful Red Bull Ford engine. Max was driving almost ten kilometers per hour faster in the main straight speed trap than its Mercedes rivals, with a speed of 209.02 miles per hour versus George Russell’s 203.5. Using the same drivetrain, rookie Arvin Lindblad from sister team Racing Bulls was right behind Max with a fall of 330 km/h.

Max Verstappen experimented with more violent downshifts, to run the engine at higher revs under braking and maximize energy recovery. With the removal of the old MGU-H system and a new, more powerful MGU-K system, maintaining energy in the system is essential to turning a fast lap.

Despite not having their car ready in time for the earlier test in Barcelona, ​​the Williams Grand Prix turned up ready to rumble in Bahrain. Both Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon continued to set times in the bottom half of the grid and managed to set some serious time behind the wheel with 77 and 68 laps respectively, more laps than any other team.

At the other end of the rankings was Aston Martin, who completed just 36 laps of the track in fits and starts. The brand new Honda engine appeared to overheat significantly and did not produce nearly as much speed, as Lance Stroll’s fastest lap was more than five seconds off the pace of the leading McLaren.