F1: Preseason tests show how different 2026 will be

F1's 2026 cars are a radical reset

The 2026 Formula 1 season begins in two weeks in Australia, but the new era is already on track in Bahrain for final preseason testing. This year introduces the most significant technical overhaul in over a decade, featuring all-new cars, redesigned hybrid power units, and a switch to sustainable fuels.

The preseason times are notoriously unrepresentative of true race pace. Teams run varying fuel loads, test experimental parts, and follow specific engineering programs. However, this year's tests are far from meaningless because they are the first real-world trials of an entirely new formula.

The new hybrid power unit explained

After 12 years, F1 has abandoned its previous hybrid design. The complex MGU-H system, which harvested energy from the turbocharger, is gone. The focus is now entirely on a much more powerful MGU-K motor-generator unit at the rear wheels.

The new power unit combines a 1.6-liter turbo V6 with a beefed-up hybrid system. The internal combustion engine produces 400 kW (536 hp). The MGU-K adds another 350 kW of electric power, drawing from a 4 MJ (1.1 kWh) battery.

Energy management is now a critical skill. Drivers can deploy up to 8.5 MJ (2.4 kWh) of electrical energy per lap. This has led to new driving techniques, like strategic downshifting to keep engine revs high for charging.

New driving techniques and a turbo gamble

A key phenomenon is "superclipping," where a car slows on a straight while engine revs rise. The engine is diverting power to charge the battery instead of driving the wheels, ensuring electric boost is available for the next corner.

Ferrari has made a distinct powertrain gamble. While other manufacturers use larger turbos for peak power, Ferrari opted for smaller, faster-spinning turbos. The bet is that this will provide a crucial advantage at race starts, where the MGU-K is inactive below 50 km/h (31 mph).

The MGU-K's power is already under review. Teams have been asked to test a reduced output as a contingency, should the new cars prove too fast or difficult to handle.

Cars look different and fight drag

The 2026 cars are visually distinct. They are shorter and narrower with slightly narrower tires. More importantly, aerodynamic designs have diverged significantly after years of tightly regulated convergence.

The major innovation is active aerodynamics. Each car has front and rear wings with two modes:

• Corner Mode: Wings are raised to generate maximum downforce.
• Straight Mode: Wings drop to a low-drag position to conserve energy on straights.

Shedding drag efficiently is this year's key battleground. Ferrari even tested a radical rear wing in Bahrain with elements that flipped 180 degrees.

Engine controversies and fuel troubles

A technical dispute is brewing over engine compression ratios. Mercedes is believed to have engineered an engine where the compression ratio increases as it heats up. The current rules cap the ratio at 16:1, measured at ambient temperature.

The FIA is meeting next week to discuss adding a "hot test," a change that could disadvantage Mercedes. The team insists its design is fully legal.

Meanwhile, five teams face a fuel crisis. Mercedes (supplying McLaren, Williams, and Alpine) and Honda (supplying Aston Martin) rely on sustainable fuels from Petronas and Aramco, respectively. Neither supplier has completed the mandatory homologation process by the March 1st deadline.

If they miss it, those teams must race with a substitute, non-optimized fuel, potentially costing performance.

Reliability concerns and new TV home

The bulletproof reliability of recent seasons is likely over, at least initially. Teams up and down the pit lane have lost valuable testing time troubleshooting new systems. Aston Martin has been particularly affected, suffering more issues than the brand-new Cadillac team.

In the United States, coverage moves to Apple TV this season. Viewers can access content through a dedicated F1 tab in the Apple TV app or via the standalone F1TV app using Apple credentials.

While it's unclear which commentary feed Apple will use, the F1TV app remains a comprehensive option. It offers multiple audio feeds, live in-car cameras for every driver, and a deep archive of past races.