P1racenews AI automatic summary:
If the F1 season-opener happened tomorrow, who’s got the best race pace? Here are the clues we’ve gleaned so far
Teams in Formula 1 still have three more days of testing left before the 2026 season begins, but concerns about preparedness have been alleviated, with many teams showing race-ready performance during the Bahrain test.
Despite timing system outages, frontrunners like Mercedes, McLaren, and Ferrari showcased strong race simulations during the test, providing valuable insights into their competitiveness.
Key drivers like Kimi Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton, and Oscar Piastri demonstrated consistent and competitive lap times across different stints and tire compounds.
Other teams, such as Cadillac, Haas, and Williams, also conducted race simulations, further painting a picture of the field’s readiness for the upcoming season.
While the timing data was not flawless, the test laps provided important insights into the teams’ race pace and potential strategies for the Bahrain Grand Prix and the rest of the season.
