P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Despite initial fears of a runaway team, Formula 1 in 2026 is looking set to be potentially very close.
McLaren chief designer Rob Marshall expressed surprise at how closely matched the entire Formula 1 grid appears to be in terms of performance, as he had anticipated one team to be superior in Bahrain.
The expectation before the new power unit regulations were introduced was that Mercedes would lead the pack initially.
However, after the five-day testing in Barcelona and the opening runs in Bahrain, it seems like Red Bull is emerging as the team to keep an eye on.
Different teams showcased strengths in various areas, with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and McLaren’s Lando Norris impressing in lap times.
Notably, Max Verstappen caught attention with consistently strong performances, indicating Red Bull’s engine has impressive outright speed.
Marshall highlighted the competitiveness across teams in comparison to his earlier expectations of one dominant force standing out in the races.
He noted that based on Barcelona and Bahrain performances, it appears that the upcoming Formula 1 season will be fiercely contested without any single team taking a clear lead.
