F1, mask off
During the tests the four top Formula 1 teams – Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull in strict alphabetical order – bounced off each other’s roles as favorite ahead of the new season. The teams checked the functioning of their respective cars, without pushing hard so as not to reveal their cards and therefore we arrived at Australia for the first race of the new championship with more than one unknown.
But tomorrow at 06:00 Italian time it will get serious and the qualifications in Melbourne will give a first clue about the competitiveness levels of 2026.
Martin Brundle’s analysis
The former Formula 1 driver and current commentator for Sky Sports UK, Martin Brundleseemed excited by the new direction of the category: “The cars are great, they move well and are hard to drive. Plus Pilots make mistakes and we haven’t seen something like this for a long time“.
Brundle explained that he had seen the SF-26 quite well: “Ferrari was excellent on flying laps, long runs and reliability. Both Leclerc and Hamilton are pushing hard, which is always a sign of confidence and safety towards the vehicle. Mercedes seemed incredibly fast on long runs. What we thought the day before seems to be confirmed, Mercedes and Ferrari and then immediately behind McLaren and Red Bull. But no one will be sure of winning until they have crossed the finish line, because the cars are still imperfect in terms of reliability.”
