This Thursday saw another day of preseason testing in Formula 1. The 2026 World Championship is approaching and teams continue to fine-tune details ahead of the big debut, which will take place on March 8 in Australia.
Mercedes once again placed itself at the top, although unlike the previous day, the driver who looked the strongest was Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who set a time of 1:32.803 and completed a total of 79 laps. McLaren and Red Bull also showed strong performance. In the case of the Milton Keynes team, Max Verstappen was the driver who logged the most laps of the day, with a total of 139, in a clear focus on reliability work and setup.
Mercedes was not only a protagonist on track, but also off it due to strong statements from Toto Wolff. The team principal claimed that some rivals are pressuring the FIA through complaints related to the German brand’s engines. In recent days, first there were claims about the compression ratio, and then rumors surfaced about a possible irregularity in the fuel. Wolff responded firmly:
“It’s another one of those stories. They said our compression ratio was illegal, which is nonsense, complete nonsense. And now the next story comes out that our fuel is illegal.”
He then added, with an ironic tone:
“I don’t know where that’s coming from. Maybe they’ll come up with something else, like me appearing in the Epstein files or something.”
For now, the FIA has launched an electronic vote so that engine manufacturers can measure the compression ratio not only at room temperature, as is currently done, but also at a representative operating temperature, around 130 °C. The intention is for this measurement to become mandatory from August 1. In this way, a direct sanction for Mercedes is avoided, although the aim is to prevent any potential technical advantage if there are suspicions of a favorable interpretation of the regulations.
Another major highlight of the day was Ferrari’s rear wing, a technical solution that drew attention in the paddock and among fans. It is a rear wing system that allows the flap to rotate 180 degrees to reduce drag, an evolution compared to the traditional DRS, which was eliminated this season and only allowed partial opening. This new aerodynamic element rotates on a central pivot, completely inverting the flap. So far, it has not shown major advantages in the results, but it is certainly a development to keep an eye on.
As for performance, the morning was more complicated for Ferrari, although things improved in the afternoon. Lewis Hamilton, who was the only Ferrari driver running today, had a minor issue that led to a trip through the runoff area, without major consequences. In the start practice runs, Ferrari also looked competitive and, according to comments in the paddock, the SF-26 appears to have a slight edge in turbo response, allowing for better initial traction, although for now this remains speculation.
On this day, 16 of the 22 drivers were able to take to the track. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), Isack Hadjar (Red Bull), Pierre Gasly (Alpine), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls), and Carlos Sainz (Williams) did not participate. All of them are expected to return to action tomorrow, in the final day of testing that will officially close preseason ahead of the highly anticipated debut in Australia.