As Formula 1 continues to introduce us to new terms as if we were students of an enthusiastic English teacher, today we explain a concept you may hear during testing: sandbagging.

Unlike terms such as straight mode, overtake mode, or the boost button, sandbagging is not exclusive to the 2026 regulations, but has been part of modern motorsport for some time. Recently, this term has been mentioned in relation to Mercedes, after Max Verstappen accused the team of using "distraction tactics" and hiding their true power.

Simply put, they are sandbagging. The power of Franco Colapinto's Mercedes engine has been a topic of discussion in the preseason, as it is said that a maneuver related to the geometric compression ratio of their engines could give them up to a 0.3-second advantage.

But that's another debate; here we focus on explaining sandbagging. During test sessions, sandbagging refers to the practice of a team or driver deliberately concealing their maximum performance. By intentionally reducing the car's capacity, inaccurate data is sent to the competition or a surprise is prepared for the season debut.

There are several ways to carry out this tactic: from loading the car with more fuel than necessary or adjusting the engine to reduced power, to consciously limiting speed. For teams, it's a matter of balancing the collection of useful data with the strategy of surprising their rivals.

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Former Ferrari, Williams, and Jordan engineer Rob Smedley explained to F1 in 2019: "The ideal is to prepare the car with a reasonable amount of fuel—maximum 40 kg—equip it with somewhat soft tires, and push it hard enough to see how it behaves and gather information.

On the other hand, it is common to see the leading teams operating with 50 kg throughout the session without reducing that figure. This practice allows them to obtain as much data as possible, putting them in an advantageous position when they arrive in Australia."

Smedley added: "Honestly, I don't think sandbagging is practiced deliberately. Why would they? Think about Brawn in 2009: they arrived at testing and, I think, surprised even themselves.

By the end of the first day, it was clear they had an incredible machine, capable not only of winning the first race, but of dominating the following races until their rivals managed to catch up. What would have changed if they had chosen to hide their true performance?

However, in 2019 Ferrari showed good pace in preseason testing, although Charles Leclerc noticed his rivals' tactics and suspected they were sandbagging. Such was the strategy that Mercedes managed to win 15 races that year.

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