From February 18 to 20, the final preseason testing session will take place before a new Formula 1 World Championship begins. On this first day, drivers were able to complete a large number of laps, race start tests were carried out, and there was also a new official statement from the FIA.
On this opening day of action, the Mercedes team once again looked solid, with George Russell taking center stage by setting the fastest time of the day with a 1:33.159, after completing a total of 76 laps. McLaren was the team that logged the most mileage on track, with 149 laps combined between its drivers.
Williams continues to make progress and show improvements in performance, while the situation was different in the Aston Martin garage, where the team encountered new issues and was unable to take part in the race start tests during the day.
Earlier today, the FIA released a statement detailing that it is taking into account the opinions of both teams and drivers regarding the new regulations in force for the 2026 season. It announced that refinements to the 2026 F1 Regulations have been agreed upon and will be sent to the World Motor Sport Council for final approval.
It was also highlighted that the focus is on aspects such as energy management, aerodynamics, and race start procedures. This follows comments from last week, when several drivers expressed difficulties in conserving energy or pointed out that the new cars feel closer to Formula 2 than to the top tier of motorsport.
In that context, specific tests on Race Start procedures were carried out this afternoon, due to drivers’ concerns about the response of the new power units, which take a few seconds to deliver full power. The test procedure was as follows: an initial red flag forced all cars to return to the pits, then an extra formation lap was completed, a blue light warning was added five seconds before the traditional red light sequence, and a clear signal was introduced so drivers would know when to begin charging energy for the start.
After completing this procedure, the drivers performed the start, which generated strong reactions on social media, where a slow launch and several wheel slips were observed, leading to dissatisfaction among many users. For its part, the FIA will continue analyzing the system, although it believes an important step has been taken toward finding a solution to a problem that had raised concerns ahead of the championship.
Regarding statements, Flavio Briatore, executive advisor to the Alpine team, spoke today and appeared confident about the team’s project. The executive expressed satisfaction with the new Mercedes engine and with his driver lineup, stating:
“We will have a unit similar to Mercedes and McLaren, which will allow us to outperform other structures such as Williams Racing.”
He also clarified that the car will reach its best version in Melbourne and assured that Alpine aims to be the strongest team behind the four major powers on the grid.