The Ringer F1 Show Takeaways From Part 2 of Preseason Testing
30 snips
Feb 21, 2026 They dig into surprising twists from the second phase of Bahrain testing, including Ferrari's lucky breakthrough and its rotating rear wing tech. Discussion covers engine and battery testing headaches, reduced electrical power proposals, and which midfield teams and manufacturers impressed. Data comparisons and driver reactions round out the testing highlights.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Testing Times Still Tell A Story
- Testing lap times are informative despite sandbagging; top teams' positions in testing often correlate with season strength.
- Teams at the very back (Aston, Cadillac) likely won't magically leap forward by Melbourne.
Aston Martin's Testing Nightmare
- Aston Martin suffered multiple battery and power-unit part issues that wiped out test mileage and reliability checks.
- Fernando Alonso and the team looked shell-shocked after limited running and being down to very few on-site batteries.
Small Turbo, Big Start Advantage
- Ferrari's smaller turbo strategy gives quicker spool and stronger race starts versus larger-turbo rivals.
- That trade-off may cost top-end straight-line speed but boosts low-speed acceleration and regen behavior.