F1, masks off
During testing, the four top Formula 1 teams – Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, and Red Bull in strict alphabetical order – bounced the role of favorite back and forth in view of the new season. The teams verified the functioning of their respective single-seaters, without pushing to the limit so as not to reveal their cards, and thus arrived in Australia for the first race of the new championship with more than one unknown.
But tomorrow at 06:00 Italian time things will get serious and the Melbourne qualifying will give a first clue about the competitiveness levels of 2026.
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Martin Brundle’s analysis
The former Formula 1 driver and current commentator for Sky Sports UK, Martin Brundle, seemed excited by the new course of the category: “The cars are fantastic, they move well and are difficult to drive. In addition, the drivers are making mistakes and it’s been a long time since we’ve seen something like that“.
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Brundle explained that he saw the SF-26 quite well: “Ferrari was excellent on the flying lap, on long runs, and on reliability. Both Leclerc and Hamilton are pushing to the maximum, which is always a sign of confidence and security towards the car. The Mercedes seemed incredibly fast on long runs. What we thought on the eve 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 on the reliability side.”
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