The pre, season calendar features three separate test periods, enabling the teams to have a prolonged on, track time in order to perfect the setup and solve any issues of reliability after a long winter of development.

Official Test Dates and Locations

1. First Pre-Season Test: Barcelona (Spain)

January 26–30, 2026
The first testing session is scheduled at the Circuit de Barcelona, Catalunya which is the location of the very first real on, track time for the teams with their new cars. The session will be held as a private test behind closed doors so there will be limited timing and media access.

2. Second Pre-Season Test: Bahrain International Circuit

February 11–13, 2026
Testing will then take place in the Middle East where it is expected to be more broadcast, friendly at the Bahrain International Circuit. Teams will perform a long run of the car with a view to track down any performance and verification problems under more challenging conditions. Meanwhile, they will be very busy finalising setups.

Read More: Red Bull Boss Sets Expectations for Isack Hadjar Ahead of 2026 F1 Season

3. Third Pre-Season Test: Bahrain International Circuit

February 18–20, 2026
A final test block at the same Sakhir venue offers teams a last opportunity to fix any issues and collect final data before the season opener. This session is held just weeks before the first Grand Prix weekend.

Team Launches and Preparations

Several teams have already planned their car launch events and technical unveilings ahead of the official testing periods. These launches typically occur in January and serve to create the atmosphere of what each team will bring to pre, season testing. Thus, a number of teams have revealed their launch dates in different European cities in the weeks leading up to testing.

Road to the Australian Grand Prix

After the three pre, season tests, the 2026 Formula 1 season will officially kick off with the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne, scheduled for early March. This traditional opening round starts the 24, race championship campaign.

The post All the Key Pre-Season Dates for F1 2026 appeared first on Latest Sports News | Breaking News & Live Scores Today.

From Rough Start to Rapid Progress

Hadjars first year was a mix of early struggles and quick learning. After an opening weekend that couldn’t have gone worse including his spinning out during the rain, affected Australian Grand Prix formation lap he bounced back immediately by regularly finishing in the points and getting a podium at Zandvoort, a result that truly mirrored his drive and natural speed. It was mainly because of such performances that the Red Bull management was convinced that he deserved a promotion.

Read More: McLaren’s 2025 season review: best and worst moments plus driver head-to-heads

A Growing Role Alongside Verstappen

Landing a seat at a team like Red Bull means a lot of pressure coming your way, especially when your teammate is someone like Verstappen. Generally, the successors who have been in the same situations as Hadjar have found it difficult to cope with the spotlight and have not performed well. However, the Red Bull management seems to be really sure about Hadjar’s mental strength and his ability to rise up to the challenge. Mekies underlined that it will be his continued growth and having the right mindset rather than expecting to see sudden spectacular results that will be important.

The 2026 season is a huge leap for Hadjar in terms of both the competition and the expectation of the fans. However, Mekies statements indicate that Red Bull is not just thinking about immediate performance. The team is rather looking at this as an opportunity for Hadjar to develop gradually, be patient, and have their talent nurtured while he gains experience alongside one of the best drivers in recent F1.

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Dominance on race weekends

Race wins and standout performance

Dominance on race weekend Race wins and standout performances In 2025, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri on McLaren each triumphed in seven Grands Prix, which made McLaren the team with the most race victories. The papaya cars were particularly dominant in the first half of the season, with one of the two drivers finishing first in 11 out of 14 races before the summer break.

Read More: Mekies explains tough decision to demote Yuki Tsunoda while backing his future return

Highlights and low points of the season

Greatest accomplishments

The greatest achievement for McLaren was obviously winning two consecutive Teams Championships, with Norris becoming the first drivers champion at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. That success was McLarens peak since the late 90s and ended a long period of waiting for team and driver glory.

Memorable challenges

McLaren were not immune to misfortune amid their victories. One of the lows was the collision between Norris and Piastri as far as we know, only a very few incidents of this type have happened which resulted in a mixed outcome and some friction inside the team as the fight for the title got more and more heated. In addition, there were some difficult weekends towards the end of the season when both McLaren cars were disqualified at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, and a team strategy mistake in Qatar made them lose the chance of getting better results.

Looking ahead to 2026

With 2025 already behind them, McLaren are determined to keep their good form going next season. Among other things, a major ambition will be to clinch the Constructors Championship for the third consecutive time something they havent managed since their golden era from 1988 to 1991. As per the statements from McLaren management, the “Papaya Rules” policy of giving both drivers the same opportunities will still be there even when they decide to polish up the 2025 campaign lessons.

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Tsunoda’s season and the changes for 2026

The 25, year, old could only score very limited points and ended up as the seventeenth in the drivers’ championship with his best result being a sixth, place finish in Azerbaijan. After Sergio Perez left Red Bull at the end of 2024, Tsunoda and Liam Lawson were involved in a seat swap between Red Bull and Racing Bulls early in the season. Despite some bright moments, Red Bull made a final decision that Isack Hadjar will take over Tsunoda’s race seat for 2026 while the latter will continue as a reserve driver.

Read More: Max Verstappen to Race With Car Number 3 in the 2026 Formula 1 Season

Mekies backs Tsunoda’s resilience and future chances

While Mekies was relaying the call, he emphasized that Red Bull is known for making quick changes in its drivers and that chances can pop up in Formula 1 just like that. He mentioned that he wishes and trusts that Tsunoda will be given ‘another opportunity’ to be a full, time race driver again, as he pointed out that a setback is not a definition of the drivers career.

The broader context of Red Bull’s driver strategy

The driver shuffle illustrates the heat at the top of the fiercely competitive and unforgiving world of Formula 1. Both Red Bull and Racing Bulls have been changing their strategies for 2026, with the changes inside the team reflecting the current performance, development work, and the long, term plans. With the decision to relegate Tsunoda to a reserve driver and promote Hadjar to a race seat, Red Bull is stating that they are willing to make tough decisions to achieve their goals, but also that they care about Tsunoda enough to keep him as part of their broader driver program.

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End of an Era With Number 1

Four seasons were those in which Verstappen, as a Red Bull driver, was the one carrying the number 1, a specially designed number for the reigning world champion. His dominations started off from after his very first title in 2021 and went on through a run that resulted in numerous championships. As it turned out, the 2025 title was won by Norris, though just by a very narrow margin. Following the F1 rules, Verstappen therefore has to give up the number 1 for the forthcoming season.

Read More: Carlos Sainz Hopes Point-Less Abu Dhabi Finish Acts as a Wake-Up Call

A New Look for Verstappen and Red Bull

The decision to use number 3 will be an escape for Verstappen and Red Bull Racing from the old look and give their brand a new visual identity going into a season affected by major technical and competitive changes. The changes announced for the 2026 season are the major reasons for the beginning of the new era in F1 with a new set of rules and a bigger grid of competitors. Hence, the number change is indicating that the Dutch driver, who was involved in a very intense rivalry with Norris and McLaren throughout 2025, is moving on to another phase of his career.

Context After 2025 Season

Lando Norris’s winning the title of 2025 not only brought an end to Verstappen’s domination over the past years but also changed the way the teams work and their traditions for the next season. Norris has declared that he would be racing with number 1, a distinction that is generally only held by the defending world champion. This change cleared the way for Verstappen to look for other alternatives and number 3 was his choice after he had talked it over with the team and regulatory authorities.

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At the Yas Marina Circuit Sainz was 13th in his first season with Williams. The team showed some good flashes of the year, especially with two podium finishes, still, they had trouble scoring points in Abu Dhabi, a result that emphasized the level of competition and how far the team still has to go.

A Mixed First Year with Williams

Learning and Adapting

Sainz admitted that there were good and bad moments in his inaugural season with Williams. As proof that the team has taken big steps ahead, he cited an overall strong campaign, with two podiums and the fifth position in the Teams’ Championship, results.

Read More: Adrian Newey Vows to Maintain Design Focus as Aston Martin Team Principal

Nevertheless, the pace at Abu Dhabi was riddled with letdowns. After qualifying 12th and finishing barely in the points, Sainz commented that the performance highlighted how uncompetitive Williams was at the time of the race. Both he and teammate Alex Albon did their best, yet there wasn’t enough speed to fight against other midfield rivals.

A Wake-Up Call for the Off-Season

Not disheartening, Sainz expects such a result to give winter training a new impetus. After experiencing thejoys of a successful campaign, he said that returning to a weekend where Williams was weak might be the antidote to team complacency. The Spaniard thinks that this stark confrontation with the difficulties ahead could be very helpful when they are working on their 2026 car.

Sainz even went as far as saying he was nearly “happy” that such a result came about, as it probably would not let Williams fall into the trap of past successes but still push them to work harder.

Looking Forward to 2026

The fifth position of Williams in the Constructors’ Championship can still be regarded as a good feat, more so when the team decided to switch focus to next year’s car fairly early in the season. Sainz’s thoughts are not only about wrapping up 2025 but also about creating a lead, in to the next campaign.

The post Carlos Sainz Hopes Point-Less Abu Dhabi Finish Acts as a Wake-Up Call appeared first on Latest Sports News | Breaking News & Live Scores Today.

Session Highlights and Early Runs

Without rushing, the drivers started their runs. In the meantime, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were the first to go out and scrub their tyres, while Alpine teams Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto conduct their preparatory run for Friday sessions that are always, hard, working. As a matter of fact, Norris was initially leading with 1:24.728, he was able to rework the time later on even though his car suffered from oversteer but he almost collided with Tsunoda, who apologised for his blocking. The question is: how closely did Ollie Bearman follow Norris? The answer is very closely, as Bearman was able to match Norris for the most part, while in comparison, Stroll was able to surprise all of us with a quick soft, tyre lap only.

​Read More: Adrian Newey Vows to Maintain Design Focus as Aston Martin Team Principal

Hamilton Crash and Late Drama

Lewis Hamilton lost control of his car and crashed into the barriers at Turn 9, he was heard reporting that the front of the car was bending and the rear was snapping; he was lucky to be without injuries, however, his recovery stopped the program. After the restart, Oscar Piastri recorded the fastest time, he was by far the quickest on fresh tyres, being half a second ahead of Max Verstappen, a time which was later beaten by Norris with a better final sector. The Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli in the pit lane unintentionally hit Tsunoda while changing his front wing sources say his front wing got damaged as a result

Top Order and Qualifying Prep

Russell pushed hard and got the best time to move from Norris, Verstappen (+0.124s), Alonso (+0.251s), and Piastri (+0.259s) positions. In a clear race for the midfield, Haas duo Esteban Ocon and Bearman were two steps behind while Charles Leclerc, Antonelli, and Alex Albon completed the top 10. After an eventful practice session, teams are currently gearing up for Qualifying which is set to start at 18:00 local time.

The post F1 Abu Dhabi GP 2025: FP3 Russell Edges Norris as Hamilton Crashes appeared first on Latest Sports News | Breaking News & Live Scores Today.

Leadership Restructure Details

Aston Martin declared that a change was going to happen before the Qatar Grand Prix to take full advantage of the team’s strengths for the 2026 regulations, which bring new power units and chassis rules. Andy Cowell, who was the Team Principal and CEO for 14 months, is going to be the Chief Strategy Officer responsible for the collaboration with Honda, Aramco, and Valvoline after that. Executive Chairman Lawrence Stroll said that the mutual decision of the two parties was a way of positioning the team for success by using each person’s expertise most effectively.

​Read More: Can Lando Norris Still Win the 2025 F1 Title in Qatar After His Las Vegas Disqualification?

Newey’s Commitment to Design

Newey stressed that nothing inspires him more than developing cars and that this work drives him every day, and to that work he will add supervising the technical teams and the trackside operations while still trying to keep his focus on car design. Newey also mentioned that the role suits him best as it is his presence at the first races that is required, thus hardly giving him any change in his work. In the short period of less than a year, Newey has gradually been able to grasp the presence of the strong talent pool at Aston Martin and he now looks at the upcoming 2026 season with a full factory team as a step forward.

Team Reactions and Context

Fernando Alonso called Newey “a great leader” and welcomed the news by saying that it was a logical step towards the fulfillment of the team’s ambitions. The change comes after Newey joined the team in March from Red Bull, where he was instrumental in winning 12 constructors’ and 14 drivers’ titles, and it’s the first time he takes on the role of Team Principal. Fans and pundits are calling it the fourth leadership shake, up in four years as the team restructures to stay competitive.

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Qualifying Drama Unfolds

After Norris had initially taken provisional pole with a scintillating run, he lost the traction of his car in the second Q3 attempt and had to abort the run, thus handing over the final clear shot to Piastri. Piastri made the most of this opportunity, getting more than enough time in the first sector and keeping the lead throughout the twisty Lusail track, effectively transferring his Sprint pole, to, win performance into a Grand Prix victory. George Russell continued the good form of Mercedes by qualifying fourth, with rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli grabbing an excellent fifth position, while Isack Hadjar and Carlos Sainz completed the top seven amid the noise of a Williams unsafe release investigation.

Read More: Can Lando Norris Still Win the 2025 F1 Title in Qatar After His Las Vegas Disqualification?

Championship Stakes Heighten

Two poles for Piastri at the Qatar, Sprint and Grand Prix, serve as an ideal way to put pressure on Norris, who is 22 points ahead of Verstappen, who is 25 points behind, and there are only two races left. In the event of a Norris win on Sunday, the Brit would seal his first title if he is able to get at least four points more than Piastri and finish ahead of Verstappen. But Piastri’s winning momentum in the Sprint race indicates that the papaya duo of McLaren will not let up easily. The point gaps of 396, 374, 371 among the top three only emphasize how tight the margins are as far as Abu Dhabi is concerned.

Full Starting Grid

Piastri’s advantage was displayed through a ‘Ghost Car’ overlay by Formula 1, which shows that he was faster in every sector compared to Norris’ best lap.

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Front-Runners’ Insights

It was a comeback from Mercedes after they had difficulties with the softer tyre in practice, and Russell was very happy with P2 and the track’s reaction to the high, grip, which put him in a good position for the first, corner fight. Kimi Antonelli in seventh was only able to pinpoint that he caused errors in SQ2 which led to his lack of confidence; however, he still mentioned that the car was quite balanced and had great potential.

​Read More: Can Lando Norris Still Win the 2025 F1 Title in Qatar After His Las Vegas Disqualification?

Midfield Battles and Red Bull Woes

Red Bull had a hard time in the evening of the qualifying session and Max Verstappen was not happy with the bouncing that kept on happening, understeer, and various setup changes that did not help the car to go faster which eventually made him start from the sixth position. Yuki Tsunoda was able to beat Verstappen for the fifth position with a clean session and he also said that he was full of hope of more improvements.

Backmarkers and Tyre Notes

Kick Sauber were close to SQ3, Gabriel Bortoleto had the 13th position and Nico Hulkenberg the 14th after he went wide at the last corner and both of them found good things in SQ1 grip. Alpine stayed at the back of the pack, Pierre Gasly was 19th due to cold, tyre Turn 1 problems, and Franco Colapinto 20th after floor damage in practice. Pirelli’s Simone Berra believed that the grip was much better compared to last year, the change from soft to medium was 0.6, 0.7s, and the gravel that caused tread cuts should be watched closely.

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