Aston Martin's radical 2026 car impresses as Hamilton hints at Ferrari potential

The first pre-season shakedown in Barcelona provided a crucial early glimpse of the 2026 Formula 1 landscape, with Aston Martin's radical Adrian Newey-influenced car drawing significant praise and Lewis Hamilton topping the timesheets in his new Ferrari. The three-day test revealed varying fortunes for teams adapting to new regulations and power units, setting an intriguing stage for the season ahead.

Why it matters:

Pre-season testing offers the first real-world data point after months of simulation, making initial impressions vital for understanding the competitive order. Strong early showings can build crucial momentum, while technical issues—like those faced by Audi—can define a team's challenging start to a critical development season under new rules.

The details:

• Aston Martin's 'Another Level' Car: The Honda-powered AMR26, featuring clear design influence from new Technical Director Adrian Newey, was described as having "incredible attention to detail." Fernando Alonso completed 49 laps on Friday, his first run in a Newey-designed car since 2007.
• Hamilton's Promising Ferrari Start: Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time of the test (1:16.348) on the final day in Barcelona. The seven-time champion hinted the SF-26 car could play to his strengths as he aims to rebound from a difficult 2025 season.
• Audi's Daunting Challenge: Team Principal Mattia Binotto revealed the team faces its "longest ever list" of issues to resolve after its debut F1 test. The Audi R26 completed 240 laps but was hampered by reliability niggles, including a track stoppage for Gabriel Bortoleto.
• Red Bull's Engine Learning Curve: Max Verstappen emphasized the importance of mileage, completing 118 laps on Friday to understand Red Bull Powertrains' new in-house Ford engine. Sister team Racing Bulls gave an early positive verdict, with boss Alan Permane saying they were "pleasantly surprised" by its performance.
• Test Takeaways: The shakedown confirmed the expected performance spread but highlighted reliability as a key early battleground, especially for teams with new power units like Red Bull and Audi.

What's next:

Teams now head back to their factories to analyze the data from Barcelona before the official pre-season test in Bahrain in mid-February. The focus will be on reliability fixes and unlocking performance, with Aston Martin's radical concept and Ferrari's potential with Hamilton being the early stories to watch as the 2026 season rapidly approaches.