F1 2026 preparations are ramping up as official pre-season testing begins in Bahrain. After a five-day private shakedown in Barcelona at the end of January, all 11 teams will be back in action as the Bahrain International Circuit hosts two, three-day official pre-season tests over the next two weeks.

A catastrophic shunt from Max Verstappen's new team-mate Isack Hadjar left the team in crisis. They were forced to sit out as they waited for spare parts to be shipped over for their new car, the RB22. For Ford CEO Jim Farley, the lack of movement from the team while they cleared up the wreck will likely have been heartbreaking.