(Motorsport-Total.com) – Even before the new generation of Formula 1 cars had driven a single meter, there were fears among some fans that the premier class could become significantly slower than in previous years due to the new regulations.
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In some cases, there was even talk that Formula 1 would hardly be faster than Formula 2. After the two test weeks in Bahrain, it is now clear that at least the worst-case scenarios painted by some are not coming true.
Because the times in Sakhir were indeed slower than in previous years, but not to a dramatic extent. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc set the fastest time on the last day of testing in 1:31.992 minutes. For comparison: the Formula 2 pole time in Bahrain in 2025 was 1:44.008 – twelve seconds slower.
Also interesting is a comparison with the Formula 1 winter best times from previous years. In 2025, Carlos Sainz set the surprising best time in Bahrain in 1:29.348. The Williams driver was thus around 2.6 seconds faster than Leclerc this winter.
Why a comparison between 2025 and 2026 is unfair
This almost matches the FIA’s predictions from last year. Head of single-seater matters Nikolas Tombazis explained at the time: “According to our simulations, the new cars will be between one and two and a half seconds slower at the start of the season.”
The exact value will vary from track to track, but at least with regard to the test drives in Bahrain, the FIA was not far off. Also important in this comparison between 2025 and 2026 is the fact that the Formula 1 regulations were more or less stable for four years between 2022 and 2025.
While the cars were already at the end of their “life cycle” last year, the 2026 cars are still at the very beginning of their development – and thus still have significant room for improvement in terms of performance.
A comparison of the winter times from 2026 and 2022 would therefore be fairer, when the ground-effect cars of that time were still completely new. Back then, Max Verstappen set the best time in 1:31.720 minutes. The Red Bull driver was thus only just under 0.3 seconds faster than Leclerc this year.
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Of course, one must always be careful with a direct comparison of test times, because it is never entirely clear how much the driver and car were already at the limit. In addition, there may be other factors such as different track conditions.
Slower cars normal under new regulations
However, the tire compounds are known, and Verstappen set his 2022 best time on the softest C5 compound. Leclerc, on the other hand, was “only” on C4 tires this year, which in theory brings the best times from 2022 and 2026 even closer together.
Based on the impressions from Bahrain, the new Formula 1 cars are certainly not dramatically slower than the previous generation. Although there are differences in how the lap times are achieved, the bottom line is that, at least after the winter tests, the values are quite similar.
And if one assumes that the development curve for the new cars will follow a similar path, they should become several seconds faster in the coming years, so that the times of the 2025 cars will eventually be reached again.
The fact that Formula 1 cars initially become significantly slower under completely new regulations is also shown, for example, by a comparison of the winter best times in 2021 and 2022. In 2021, Max Verstappen was the fastest man in Bahrain with a 1:28.960.
A year later, he drove the aforementioned best time of 1:31.720, which was just under 2.8 seconds slower. The difference back then was even greater than in this test winter (around 2.6 seconds). So no one needs to worry about a “too slow” Formula 1 this year.
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