Ferrari is almost done prepping the cars Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will drive for the first test under F1’s 2026 rules in Barcelona.

This isn’t your usual pre-season test, though. Formula 1 is calling it a shakedown, and they’re keeping things private—no fans, no media, just teams running their new machines behind closed doors at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from January 26 to 30. It’s all about letting the teams work out the kinks before anyone gets a real look at these new cars.

And these new cars? They’re the product of the biggest rule shakeup F1’s ever seen. New engines, aero, chassis, tyres—the works. Ferrari actually stopped developing their 2025 car way back in April, just so they could throw everything at the 2026 project. They’re serious about ending their title drought, which has dragged on since 2008.

Fans won’t get to see Ferrari’s 2026 car for themselves until the official pre-season test in Bahrain, happening February 11 to 13. There’s another public test in Bahrain the following week, from February 18 to 20. After that, it’s straight to Australia for the season opener on March 6.

Ferrari is also planning to run a third sidepod design right out of the gate in Australia. Audi actually beat them to the track with their 2026 car, sneaking in a filming day in Barcelona last Friday. Ferrari’s own shakedown and filming day is set for Fiorano on January 23.

That’s also when they’ll show off the livery for the SF-26—the car Hamilton and Leclerc will race in 2026. Don’t expect any technical deep dives, though. Teams are playing things close to the chest until the cars hit the track. For Bahrain, Ferrari is bringing a sidepod setup they won’t even use in Australia. According to FunoAnalisiTecnica, they’re ready to toss the Bahrain sidepods once the first race rolls around. In fact, they’ve got two sidepod concepts lined up just for those tests.

In Barcelona, Ferrari is keeping things simple. They want to rack up as many miles as possible with a basic aero package. For Bahrain, they’ve cooked up a sidepod with a bigger entry, but that’s just for testing—they’re not planning to race it.

These pre-season tests won’t be easy. Ferrari has struggled the past few years to match their wind tunnel and simulation data with what happens on track. They know they need to nail this correlation before the season starts.

Team boss Fred Vasseur isn’t interested in showing off or chasing headlines during testing. His focus is squarely on reliability and collecting data, not lap times. Ferrari wants to keep their true performance a secret until racing starts in Australia. With all the new engine and aero rules coming in, they’re convinced that flying under the radar is the way to go.

So, if you’re hoping to see what Ferrari’s really got, you’ll have to wait for qualifying in Melbourne. That’s when we’ll finally see if Hamilton and Leclerc have the car to chase down Ferrari’s first drivers’ title since 2007—and maybe the constructors’ trophy too.

Lando Norris finally did it—last year at Abu Dhabi, he joined the rare club of Formula 1 world champions. It wasn’t an easy ride, either. Even though McLaren’s car was quick, Norris and the team had to grind for every point, just barely edging out Max Verstappen by two points for the 2025 title.

For a while, it even looked like Oscar Piastri had the edge. He was leading the charge in the standings through the middle of the season, but then Norris found another gear and pulled ahead down the stretch.

So now, everyone’s wondering—can Norris defend his title? And what about Piastri? If McLaren nails the new rules, does he come back even stronger? It really depends on how the car shapes up next year.

Norris proved a lot of people—including himself—wrong by taking the championship. Damon Hill sees something special in him, too. Hill even compared Norris’s drive and focus to Michael Schumacher’s. No, he doesn’t think Norris will rack up seven titles like Schumacher, but he sees that same unshakeable determination.

Chatting on the Stay on Track Podcast, Hill said, “He’s done it now. That takes the pressure off a bit. But it also comes down to how badly you want to keep winning. Look at Schumacher—he could’ve stopped at four or five, but he just kept going. Some people just keep pushing for more. I really think Lando’s got three or four titles in him.”

Hill didn’t count out Piastri, either. “Oscar didn’t exactly underperform. Sure, he had some rough patches, but he’ll spend the offseason figuring out how to iron those out. He’ll come back more determined, and that’s only going to make the team stronger—but also more competitive inside McLaren. Oscar’s not going to just let Lando walk away with it again.”

There’s another layer to all this, too: the relationship between Norris and Piastri. McLaren’s team dynamics are under the microscope, especially after some late-season decisions rubbed Piastri’s side the wrong way.

Hill talked about how being a world champion changes things. “The team trusts both drivers, but once you’ve won a title, you get a little more sway. Suddenly, everyone listens a bit more closely. You’ve got that world champion aura. Sometimes it’s deserved, sometimes it’s not—I didn’t suddenly know everything after winning. But your mindset shifts, and that influences the people around you. Leadership becomes a bigger part of your role.”

Both Norris and Piastri have a reputation for putting in the work—long hours, tons of data, always looking for an edge. But if McLaren starts to lean more on Norris’s feedback, Piastri could find himself fighting to keep up, not just on track, but inside the team.

Team boss Andrea Stella knows he can’t overlook Piastri. If he does, Piastri could easily become the hottest free agent heading into 2027. McLaren’s got a serious balancing act on their hands.