Overview
- Rivals singled out Red Bull Ford’s execution, with Max Verstappen sustaining higher battery deployment on straights and setting the benchmark for energy use and pace, according to GPS reads and team bosses.
- Lando Norris topped the opening day in 1:34.669 as teams prioritized data gathering and system checks over outright times.
- Reliability diverged: Aston Martin lost significant running to overheating and power-unit software data issues, and Mercedes faced repairs on day one and a power unit change on day two after limited laps for Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
- Audi debuted a heavily revised B-spec R26 that completed 119 laps, and Williams rebounded from its delayed rollout to log a day-leading 145 laps with Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon.
- Drivers highlighted the learning curve, with Lewis Hamilton calling the management of the near-50:50 hybrid systems “ridiculously complex,” as the FIA reviews rival queries about a possible Mercedes compression-related advantage.