Overview
- - Oscar Piastri set the day’s best lap in FP2 at 1:19.729, after Charles Leclerc topped FP1 in 1:20.267, with Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and George Russell P2 and P3 in the afternoon.
- - Aston Martin completed minimal running after severe vibrations and battery issues with the Honda unit; Adrian Newey said the crisis is draining the team’s energy and he feels powerless.
- - Team sources said only two usable batteries were available for the weekend, Alonso missed FP1 entirely and Stroll logged three laps, raising doubts they can reach competitive pace.
- - The new regulations introduce roughly 50% electric hybrid power, active aerodynamics in place of DRS, and sustainable fuel; early lap times are about three seconds slower than 2025 in FP1.
- - Audi’s works debut was solid with both cars in the FP1 top 10, while broader reliability niggles hit several teams, and F1 is reviewing April rounds in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia after WEC postponed Qatar, with guidance expected later in March.