Dreaming, but with caution: is Ferrari really the favourite after the latest Bahrain F1 tests?
The Formula 1 paddock is still talking about Mercedes, yet Ferrari appears to be flying in the desert wind. That is the image painted by respected Italian journalist Giorgio Terruzzi in his analysis of the Bahrain F1 tests. After topping the timesheets under the lights in Sakhir, the key question naturally follows: is Ferrari genuinely the favourite heading into the season-opening Australian Grand Prix?
A conditional answer is necessary for two clear reasons. Experience teaches that the Prancing Horse does not always deliver on its winter promises. At the same time, it is equally true that the other top teams — in fact, everyone — has held something back in one way or another. Testing times can be misleading, and reading too much into them has often proved risky.
Ferrari shines in Sakhir — but testing rankings divide opinion
Test classifications are always divisive among F1 fans and insiders alike. The most experienced observers are quick to point out that they “don’t mean anything,” gently scolding those who allow themselves a smile of satisfaction. Yet it is undeniable that a struggling SF-26 buried in the midfield would have reassured no one, whether seasoned analyst or optimistic supporter.
A second or third place in the combined standings might have been acceptable. But this time, Ferrari arguably went further than expected.
In Sakhir, Ferrari looked fast, reliable and consistent. Competitive, even. In the capable hands of Charles Leclerc, the Maranello project is beginning to take shape. His post-session comments were measured and composed: no bold proclamations, no extravagant promises, no excessive celebrations. Everyone inside the team — starting with team principal Frédéric Vasseur — understands that results are what truly matter now. Still, when Formula 1 arrives in Melbourne, victory may not be a distant mirage.
Terruzzi: “In the paddock they are still talking about Mercedes”
Writing in the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera, Giorgio Terruzzi described a Ferrari that “flies in the desert wind.” The performance gaps shown in testing are too large to spark unrestrained enthusiasm, the veteran F1 writer cautions, yet what Charles Leclerc and Ferrari demonstrated in Bahrain offers genuine encouragement.
“Many still consider Mercedes to be ahead, with margins that have never been fully revealed, despite a few reliability hiccups; it is in any case impossible to evaluate the absolute performance of the four leading teams.”
The atmosphere around Maranello, however, appears “very different” compared to last year. Only the lessons learned through experience invite a note of caution rather than unfiltered excitement.
Cautious optimism ahead of the Australian Grand Prix
Confidence within Ferrari is unmistakable. If, in the aftermath of the 2025 tests, there was a sense that the season could already be an uphill battle, this time the picture feels different. Surprises may well be in store.
Now, all that remains is to wait for the morning of 8 March, when the first lights of the new Formula 1 World Championship go out. Only then will it become clear whether Ferrari’s promising Bahrain form marks the beginning of a genuine title challenge — or simply another chapter in the unpredictable theatre of F1 pre-season testing.
The 2026 Formula 1 pre-season has therefore shown that Ferrari has built a platform capable of challenging at the front, regardless of the strategic games played by their rivals. While the team remains cautious, the data suggests that the SF-26 is a significant step forward, promising a much more competitive start to the championship than in previous years.
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