The Shakedown is now behind us, as are the closed doors. Formula 1 will no longer be able to hide, even if the daily television window will remain very limited. At Sakhir, things start to get serious: almost no team will use the first three days of testing in Bahrain simply to run in their new cars. Power levels will rise, as will the risk of compromising reliability. Anyone who even partially held back in Barcelona will no longer be able to do so.
This aspect will also be extremely important for Pirelli. Formula 1’s sole tyre supplier arrives at the start of the 2026 World Championship with an entirely new range of tyres, which made their debut at the end of January during the Shakedown at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. New in size, new in construction, and therefore also in need of careful evaluation to fully understand their behaviour.
Mario Isola, Head of Pirelli Motorsport, explained what the Italian manufacturer will focus on this week. Sakhir is a demanding circuit for tyres, given that the asphalt is one of the most aggressive the teams will face, as it is the same surface Formula 1 encountered during the very first Bahrain Grand Prix back in 2004.
“In Bahrain we will mainly confirm the Hard compounds, because we know that Bahrain is quite tough on tyres, with conditions that are probably closer to what we will find during the race. So it is more representative, and above all with cars that are much closer to the specification that will start the championship in Melbourne.”
According to Mario Isola, the cars that made their debut at Montmeló have already shown a considerable level of performance compared to initial expectations. In Bahrain, however, almost all teams will be able to work with greater awareness on energy management delivered by the MGU-K, having had time over the past two weeks to collect data and analyse it in detail.
“I think the cars are already quite fast compared to my expectations. They are lapping with times that are not that slow. Before going to Barcelona, I had heard that the cars were slow and that energy management was complicated. It is certainly complicated, it is a completely new package.”
When it comes to active aerodynamics and the different use of energy deployment, Pirelli was able to observe all the difficulties drivers experienced in Barcelona while adapting to the new reality Formula 1 presents this year.
“We saw some drivers struggling to adapt to the new system, and also some flat spots on the tyres, which is normal in this situation. But in Bahrain we will certainly have more reliable data.”
Pirelli’s focus during the first Bahrain test highlights the critical importance of validating the 2026 Hard compounds on Sakhir’s uniquely abrasive surface. As Mario Isola noted, the surprising early pace of the new machinery suggests that the technical learning curve for both tire management and MGU-K energy deployment is steep but progressing rapidly. With teams finally unleashing the true potential of their power units and active aero packages, the data gathered over these three days will be the most representative baseline yet, revealing how the new tire constructions handle the increased loads and thermal stresses that will define the upcoming 2026 season.
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