00:00The 2026 Formula 1 season is officially underway, not with racing, but with the first pre-season
00:07shakedown, with tests as teams begin to work on cars built to radically new regulations.
00:13The Barcelona test running behind closed doors offered a first glimpse of how the grid might
00:18shape up ahead of the opening race in Melbourne on March 8th, and it's already delivering
00:23big talking points.
00:24One of the biggest headlines is Lewis Hamilton's presence near the top of the timesheet, a
00:30noteworthy start as he settles into a new phase of his career under the 2026 Rule Reset.
00:36Testing is not just about lap times, though.
00:39Several teams are making very different approaches to running schedules and tyre programmes, with
00:44Red Bull focusing heavily on soft tyres and Mercedes targeting short-run performance, while
00:49Ferrari and McLaren balance their programmes with mixed compound work.
00:54Not all teams are on track yet.
00:57Williams will miss the Barcelona shakedown as they continued development.
01:01This first major shake-up of the landscape brings excitement around new power units and
01:06aero concepts, with all teams feeling their way under new rules and promising a clear racing
01:12competition.
01:13As testing unfolds, the real season still lies ahead, but if early form is any guide, Hamilton,
01:19Leclerc and the leading teams are already shaking their claims in what could be one of the
01:24most unpredictable years in Grand Prix history.
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