F1 News Today: Hamilton stops on track for Ferrari as Verstappen destroys new regulations

Verstappen reageert op geruchten dat Red Bull maas in de wet zou hebben gevonden — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News Today

F1 News Today: Hamilton stops on track for Ferrari as Verstappen destroys new regulations

All the latest news from the F1 world on Friday February 13

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Friday 13 February 2026 17:44

Max Verstappen issued a brutal verdict on F1's new regulations during pre-season testing in Bahrain.

The 28-year-old Dutchman spoke about what those new regulations mean for the way he drives his Red Bull in 2026 - and it was not pretty.

Verstappen said the result is like "Formula E on steroids". Not a good look for the sport as we head towards the new season.

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Max Verstappen jet takes off BEFORE F1 testing ends after star slams 2026 cars

Red Bull F1 star Max Verstappen left Bahrain pre-season testing before the end of the first official test of 2026.

F1 has been in Bahrain for a three-day test at the Sakhir International Circuit, and Verstappen has been racing around in his new RB22, getting to grips with the wholesale regulation changes that have hit the sport this year.

Verstappen completed a whopping 136 laps on the first day of testing, before then completing 61 laps on day three, ending the morning session third in the timesheets.

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F1 Testing Results: Bahrain timesheets as Lewis Hamilton suffers late Ferrari blow

The final day of this week's pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit finished with a late red flag, as seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton came to a halt on track.

Hamilton completed 138 laps throughout the final day of the three-day testing session in Bahrain, and finished third on the day's timesheet, but his testing ended 10 minutes early with a failure for the SF-26. It's not yet known what caused the stoppage, but it did cut the other teams' running slightly short, with F1 wanting to fit in systems checks after that red flag.

Suggestions have already been made though that Hamilton deliberately run out of fuel so his team could check the response from the power unit.

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Max Verstappen's genius new trick stuns Red Bull rivals in F1 testing

F1 is yet to return to our screens for competitive action in 2026, but Max Verstappen is already the talk of the paddock.

2026 marks the four-time champion's 12th year in the sport and his 11th with Red Bull's main F1 team, yet for the first time since 2021, he has headed out on track without the number 1 on his car.

After losing out on the drivers' title by just two points at last year's season finale, Verstappen is back and he means business.

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Project Newey in trouble as Aston Martin 'four seconds' off the pace

The Adrian Newey era at Aston Martin was not meant to be like this.

The sport's greatest design genius was expected to build a car capable of fighting for wins after his blockbusting move from Aston Martin.

But the early signs are more of struggle than success, with Lance Stroll delivering a worrying verdict on the car's performance so far.

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Toto Wolff issues Red Bull warning as Verstappen roars in Bahrain

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has implored his F1 squad to pull themselves together after seeing what Max Verstappen has to offer at the wheel of his new Red Bull.

The Silver Arrows had been tipped as the favourites to master the 2026 regulations, so much so that their engine trick, which could hand them a 0.3 second advantage per lap, led to their rivals penning a letter of complaint to the FIA.

But after taking to the track in Bahrain this week for official pre-season testing, Mercedes' pace appears to have evaporated, and Wolff has admitted that Red Bull look like the team to beat.

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New F1 team Cadillac aren't targeting points in 2026

Cadillac F1 CEO Dan Towriss has reiterated team principal Graeme Lowdon's recent comments about the team's low expectations for their first season in the sport.

The American outfit are becoming the 11th F1 team on the grid in 2026, and are all set for their first season as a team, with experienced racers Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas behind the wheel of their cars.

Team principal Lowdon recently said that he told Cadillac board members to expect the team to be running right at the back of the pack in 2026, despite having two drivers who have a combined 16 career grand prix victories. Now, Towriss appears to have backed that up, stating that achieving a points finish in 2026 would be an 'arbitrary' aim.

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F1 Testing Results: Bahrain timesheets and laps as Ferrari in red-hot form

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished top of the timesheets on day two of F1 pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit.

He finished with a best lap time of 1:34.273, over half a second faster than McLaren's world champion Lando Norris, who completed the most laps of anyone throughout the day with 149.

In more good news for Ferrari, it was Haas' Ollie Bearman who rounded out the top three, with the Ferrari power unit in the back of his car getting 130 laps in the tank.

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Mercedes F1 co-owner apologises for ‘offensive’ comment after Keir Starmer criticism

One-third owner of the Mercedes F1 team Jim Ratcliffe has said sorry for his 'choice of language' after what was described by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer as some 'offensive' comments.

Ratcliffe is the CEO of INEOS, who own 33.33 per cent of the Mercedes F1 team, with team principal Toto Wolff among the other co-owners of the Brackley outfit.

Brit Ratcliffe also holds a majority stake in Manchester United Football Club, but he provoked ire from Prime Minister Starmer after what he described as some 'offensive and wrong' comments.

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Mercedes announce champion's replacement after 2026 exit

Mercedes have announced who will be stepping up to replace their most recent champion ahead of the 2026 F1 season.

Last year, Mercedes-backed racer Doriane Pin became F1 Academy champion after the title fight went down to the wire in Las Vegas between her and Ferrari-backed driver Maya Weug.

In 2026 Pin will be heading to compete in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS), partnering with the Duqueine Team to compete in the LMP2 Pro/AM Class.

Now, her replacement in F1 Academy has been named.

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Written by

Sam Cook - Digital Journalist

Sam Cook is a talented young sports journalist and social media professional who now specialises in Formula 1, having previously worked as a football journalist and a local news reporter for a variety of different brands.

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Red Bull Max Verstappen Mercedes Aston Martin Toto Wolff Adrian Newey