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Sam Bird reveals what Formula 1 reserve drivers actually do behind the scenes

Former Formula E driver Sam Bird has shed light on what it actually is that Formula 1 reserve drivers do for teams. Bird, who previously served as a reserve driver for the Mercedes F1 team, shared insight into the gruelling reality of the role during an interview with Lucas Stewart. "A lot of simulation. So, pre-event and post-event," Bird explained. "Pre-event, it will be making sure ...Keep reading

racingnews365.com·Feb 1

Fernando Alonso stunned by immediate impact of 'teacher' Adrian Newey

Fernando Alonso has revealed how he believes new Aston Martin chief Adrian Newey is "always teaching us something" after the AMR26 broke cover. Newey's first Aston Martin-designed machine was unveiled in Barcelona on Thursday, with the extreme concept immediately catching eyes, with Alonso driving a Newey car for the first time on Friday. The two-time world champion has never previously worked with Newey, who has designed championship-winning cars for Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull, and is regarded as the greatest F1 designer of all time. Newey has taken on the team principal role for the first time in his career in 2026 as he juggles with his managing technical partner duties, as Alonso detailed how 'Teacher Newey' was already impacting the class of 2026. "Everyone is super motivated when we see him in the garage, taking care of all the details," Alonso explained. "I see all the mechanics, the faces of everyone looking at him, trying to spot something that maybe he can comment on the car or wants to improve. "I think he's always teaching us something. "It was very special with Lance and me in the car, it was special and the first car made by Adrian, together with Honda and Aramco. "The last few weeks have been very, very intense in the factory, trying to have the car ready, and we made it to Barcelona for the last two days. "It's been a tremendous effort from everyone."

racingnews365.com·Jan 31

Lewis Hamilton drops major first hint over 2026 Ferrari F1 car

Lewis Hamilton has delivered his verdict on the new generation of F1 cars after topping the Barcelona pre-season shakedown, hinting it could be a return to some of his strengths. Late on the final day of running, Hamilton posted a 1:16.348 to set the quickest time of the week as he looks to bounce back from the horror 2025 season with Ferrari. Hamilton suffered the nadir of his career in his first year at Ferrari, going without a podium all season as he struggled to get to grips with the final ground effect era car, a generation of machine he never clicked with. Hamilton's preferred driving style of braking hard and early and sharply turning into a corner - 'V-ing' - was at odds with the more 'roll the car into the corner' approach required 'U-ing' by the 2022-2025 cars. Reflecting on the first week in the new designs, Hamilton indicated that some traits he previously enjoyed are back with the 2026-spec machines. "Of course, there were small things, but we didn't really have any downtime moments, where I am sure they could potentially come in the next weeks, but otherwise, it's been a really, really solid couple of days," Hamilton explained. "In terms of understanding the car and the balance, we have a lot less downforce than in previous years. "The car generation is actually a little bit more fun to drive, it is oversteery, snappy and sliding, but it is easier to catch, and I would definitely say more enjoyable. "But we definitely have to improve, as everybody does, but we've had great debriefs, everyone is really on it, and I feel like there is a winning mentality in every single person in the team, more than ever. "It's been a really enjoyable week, and a huge amount of work was done over the winter on my personal side, and then what the team have done to make changes going into the test. "It was an unusual start to the week with a completely wet day, which is something you would normally not opt for, but last year, the first race was the first time I drove the Ferrari in the wet, and that was very hard, so it was good to have that experience and get that knowledge."

racingnews365.com·Jan 31

Mercedes reveal Bahrain test insight after successful Barcelona shakedown

Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin has explained the team's approach to the upcoming Bahrain pre-season test. The Brackley-based squad enjoyed a highly positive Barcelona shakedown as George Russell and Kimi Antonelli clocked 502 laps between them throughout three days of running. Such was the efficiency of the event, Shovlin previously noted that Mercedes had ticked all of its boxes across the first two days of on-track action. Having given the W17 car its initial run at a Silverstone event prior to its appearance in Barcelona, Shovlin asserted both outings have proven successful for Mercedes. “For every event, whether it was the shakedown in Silverstone or the first test, we have an idea of what objectives we want to achieve,” he said. “We've pretty much ticked all of those boxes for these two.” Bahrain will host two tests next month, running from February 11 - 13, before the final pre-season outing on February 18 - 20. Mercedes head to the Bahrain tests in strong shape as Shovlin outlined that the focus will shift more to extracting pace from the car. “Bahrain, we're going to move more to set up exploration, trying to work out how you get the car in the right window,” he said. “And while you can do setup here [in Barcelona], it's so cold, it's not really relevant to any race track. “Bahrain is going to be a much better place to check that the car runs well at temperature, both in terms of the chassis performance side but also just the systems running effectively. “That final Bahrain [test] hopefully will be more just about the race preparation. “So preparing for qualifying, preparing for the race, and all the situations that that throws up.”