Motorsports
Ferrari show of strength on the second day in Barcelona
Scuderia made an impressive promise with F1-75 on day two of F1 winter testing in Barcelona as Charles Leclerc scored in the middle in his first year, ahead of Alpha Tauri’s Pierre Gasley and McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo.
The Ferrari F1-75 was not only fast but also very reliable as Leclerc and Carlos Saint completed 150 laps in the afternoon – more than any other team. However, the opposite happened with the Red Bull RB18.
Sergio Perez completed just 78 laps yesterday despite Max Ferstappen’s impressive 147 laps as a gearbox problem kept him on track and kept him in the garage for more than two hours. It was the first and only serious problem faced by any of the major sports teams today.
With the Mexican in 7th place, 1.8s behind Ferrari, Pierre Gusli and his ‘brother’ Alpha Tauri AT03 climbed into second place, just over two tenths behind Leclerc – but, as mentioned above, with the soft eraser.
Daniel Ricciardo tried to lower the McLaren MCL36’s time with two sets of soft tires (C4) in the last half hour but ended up staying at the 1’20.288 he had set with the middle eraser (C3). The Australian completed 127 laps, Gasley 146 – the second biggest harvest after the Scuderia.
Mercedes continued to keep a low profile – it suggests Hamilton was bottom of the table this morning – and completed 106 laps with the seven-time champion in the morning and George Russell in the afternoon. The young champion’s driver was about eight-tenths of a second off Leclerc by the same (middle) eraser.
Alongside Pereth and RBR, the red flag was raised for the second time in today’s tests – for Haas and Nikita Mazepin, who lay motionless on the track with a defective gas pump. The Russian had completed 9 laps by then and went out on track in the last 90 minutes but managed to score the encouraging 8th year.
Chinese Guanio Chou’s 10th year in his first contact with Alfa Romeo was also quite decent – especially considering yesterday’s and some recent C42 reliability issues. That day, however, Hinville’s car completed 71 laps with Chow and another 21 with Valteri Botas in the morning.
Finally, it should be noted that this year’s brand new car technical regulations have caused an unexpected problem for all teams. This is due to their complete philosophy change where most of the aerodynamic lift is generated by the ground (ground effect) and not the bodywork.
In particular, on the bottom of the cars, the coordination phenomenon is caused by the straight lines, with the consequence that they show rather serious tendencies to jump because they disturb the overall aerodynamic balance.
Scuderia Ferrari CEO Matthias Binotto acknowledged that most teams have underestimated the problem and that solving the problem is simple – but also extremely difficult in order not to compromise on aerodynamic performance. “I am sure that every team will find a solution at some point. “But whoever finds it earlier has an advantage at the start of the season,” said the Italian.
Sophia Jhon is a sports journalist and author. He has worked as a news editor for Sportish and is now a sport columnist for the same publication. Alberta’s professional interests lie largely in sports news, with an emphasis on English football. He has also written articles on other sporting topics.
Former Formula 1 driver Riccardo Patrese believes 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli has the chance to compete for the championship in his second season.
With changes to the technical rules, the power order in the starting lineup for the 2026 season may change significantly. Patrese added that Antonelli has already shown that he can be among the names to compete for the championship:
“If Mercedes builds the best car under the new rules, Antonelli should focus on fighting Russell, as he has already shown he can do, and the rest will follow,” Patrese said.
“To the championship title!” he replied when asked how far the young Italian could go next year.
If Antonelli manages to win the championship next season, he will become the first driver to win the title in his second season since Lewis Hamilton in 2008.
Patrese recorded Antonelli’s first year:
“He made his debut, had to learn everything and coped well with the inevitable mistakes that come with lack of experience. I really enjoyed it, he showed pure class moments.”
Antonelli took three podium finishes in his debut season, including an impressive weekend at Interlagos and a spectacular comeback at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
A 2002 McLaren MP4-17A will go up for auction at RM Sotheby’s in Paris in 2026. Competing in 12 Grands Prix, the chassis was driven by Kimi Raikkonen and David Coulthard, achieving five podiums and one victory. The estimated price of the land is between 1,000,000 and 1,400,000 Euros.
The car was designed under the guidance of the legendary Adrian Newey. Although the MP4-17 initially showed inconsistent performance, it was later able to compete with the dominant Ferrari F2002 and regularly achieve podium finishes.
Chassis number 6 appeared in the middle of the 2002 season and was mainly used by Raikkonen, who replaced Mika Hakkinen in the team. The Finnish driver immediately finished third in the European Grand Prix, followed by second in France and third in the USA.
In 2003, the same chassis updated and driven by Coulthard won the season opener in Australia, marking the Scot’s 13th and final Formula One victory.
The car’s last race was at the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix, driven by Raikkonen, who finished second behind Rubens Barrichello, also of Ferrari. That season the championship was won by Michael Schumacher, who finished eighth in the race.
The car retains its original 2002 West livery and Räikkönen number 4 and is powered by a 3.0-litre Mercedes-Benz FO110 V10 engine. A complete restoration is required for reuse on the track.
Following its racing career, the car was stored at McLaren for 17 years and was purchased by its current owner in 2021. For fans of the early 2000s, this land is a unique investment and historical value.
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
About a year ago, Alpin decided to abandon Renault power plants and prefer Mercedes engines as of the 2026 season. The team came to the conclusion that its own engines had become a limiting factor in the fight for good results and sacrificed the status of the works team for the sake of customer cooperation with the German manufacturer, which was considered the favorite of the new technical regulations.
At the same time, the situation with Mercedes engines remains tense. Competitors are analyzing the possible use of thermal expansion to increase the compression ratio above the 16:1 limit in race conditions. While Honda, Ferrari and Audi may insist on breaches of the rules, Mercedes claims the rules were fully followed during static checks.
Despite the risks of the customer model, Enston is confident in the correctness of the choice. In 2026, the same engines will be used by McLaren, Williams and Mercedes factory teams, which will further intensify the competition. Of particular note is Williams, who finished the season under James Vowles in fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship, ahead of Alpine. This increases the pressure on the French team, but Pierre Gasly believes betting on Mercedes will allow them to compete at the front of the peloton from the start of Formula 1’s new era.
“We are opening a new chapter with Mercedes and given their CV and the number of championships, I am sure it will be a great adventure.”
“I’m not going to lie, I’m really excited about it. From what I hear, the Mercedes engine is in very good shape at the moment.”
“So I’m looking forward to the first test and the feeling that the Mercedes force is behind me. I have very high expectations for our team next year.”
“We made tactical sacrifices in 2025 so we can start 2026 on the right steps. I want to fight at the front of the peloton next season.”
“I don’t see any reason why we can’t be among the leaders at this point.”
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
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