The Racing Bulls team had a filming day at the track today with a car for the 2026 season.

It was planned to complete 40 laps, but due to difficult conditions it was possible to complete 30 laps: 21 laps by Arvid Lindblad, 9 by Liam Lawson.

While the average lap time was 1:50.0, the team did not use the full engine life, limiting the speed at which they could test the systems. For comparison, Oscar Piastri’s pole position at the same track in 2025 under favorable conditions was 1:14.670.

While the first races were delayed by 2 hours and 30 minutes due to ice on the track, one of the drones monitoring the process was damaged during the operation.

The shooting day was an important part of the team’s preparations for the 2026 season; This allowed the team to test new aerodynamics, tire behavior and powertrain performance in a variety of conditions, as well as work on the team’s logistics and procedures in limited weather conditions.

Formula 1 has made significant changes to the broadcast of two pre-season tests in Bahrain ahead of the start of the 2026 season, which will see the Australian Grand Prix open.

While the championship begins preparations for a new era in powertrains with the first of three tests, F1 returns to the tracks next week. Official races will take place in Barcelona, ​​where each team will have the right to practice three days from Monday to Friday.

After that, the peloton will head to Bahrain, where two more three-day tests are planned. The first of these will take place on February 11-13, and the second will take place on February 18-20 at the Bahrain International Circuit.

It was previously assumed that both Bahrain tests would be published in full. However, Formula 1 has now revised these plans.

According to the current F1TV schedule, during the first testing week in Bahrain there will be only one hour of broadcast per day, starting at 15:00 BST. At the same time, the second three-day test will remain unchanged – it will be released in full as planned.

Former Mercedes Formula 1 team manager Ross Brawn said that the German team was very close to transferring Nico Hulkenberg at the end of the 2012 season.

Following seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher’s decision to retire, Mercedes was actively searching for a star driver to replace him. One of the main candidates was the then young Hulkenberg, who played for Force India and scored 63 points during the season. A year earlier, he had made a name for himself by sensationally winning pole position at the 2010 Brazilian Grand Prix.

As a German automaker, Mercedes was interested in a German driver; this would allow them to retain an all-German driver line-up after the Schumacher-Nico Rosberg duo.

However, the situation changed when the opportunity arose to sign 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton, who was looking for options to leave McLaren. The deal eventually went through and Hamilton won six championships in eight years, helping Mercedes to eight consecutive constructors’ championships between 2014 and 2021.

Ross Brawn admitted that Hulkenberg actually had a “plan B” in case negotiations with Hamilton failed:

“We almost signed Nico when we were at Mercedes because we didn’t know what Lewis’ situation would be in 2013,” Brown said. he said.

“Negotiations with Hamilton were not easy and Nico was waiting. He acted very maturely during these discussions.”

I explained the situation as clearly as possible: There was a chance, but it all depended on Lewis’ decision.

When Hamilton signed the contract we told Nico we couldn’t move forward. But I was really looking forward to working with him; I think he’s a great driver.”

If Hulkenberg moves to Mercedes in 2013, it is possible that he will become world champion or at least win a few races; The team has dominated Formula 1 since 2014.

Instead, the German moved to Sauber and then returned to Force India. He set a record for most non-podium starts, eventually breaking that record in 2025 at the British Grand Prix, taking his first podium finish in 239 races.

Hulkenberg is now 38 years old and probably the most interesting phase of his career awaits him: the collaboration with Audi, which will take full control of the Sauber team in 2026. Audi’s goal is to win the championship by 2030 and Hulkenberg should be a key figure in the construction of this project.