Formula 1 experienced another eventful day on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, with discussions about regulation changes, a start procedure test, and the beginning of the second week of pre-season in Bahrain. Amidst all the news, George Russell ended up with the best time of the day, while Gabriel Bortoleto once again drew attention with comments about the Audi car and also with the highest speed recorded on the track.
Behind the scenes, the topic of “2026 engines” continues to gain momentum, and a vote on possible rule adjustments is expected to take place soon, according to the day’s news. At the same time, Formula 1 is evaluating increasing the number of Sprint races in 2026, an idea that reinforces how the category is still discussing formats and sporting impact on the eve of the championship.
The FIA published a statement about adjustments to the new regulation and, in practice, added another important point to the test: the entity tested a new sequence of lights for starts today. The procedure was rehearsed in Bahrain as part of the studies to make the start clearer and safer in the new era, a topic that has become a recurring issue in this pre-season.
In the track, Russell put Mercedes at the top on the first day of the second week of tests in Sakhir, marking 1:33.459 to finish in the lead. The British driver only went to the track in the second half of the day, but still managed to take the lead in the time table.
Among the Brazilian highlights, Bortoleto spoke about the difficulties of overtaking and reinforced that Audi needs to continue evolving, remembering that the team works with a completely new power unit, and that each lap on the track becomes a learning experience for preparation until Melbourne. In addition, even without leading the table, he was the fastest driver of the day in Bahrain, reaching 332.4 km/h and finishing tenth.
Outside the top, the intermediate peloton also became a topic, with teams demonstrating concern about a possible large difference for the leaders in the new season. And, looking a little further ahead, the possibility of the Turkish GP returning to the calendar in 2027 returned to the radar.
Finally, there was also a highlight in the base: in Formula 2, Rafael Câmara led a day of testing in Barcelona, with Colton Herta finishing in the top-10, moving the coverage outside of Formula 1 on this February 18.
