The final day of the first test week in Bahrain ended on a turbulent note. Several drivers carried out practice starts in the new 2026 cars, but it didn’t always go to plan. Multiple cars only moved after a few seconds or stalled at the end of the straight. That sparked growing concern about the ‘complex’ starting procedure. What makes the new cars so difficult to get off the line?
An initial attempt to simulate the start procedure was already aborted on Friday in Bahrain. An extra formation lap followed, after which seven cars lined up behind the start line. Only three drivers actually got away cleanly. Isack Hadjar, Kimi Antonelli and Sergio Pérez recorded trouble-free starts, but elsewhere crews were wrestling with the new machinery — and above all with the revised power unit. Oscar Piastri, Alex Albon, Esteban Ocon and Franco Colapinto all experienced issues. The latter failed to make it past Turn 1 after his practice start.
The root of the problem is the removal of the MGU-H, the energy-recovery unit that was dropped for 2026. That component was linked to the turbo and converted waste energy into electricity. It was also employed to spin the turbo up at starts, preventing turbo lag on acceleration. To bring the turbo in the new power unit up to speed, drivers now have to hold the throttle longer and at higher revs. In several clips from Bahrain you can see drivers rev the engine for up to ten seconds before they actually set off.
Chaos at the start?
At the same time they have to consider overcharging the battery systems and the timing of their starts. That makes the whole procedure a lot more complex, several drivers explained. “Oh man, it’s complicated,” Gabriel Bortoleto admitted to the media in Bahrain. Footage of Audi’s practice starts raised eyebrows on Friday morning; the Brazilian pinned the throttle flat for ten seconds before he moved. “I lost count after five seconds,” he joked. “The engine’s revving, you have to shift, release the clutch – it’s chaos. Last year it was a lot easier. We’ll see how it plays out in Melbourne.”
Ferrari had reportedly flagged the complicated start procedure to the FIA earlier, although the complaint has since been withdrawn. Still, Lewis Hamilton also wrestled with the practice starts on Friday. Footage shows the Brit revving for well over twenty seconds before he could get away. Oscar Piastri hopes the issue is fixed before his home race in early March. “The starts need to be sorted, because as we’ve probably all seen, it’s now a pretty convoluted process to make a safe start,” he said afterwards. “Let alone a competitive one. That’s something we’ll certainly be talking about between now and Melbourne.”
