F1 testing begins in Bahrain with new tech and new rules to contend with

SAKHIR, Bahrain (AP) — Formula 1 testing began in Bahrain on Wednesday as preparations for the new season gather pace.

Teams will be given around eight hours of track time as drivers get to grips with the cars they'll be racing during the 2026 campaign with changes to technology and rules.

The reliability of the cars will be put to the test over a total of six days on the track over the next two weeks, with the first race of the season taking place in Australia next month.

These tests could be crucial, given the sweeping changes to cars this year making them shorter, narrower and lighter. It's all to do with aerodynamics, with narrower tires and changes to wings and floors of the cars.

There is an “overtake” button, which can be used when cars are within one second of the vehicle in front. F1 says it gives drivers “access to extra electrical energy.”

The maximum power button has been renamed the “Boost” button.

Engines are now about a 50-50 split between petrol and electric, which F1 says makes them “more road relevant”.

McLaren driver Lando Norris won his first Formula 1 title last season.

Norris posted the best time of the day with 1m 34.669s, followed by Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc for Ferrari.

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Formula 1: https://apnews.com/hub/formula-one

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco steers his car during a Formula One pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Mechanics of Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands prepare his car during a Formula One pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car during a Formula One pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain reacts during a Formula One pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain steers his car during a Formula One pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll of Canada gets pushed back into his garage during a Formula One pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain arrives for a Formula One pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll of Canada steers his car during a Formula One pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia steers his car during a Formula One pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Haas driver Esteban Ocon of France steers his car during a Formula One pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

PHOENIX (AP) — Flavor Flav was among the celebrities in attendance at the women's Final Four on Friday night, sitting courtside for the UConn-South Carolina game with former Gamecocks player Aliyah Boston.

Flav, a founding member of the hip-hop group Public Enemy, is also friends with Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley.

The 67-year-old Flav is a longtime supporter of women’s sports and attended various Olympic competitions this winter. He invited the U.S. women's ice hockey team to Las Vegas after their gold medal win in February, shortly after the women turned down a trip to Washington.

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Rapper Flavor Flav attends a woman's NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game between UConn and South Carolina at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)