The 2025 F1 season is barely a month old, and already the off-track drama has more grip than the SF-25 on corner exit. This week in Bahrain, we’ve got:
- Three rookies stepping in for FP1
- Ferrari rolling out a Brazilian Butt Lift on their underperforming chassis
- The 2026 engine regs imploding in slow motion
- And Franco Colapinto somehow starring in two unrelated storylines
So, let’s break it all down—because the race weekend might be straightforward, but everything else? Chaos.
Colapinto: From Diplomatic Incident to Testing Hype
Argentina’s Franco Colapinto had himself a week.
First, he triggered a backlash in Uruguay by joking on the Nude Project podcast that “Uruguay is like an Argentine province.” It’s regional banter that didn’t travel well—and after an avalanche of criticism, he apologized, calling it “stupid things.”
Then, in almost comical timing, whispers emerged that Colapinto was 0.7s faster than Paul Aron in Alpine’s Monza test. F1 Twitter ignited with “new GOAT?” takes—until journalist Thomas Maher jumped in to shut it all down:
“Different track temps, PU settings, stages of evolution—no comparable running.
So yeah, it’s been a very online week for Franco.
FP1 Rookie Watch: Vesti, Browning & Drugo
Bahrain’s FP1 sees four rookies on track:
- Frederik Vesti for Mercedes
- Luke Browning for Williams
- Felipe Drugovich for Aston Martin
- Dino Beganovic for Ferrari
Each has something to prove, but Drugovich carries the heaviest baggage. He’s the 2022 F2 champ, but he’s nearly 25 now, has no F1 races under his belt, and spent the last two seasons doing little more than garage-watching at Aston Martin. If he can’t secure a Cadillac seat for 2026, it’s time to pivot—IndyCar, WEC, anything.
The problem? Cadillac likely wants an American (cue Herta rumors), and Drugo’s moment may have already passed. The FP1 run is more symbolic than serious.
Meanwhile, Vesti and Browning have age and runway on their side. The question is whether either of them can turn laps into leverage.
Ferrari’s BBL: SF-25 Gets a Major Rear-End Overhaul
After three underwhelming races, Ferrari are rumored to be bringing serious upgrades to Bahrain—and it’s all about that back end. Sounds like its getting a Brazilian butt lift.
The SF-25’s major issues—unstable rear, unpredictable load, poor turn-in—have forced Loïc Serra’s tech team to roll out a new floor, upgraded venturi channels, rear wing tweaks, brake intakes, and a full-on rebalancing of aero load distribution.
According to Autoracer.it, this is just Step One of a longer upgrade plan, with the next package potentially delayed until May. The goal in Bahrain? Make the car more predictable, more stable, and less… red and mid.
Speaking about rookies in Bahrain, Leclerc will sit out FP1, with Dino Beganovic stepping in to test the old floor for direct comparison. Expect Hamilton to run the full BBL spec. Hopefully this means Hammer Time is back in the cards.
We’ll see.
2026 Engine Spec: Burn the Blueprint, Start Over?
While the rookies are logging laps and Ferrari’s flexing their new curves, the real tension is in the Bahrain paddock’s meeting rooms.
Manufacturers are panicking over the current 55/45 hybrid power split for 2026, now calling for a switch to something like 70/30. The reason? Cars are too slow, too draggy, and can’t push for long without running out of battery or fuel.
It’s the same F1 cycle every time:
- Agree to wild new regs
- Ignore engineers’ warnings
- Hit panic button 18 months before launch
- Blame each other
Audi reportedly has veto power over changes… and hasn’t even built a car yet. Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull are all fuming. And engineers? Vindicated, again.