Kauell: The winter tests will be incredibly interesting.

      There are just over a hundred days left until the start of the 2026 winter tests, where Formula 1 teams will try the new cars for the first time. Aston Martin team principal Andy Cowell is eagerly awaiting their start…

      Andy Cowell: "These three or so months will be tough for all the teams. The 2026 cars include a lot of new technologies — in the power unit design, the chassis, the suspension, and the materials. It's all very exciting. No one can change the date of the first day of testing or of the first race. Teams are doing everything they can, introducing innovations and improving efficiency, but we know points are only awarded for finishing positions, and we are constantly balancing those two tasks.

      The first tests in Barcelona will last three days. Will we be able to cover 800 kilometres every day, like we did in Bahrain testing 10 months ago? I don't think so. First we need to pull everything together and make sure the car works. We'll feel the same thrill as in 2014 at the tests in Jerez, when everyone went out on track for the first time with cars built to a new set of regulations. And the cars really did hit the track at 9:00, doing many laps. That's a wonderful feature of Formula 1. There are brilliant engineers here, excellent suppliers, well-run teams, and everyone is striving to achieve the best in their field.

      I think much more interesting tests await us than in recent years. We'll see how it all goes. We're looking forward to it."