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Jolyon Palmer thinks drivers must change how they drive due to F1’s 2026 regulations after watching Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes on track at the second Bahrain test.
Antonelli caught the eye whilst at the wheel of the Mercedes W17 on Wednesday, as the F1 paddock regrouped at the Bahrain International Circuit for the second and final official pre-season test this year. The 19-year-old also finished the morning with the third-best lap time.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished the morning session on day one of the second Bahrain test on top after setting a 1:33.739, ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris by 0.313 seconds. Antonelli recorded a 1:34.158, before George Russell took over for Mercedes in the afternoon session.
Mercedes enjoyed a productive session with Antonelli, as the team put more mileage on the board against a background of the scrutiny about their engine. Rival F1 teams do not believe Mercedes’ 2026 engine is legal, despite the FIA clearing their design following multiple tests.
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli proved F1’s 2026 regulations will force drivers to change their reference points
Power units formed the foundations for the 2026 F1 regulations, with the series introducing new engine rules that yield almost a 50/50 share between electrical and combustion power. The 2026 F1 regulations also introduced new chassis, aerodynamic and tyre rules at once.
READ MORE: FIA is set to change 2026 F1 engine tests after Ferrari’s Mercedes complaints
F1 cars now have a 200mm smaller wheelbase (3,400mm), are 100mm narrower (1,900mm) and have a reduced minimum weight of 768kg. Pirelli has also had to develop new tyres that are 25mm narrower at the front and 30mm narrower at the rear as part of the new F1 rules.
And Palmer believes the smaller cars will force drivers to change their reference points, after he saw Antonelli “abuse track limits” during the first morning at the second Bahrain test this Wednesday. He especially pushed the limits with how far wide he went to turn in at Turn 11.
Palmer said on the official F1 broadcast (18/02, 10:40): “He’s going to get pinged for track limits when that counts in the Grand Prix.
“The cars are narrow, aren’t they? So, your previous references for where you could be, you’ve got to shift it over by 20 centimetres [or] 10 centimetres.
“It’s amazing how far drivers generally, but Kimi particularly, can abuse track limits in areas that you’d never have previously thought.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli would have lost his lap time during a race session for exceeding track limits
Palmer believes Antonelli would have triggered a track limits warning given how far wide he went at Turn 11 had it been during qualifying or the Grand Prix when F1 races in Bahrain on April 10-12, as he put all four of his wheels over the white track limits line before turning in.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about F1’s 2026 engine and aero regulations
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F1 drivers always look to use as much of the road as they can to carry more minimum speed into the corners, which may become even more important in 2026 as the new engines have forced drivers to use high revs in lower gears through the corners to try and recover energy.
But Antonelli and his rival drivers would risk losing their lap times in a race weekend session with how far wide he went during Wednesday morning in Bahrain. Antonelli might not have realised how far wide he was given the different car dimensions in 2026 compared to 2025.
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