With the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, F1 is left with a large gap between the Japanese and Miami Grands Prix, with no racing in April whatsoever. Whilst there won't be any on-track battles, the teams will now be working extremely hard behind the scenes to develop their cars, based off what they have learned so far in 2026.

Mercedes have dominated proceedings in the F1 championship so far this season, scoring back-to-back 1-2 finishes in Australia and China, with both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli taking victories.

Ferrari have been their closest rival, particularly at the start of each race, with the SF-26 getting phenomenal launches off the start line, immediately posing a threat to the Mercedes cars. With a one month break coming up, Ferrari will be looking for more long-term race pace.

Red Bull have struggled greatly in the opening two rounds of the season, with Max Verstappen starting towards the back of the grid in Australia after a technical issue in qualifying, eventually finishing in sixth place - and then retiring from the Chinese Grand Prix due to another technical issue.

Isack Hadjar on the other hand, was forced to retire from the Australian Grand Prix due to a technical issue, and then finished in eighth place at the Chinese Grand Prix, after spinning earlier in the race.

The Milton Keynes based squad will therefore likely welcome the April break, as they can attempt to find more pace in the RB22, which has been plagued by technical issues and pace-related issues. Red Bull currently sit fifth in the Constructors' Championship, with just 12 points to their name. They are also level on points with the sister Racing Bulls squad.

McLaren have also endured a tough start to the year, with Oscar Piastri not starting at either of the two races so far this season. Lando Norris scored McLaren's best result so far this year, with a fifth place finish at Australia, narrowly beating out Verstappen.

With a Mercedes engine in the back of the MCL40, and Mercedes' current domination at the front of the field, an improvement from McLaren could see them challenge Ferrari.

Aston Martin will likely also welcome a break in April as they attempt to fix their severe issues that has plagued them in testing, and at the opening two races of the year. Fernando Alonso was seen having to take his hands off the steering wheel at the Chinese Grand Prix, in order to relieve himself from pain caused by the AMR26's vibrations.

Currently, neither Alonso or Lance Stroll have been able to complete a full-race distance. Alonso has been able gain a significant amount of positions at each race start, the Spaniard going from towards the back of the grid, to 10th place on the opening lap at both the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix.

If Aston Martin and power unit supplier, Honda, are able to fix their plethora of problems, they may be able to pose a challenge in the midfield before the summer break.

Williams have managed to score points this season, with Carlos Sainz finishing ninth at the Chinese GP. However, in a race which saw many retirements and drivers unable to even start the race, this result had more to do with strong strategy choices and safety cars, rather than outright pace.

Both Alex Albon and Sainz qualified 17th and 18th on the grid at China, and despite Sainz's strong points finish, Albon was not able to start the race. The one month break in April will likely aid them, as their Mercedes power unit does appear to be the strongest on the grid. Therefore, there might yet be a lot of potential inside the FW48.

Haas have started the season strong, with Oliver Bearman finishing seventh place in Australia, and fifth place in China. The team currently sit fourth in the Constructors' Championship, with 17-points. With various teams on the grid experiencing technical issues and retirements, the true potential of the Haas may not yet have been found, particularly with the Ferrari engine in the back of the car.

Newcomers Audi and Cadillac may also relish this upcoming break, as they attempt to find their footing. The break may give each team some necessary time to fix some of the issues that they have been able to identify.

So far, Audi have only managed to get one of their two cars on the grid at both races. Nico Hulkenberg did not start at the Australian GP, and Gabriele Bortoleto was unable to start in the Chinese GP. However, Audi do appear to have solid pace. Bortoleto was able to finish in ninth place in Australia, scoring two points, and Hulkenberg only just missed out on a points finish in China, coming over the line in 11th.

Meanwhile, Cadillac have faced a much tougher task in joining the F1 grid. Valtteri Bottas scored the team's best result in China, finishing in 13th place. Both cars managed to finish the race in China, which is no mean feat, as other teams such as Aston Martin and McLaren were unable to finish the race with either car.

However, bodywork has fallen off the Cadillac cars multiple times, and they have been plagued by engine issues as well.

Want to stay up-to-date with what happens in the F1 paddock? Then GPblog's F1 Paddock Update video is the perfect way to do it. Subscribe to GPblog's YouTube channel and turn on notifications to never miss the latest episodes.