Get ready for an exciting journey into the world of Formula 1 as we dive into the recent shakedown event in Barcelona, where teams geared up for the 2026 season. The complexity of the new rules has teams on edge, prompting an additional shakedown session to prepare for the season opener in Melbourne.
The spotlight is on the new power units, with a greater reliance on a more powerful electric system, causing some nerves. Teams opted for a closed-door shakedown in Barcelona, with Bahrain also securing the privilege to host official winter testing. But here's where it gets controversial: despite initial apprehensions, the shakedown turned out to be remarkably smooth, unlike the last major engine overhaul in 2014.
Mercedes and Ferrari took the lead with their reliable and productive starts, while Red Bull's manufacturer era began with cautious optimism. And this is the part most people miss: Adrian Newey's first Aston Martin design made a delayed but impressive entrance, catching the eye of many observers.
Lewis Hamilton led the timesheets ahead of George Russell, but it's important to note that these lap times are meaningless due to the cold track conditions and the fact that teams will likely bring evolved car specifications to Bahrain and the season opener.
Now, let's dive into the details of each team's performance during the shakedown:
McLaren:
- Delayed the debut of their MCL40 to Wednesday, resulting in a busy three-day running program.
- Encountered a fuel system issue on their second day, limiting Oscar Piastri to 48 laps.
- Both Piastri and world champion Lando Norris enjoyed over 80 laps on Friday.
- While they didn't match Mercedes' record tally, there are no signs of major issues.
- The Woking team acknowledged the need for more work to master the new power units, especially regarding driving and setup requirements.
Mercedes:
- Across Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli amassed an impressive 500 laps with their new car, built from scratch under the new regulations.
- The Mercedes W17 ran smoothly, with only a few typical gremlins.
- The team quickly moved on to a race simulation on Wednesday and qualifying-style runs on Thursday.
- While reliable, more patience is required to assess their speed.
- Andrew Shovlin, trackside engineering director, praised the reliability of the new systems.
Red Bull:
- Impressed both friends and foes with a productive debut for their in-house engines developed by Red Bull Ford Powertrains.
- Got off to a flying start with 107 laps on day one.
- Isack Hadjar crashed on a rainy second day, spinning into the wall, which set the team back and required spare parts to be flown in from Milton Keynes.
- Max Verstappen brought the week to a close with a healthy 118 laps, providing Red Bull with a solid data haul.
- Their sister team, Racing Bulls, also contributed with a similar mileage, giving RBPT valuable data.
Ferrari:
- While not grabbing as many headlines as Mercedes, Ferrari had a quiet but positive start.
- Opted to run on a rainy Tuesday, and when Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton ran in dry conditions on Thursday and Friday, they appeared buoyed by a more straightforward start compared to the previous year.
- Hamilton unofficially set the fastest time of the test on Friday afternoon, but Barcelona times are devoid of meaning.
- Ferrari engines almost reached a total of 1,000 laps, not far off Mercedes' tally.
Williams:
- Williams didn't make it to Barcelona, opting to focus on virtual track testing and simulator work for their drivers, Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon.
- Team boss James Vowles explained that pushing through production caused the team to push themselves too hard.
- Vowles acknowledged that not making it to Barcelona puts them behind teams that have already worked out gremlins on their 2026 machinery.
- However, using a Mercedes power unit and gearbox this year provides some comfort, as Mercedes and its customer teams have successfully shaken down their cars.
- It's an early setback, but Williams still has six days of testing in Bahrain to catch up.
Racing Bulls:
- Alongside Mercedes, Racing Bulls managed to complete all their running by Thursday evening, sitting out the rain-affected Tuesday.
- Ran an impressive number of laps, considering it was the first outing for the all-new power unit developed by Red Bull Ford Powertrains.
- F1's only rookie in 2026, Arvid Lindblad, amassed a total of 167 laps, with a similar number for Liam Lawson, despite both suffering stoppages causing red flags.
- Chief technical officer Tim Goss praised the successful and impressive job by Red Bull Ford Powertrains.
Aston Martin:
- Similar to Williams, Aston Martin had to pull out all the stops to make it to Barcelona, eventually chartering an old propeller cargo plane to fly their car over on Wednesday.
- The AMR26 made it out of the pit lane, drawing attention for its radically different design compared to rivals.
- Lance Stroll had to park the car after just five laps, while Fernando Alonso had a more productive Friday, setting 61 laps.
- While they couldn't learn much in Barcelona, Aston Martin is the only Honda team, slightly behind in exploring their brand-new engine and power modes.
- Alonso described the first day as positive, with the car responding well.
Haas:
- Haas' new VF-26 enjoyed a productive start on Monday but disappeared into the garage for large periods on Wednesday due to reliability issues.
- The team received replacement parts overnight and managed to run on Friday, with Oliver Bearman completing over 100 laps in the morning.
- Esteban Ocon continued a productive Friday afternoon, and Haas completed 391 laps, a job well done.
- Team boss Ayao Komatsu praised the team's efforts in turning things around.
Audi:
- Audi, F1's other new power unit manufacturer, didn't have the smoothest runout in Barcelona.
- Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg were restricted to fewer than 100 laps over the first two test days, causing several red flags.
- Given the confidential nature of the test, the biggest pain points for Audi are not fully known, but they alluded to gremlins on the power unit side.
- Bortoleto and Hulkenberg had a more productive final day, combining for 148 laps, bringing Audi's tally to a respectable 243 laps.
- Technical director James Key acknowledged the challenges but expressed confidence in their progress and foundation for Bahrain.
Alpine:
- Alpine welcomed a new power unit and gearbox supplier, Mercedes, after ditching Renault engines.
- Arrived in Barcelona with confidence, fresh from their launch on an MSC cruiseliner.
- Marathon man Pierre Gasly completed a massive 164 laps on Friday, nearly half of the team's entire mileage, highlighting their smooth start.
- Managing director Steve Nielsen emphasized that while nothing was a surprise, there's nothing like doing it for real.
Cadillac:
- As F1's first startup team in a decade, Cadillac faced a mountain to climb to make it to Barcelona.
- Made it out of the pits on Monday, with Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez adding more mileage on Thursday and Friday.
- While not trouble-free, Cadillac can look back on a successful week, benefiting from a good start for their Ferrari power plants.
- Team principal Graeme Lowdon expressed happiness with the progress and acknowledged the challenges that still lie ahead.
So, what do you think? Are you excited for the 2026 F1 season? Which team do you think will come out on top? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! We'd love to hear your predictions and insights.
