2026 F1 Season Testing Begins in Barcelona

The unofficial start of the 2026 F1 season kicked off in Barcelona on Monday.

This week marks the beginning of five days of private testing before the new season. The lineup is set to change significantly, especially with Cadillac stepping in as the 11th team. New technical regulations have been announced, aiming to make the cars lighter, smaller, and more agile. These changes affect the configuration of the power units, combining the internal combustion engine (ICE) with the battery, along with modifications to the active aerodynamics in both the front and rear wings.

F1 has organized three distinct test sessions to help teams gear up for the new season. The first of these, the closed-door ‘Barcelona Shakedown,’ is happening this week at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit. While teams can utilize up to three of the five testing days, not everyone will be participating. Notably, Williams announced they would miss this initial session due to delays in development.

Mercedes was the only team to run on Monday. Following their session, reports indicated that the Silver Arrows felt “satisfied” with the performance of the W17 during the first day.

“We’re pleased with our overall performance today,” stated Andrew Shovlin, trackside engineering director. “For the first run in a new car, it’s crucial to cover a lot of laps to start learning. Today was focused on understanding the car, ensuring it was stable and capable of long runs. It’s a positive sign that we managed to achieve that.”

Young driver Kimi Antonelli participated in the morning session, completing 56 laps with three different tire compounds. He started on intermediate tires, switched to the C3 soft compound, and wrapped up with the C1 hard tires.

Antonelli called it a “productive” first day. “It felt great to be back in the car. Learning these new machines is crucial, so getting as much mileage as we can is important. The teams in Brackley and Brixworth did a fantastic job getting us here. It’s still early, though—we’ll discover areas for improvement in the coming days, but the overall feel is encouraging, and we aim to build on this momentum,” he added.

Veteran driver George Russell took over in the afternoon, logging 95 laps. While he expressed satisfaction with the W17, he also acknowledged the efforts of Mercedes’ rivals.

“It’s fantastic to be back on track in an F1 car! The cars look impressive out there, which is great for our sport. They feel different but once you adjust, they’re intuitive to drive. It’s exhilarating, and there’s a lot for fans to anticipate with these new regulations,” Russell began. “We had a solid day, but I also noticed some strong performances from other teams. Red Bull’s power unit covered a lot of distance, indicating they did well with their first engine. Haas matched our mileage, suggesting Ferrari’s power unit is also performing well. It’s intriguing how much the sport has advanced since 2014; everything has evolved significantly.”

There’s an unspoken expectation within the paddock that Mercedes anticipates being competitive once the season truly begins. It’s unclear if this confidence stems from their private preparations or is merely a reflection of prior expectations from the last major regulations.

But on Monday in Barcelona, the Silver Arrows appeared content with their initial results.