‘Two-horse race’ predicted as testing begins
Jan.27 (GMM) Formula 1’s first group test of the 2026 era got underway in Barcelona on Monday under near-total secrecy, with teams running behind closed doors and no official laptimes released.
Journalists were kept well away from the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with Formula 1 only distributing a handful of brief video clips. Despite the blackout, unofficial lap times circulated online later in the day.
Early paddock impressions suggest Mercedes has started strongly, a view echoed by former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher.
“Mercedes looks very strong,” Schumacher said. “I believe we will see a two-horse race between the factory team and Max Verstappen.”
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli described the new car as “great to drive,” while teammate George Russell said the radically different 2026 machinery quickly made sense from the cockpit.
“They are quite different for us as drivers but, once you get your head around it, driving them is quite intuitive,” Russell said.
“We are pleased with our day, but I’ve also been impressed by several other teams too. The Red Bull power unit has completed a lot of laps which, given that it’s their first engine they’ve built, means they’ve clearly done a good job. Haas also managed a similar amount of running to ourselves, so the Ferrari power unit has also put together plenty of mileage.
“It’s not quite how it was in 2014!”
There was particular interest in Red Bull’s new Red Bull-Ford power unit, which appeared to run quickly and reliably on day one despite this being the team’s first in-house engine program. Isack Hadjar said the new cars felt more predictable than their predecessors.
“I can play with it more easily,” said the Frenchman. “Of course, all the controls are far more complex than before, but I’ve already tried experimenting with all the different settings of the power unit – it’s very interesting.”
Not everyone enjoyed a smooth start. New entrant Cadillac endured early issues and lagging pace. Audi also faced teething problems with its brand-new power unit.
“We decided afterwards not to go out again until the problem had been fully investigated,” Gabriel Bortoleto said. “We had almost expected this problem beforehand. Unfortunately, it came about a little sooner than expected. But you always have to remember that we’re a new team building our own power unit for the first time.”
“The cars are really completely different,” he added. “My feeling is that it’s a bit slower than the old Formula 1 cars. But it’s cool that we now have 50 percent electric power. You have so much power coming out of the corners.”
Alpine and Racing Bulls were also running, while Ferrari and McLaren are expected to join the test from Tuesday, with McLaren set to run a black test livery.
The absence of Williams continues to raise eyebrows. Officially, team boss James Vowles has played down the delay, but Italian media have reported repeated FIA crash-test failures and claims the car is significantly overweight.
La Repubblica described the situation as an “embarrassment” that has kept Williams out of Barcelona altogether.
Aston Martin is also yet to run. Sources have confirmed the team passed all FIA crash tests, but an Aston Martin spokesperson said: “Our intention is to run Thursday and Friday,” amid rumours of Honda power unit and technical delays.
Unofficial lap times circulating after day one suggested Hadjar topped the times, half a second ahead of Russell.
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