How the Barcelona test went for every F1 team

The 2026 Formula 1 pre-season testing in Barcelona concluded after five intense days, providing the first real glimpse of how teams have adapted to the championship’s new regulations.

Despite major changes to aerodynamics, power units, and active aerodynamic systems, there were still no definitive answers about the pecking order going into the first race of the season.

However, there were already hints about who has hit the ground running and which teams will need to play catch-up — not least Williams whose car never arrived.

Here’s how each team performed across the week of running in Spain.

McLaren

McLaren’s Barcelona shakedown mixed promise with a reminder of how fragile early running can be under new rules.

After skipping the opening days of the closed-doors test to finalise the build of the MCL40, the Woking squad brought the car out on Wednesday with Lando Norris behind the wheel, laying down a solid first batch of laps and giving the team its first real look at the new package.

However, Thursday brought McLaren’s first significant setback of the week.

Oscar Piastri took over for his first laps in the car but was limited to just 48 laps when a fuel system issue halted his afternoon session prematurely, cutting short valuable on-track time.

The limited programme meant McLaren logged fewer laps than some of its rivals, and the true potential of the MCL40 remains largely unexplored.

Still, Piastri and Norris were back in action on Friday and completed the team’s most promising day with over 160 laps to wrap up its three-day programme.

Mercedes

Mercedes appeared to be the biggest winner from its three days of running in Barcelona, confirming winter rumours about its power unit prowess with the most extensive programme of any team across the shakedown.

In a test where reliability and systems validation mattered far more than headline laptimes, the scale of Mercedes’ running stood out, as the team racked up 500 laps and 2,325km with its all-new W17.

Kimi Antonelli and George Russell split duties evenly across the week, with Antonelli completing 237 laps and Russell 265, the pair focusing almost exclusively on longer runs rather than performance simulations.

Most of the mileage came on the C3 compound, as the team concentrated on understanding baseline behaviour under the new regulations rather than chasing early conclusions.

While minor issues cropped up, they did little to disrupt the overall programme, the team admitting it ticked pretty much all the boxes.

The Barcelona shakedown was far more about reliability than pace but Mercedes’ form was a clear warning shot to its rivals, who have reasons to be worried ahead of the Bahrain tests.

Red Bull

Red Bull‘s shakedown in Barcelona was headlined by early disruption amid what looked like three rather conservative days of running.

The team’s programme was compromised by Isack Hadjar’s sizeable accident on Tuesday, which caused substantial damage and forced Red Bull into an unplanned pause while replacement parts were rushed from Milton Keynes.

The arrival of spare components finally allowed Max Verstappen to resume running later in the test, giving Red Bull at least some opportunity to gather meaningful data before the shakedown concluded.

While the team has inevitably lost ground in terms of total mileage compared to some of its rivals, the emphasis in the latter stages has been on systems checks, reliability and ensuring the car behaves as expected.

On the final day, Verstappen had the team’s most productive day of the week with over 100 laps completed, a positive step for the RBPT power unit.

Ferrari

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur described the Scuderia’s shakedown as a very good first step for the newborn SF-26 car.

Ferrari elected to begin its programme on Tuesday, skipping the very first day of the test but immediately logging valuable laps once on track.

Charles Leclerc was the first to take the wheel, completing a solid block of running even as rain intermittently disrupted proceedings.

Thursday’s running saw Lewis Hamilton execute a long programme, then Leclerc take over in the afternoon to continue the work, with the pair combining for around 170-180 laps through a mix of varied conditions.

Both drivers were back on track for the final day as Ferrari enjoyed another solid day of running that saw it finish only behind Mercedes in terms of laps completed across the three days.

The icing on the cake was Hamilton setting the fastest time of the week right at the end of the final day of running.

Ferrari appeared to be ticking through its programme cleanly and gathering the foundational data it needs, a steady platform on which to build before Bahrain, where deeper set-up work and comparative performance evaluation will begin.

Racing Bulls

Racing Bulls emerged from the shakedown encouraged after a smooth and productive first proper outing for its new car and the Red Bull Ford Powertrains power unit.

Across the three days, the Faenza-based team completed 319 laps and, crucially, the week ran with no significant stoppages, allowing it to execute its programme largely uninterrupted.

Liam Lawson completed 152 laps across his sessions, while rookie Arvid Lindblad logged 167, placing Racing Bull among the top runners in terms of mileage.

On track, the new car immediately felt different. Lawson noted the reduced downforce compared to previous generations, describing a car that “moves around quite a bit” and demands careful management of its electrical power.

Lindblad, meanwhile, focused on consistency and mileage, calling the shakedown an important first step in carrying learnings back to the simulator ahead of Bahrain.

Like Red Bull, Racing Bulls opted for a low-key approach in terms of laptimes, so its actual form will remain a bit of a mystery for now.

Aston Martin

Aston Martin’s test took on a very different feel to most of its rivals this week – not because of what it achieved on track, but because of how late it got there.

The AMR26, the team’s first car designed under the guidance of Adrian Newey, didn’t make it to the circuit until late Wednesday, meaning the team was limited to a handful of laps on Thursday before Fernando Alonso took over on Friday.

Lance Stroll was the first to get the AMR26 out on Thursday, completing only a few laps before the session ended prematurely.

Alonso’s running on Friday was more substantial, with the Spaniard gradually building confidence in the car and accumulating basic data, but the team remains on the back foot compared to rivals who have enjoyed far more consistent track time.

The AMR26 has impressed onlookers with its radical design language and aerodynamic concepts, triggering plenty of commentary from pundits and insiders alike about Newey’s unmistakable influence.

But the design doesn’t necessarily equate to immediate competitiveness, especially when running behind rivals in terms of work.

For the time being, Aston Martin’s narrative this week has been about catching up, regardless of Newey’s ability.

Haas

Haas got running from the outset, but quickly bumped into some reliability challenges.

The VF-26 completed a hefty amount of running on the opening day, with Esteban Ocon laying down a big chunk of laps. However, that momentum was tempered by a series of technical gremlins.

On the second day of running with Oliver Bearman at the wheel, Haas encountered two separate reliability issues – one in the morning that was resolved quickly, and a second in the afternoon described by team principal Ayao Komatsu as “more serious” and now subject to detailed analysis back at the factory.

Despite the stoppages, Bearman himself voiced optimism about the car’s behaviour in dry conditions, noting that its energy management and agility felt promising.

Audi

Audi’s first pre-season test as a manufacturer team proved challenging, with the R26 experiencing various technical issues that significantly limited running.

The German car makes managed the lowest total number of laps of the established teams, as it grappled with its new power unit.

Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto spent considerable time in the garage as engineers worked through problems with both the chassis and the new Audi power unit.

Technical director James Key labelled the shakedown a “prove-out test” for the new car but particularly for its power unit.

He insisted all the problems are fixable, and the team did enjoy a more promising final day, as Bortoleto and Hülkenberg managed some solid running as the test concluded.

Alpine

Alpine rounded out the Barcelona shakedown with one of the more quietly solid programmes of the week, blending mileage, reliability and early signs of competitiveness as it digs out of a difficult run in 2025.

The team benefited from running a Mercedes power unit after the team abandoned its own engine project, as the German engine proved reliable throughout the week.

Franco Colapinto got Alpine’s shakedown underway with a useful baseline block of laps early in the week, followed by a productive Wednesday where he and Pierre Gasly combined for around 125 laps, confirming that the new package is behaving coherently and without major gremlins.

Gasly covered a mammoth 160 laps on his final day of running on Friday, by far the most covered by a single driver.

While Alpine will only learn its true competitive position at Bahrain and beyond, the shakedown delivered valuable reliability reassurance and a strong data foundation, implying that the team can now transition from proving basics to refining performance as the season build‑up progresses.

Cadillac

For the newest team on the F1 grid, the Barcelona shakedown was as much about operational learning and basic running as it was about on-track performance.

Cadillac’s programme was intentionally paced and focused on completing laps, gathering data and learn how to work collectively as a new team.

The team had to deal with the kind of early-stage reliability and logistical challenges expected of a brand-new operation, limiting the total mileage compared to more established rivals.

By Thursday, Cadillac’s running started to look more substantial as Perez completed around 66 laps.

Team-mate Valtteri Bottas took over on Friday and added another 54 laps, finishing over four seconds off the pace.

With Bahrain’s official pre-season test looming, the team will now begin the next phase of set-up refinement and comparative evaluation against the rest of the field.