Barcelona Shakedown: F1 Teams Log Big Mileage as 2026 Cars Hit the Track

Barcelona, January 28 – Formula 1 teams continued their intensive preparations for the 2026 season as Shakedown Week at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya delivered valuable mileage, data and first impressions of the new-generation cars under cold but dry conditions.

Mercedes-AMG F1 Team Focuses on Reliability and Mileage

Mercedes completed its second of three permitted shakedown days on Wednesday, opting not to run on Tuesday due to wet weather. George Russell took the wheel of the W17 in the morning session, completing 92 laps primarily on the C1 hard tyre, bringing his weekly total to 187 laps.

Kimi Antonelli ran a similar programme in the afternoon, adding 91 laps to his tally after logging 56 laps earlier in the week. In total, Mercedes completed 183 laps on the day, covering over 850km. Across the shakedown so far, the team has amassed 334 laps and more than 1,500km of running.

Russell highlighted the importance of mileage over lap times in near-freezing conditions, noting that the real performance picture will only emerge once competitive running begins in Melbourne. Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin praised the car’s reliability and the drivers’ positive feedback on the feel of the lighter 2026 machines, with one final day of running planned for either Thursday or Friday, weather permitting.

McLaren’s MCL40 Makes On-Track Debut

McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team marked a major milestone as its 2026 challenger, the MCL40, made its on-track debut in Barcelona. Reigning 2025 Drivers’ World Champion Lando Norris returned to action sporting the No.1 on his car – the first time a McLaren has run the number since 2010.

Norris completed 77 laps, covering 358.589km, as McLaren focused on system checks and baseline data gathering under the new regulations. Chief Designer Rob Marshall described the day as “very productive,” emphasising the scale of the technical challenge posed by the 2026 rules.

Oscar Piastri is scheduled to drive the MCL40 next as the team continues its structured run plan ahead of pre-season testing in Bahrain.

Alpine Builds Experience with Gasly and Colapinto

Alpine also enjoyed a productive day, completing 125 laps at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with Franco Colapinto running in the morning and Pierre Gasly taking over in the afternoon. Gasly welcomed the dry conditions after limited wet running earlier in the week and said the new-generation cars will take time to adapt to.

Executive Technical Director David Sanchez underlined the flexibility of the shakedown format, with Alpine set to decide its final running day based on weather conditions.

Haas Gains Ground Despite Reliability Hiccups

TGR Haas F1 Team returned to action with Ollie Bearman driving the VF-26. After Esteban Ocon’s earlier running in the week, Bearman added valuable experience despite two minor reliability issues that curtailed running in both sessions.

Team Principal Ayao Komatsu remained upbeat, pointing to clear operational improvements since day one and stressing the value of uncovering issues early in the pre-season programme. Bearman praised the agility and power of the new car, describing the test as an encouraging first dry outing despite interruptions.

Eyes Turn to Bahrain and Melbourne

With teams permitted just one remaining shakedown day this week, attention is already shifting to official pre-season testing in Bahrain next month and the opening round of the 2026 FIA Formula 1 World Championship at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.