Isack Hadjar sets pace in damp Barcelona test; Audi suffers early stoppage

Isack Hadjar set the fastest time during the opening morning of testing in Barcelona, navigating tricky damp conditions to put the Red Bull RB22 at the top of the sheets. The session was disrupted by red flags, most notably for Gabriel Bortoleto, whose Audi came to a halt on track, signaling early teething troubles for the new manufacturer.

Why it matters:

Early testing data is invaluable as teams prepare for the new era of regulations. Hadjar's ability to extract pace in mixed conditions suggests Red Bull has hit the ground running with their new package. Conversely, Audi's immediate reliability issues highlight the immense challenge facing the German brand as they prepare to enter the grid, raising questions about their readiness for competitive running.

The details:

• Pace setters: Hadjar’s 1:18.835 was the benchmark, leaving Kimi Antonelli nearly two seconds adrift in the Mercedes W17. Despite the gap, Antonelli's 55 laps showed a strong focus on long-run data and reliability.
• The rest of the field: Liam Lawson, driving for Racing Bulls, secured third place, finishing ahead of Franco Colapinto. Esteban Ocon led the charge for Haas, completing the most laps of the session with 66 tours in the VF-26.
• Audi's early setback: The session saw two red flags, with the second caused by Bortoleto stopping at Turn 10. With only 27 laps logged, the Audi team faces a race against time to diagnose the issue with the RS26.
• Selective running: Seven teams took part, but big names like Ferrari, McLaren, and Aston Martin opted out of the morning session. Williams is notably absent for the entire week, potentially focusing on private testing or development.

What's next:

As the track dries out, teams will look to ramp up performance programs in the afternoon. The priority for Audi will be fixing the gremlins that stopped Bortoleto, while Red Bull will aim to consolidate their early advantage. For the teams that sat out, all eyes will be on the data to see if they made the right call by waiting.