Red Bull, Mercedes Set Pace as F1's 2026 Era Kicks Off in Barcelona

The 2026 regulations era officially commenced at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with Red Bull's Isack Hadjar topping the timesheets. The closed-door shakedown saw seven teams focus on reliability rather than performance, marking the first on-track action for the new generation of cars and power units.

Why it matters:

This test is the first critical reality check for teams adapting to F1's radical new technical regulations. With active aerodynamics and new power unit architectures, the priority is verifying mechanical integrity before the competitive season begins, setting the baseline for the championship battle.

The details:

• Top of the Sheets: Hadjar posted a 1:18.159 in the Red Bull RB22, running the team's in-house power unit. George Russell was second for Mercedes (+0.5s), followed by Franco Colapinto in the Mercedes-powered Alpine.
• Mercedes Progress: Kimi Antonelli highlighted the steep learning curve but praised the driveability of the Mercedes power unit, addressing a key pre-season concern. He noted significant improvements throughout the afternoon session.
• Cadillac's Arrival: The grid's new 11th team, Cadillac, completed its first official running. Valtteri Bottas handled morning duties before handing over to Sergio Perez, marking the Mexican's return to the cockpit.
• Notable Absences: McLaren and Ferrari opted out of the opening day, while Williams missed the test entirely due to car delays. Aston Martin will only run on Thursday and Friday to debut Adrian Newey's design.
• Interruptions: Alpine suffered a sensor issue that caused a red flag, though they recovered to log valuable mileage.

What's next:

The focus now shifts to Bahrain for the first official pre-season test on February 11, where live timing will reveal the true competitive order. Aston Martin's late appearance will be a key talking point as the field prepares for the season opener.