Red Bull led Day 1 in Barcelona, but Russell highlighted impressive reliability from the new Red Bull and Ferrari power units as Mercedes completed solid mileage.
Valtteri Bottas praised Cadillac’s new F1 car despite technical issues in Barcelona. The Finn noted significant handling changes under 2026 rules, emphasizing that reliability and mileage are the team's immediate focus.
Red Bull topped the timesheets on a bizarre first day of 2026 testing in Barcelona, where Haas led the mileage charts. While the new power units showed promising reliability, the event was marred by heavy-handed security that kept fans and media away from public viewing areas.
Jonathan Wheatley emphasized the critical advantage of Audi's works entry, arguing that integrating powertrain and chassis design from the start creates a fundamentally superior Formula 1 car.
Audi's pre-season testing debut in Barcelona was halted early after a technical issue limited Gabriel Bortoleto to just 27 laps in the new R26.
Isack Hadjar has revealed his 2026 Red Bull Racing helmet featuring a yellow and purple design that pays tribute to Ayrton Senna and his physicist father.
Esteban Ocon praised Haas's massive effort to get the VF-26 ready for Barcelona testing, noting the team 'climbed mountains' after a quick turnaround from Fiorano.
Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu expressed satisfaction with the team's consistent running during the first day of Barcelona testing, despite encountering early teething problems with the new VF-26.
Isack Hadjar set the pace on the opening day of 2026 pre-season testing in Barcelona, while Sergio Perez completed his first laps for Cadillac.
Aston Martin confirms it will skip the first three days of the Barcelona shakedown, targeting Thursday and Friday to run its new Adrian Newey-designed AMR26.
The official F1 Exhibition in Oberhausen has sold over 100,000 tickets since October, driven by popular exhibits like Michael Schumacher's tribute and Romain Grosjean's burnt Haas chassis.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes’ 19‑year‑old rookie, took part in the 48th Olympic Torch Relay in Friuli‑Venezia Giulia before heading to Barcelona for private 2026 F1 testing, where team boss Toto Wolff says he won’t peak until 2028‑30.
