F1's 2026 Revolution Kicks Off in Barcelona With Promising Early Runs

BARCELONA – Formula 1’s highly anticipated 2026 regulatory era officially launched Monday as seven teams took to Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for a private testing session focused on reliability under the sport’s sweeping technical overhaul.

Debut Runs for New Power Units

Red Bull Racing made history by completing 100+ laps with their first-ever internally developed Ford-backed power unit, while Mercedes logged 151 combined laps across George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli. Ferrari-powered Haas led the mileage charts with Esteban Ocon completing 154 circuits in the VF-26.

"It was pretty productive, surprisingly," said Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, who clocked the day’s fastest lap (1:18.159). "We managed far more laps than expected with only minor issues – impressive for our first engine."

Testing Landscape

• Present Teams: Mercedes, Red Bull, Racing Bulls, Haas, Alpine, Audi, Cadillac
• Absentees: McLaren and Ferrari (scheduled later runs), Williams (car delays), Aston Martin (Thursday/Friday only)
• Format: Five-day closed session; teams limited to three running days

Early Standouts

Mercedes’ Russell trailed Hadjar by 0.5 seconds, praising rivals’ progress: "Red Bull’s lap count shows they’ve nailed their engine debut." Meanwhile, Alpine’s Franco Colapinto triggered a red flag but still secured third-fastest time in their new Mercedes-powered A526.

Antonelli, making his F1 testing debut, noted: "Driveability – a major concern – feels solid so far. The team’s done brilliant work on the power unit."

What’s Next

Official preseason testing begins February 11 in Bahrain, with full car reveals expected in coming weeks. Sky Sports F1 provides nightly Barcelona analysis at 9pm GMT this week.