In Barcelona, Mercedes displays a positive dynamic, even though the competition remains in the shadows. As the drivers rack up laps with palpable determination, the Brackley team is busy fine-tuning the settings of their new machine. The question is not so much who is the fastest, but rather how this machine will perform over time.
Encouraging Start to the Season
Precautions are obviously necessary, but the impression given by Mercedes in Barcelona remains positive. It is impossible, of course, to draw any significant advantage over the competition, but the work of the Brackley team is efficient and, above all, very dense. For proof, both of its drivers continued to rack up laps this Wednesday in Catalonia, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli each surpassing the 90-lap mark. This is obviously good news in terms of reliability, after the 150 laps already completed on Monday during the first running. Performance will come later, especially since track conditions remain tricky.
Difficult Conditions but Promising Results
“The track temperature was only a few degrees this morning; it was one of the coldest circuits I’ve ever driven on, which means there’s hardly anything to be gained from the times,” warns George Russell. “The excitement will come when we go to Melbourne and have an idea of our position relative to our competitors.”
On track in the afternoon, Kimi Antonelli took advantage of a slightly more pleasant track, which allowed him to “cover a race distance” to gather data. “This car is completely new and very different from last year’s, so I’m getting used to it with every lap I complete,” the Italian emphasizes. “We have completed our program over the first two days. That is the only real objective of this shakedown, and we hope that our third and final day of running will go smoothly.”
Many Objectives Already Validated
For this third day, Mercedes has not yet decided whether it will take place on Thursday or Friday. The team is faced with an ideal choice, having already completed 334 laps this week and surpassed 1500 km. Despite the early nature of the 2026 F1 cars at the end of January, the opportunity to focus on certain details may even present itself.
“We are pleased with the mileage covered today and have validated most of the objectives we set for the first two days of running here in Barcelona,” rejoices Andrew Shovlin, engineering director. “The car has been reliable, and we were able to complete several race distances today.”
A New Chapter for Mercedes
“The drivers have expressed positive feedback about the sensations provided by these smaller and lighter cars compared to the previous generation. However, they will only be fully satisfied once we see the relative performance against our competitors, which we won’t discover until Bahrain at the earliest.”
“We have one last day of running left, during which we will delve a bit more into the setup work than we have so far. This could happen tomorrow and will provide us with additional useful information to analyze before heading to Bahrain. If this last day goes as well as the first two, we will be satisfied with how this shakedown in Barcelona has gone.”
Toward a Season Full of Uncertainties
As the 2026 season approaches, Mercedes must juggle the excitement of a new era with the necessity of maintaining its status as a dominant team. Every lap completed on the Catalan circuit is a step toward understanding the true capabilities of the W17. The adjustments made during the last tests could prove crucial when the checkered flag is waved for the first time.
In summary, this shakedown in Barcelona is not just a simple warm-up: it is a true laboratory for Mercedes. With such high stakes and increasingly formidable opponents, every detail counts. If the team can turn these tests into concrete performances, it could comfortably settle into the top of the standings from the very first races.
