Author Archives: PressBox

Red Bull’s 2026 car showed encouraging pace during the Barcelona shakedown, but the test week was disrupted when Isack Hadjar, who topped day one, crashed at the end of day two. The incident forced the team to fly spare parts in from Milton Keynes, sidelining their schedule for Wednesday and Thursday. Max Verstappen was kept off the track until Friday, but Red Bull still completed 185 laps across the opening two days, while sister team Racing Bulls logged 319.

The primary objective of the preliminary test, which verified the reliability of Red Bull’s first-ever power unit, the DM-01, was achieved, with the engine running reliably in both Red Bull’s and customer Racing Bulls vehicles. Team principal Laurent Mekies said the power unit had “surpassed expectations” and provided a usable baseline, while Sky Sports commentator Karun Chandhok noted that chassis and power unit appeared well-matched during initial running. The DM-01, developed in collaboration with Ford and named in honor of late co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, delivered the mileage rivals found impressive and underpinned the optimistic technical readout from Milton Keynes.

Aerodynamically the new car drew praise despite being the first Red Bull design created without Adrian Newey’s direct input after his spring 2024 move to Aston Martin. Technical director Pierre Wache’s group retained Newey-like principles, notably keeping the front wheels as far from the sidepods as possible to reduce tyre wake and adopting push-rod suspension at both ends. That combination of conservative suspension choices and carried-over aerodynamic thinking suggests Red Bull favored a more traditional interpretation of the 2026 regulations. Drivers and commentators described the RB22 as more predictable, with Hadjar saying the 2026 cars “don’t feel too different.” At the same time, former driver Juan Pablo Montoya cautioned that the main risk might lie in electronics and system integration, and drivability and smooth power delivery could reveal “glitches” as engineers optimize the package. Taken together, the shakedown left Red Bull technically strong on the power-unit front and aero development, while flagging integration and drivability work as the next priorities. The crash-related parts logistics were the only notable brake on early progress.

On the penultimate day of the Barcelona pre-season test, Mercedes established a clear benchmark, as George Russell posted the fastest unofficial lap of 1:16.641, and the Silver Arrows completed 168 laps to wrap up their allocated three days of running. Kimi Antonelli also featured near the top in the morning running, and Mercedes’ mileage advantage contrasted with other teams still sorting out reliability work. Ferrari ran both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc across the sessions, combining for about 170 laps, despite Hamilton recovering from a minor spin. Leclerc posted a 1:19.128 on Day 4 before closing to within 0.2 seconds of Russell’s benchmark on the final shakedown day. Those times framed the early performance picture heading into the next test and the season opener in Bahrain.

Aston Martin’s Adrian Newey–designed AMR26 finally arrived in Barcelona and made a headline-grabbing debut. Lance Stroll completed a single timed lap of 1:46.404 on Day 4 before the car stopped on track and triggered a red flag. The all‑black AMR26 was powered by a Honda unit, and the team followed up on Friday with Fernando Alonso at the wheel for a more measured run. Reports indicated that Aston Martin ran Alonso with a restricted speed range of roughly 230–275 km/h while checking systems and the new power unit. The late introduction, brief stoppage, and the high-profile driving rotation put the revised Aston Martin–Honda pairing at the center of attention throughout the shakedown.

The rest of the test was marked by a mix of reliability and logistical setbacks. McLaren curtailed running for Oscar Piastri after a fuel‑system issue. Red Bull stayed away while awaiting spare parts following Isack Hadjar’s heavy crash earlier in the week, Haas missed a day with mechanical problems, Alpine and Audi postponed their programs to Friday, and Williams was absent for the entire shakedown because of FW48 build delays. Taken together, the Barcelona sessions left Mercedes with the clearest pace and mileage advantage, as several teams continue to address technical and logistical concerns before further pre-season running.

Audi centered its Barcelona shakedown around reliability as it brought the new R26 and its first in‑house power unit to the track, with technical director James Key saying the team would be “pretty pleased” to leave if a solid final day followed a disrupted opening. The week began with Gabriel Bortoleto stopping on Day 1 after a technical fault that triggered one of three red flags and limited Audi to roughly 27 laps. A later morning hold‑up, reportedly involving Nico Hülkenberg, was traced to a hydraulic leak that was fixed, allowing Hülkenberg to return in the afternoon and complete 68 laps. Key stressed that the priority was collecting fundamental track data so engineers in Neuburg could begin mapping the power unit and gearbox and tune energy‑recovery strategies. Audi deliberately ran fewer laps than some rivals. They used three of the five available Barcelona running days and reserved the final permitted day on Friday as its third run to complete the program. The team characterized the faults as expected prove‑out issues for a brand‑new chassis and a first F1 power unit rather than reasons for alarm.

Overall, Key judged the Barcelona program “on target,” provided the last day went well, framing the sessions as a critical opportunity to validate systems and gather baseline data for early 2026 development. Engineers addressed the early setbacks and achieved substantive afternoon running, which the team described as productive for identifying and fixing initial issues with the power unit. Having taken over the Sauber entry and built its first F1 powertrains, Audi plans to focus resources on the official pre‑season tests in Bahrain next month. The squad emphasized methodical troubleshooting and data collection over maximizing lap count at this stage of integration. Key summed up the approach with a measured tone. “This is why we test,” highlighting that the priority remained technical validation and gathering the on‑track information required to progress development.

McLaren’s MCL40 debut in Barcelona was disrupted when Oscar Piastri encountered a fuel‑system fault that stopped him after 48 laps on the penultimate day of the shakedown. The team had only taken to the track on Wednesday, with Lando Norris completing 76 laps, and used the limited sessions to start adapting to the radically revised chassis and power unit for 2026. Piastri finished fourth on the unofficial timesheets, 1.974 seconds off the fastest lap set by Mercedes’ George Russell, but the afternoon was lost when engineers stripped the car down to locate and repair the fuel-system issue.

McLaren described the outing as a shakedown focused on exposing bugs, gathering data, and practicing energy management rather than chasing representative race pace. Technical staff, led by Performance Technical Director Mark Temple, confirmed the fault prevented further running ahead of the final Barcelona day and that engineers were working to fix the problem. Piastri said he expected to return on Friday, with only one Barcelona day remaining before two further tests in Bahrain. The team planned to split running between Piastri and Norris to recover mileage and continue setup work.

The interruption left McLaren short of valuable laps compared to rivals. Mercedes and Ferrari logged significantly heavier mileage across the test, increasing pressure to find setup direction and improve the car’s feel and pace. Team statements emphasized that every minute of track time was precious, and the setback may force McLaren to prioritize reliability fixes alongside performance evaluation as they prepare for the Bahrain tests and the season opener. Despite the disruption, the Woking-based outfit framed the session as useful for troubleshooting early teething issues on the MCL40.

Mercedes’ W17 set the benchmark during the Barcelona pre-season shakedown, posting lap times in the 1:16–1:17 range that underlined both single-lap pace and race-pace potential. George Russell returned the quickest unofficial time of the shakedown with a 1:16.445, while Kimi Antonelli provided session-leading runs, including a 1:17.081 on Thursday. Several laps were quicker than Mercedes’ best race lap from last year’s Spanish Grand Prix. McLaren and Ferrari showed competitive early running, with Oscar Piastri and Lewis Hamilton among the quickest non-Mercedes drivers, but interruptions to their programs left Barcelona as an early snapshot rather than a definitive measure of season potential.

Reliability and mileage proved the standout story. Russell and Antonelli combined for exactly 500 laps across the permitted three running days and led the mileage charts. The W17 completed multiple full race simulations, Antonelli ran a complete race sim on his second half-day in the car, and engineers described the package as having worked “faultlessly,” with clean data captured throughout. Mercedes’ new hybrid power package also logged heavy mileage with customer teams McLaren and Alpine, reinforcing early signs of durability, and Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin said the team was “ahead of where we hoped” on mileage; most lost track time during the shakedown came from rival failures and red flags rather than Mercedes issues.

After extensive race-pace work, Mercedes moved on to qualifying mode on the final day, using Barcelona as a probing ground before setup exploration in Bahrain. The combination of straight-line speed, consistent lap times, and trouble-free mileage strengthened Mercedes’ status as one of the pre-season favorites. But teams cautioned that differing test programs, fuel loads, and setups limit how much the times alone reveal about true race competitiveness. Nonetheless, the W17 achieved the primary objective of the shakedown by proving mechanical and power-unit readiness ahead of the next on-track commitments.

Aston Martin’s 2026 F1 car, the AMR26, made its first track appearance at the Barcelona pre-season shakedown on Thursday. The team flew the chassis into Girona the night before, and mechanics assembled it overnight at the Barcelona circuit, with the car rolling out late on the fourth day of the Shakedown. Lance Stroll completed the final hour of running, while Fernando Alonso was scheduled to run on Friday, as the team began collecting early data. Build delays forced Aston Martin to miss at least one of the three permitted test days, compressing its program and leaving reduced on-track time.

Dressed in an all-black livery carrying only an Aston Martin nose logo, the AMR26 displayed an aggressive undercut sidepod, an unconventional engine-cover solution, and a large gap beneath the airbox. This is the clearest view yet of Adrian Newey’s aerodynamic direction for the team. It is the first Aston Martin produced under Newey’s technical leadership after Andy Cowell stepped down. Newey now combines the roles of managing technical partner and team principal.

Aston Martin will use Honda power units for 2026 and will operate from new facilities at Silverstone, meaning the rollout also served as an initial check on packaging and power-unit integration. Owner Lawrence Stroll’s championship ambitions framed the off-season changes as the team aims to improve on a seventh-place finish in 2025. Honda cautioned that the power-unit switch may not deliver an easy start, and the late build, plus the lost test day, curtailed early development and reliability assessments, leaving engineers with limited time to evaluate the AMR26 ahead of fuller pre-season running and the season-opening events.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem met Christian Horner at the FIA headquarters in Paris earlier this month, with the governing body posting photos with the caption “Good to see you, my friend.” The FIA did not disclose the purpose of the encounter. Horner was officially in Paris to attend the Retromobile classic car show, which is marking its 50th anniversary and runs through February 1.

Horner has kept a low profile since his dismissal in July 2025 by Red Bull, ending a 20-year tenure that transformed the team. Since then, he has been working behind the scenes, contacting teams after the summer break, pursuing investors in the U.S. and the Middle East, and exploring two main routes back into Formula 1 (F1).

One route involves a consortium reportedly interested in buying Otro Capital’s stake in Alpine, widely reported as 24% (some sources say 26%). The negotiation has been publicly acknowledged by figures such as Flavio Briatore. The other is speculation that Horner could back a bid to add a new, 12th F1 team. Reports say early talks with Aston Martin showed promise before stalling.

Red Bull has agreed to shorten Horner’s gardening leave, meaning he will be free to take a new role from the end of April. Media reports have also cited a departure payout in the region of £52 million to £80 million under a contract that originally ran to 2030.

Journalists who covered the Paris meeting described it as cordial but offered no firm evidence of commercial or regulatory discussions. Sky Sports reporter Craig Slater said Horner did not raise the Alpine purchase or a new team plan during the conversation. Neither Horner, the FIA, Alpine, Otro Capital, nor Red Bull has provided official confirmation of any hiring, investment, or deal linked to the meeting. The combination of Horner’s low profile since July 2025, his involvement in investor talks around Alpine, and the publicized meeting with Ben Sulayem has renewed media and fan speculation about a possible F1 return, but no concrete proof has emerged.