George Russell says he has been impressed by the quantity of working accomplished by a number of rival groups, together with Pink Bull and Haas, throughout the opening day of System 1’s 2026 Barcelona shakedown.
The primary day of working on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya proved productive for a variety of groups, regardless of the foremost adjustments launched for the brand new regulation cycle overlaying each chassis and energy items.
Mercedes accomplished 151 laps with its new W17, cut up between Kimi Antonelli within the morning and Russell within the afternoon. However it was not the one workforce to log important mileage, with Haas additionally exceeding the 150-lap mark and Pink Bull passing 100 laps on the opening day.
Whereas new producers Audi and Cadillac had a extra sophisticated begin to the take a look at, the general image was notably smoother than throughout the earlier main guidelines reset in 2014, when F1 launched the V6 turbo-hybrid energy items.
Russell stated he was inspired not solely by Mercedes’ personal working, but additionally by the progress made elsewhere within the paddock.
“We’re happy with our day, however I’ve additionally been impressed by a number of different groups too,” Russell stated.
“The Pink Bull energy unit has accomplished quite a lot of laps which, on condition that it’s their first engine they’ve constructed, means they’ve clearly finished a great job.
“Haas additionally managed an analogous quantity of working to ourselves, so the Ferrari energy unit has additionally put collectively loads of mileage. It’s not fairly the way it was in 2014! The game has developed a lot since then and the extent, in each single side, is so excessive now.”
Isack Hadjar, Pink Bull
Picture by: System 1
Mercedes’ personal programme noticed Antonelli full 56 laps within the morning earlier than Russell added an additional 95 within the afternoon, taking the workforce to simply over 700 kilometres of working throughout the day.
The Brackley-based workforce will skip Tuesday’s working as a result of rain forecast for the afternoon, with all groups required to decide on simply three of the 5 testing days in Barcelona.
“There’s heaps for us to be taught with these new machines so it’s essential that we full as a lot mileage as we will and construct our information,” stated the Italian driver. “The workforce at Brackley and Brixworth have finished an excellent job to get us to this place, growing and constructing a automotive that has been in a position to full over 150 laps on its first correct day of working.
“It’s early days although. There shall be issues we uncover within the coming days that we will enhance however that’s the level of testing. For now, although, the bundle general feels good, and we’ll look to construct on this begin over the next two days of working we’re allowed right here in Barcelona.”
Though the 2026 technical reset is critical, the step is taken into account much less excessive than the shift from naturally aspirated V8 engines to turbo-hybrid energy items in 2014, which contributed to a much more troublesome begin for a number of producers on the time.
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