Os Formula 1 tests for the 2026 season began this Monday (26/01) at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in cold weather, sessions behind closed doors and with absolute focus on collecting data on the new cars. Even without official release of times, leaks made it possible to draw an overview of the first day of activities, marked by different work programs, interruptions on the track and strong attention to reliability.
Whoever appeared at the top of the times list was Isack Hadjarfrom Red Bull, by recording 1min18s159, a performance that, although it does not represent a qualifying lap, drew attention in the context of a day focused on technical validations. In addition to being the fastest, the Frenchman also had a good track volume, with 107 laps completed, behind only Esteban Ocon, from Haas, in this criterion.
Mercedes also left positive signs at the beginning of the new era. George Russell was second fastest of the day, just 0.537 behind Hadjar, totaling 93 laps. Young Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who put the W17 on the track for the first time in the morning, ended the day in fourth place in the times, with 56 laps. Together, the two drivers completed 149 laps, making Mercedes the second team with the highest total mileage on the day.
The biggest single workload fell to Haas. Esteban Ocon covered 154 laps, a number close to three complete Spanish GPs, ending the day in fifth place in the times, 3.142 behind the best mark. The volume reinforces the American team’s priority in testing systems and gaining reliability right at the beginning of the program.
Argentinean Franco Colapinto, from Alpine, appeared third in the time rankings, 2.030 behind Hadjar, despite having faced technical problems that limited his activity to 60 laps. Liam Lawson, from Racing Bulls, was in a similar situation, sixth in the times, with 88 laps, but also responsible for one of the red flags of the day after stopping on the track.
Among the newcomers to the new technical cycle, the challenges were evident. Valtteri Bottas, who marks his return to Formula 1 with Cadillac, completed 33 laps and ended the day in seventh place in the times. Teammate Sergio Pérez had an even more limited participation: just 11 laps, last place in the rankings, with a difference of 7.815 seconds to the best mark.
Kicking off Day 1 in Barcelona! 💪
Who went out on track today, and what times did they first leave their garages? 👀#F1 pic.twitter.com/LQjs0YGHwz
— Formula 1 (@F1) January 26, 2026
How was Bortoleto on the first day of F1 testing in Barcelona?
Audi, for its part, had a discreet start. The Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto he completed 27 laps before facing a technical problem not detailed by the team, which prematurely ended his activity. The Brazilian was in eighth place in the time rankings, 7.137 behind the leader. The manufacturer confirmed that the fault has already been identified and corrected in the coming days.
After the activities ended, Gabriel commented on the experience of driving the new car.
– It was positive to return to the track today and really start to familiarize myself with the R26. In the morning, we managed to drive a few laps, carry out specific tests and take the first steps to better understand the car, the power unit and the impact of the new regulations – he stated:
– As expected in a shakedown, we had some setbacks that reduced track time, but that’s part of the job and that’s exactly why we’re here. Even so, we learned a lot from what was possible to do. Now, the priority is to correct these points to get back up to speed in the coming days, with everything working more consistently and with more accumulated mileage.
Throughout the day, three red flags interrupted the shakedown, involving Colapinto, Lawson and Bortoleto – with the Brazilian not returning to the track after the incident.
Even with external attention focused on the leaked times, the discourse in the paddock was one of caution. Bottas summarized the scenario by stating that the problems were part of the routine of all teams in this first contact with the 2026 cars. According to the Finn, the initial objective is to “debug” the systems, understand the new behavior of the models – smaller, lighter and with greater emphasis on electrical energy – and gradually accumulate mileage.
– The car behaves very differently, with less aerodynamic load in fast corners and much more torque on exits. There are a lot of new things to manage – explained the driver, highlighting that the focus is not on a fast lap, but on building a reliable package for the season opener, in March, in Australia.
The shakedown in Barcelona continues until Friday (30/01), with planning dependent on weather conditions. Ferrari and McLaren hit the track starting this Tuesday (27/01), while Aston Martin and Williams are still adjusting their schedules for the next few days.
MORE: The changes in F1 with the new regulations in 2026
F1 tests in Barcelona: drivers’ times today – Monday (26/01)
| Position | Pilot | Team | Tempo | Difference | Turns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | 1min18s159 | — | 107 |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes | — | +0s537 | 93 |
| 3 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | — | +2s030 | 60 |
| 4 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | — | +2s541 | 56 |
| 5 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | — | +3s142 | 154 |
| 6 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | — | +3s354 | 88 |
| 7 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | — | +6s492 | 33 |
| 8 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | — | +7s137 | 27 |
| 9 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | — | +7s815 | 11 |
F1: calendar until the first race of the year
- January 26th to 30th: Tests at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, carried out without the presence of the public and press.
- February 11th to 13th: First official test session in Bahrain.
- February 18th to 20th: Last stage of pre-season testing, again in Bahrain.
- March 6th to 8th: Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne.
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