F1 2026: Barcelona Day 1 Recap

The 2026 era of Formula 1 has officially begun. Although this is a "closed-door" shakedown at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the first images and unofficial timing sheets have already provided a fascinating technical picture and a surprising initial hierarchy. While Williams has raised the white flag due to program delays and Ferrari and McLaren await Day 2, Red Bull and Mercedes have immediately set the pace.

Here is a detailed analysis of what was seen on track on Day 1.

Technical Analysis: The Bold Red Bull RB22

The car that attracted the most attention is undoubtedly the Red Bull RB22. Abandoning previous solutions, Milton Keynes has returned to a push-rod front suspension with a more conventional wishbone layout. However, the genius lies in the details: the suspension arms feature "cricket bat" style fairings, extensively massaged to guide aerodynamic flows downstream.

Regarding the sidepods, Red Bull has not blindly followed the "zeropod" philosophy. While the upper part of the SIS (Side Impact Structure) is "shrink-wrapped" (tightly packaged bodywork) in the style of Mercedes, the inlet remains larger and more traditional compared to the Brackley solution. The bodywork descends toward the floor but does not blend smoothly all the way to the asphalt: there is an abrupt drop-off, similar to what has been seen on Ferrari and Mercedes, paired with a diffuser that features a characteristic "mouse house" cut in the sidewall.

Aerodynamic Surprises: Racing Bulls and Cadillac

The Racing Bulls VCARB03 surprised with a retro choice. Two small winglets, dubbed "elephant ears," appeared on the nose, reminiscent of solutions seen around 2008—a clear attempt to manage airflow in a critical area. Unlike its "big sister" Red Bull, the VCARB03 opted for a different cooling strategy, moving much of it to the central airbox, which appears significantly oversized.

The debuting Cadillac also showed a solid, albeit conservative, base. The American car adopts concepts from the ground effect era, such as wing-shaped fairings on the front suspension and an interesting detail on the rear wing: an upwash vane on the lower part of the endplate.

The Track Action: Hadjar Flies, Haas Tireless, Audi Struggles

In terms of performance, rookie Isack Hadjar put Red Bull on top with a time of 1:18.159 (on Soft C3 tires), finishing half a second ahead of Mercedes' George Russell. Despite it being the first day with the new proprietary engine (RBPT/Ford), the RB22 showed enviable reliability with over 100 laps completed.

The Haas marathon was surprising: Esteban Ocon completed a massive 154 laps, the highest figure of the day, confirming that the American car—ready from the early morning hours—was born under a good star regarding robustness.

Audi had a less fortunate debut. The German manufacturer caused the day's only significant red flag with Gabriel Bortoleto. A technical issue forced a stop on track, and the car did not return, limiting their work to just 27 laps. Cadillac also paid the price for being a newcomer, with electrical and sensor issues relegating Bottas and Perez to the bottom of the mileage charts.

A crucial detail emerged regarding Alpine: the French team ran with the Mercedes Power Unit, confirming their transition to a customer team role. Franco Colapinto finished with a solid third-fastest time, bringing valuable data to the Stuttgart manufacturer.

Official Day 1 Data Recap

Below is the complete recap of laps completed by the teams and the mileage breakdown by Power Unit manufacturer, based on the track activity in Barcelona.

Laps Completed (Team & Drivers)

Mileage by Power Unit (Day 1)

Mercedes' dominance in reliability is evident thanks to the contribution of the factory team and the new partnership with Alpine. Ferrari takes second place thanks to Haas's incredible stint and Cadillac's contribution, while Audi pays for teething troubles.

1. Mercedes - 209 laps (Mercedes 149 + Alpine 60)
2. Ferrari - 198 laps (Haas 154 + Cadillac 44)
3. Red Bull - 195 laps (Red Bull 107 + Racing Bulls 88)
4. Audi - 27 laps (Audi 27)