What the teams said after the Barcelona Shakedown

McLaren

Prior to the Barcelona Shakedown, McLaren stated that they would not run until either the second day or third day of the event, with each team permitted to use any three days from the five available. This proved to be the case, with Norris giving the MCL40 its debut mileage on Wednesday. Piastri was in the driving seat on Thursday morning before amassing a solid lap count during Friday’s opening session.

Lando Norris

“Today was a valuable day of learning, and it felt great to be back in the car. I’m grateful to the entire team for their hard work and support. It’s a pleasure to drive another McLaren this year, and running the No.1 for the first time was a special moment for all of us throughout the Shakedown. We’ve identified opportunities and areas to improve, and we’re excited to see what we can do back in Woking as we prepare for Bahrain. We have plenty of additional things to learn this week in the simulator, alongside our Simulator and Development Drivers, and I'm looking forward to getting to work on those. These cars definitely require a new way of thinking and driving and the more time spent working on those, the better prepared we will be for the start of the season. Thanks to everybody involved for making it a strong day of running to wrap up the week. Time now for a few days off before getting right back into it at the start of next week, before we get back in the car in Bahrain. I can’t wait to get going again next time.”

Oscar Piastri

“Today was a much smoother day than our first two. It was good to get a solid number of laps on the board and settle into a rhythm. I’m starting to feel what the car is really like, and we’ve already tried a variety of configurations and settings to understand how it behaves for a race weekend. Overall, the priority this week has been clear: understand the car and improve it. There’s still plenty to learn, especially on the power unit side. Together with HPP, we’re working to deepen our understanding to extract the most performance. The feedback from both me and Lando is proving valuable. We’ve also identified some differences from last year across the chassis with the car carrying more downforce, so getting used to that balance has been a key focus. Looking ahead to Bahrain, we feel well prepared. There haven’t been many major surprises in how I need to drive and ensuring everything works as expected remains the biggest focus. We’ll review what matched our expectations, what didn’t, and anything interesting we’ve uncovered so far. Overall, it’s been a successful step in the right direction to start the year off, so thanks to all of the team for working hard to prepare the car and make it happen.”

Neil Houldey, Technical Director, Engineering

“We’ve wrapped a demanding but rewarding Barcelona Shakedown, and we're pleased with the overall outcome and learnings we can take away from each individual lap recorded. Following our full-car dyno work in Austria, the first two days in Barcelona were about preparing the car and while some small issues cost us mileage across Day 1 and Day 2 of running, the final day delivered exactly what we needed with both drivers completing extensive laps without any reliability concerns. Our shakedown checklist remains familiar, but the new power unit regulations have added complexity, especially around deployment and harvesting. We did what we could in the simulator, but there’s no substitute for track time, where close collaboration with Mercedes-Benz High Performance Powertrains has helped us refine solutions. We also validated the new straight and cornering mode and focused on understanding the best operational approach. The data haul has been invaluable. Telemetry from running the car will sharpen simulator realism now that the drivers have experienced the real thing. We completed meaningful aero work, including flow visualisation, and gathered extensive references to benchmark our next development steps. As a team both trackside and in Woking, we’ve packed a lot into this week, and we’ll be heading to Bahrain for Pre-Season Testing intent on arriving with a faster, more reliable car than the one we started with this week.”

Mercedes

After being the first to hit the track when Day 1 of the Barcelona Shakedown got underway – with Antonelli at the wheel before Russell took over for the afternoon – Mercedes went on to rack up significant mileage. Like many others, the Silver Arrows opted not to run in the damp conditions on Tuesday and instead continued with their programme on Day 3. The team were one of two – alongside Racing Bulls – to subsequently wrap up their allocated three days of track time on Thursday, with Russell and Antonelli splitting driving duties between them across each day.

George Russell

“It’s been another decent day and overall, a positive shakedown for us here in Barcelona. The car feels nice to drive but more importantly, we’ve completed plenty of mileage and had no major issues. The minor issues we’ve come across we’ve been able to resolve which is the purpose of such running.

“The car is working well but we know that it is not about the car working well, it’s about how fast it can go. We don’t have any indication of that yet so we will have to wait until Bahrain until we get any indications of the relative pecking order. It’s very early days but we can be pleased with this initial foundation we have put in place.

“It’s an exciting time for our sport with possibly one of the most impactful regulations changes we’ve seen. It’s an honour to be representing Mercedes, particularly as we mark the 140th anniversary of Carl Benz’s invention of the motor car today. It’s quite apt to be behind-the-wheel of such an innovative machine today; I am excited to continue our journey towards the season and look ahead to going racing.”

Kimi Antonelli

“Overall it has been a good shakedown for us. We’ve had our own issues but that hasn’t hindered our running too much. We’ve completed a lot of laps and today, I was able to drive for 90 more in the morning session. That is useful mileage to help build our learning about the W17 and gather plenty of data. We focused on the C3 tyre today but still on longer runs rather than anything performance related. We were able to understand a little more about how the car and the Power Unit reacts to a few different set-up options.

“I am now looking forward to having a few days to work with the team and digest everything from Barcelona. I am already looking forward to being back in the car in Bahrain for the first official test though and continuing the journey towards the start of the season. We will go there with a good understanding of the car and hopefully we can hit the ground running once again.

“It’s very cool to be part of the incredible history of Mercedes innovation, particularly as we put this new car through its paces on the 140th anniversary of Carl Benz registering the patent for the motor car. We are all proud to represent the three-pointed star and I cannot wait to see how we continue to innovate under these new regulations in the months and years ahead.”

Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

“From a reliability perspective, it’s been a good week for us. The car has enabled us to run the programme exactly as we wanted each of the three days and that’s what we hoped for coming here to Barcelona. It is a huge testament to the hard work of everyone at Brackley and Brixworth in bringing this car to life. We’ve also made good progress with some of the challenges we saw on days one and two and that is pleasing.

“That said, in Barcelona we have only really been focused on proving out the W17. In Bahrain, we will switch to set-up exploration which you can’t do here when it is so cold. That will give us a much better idea of the car’s relative abilities as we progress towards the 2026 season.”

Red Bull

Red Bull kicked off their programme on Monday, marking a milestone moment ahead of the squad’s first season running their own power unit from the Red Bull Powertrains project. It was also a big day for Hadjar, the rookie gaining a healthy number of laps during Day 1. The Frenchman split the running with new team mate Verstappen during a wet Day 2, before Verstappen returned on Day 5 for the final run of the shakedown.

Max Verstappen

“The first morning I didn’t get to do too many laps with the weather basically, but today was good. I did a lot of laps, we learned a lot. Still a lot of things that we want to look into and do better, but that’s normal I guess. In general for us with the new engine, to do the amount of laps that we did is very nice and it’s a good start for us. So, yeah, positive, but it’s still very early days. [The engine is] still a work in progress, but I think we’ve hit the ground running quite well with those things. It’s still a very complicated formula I think for everyone, so there’s still quite a bit of work to do, but it’s normal.”

Isack Hadjar

“It was pretty productive. Surprisingly we managed to do a lot more laps than we expected. Everything went pretty smooth. We had only minor issues, so it’s quite impressive considering it’s our first day with our own engine, so that was definitely smooth.”

Laurent Mekies, Team Principal

“We knew it would be a very special moment to be here for the first time with the RB22 with our own power unit, so it came with that special atmosphere and tensions. The last few months and weeks have been incredibly hectic to be ready, but ultimately we were ready on Monday morning to run. I can only take the opportunity to say a big thank you and well done to everybody back in Milton Keynes, chassis-side, power unit-side, because it was incredible to see the car going out at a few minutes past nine on Monday morning with our own power unit. We knew we have to do our homework and we have to do it step by step."

Ferrari

Like McLaren, Ferrari had confirmed prior to the shakedown that they would not run on Day 1. The Scuderia opted to begin their programme in the damp conditions on Tuesday, with Leclerc enjoying an extensive stint during the morning before handing over to Hamilton in the afternoon. After skipping Day 3, the pair again shared driving duties – this time in drier weather – across Day 4 and Day 5.

Charles Leclerc

"Overall it’s been a productive shakedown. We completed our programme and managed to run a good number of laps, which was important to start understanding the car and the new systems. The first day in wet conditions was tricky, especially with a completely new car, but it turned into a valuable learning experience. The last two days were positive as well, and now the focus shifts to analysing the data and working in Maranello ahead of the Bahrain test. Overall it’s been a productive shakedown. We completed our programme and managed to run a good number of laps, which was important to start understanding the car and the new systems. The first day in wet conditions was tricky, especially with a completely new car, but it turned into a valuable learning experience. The last two days were positive as well, and now the focus shifts to analysing the data and working in Maranello ahead of the Bahrain test."

Lewis Hamilton

"It’s been a really productive and enjoyable week. There has been a huge amount of work over the winter, both personally and from everyone in the team, and it’s good to see that reflected in the mileage we’ve been able to complete without major issues. Driving in wet conditions early on was actually a valuable experience, especially with a new car, and overall it’s been a solid start. There’s still a lot to learn and plenty of work to do, but the atmosphere in the team is positive and focused. Now we’ll take everything we’ve learned, continue analysing the data and prepare carefully for the Bahrain test."

Fred Vasseur, Team Principal

"It’s been a long week but overall a productive one. We experienced different conditions, from wet to dry, and managed to complete a significant amount of running each day, which is crucial at this stage to collect data and check reliability. We didn’t encounter any major issues, which is an important outcome. It’s still very early days and there is a lot to analyse and improve, but now we’ll return to Maranello to work through what we’ve learned and prepare for the Bahrain test, which will be more representative."

Racing Bulls

Lawson kickstarted Racing Bulls’ time at the Barcelona Shakedown on Monday, the New Zealander running throughout the day. It was the turn of rookie team mate Lindblad on Wednesday, who gained some extensive mileage during his stint behind the wheel, while both drivers had their turn for the squad’s third and final day on Thursday, wrapping up their programme before they next hit the track at pre-season testing in Bahrain.

Liam Lawson

"It was a positive and interesting three days of testing here in Barcelona. There's a lot to learn for all of us as the 2026 car is very different to drive, so I just tried to adapt as much as I could. The car has less downforce compared to the past, so it moves around quite a bit; there’s a lot of power when the battery is fully deployed but the way in which you have to manage it is something completely new. We’ve been trying several things on the car and it’s been great to keep building mileage on the new power unit.

"We had a pretty strong test in terms of reliability, but in terms of expectations, it’s very hard to say at this point, as we don’t know where everyone else is. I think that will stay quite unknown for a while, but we’re focused on our own job and want to keep improving in order to be in the best shape possible for the first race in Melbourne. Overall, we ended the test in a much better place to where we started on Monday. The next test in Bahrain is in less than two weeks so we’ll keep collecting data, but it's a completely different track to here, so I'll be curious to see how the car performs in those conditions."

Arvid Lindblad

"We did some good testing this week at the Barcelona Shakedown. It’s been really exciting to get behind the wheel of an F1 car and properly start the 2026 season. We’ve been learning a lot about the car, and we’re obviously already planning on how to carry this work forward to the sim before the next test. Coming here with a completely new car and power unit, I feel like there was always an unknown and some uncertainty about expectations, but we’ve been able to gather good mileage, which is great.

"The focus these days has been on building mileage and consistency, trying to understand the car as much as we could and see how we could get out the most from every part of the car, since this is very different compared to last year. It’s been a great start to the journey for all of us and I’ve been enjoying it so far. A special thanks to the team for their support and a massive credit to everyone involved in this project; we’ll keep working hard based on the data collected and really looking forward to going to Bahrain."

Alan Permane, Team Principal

"We have had very productive three days here at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. We feel we hit the ground running with the new car and power unit, and they’ve both run very reliably since the first run. We had no significant stoppages, and every time the car went out, we learnt something new, which is amazing. A whole week of learning and understanding as much as we could about the chassis and the power unit allowed us to make several changes and explore the setup of the car as well as running the engine in different modes.

"One of the new things about this new generation of power units is learning how to manage the energy in them; we started testing that on various fuel loads. Both Liam and Arvid have worked hard this week and it’s been really good to see them following each other’s runs on track; there’s already a great collaboration between them and we’ve seen them always ready to help each other.

"We achieved everything we set out to do here at the Shakedown, and now we feel ready and look forward to going to the official Bahrain Pre-Season Testing in less than two weeks. It’s been a great job done by everyone back at the factory in Faenza and Milton Keynes, and we got to see the beginning of a really great relationship between us and Red Bull Ford Powertrains."

Aston Martin

Aston Martin had signalled that they would join the Barcelona Shakedown later in the week, meaning that the AMR26 did not make its debut on track until Day 4 of the event. Stroll put the car through its initial laps later on Thursday, before Alonso gained some further mileage on Friday.

Fernando Alonso

"It's always a special moment driving a new car for the first time, especially at the start of a new regulation cycle. Over the years I've experienced many changes in Formula 1, and you quickly get a sense of the direction the car is taking. Everything ran smoothly today and we completed a solid programme with strong mileage, which is the main priority at this stage. It was very special seeing Lance take the AMR26 out on the track for the first time yesterday and to then get to drive it myself. There's been a tremendous effort from everyone in the team to get the car to this point. It's been a very intense period but I think we can be pleased with what we've done so far. And it's been good having Adrian here with us. Everyone is super motivated seeing him in the garage; he's been talking to the mechanics and engineers and noting down details about the car. It's still very early days and we have a lot of work still to do before we head to Melbourne in March."

Lance Stroll

"It felt good to be in the cockpit for the first time this year. It was a long day for all the mechanics and everyone in the team but they did a good job of getting the car ready. They pushed flat out. I really appreciate all the hard work that went into getting us on track. We got a few laps in at the end of the day and the car was feeling good. Because so much is new on these cars, there's a lot to learn and so we're just aiming to gather as much data as possible at the moment. It was good to get behind the wheel of the AMR26 for the first time and start to get a feel for the car. I look forward to getting to Bahrain and driving it again."

Mike Krack, Chief Trackside Officer

"It's always a very positive moment when you run a new car for the first time. Bringing the AMR26 to life here in Barcelona has taken a big effort, both back at the AMR Technology Campus and from the team working trackside. A lot of hard work has gone in to get to this point, and there's a lot of work still to come, but we can take a breath and be happy that we rolled the car out this week. I want to thank everyone across the team for the work that's gone into getting us to this point. Having both drivers in the car and providing valuable feedback and data is an important part of our pre-season preparations. It's also been helpful as we continue building our working relationships with new works partners, including Honda. We're learning to work together and integrate as much as we can. They are racers and we're really looking forward to developing our partnership. It's an exciting time. We've also made our first gearbox in many years, and this is Managing Technical Partner and Team Principal Adrian Newey's first Aston Martin F1 car, so there's plenty for us to learn. That's what the Shakedown and pre-season testing in Bahrain are for. We'll now take what we’ve learned and keep developing the AMR26 ahead of Bahrain testing."

Haas

Ocon was the last driver to emerge on Monday morning at the shakedown but went on to amass a sizeable number of laps in the VF-26. Bearman continued the team’s running on Wednesday, while the duo split driving duties for their third and final outing on Friday, with Bearman gaining significant mileage during the morning session before handing over to Ocon for the afternoon.

Esteban Ocon

“It’s been a crazy effort from the whole team to do what they’ve achieved, from driving in Fiorano and turning the car around to be driving two days later in Barcelona. I don’t think from the outside people will realise how tough that is, as it has been around 15 days that the team has only had a few hours sleep each night. It’s been an enormous effort with a lot of learning from this test, we’ve completed a lot of valuable laps, and I think it’s been very productive. There’s obviously still a lot of things we need to dig into, and we have two more tests for that, but I think it’s a solid first base to look at things and hopefully get more performance from the car ahead of the season.”

Ollie Bearman

“It was a good morning – we did double the mileage of Wednesday in about half the time, so that’s positive. We obviously had issues on Wednesday – ones we understood and rectified, and so thankfully I was able to get back into the car today and enjoy a very clean program. I learned a hell of a lot about the car today. We’ve got some quality laps banked which helps the data, which wasn’t really the case on Wednesday with our limited track time. We’ve got the opportunity with Esteban in the afternoon to build on that. I’ve got some first impressions now about what I like about the car and what I dislike in terms of things like its balance. We’re already seeing what we can do to rectify things for the afternoon’s running and of course then for Bahrain. We have a brand new car, brand new power-unit, new regulations – it’s a huge change for Formula 1, and it’s really nice to be involved in that from a driving perspective. I’ve never had the opportunity before to go through a big regulation change coming up from spec series before joining F1 last season. I really feel like, as drivers, we can get stuck in and make a difference as well.”

Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal

“We had our reliability issues on Wednesday, but again, everyone on the team did a great job to get things turned around and get us back out on Friday for our final day on track. We received what we needed, in terms of replacement parts, quite late yesterday but then the preparation of the car overnight was brilliant – we were ready to go out at 09:00 today. We stuck to our program and really learned a lot. We’re just constantly learning about the car. With the new regulations, on both the power-unit and chassis side, it’s a big change in terms of how you get the performance out of the car and how to be consistent both in one-lap qualifying style performance and then sustained running. Everything we learn here though puts us in a better spot for going to Bahrain testing. I’m really happy with the progress we’ve made. Today it’s not just been about the quantity of laps, it’s been about the quality of laps and that’s a positive thing for us. We’ve got a huge amount of data to look at, again – things like aero-characteristics are very different, and there’s lots to digest on the PU side as well. We’ve got a week to go over everything and put improvements in place for Bahrain.”

Audi

Ahead of the team's first season under their new name – following their transition from the former Kick Sauber outfit – Audi took to the track on Day 1 of the Barcelona Shakedown with Bortoleto. They returned to action on Day 3 as Hulkenberg got his turn in the R26, before the two drivers completed Audi’s programme between them during Day 5.

Nico Hulkenberg

“Today was definitely our best day of the week - over 140 laps over both sessions. This gave us great mileage across all systems. This kind of running is really valuable at this stage, and we’ve taken away a lot of lessons that we’ll now review. With a new power unit and a lot of firsts, we expected a few bumps on the road and we worked through them well. There’s still a long way to go, but we’re making progress every day, learning and improving step by step. The team has done a great job, working hard and pulling in the same direction. Now it’s about going through all the data, a couple of sim and factory days, getting ready for Bahrain. Quick turnaround, but looking forward to being back in the car.”

Gabriel Bortoleto

“Overall, it’s been a positive day of running on top of an encouraging testing week. Getting some solid laps in was a big step for me today, which shows the step forward we made from Day 1, when we had technical problems that cost us quite a bit of time. That’s what shakedown is about after all: putting the car on track, building mileage, and uncovering the small issues so that we can fix them and understand our car better. The team did a great job getting through the programme, and we are clearly moving in the right direction. Now, the focus shifts back to the factory to work on correlation and prepare for two weeks in Bahrain, where conditions will be completely different. There is still something to learn and improve, but this has been a strong starting point to build from.”

Jonathan Wheatley, Team Principal

“After three meaningful days of running in Barcelona, I find myself pleased with the level of progress we've made this week as a team. This shakedown wasn’t just about running the car - it was also about putting our entire trackside operation to the test and integrating our chassis and powertrain personnel into one cohesive team. From reliability to logistics, operational procedures to pit equipment, everything was under scrutiny. Both drivers spent time in the R26 and their feedback will be invaluable in shaping future car development. We've encountered a few early challenges, but the way the team came together to find solutions has been impressive. It is exactly why these tests exist - to push ourselves and grow stronger - not just operationally, but as a team. We leave here with a focus on being in the best possible shape for the Bahrain test. With six more days of testing ahead, and the opportunity to present the car on track to the public for the first time, there's a real sense of momentum and anticipation. On a personal level, I want to thank everyone at the track, in Hinwil, Neuberg and Bicester for the enormous effort over the past weeks. This week was a critical milestone on our journey as a team, and we can be proud of the progress we have made together.”

Mattia Binotto, Head of Audi F1 Project

“This shakedown week marked the beginning of our journey as Audi Revolut F1 Team and as a power unit manufacturer. Seeing the R26 hit the track for the first time on Day 1 was an emotional moment for all of us. There is still much to learn, but we leave Barcelona having gained a solid understanding of our new car and engine, and how they behave on track. The first day brought some challenges that slightly affected our running plans, but step by step we managed to get more laps, build mileage, and collect valuable data. The more we run, the more we learn, and the better feedback we can provide. Even though we know there is still room to grow and develop, this is a fantastic project and everyone is fully committed to it. Both drivers were able to put laps on the car, becoming familiar with the power unit, energy management, and drivability, and providing crucial feedback. We leave with a long list of items to work on, but that is a positive: it shows the team’s dedication and focus. I want to thank the whole team – trackside and back in Hinwil, Neuburg, and Bicester – for their effort, commitment, and motivation over these days. Now, we take what we have learned and push forward, aiming to make even more progress in Bahrain.”

James Key, Technical Director

“Barcelona marked a significant step in our development journey as we ran the car through its first full test programme. We came here knowing it wouldn’t be a flawless week - there were still many firsts for us, with a brand-new car and power unit package, and extensive collaboration between Neuburg and Hinwil. As expected, we faced some early challenges, which is completely normal at this stage. They were all well understood and fixable. That said, we made clear and consistent progress as the week went on, and by the second half of the test, we were able to run more productively and begin extracting meaningful insights. This test was never about performance - it was about validating the fundamentals and ensuring our core systems are functioning reliably. In that regard, we’ve made good progress and now have a solid foundation to build on heading into Bahrain. Every lap completed is a step forward, and the work from both the trackside team and our colleagues in Neuburg and Hinwil has been instrumental in moving us forward. Well done to the entire team for their efforts this week."

Alpine

Colapinto was the sole driver running for Alpine on Monday, the Argentinian also continuing his stint on Wednesday morning before team mate Gasly got behind the wheel for the afternoon slot. The Enstone-based outfit wrapped up their programme on Day 5, with Gasly completing a decent number of laps at the wheel of the A526.

Steve Nielsen, Managing Director

“This was the first of three tests this year, so it's a really busy schedule for us. We shook the car down in Silverstone before we came here and probably left with more questions than answers, but we've been able to come here and work through some of that and find solutions, particularly with energy recovery, which will be a steep learning curve for us and all teams for that matter. The feedback and input of the drivers is vital to that and learning about these new cars which have much higher straight-line speeds we've not seen before, as well as less downforce in the corners. So, there's a lot to learn for teams up and down the paddock. Luckily the weather has held up for most of this week and with the days we chose to run, we had effectively dry running and covered lots of milage and managed to collect useful data. We leave Barcelona having ticked off some boxes and will look to continue that trend in Bahrain in a few weeks' time.

“On the first day on Monday, we didn't quite do as many laps or get the mileage we wanted, which was to be expected with a completely new car. But we steadily ramped up across the week and covered 764km on the final day, which gives us a lot to look through ahead of Bahrain. We're pretty much on target in terms of where we wanted to be with number of laps covered and have been going through procedural things and basic set-up changes to see how the car responds.

“Everyone is sat there looking at data and lap times and trying to guess what fuel loads and engine modes people are running. But ultimately you only know your own and can only speculate about others. It's far too early to read anything into it. I very much doubt many teams have shown their hand or done any real competitive running. We'll probably have a better idea of where things stack up once we see and analyse race runs in Bahrain and see where we land. We know the team has put a lot of effort in, but we aren't getting carried away and are realistic in our expectations. Our goal this coming season is to be more competitive and see a sustained recovery of performance, not just at the start of the year but across the entire season.”

Cadillac

The newest team on the grid, Cadillac kicked off their Barcelona Shakedown programme on Day 1, with Bottas returning to the track following a year on the sidelines as a Mercedes reserve. After opting not to run on Day 2 or Day 3, the American outfit were back again on Thursday as Perez put in further laps, while Bottas was one of the first to emerge when Friday’s running got underway.

Valtteri Bottas

“It’s great, but it is the problem-solving phase of the team. It’s the first time we’re properly running the car, so it’s been really valuable, a really important week, but really a milestone.

“We still have lots of problems to solve, and a bit of a mountain to climb, but we are getting there step by step. Each run we’re getting better and more together as a team. Each run we are solving issues and going forward, so that’s good.”

Sergio Perez

"We got a lot of running, a lot of information. Still finding a few issues out there, which is great – it was all about that today. I think we are improving pretty much every run.

"We’re obviously starting to explore the car, the set-up, directions we want to be taking, so I think it’s starting well.”

Graeme Lowdon, Team Principal

“Really happy with the way things have gone. We’ve steadily worked through all the usual niggles and the like that you find with a brand-new car. But also you have to remember that it’s only the fourth day of this team running a Formula 1 car. Every day we’re getting more streamlined, the procedures are working well, people are working extremely well together – which we’re really happy about. Still a lot of work to do but that’s the same for all of the teams up and down the pit lane. I think we will be heading to Bahrain with a really positive feeling.”

Pirelli

Mario Isola, Motorsport Director

“The Barcelona shakedown marked the start of a new era for Formula 1. A week of private testing ahead of the official pre-season sessions in Bahrain proved useful for the teams and drivers, mainly for evaluating the reliability of the power units and getting to grips with battery energy management, which is set to play a key role this season.

"Overall, it was definitely a positive few days. The cars completed a lot of laps, possibly more than had been expected, with good reliability from the engines. The hardest three slick compounds that we supplied to the teams worked as expected, delivering convincing performance, despite the low temperatures. Only the softest compound, the C3, showed signs of a bit of graining on the front left, which is a well-known phenomenon here in Barcelona and in this instance, it was linked mainly to the cold conditions.

"In fact, when considering race weekends where temperatures are low, or on less demanding tracks, it will be interesting to see how the need to conserve the level of charge in the battery will influence a driver’s approach on the out-lap, when it is vital to bring the tyres up to operating temperature. We have in fact noticed a more conservative approach, favouring the ERS, which could change the way drivers go out about preparing for a flying lap in qualifying. The data from Bahrain should definitely be more relevant, as the cars will be more representative of what we will see in Melbourne and the temperatures will be similar to those we will encounter in the races. Actually, compared to simulations, we are still seeing discrepancies in terms of performance and loads.”