Mercedes’ 2026 Formula 1 car feels better on track than in the simulator “in a number of areas” and is already resolving a "big question mark" the team had.
George Russell set the second-fastest time on Monday as a behind-closed-doors F1 test at Barcelona began with seven teams taking part.
Russell was half a second slower than Red Bull’s pacesetter Isack Hadjar but it was an extremely productive day for Mercedes, which has been tipped for a long time as the early 2026 favourite.
Both Russell and Kimi Antonelli got to drive the W17 on Monday and despite the swap between them, managed 149 laps in total – with Russell alone accruing 93 laps in the afternoon.
Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin said the team is already “pretty happy with what they're feeling out on track”.
“Prior to Silverstone, their experience of it was all in the virtual world, in the simulators,” Shovlin said.
“And in a number of areas it's actually feeling better to them on track than they were feeling in the simulator. So that's certainly encouraging.”
Shovlin also described Mercedes as in a “pretty good place” with the drivability of the new engine, which now produces almost half its maximum power deployment from the uprated MGU-K.
“It's a lot of work to do,” Shovlin said. “And we’re really just at the very, very embryonic stages of the test programme here.
“But I'm sure that we'll make progress over the next few days, and it does seem like we can get it in a sensible place for the first race.”
Antonelli, who drove when the track was slightly damp in the morning before drying, said the car is “very nice to drive” and the team did “a really good job on driveability, which was a big question mark”.
“It's early days and that's why we will discover a lot more about the car and the power unit,” he said.
“And we'll be able to see where it's lacking or where it's actually good. But so far, the package is feeling good.”
That cautiously optimistic initial verdict chimes with a successful shakedown at Silverstone last week, when Mercedes was able to immediately complete a full first day on-track with its brand new car and engine.
It continues an implication that, even though firm performance conclusions cannot be drawn, Mercedes is starting its 2026 programme well prepared and in a good place.
This allows it to “get stuck into the real learning”, Shovlin said, with initial long runs the priority before the rest of the programme evolves over its remaining two days of testing across this week.
“It has been an absolutely monumental project,” he said.
“And on the power unit side in Brixworth, they've been working on it for years, a very, very difficult and challenging programme.
“You've also got all the complexity that the fuel development throws into that with Petronas. And then on the chassis side, a completely new set of regulations.
“Coupled with that, we've got all new electronic systems, so it's the biggest project we've ever done as a team.
“We don't know where we stand in terms of performance, but we are able to keep the car out on track, which is great because we'll be able to hopefully learn at a good rate.
“It's a testament to, in some cases, years of preparation for these early days.”
Russell described the new breed of 2026 cars as delivering “pretty impressive” power and that when he watched Antonelli from the pitwall it was “probably the quickest I’ve ever seen an F1 car pass here”.
He said Mercedes was “very pleased” with its own day but stopped short of elaborating or letting it turn into grander expectations.
“We're all just excited to get to Melbourne,” Russell said.
“Of course, days like today are needed, and the shakedown, testing in Bahrain is really important next up as well.
“But it's only come Melbourne qualifying, Melbourne race, that we'll get a true indication of who's on top.
“Of course it's awesome driving these new cars, but I'm here to compete and I'm here to win and that's what I'm motivated for.”
