F1 Pre-Season Test Day 1 Round-Up: Surprises, Delays and No-Shows

The first day of Formula 1 pre-season testing is in the books, and now that the dust has settled and information has finally been shared by teams, it is now possible to start putting together a picture of how events have transpired.

Trying to prevent a repeat of the first test in 2014, where teams hardly reached double-figure lap counts owing to reliability issues with the then-new V6 turbo-hybrid power units, the shakedown this week at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is being held behind closed doors.

While it is hard to gauge where teams stand in terms of performance at this stage of the year, early indicators of happiness can be read at the end of each day. Here's a recap of day one.

Mercedes

Kimi Antonelli [AM] - 59 laps - 1:20.700

George Russell [PM] - 95 laps - 1:18.696

The Silver Arrows are many people's favorites for the world championships this term, given their dominance under new regulations in 2014, and the team got off to a great start with a largely trouble-free day.

151 laps between drivers Kimi Antonelli - who ran in the morning - and George Russell - who took over in the afternoon - underlined the strong foundation Mercedes has with its new power unit, while the Briton's best lap time, which is rumored to have been set on the hardest tire compound available, could be a cause of concern for rivals.

Red Bull

History in Barcelona 💙

RB22, powered by DM01, with Isack at the wheel 🫡#F1 || #RedBullRacing pic.twitter.com/yKD3lY7b6i
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) January 26, 2026

Isack Hadjar - 108 laps - 1:18.159

The fastest time of the day was set by new Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar, who also completed an impressive 108 laps across his day as the Red Bull-Ford power unit had its first run out.

Teething issues are to be expected, but even Hadjar was surprised that the day ran so well for the team based in Milton Keynes, England.

Russell singled the team out for praise, could Red Bull be the surprise package?

Racing Bulls

Say hello to our VCARB 03 🔥#F1 #VCARB pic.twitter.com/VciE7w7wxX
— Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team (@visacashapprb) January 26, 2026

Liam Lawson - 88 laps - 1:21.513

More good news for the Red Bull-Ford power unit as Liam Lawson set 88 laps of the Spanish circuit.

That's more vital data that can be crunched by the power unit engineers before the rest of the test. The Racing Bulls car is striking with its slim sidepods and wide air intake above the driver's head and the team was pleased with its day one fortunes.

A good platform to build from for the season ahead.

Haas

Esteban Ocon - 154 laps - 1:21.301

Perhaps the most impressive performance of the day came from Haas and Esteban Ocon, who completed 154 laps. The Frenchman was full of praise for the way his team had prepared for the first day of testing and, even without a trouble-free day, he set more laps than any other driver, and in fact, any other team.

For a team with Haas' resources, it was an impressive first day and one that will have provided great optimism for the rest of the week.

Alpine

Franco Colapinto - 60 laps - 1:20.189

A steady start for Alpine as it partners up with Mercedes High Performance Powertrains, but a good base to begin with for Franco Colapinto.

Most focus has been off-track for the French marque, however, with the news that Christian Horner has made a proposal to acquire a 24% stake in the team. Alpine has confirmed it, though the ball now rests in the Renault Group's court. That's a huge story to follow in the coming weeks.

Audi

Gabriel Bortoleto - 28 laps - 1:25.296

An expectedly tough start for Audi as it launches its F1 journey in Spain as Gabriel Bortoleto managed just 28 laps.

For reference, that's less than half a grand prix at the same venue, but for Audi to be up and running on day one of the first test as a new entry with its own power unit is some feat.

Bortoleto seemed optimistic over what he had experienced during his short stint on track, though a stoppage caused a red flag in the morning and the R26 wasn't seen again all day.

Cadillac

Precision in every line. Our milestone livery has arrived for the week 🖤 pic.twitter.com/KtuAOZ3rUR
— Cadillac Formula 1 Team (@Cadillac_F1) January 26, 2026

Valtteri Bottas - 34 laps - 1:24.651

Sergio Perez - 11 laps - 1:25.974

Similar struggles for Cadillac as for fellow new entry Audi, but the point of even being ready for day one stands, especially given that the American outfit has started from the ground up.

Valtteri Bottas got past the half-grand-prix-distance mark in the morning, though teammate Sergio Perez was limited to just 11 laps as issues plagued the afternoon.

For both new teams, day one must be seen as a positive.

McLaren

McLaren opted not to participate in day one, with teams allowed to run on any three of the five days only. They are understood to be waiting for the weather on Tuesday before committing to a run plan, with rain expected on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The reigning constructors' champions did, however, reveal their special testing livery, which is a huge departure from what is likely to be on track in Australia.

Ferrari

Ferrari was another team to forego running on day one of the test, and the focus for the Scuderia has been on off-track matters, with Lewis Hamilton rumored to be getting Cedric Michel-Grosjean as his new race engineer.

Nothing has been confirmed by the Italian team, but it is known that Grosjean is on gardening leave from McLaren.

Aston Martin

Aston Martin has confirmed it will only run two days of the test this week as it continues to prepare its AMR26.

One of the few teams not to hold a season launch ahead of the testing week, it will commit to running on Thursday and Friday as the Adrian Newey and Honda era begins. No need for concern yet.

Williams

Statement from Atlassian Williams F1 Team. pic.twitter.com/N4O1F6cgUz
— Atlassian Williams F1 Team (@WilliamsF1) January 23, 2026

The losers of the week? It seems that way as Williams announced late last week that it would not be ready for the first week of testing.

That means vital on-track data logging is being missed, with rumors of a failed crash test being the cause of the delay. That has also led to suggestions of weight issues for the new machinery, which would be a performance disadvantage.

A positive for the team to take is that the Mercedes power unit and gearbox got plenty of running on day one, so at least Williams won't be entering the second test completely blind.

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