New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1<\/a><\/p>\nAccording to Racer, Mercedes accumulated 502 laps over its three allocated days of testing, or 2337.8 kilometres of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. That\u2019s the equivalent of 7.6 grand prix distances.<\/p>\n
The only other team to have used up its testing allocation for the week is Racing Bulls, which maxed out at 319 laps.<\/p>\n
Ferrari, with another day still to run, would need an unprecedented 207 laps on Friday to catch the German marque.<\/p>\n
In other words, Mercedes is all but certain to end the first test with the most laps \u2014 the only metric that really counts in pre-season testing.<\/p>\n
Cumulative mileage by team, day 4<\/p>\n
1. Mercedes: 502 laps (2337.8 kilometres)*<\/p>\n
2. Racing Bulls-RBPT: 319 laps (1485.6 kilometres)*<\/p>\n
3. Ferrari: 295 laps (1373.8 kilometres)<\/p>\n
4. Haas-Ferrari: 196 laps (912.8 kilometres)<\/p>\n
5. Red Bull Racing: 186 laps (866.2 kilometres)<\/p>\n
6. Alpine-Mercedes: 185 laps (861.5 kilometres)<\/p>\n
7. McLaren-Mercedes: 124 laps (577.5 kilometres)<\/p>\n
8. Cadillac-Ferrari: 110 laps (512.3 kilometres)<\/p>\n
9. Audi: 95 laps (442.4 kilometres)<\/p>\n
10. Aston Martin-Honda: 5 laps (23.3 kilometres)^<\/p>\n
11. Williams-Mercedes: 0 laps (0.0 kilometres)<\/p>\n
*Mercedes and Racing Bulls have completed three days of testing<\/p>\n
^Aston Martin has completed only one day of testing<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a good week for us,\u201d trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin said. \u201cThe car has enabled us to run the program exactly as we wanted each of the three days, and that\u2019s what we hoped for coming here to Barcelona.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a huge testament to the hard work of everyone at Brackley and Brixworth in bringing this car to life.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve also made good progress with some of the challenges we saw on days 1 and 2, and that is pleasing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat 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\u2019t do here when it is so cold. That will give us a much better idea of the car\u2019s relative abilities as we progress towards the 2026 season.\u201d<\/p>\n
This test is being run in secret, behind closed doors, with no media or fans allowed into the circuit. No timing or lap data is being made available via official channels.<\/p>\n
Racer, however, has reported that Mercedes also set the quickest time on all three of its days on track \u2014 though this week\u2019s fastest times have been several seconds slower than the representative laps set at last year\u2019s Spanish Grand Prix at this circuit, highlighting their unreliability as an indicator of true performance.<\/p>\n
Nonetheless, all signs are very strong for Mercedes at this early stage of 2026.<\/p>\n
Piastri stars in hilarious new ad | 01:10<\/p>\n
ASTON MARTIN BREAKS COVER \u2014 FOR A BIT<\/p>\n
Aston Martin said it would be ready to run on Thursday at the earliest. It made that deadline, but only just.<\/p>\n
It took the team until the final hour of the day to get the car out of the garage, with Lance Stroll becoming the first driver to take the AMR26 for a spin.<\/p>\n
He returned to the pits after one steady installation lap for checks and was sent back out again late in the hour, but his car completed only four more laps before reportedly grinding to a halt in the final sector.<\/p>\n
The stoppage caused red flags, ending a very low-key debut for the team\u2019s 2026 challenger.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone did a good job of getting the car ready today,\u201d Stroll said. \u201cIt was a long day for all the mechanics and everyone in the team pushing flat out to get the car ready.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mileage by team, day 4<\/p>\n
1. Ferrari: 174 laps (810.3 kilometres)<\/p>\n
2. Mercedes: 168 laps (782.4 kilometres)<\/p>\n
3. Racing Bulls-RBPT: 111 laps (516.9 kilometres)<\/p>\n
4. Cadillac-Ferrari: 66 laps (307.4 kilometres)<\/p>\n
5. McLaren-Mercedes: 48 laps (223.5 kilometres)<\/p>\n
6. Aston Martin-Honda: 5 laps (23.3 kilometres)<\/p>\n
This is the first Honda-powered Aston Martin as part of a de facto works relationship between the two brands. It\u2019s the first time since 2008 the team hasn\u2019t used a Mercedes motor.<\/p>\n
The power unit change has also forced Aston Martin to build its own gearbox for the first time in two decades, dating back to the team\u2019s former guise as Jordan.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe obviously are in a bit of a unique situation,\u201d trackside engineering director Mike Krack said. \u201cWe welcome Honda, our new power unit partner. We have made our first gearbox in many, many years, and you pair that with new chassis regulations, new power unit regulations.<\/p>\n
\u201cBasically you could say it\u2019s the worst case or the best case, but it\u2019s a huge change for us as a team \u2014 to be a works team, a factory team \u2014 together with these regulations.<\/p>\n
\u201cFormula 1 is not waiting for you, so you have to be ready. We were now a little bit late, but we made it to this test, so I think we can be proud and happy of that achievement.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s now about accumulating laps, accumulating runs, learning how to work with each other, integrating Honda and making the maximum out of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is also the first Aston Martin built with legendary designer Adrian Newey at the helm of the technical office. It will also be the first car Newey presides over as team principal after displacing Andy Cowell during the off-season.<\/p>\n
The car rolled out of pit lane in bare, unpainted black save for the Aston Martin logo on the side of the cockpit, perhaps a sign of its hurried preparation. But it also hindered photos from revealing too much in the low light of the late afternoon.<\/p>\n
From what can be seen, however, the team appears to have adopted an extreme interpretation of the regulations, with some distinctly different approaches taken compared to what other teams have shown in this first week of the test.<\/p>\n
The nose cone looks larger than those on rival cars, and the sidepods appear to be heavily undercut and sculpted, with narrow, high air intakes. Some analysts also suggest that the suspension geometry is more ambitious than at other teams.<\/p>\n
Some of this is only achievable due to the team\u2019s works status, allowing Newey and Honda to work on designs that will mutually benefit both the car shape and the power unit. That sort of harmony isn\u2019t possible when buying an engine as a customer.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s difficult to be definitive about Aston Martin\u2019s differences given the lack of running. It\u2019s also worth noting that most teams will bring significant upgrades to the next tests in Bahrain and to the Australian Grand Prix.<\/p>\n
But at this stage it looks like the sky-high anticipation for Newey\u2019s first Aston Martin hasn\u2019t gone unsatisfied.<\/p>\n
(Photo: Aston Martin)Source: Supplied<\/p>\n
HONDA THE BIG LOSER FROM LACK OF MILEAGE<\/p>\n
The success of the Aston Martin project will live on its relationship with Honda, which has been open about feeling behind the curve after reversing its decision to quit the sport after the new engine rules were announced.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s therefore had less time to work on the new power unit than its rival manufacturers, which could prove decisive in performance.<\/p>\n
Krack said the relationship was \u201cstill fresh\u201d and that only track time would help it to develop.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a good start, a few smiles between ourselves and them, and it\u2019s our goal, obviously, to use this time now to integrate as much as we can, to learn how to work together,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m very confident. They are racers \u2014 they are very open, you can challenge them \u2014 it\u2019s really nice, and I\u2019m looking forward to continuing that relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n
But the relationship won\u2019t be truly tested until the performance level and reliability of the power unit becomes clear.<\/p>\n
Aston Martin revealed no information about its stoppage, so it\u2019s unclear whether it was a power unit or chassis-side problem.<\/p>\n
Cumulative mileage by power unit, day 4<\/p>\n
1. Mercedes: 811 laps (3776.8 kilometres)<\/p>\n
2. Ferrari: 601 laps (2798.9 kilometres)<\/p>\n
3. Red Bull Powertrains: 505 laps (2351.8 kilometres)<\/p>\n
4. Audi: 95 laps (442.4 kilometres)<\/p>\n
5. Honda: 5 laps (23.3 kilometres)<\/p>\n
Honda is at least on the board now, though only barely. It\u2019s still a long way behind even Audi, which is starting completely from scratch as a power unit manufacturer, notwithstanding Honda\u2019s withdrawal reversal setting it back considerably.<\/p>\n
Both brands, though, will want big Friday lap totals to get kilometres into their power units to validate reliability before Bahrain, where focus will begin turning towards performance.<\/p>\n
No-one, though, is likely to catch Mercedes at the top of the order.<\/p>\n
Ricciardo & Max reunite for track day | 01:18<\/p>\n
WHAT\u2019S NEXT?<\/p>\n
One day remains of the opening Barcelona test. Eight teams will hit the track, which will make Friday the busiest day of the week.<\/p>\n
Only Mercedes and Racing Bulls have completed their maximum allocation of three days. Both teams have made the most of that time.<\/p>\n
Racing Bulls has flown under the radar on its way to 319 laps. Though that\u2019s far fewer than Mercedes and though the team is likely to be overtaken by several others by Friday, on average it\u2019s been as reliable as senior team Red Bull Racing, which is a positive indicator. It\u2019s likely to finish the test with more laps than its sister team.<\/p>\n
Red Bull Racing will be looking for a cleaner day of running after being pleasantly surprised by how well it got underway on Monday. Its last on-track action was Isack Hadjar crashing out in the wet on Tuesday, and the car hasn\u2019t been seen since.<\/p>\n
McLaren will hit the track in pursuit of a 100-lap day, which will be comfortably achievable if the car runs reliably. The team seems quietly confident, though, that it has everything in hand even with its underwhelming 124-lap total so far<\/a>.<\/p>\nFerrari is in a positive frame of mind, having had a better test so far than it had last year, when the rules were stable. Charles Leclerc says the team\u2019s checklist is still long, but after completing 174 laps on Thursday, reliability at least isn\u2019t one of the items still to verify.<\/p>\n
Haas and Alpine have both had positive tests so far and will be looking to race towards 300 laps for the test.<\/p>\n
Cadillac and Audi would both love to end the test with productive days. Neither had cracked 70 laps in a day, though both had better second days than firsts, which is at least a positive trajectory. Either way, both teams will have significant debriefing to do before Bahrain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There are no winners in pre-season testing, but when Mercedes parked up at the end of its final…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":446393,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[573],"tags":[2074,208476,16188,14212,1724,64,63,936,937,231449,231450,231456,231452,13275,207045,231458,229844,51270,2057,231453,817,37227,813,816,97720,16200,231455,16201,825,231448,39542,231444,231442,25586,231457,231454,50084,154485,18923,194396,220235,231443,223968,51043,12022,231460,231459,220220,32654,231447,3595,2020,85,70690,13773,228931,225872,12000,231451,231446,231445,16198],"class_list":["post-446392","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-formula-1","tag-adrian-newey","tag-andrew-shovlin","tag-andy-cowell","tag-arvid-lindblad","tag-asia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-bahrain","tag-barcelona","tag-car-breaks","tag-car-ready","tag-car-runs","tag-car-shape","tag-charles-leclerc","tag-chassis-regulations","tag-cleaner-day","tag-cumulative-mileage","tag-engine-rules","tag-europe","tag-extreme-interpretation","tag-f1","tag-factory-team","tag-formula-1","tag-formula1","tag-grand-prix-distances","tag-honda-motor-company","tag-lap-data","tag-ltd","tag-max-verstappen","tag-mercedes-racks","tag-mike-krack","tag-nose-cone","tag-performance-level","tag-pit-lane","tag-positive-frame","tag-positive-indicator","tag-positive-tests","tag-positive-trajectory","tag-power-unit","tag-power-unit-change","tag-power-unit-manufacturers","tag-power-unit-partner","tag-power-unit-regulations","tag-pre-season-testing","tag-province-of-barcelona","tag-relative-abilities","tag-representative-laps","tag-ricciardo-amp-max","tag-senior-team","tag-sister-team","tag-southern-europe","tag-spain","tag-sports","tag-suspension-geometry","tag-team-principal","tag-testing-allocation","tag-trackside-engineering-director","tag-western-asia","tag-withdrawal-reversal","tag-works-relationship","tag-works-status","tag-works-team"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446392","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=446392"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446392\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/446393"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=446392"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=446392"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=446392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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