Two Formula One experts, Sky Sports’ Ted Kravitz and Craig Slater, have reviewed what they witnessed from Lewis Hamilton and Co at the Barcelona Shakedown, before predicting which F1 team may come out on top in the 2026 season.
Ahead of all 11 teams lining up on the F1 grid in 2026, they all partook in a testing session at the Spanish city’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with reports suggesting the FIA will be taking a closer look at Mercedes’ car after their bulletproof performance. The majority of teams put in decent mileage and with no apparent major drama.
Once again, the 2026 season will feature 24 rounds, with the season starting in Melbourne, Australia on March 6-8 with proceeding finishing in Abu Dhabi on December 4-6 – but who have Kravitz and Slater predicted to be the winners?
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Timings, although they are rather immaterial at the moment, showed that Hamilton set the fastest time of the week – 1:16.3 – and was swiftly followed by former teammate Russell, whose best time was 1:16.445. McLaren’s Lando Norris, the reigning F1 champion, was third with a 1:16.554.
Prior to drivers getting out on the track and getting to grips with their new cars, it was widely reported that Mercedes – driven by Hamilton and Russell – could be the team chasing for a win this season and Sky Sports’ Kravitz and Slater agree.
“Are we agreeing that Mercedes are at the top of the pecking order so far?” questioned Kravitz as Slater agreed: “Yes, I think so. I think that has to be the case.”
Red Bull and McLaren, according to Kravitz, are equal in his pre-season prediction, while Slater added: “They would be two and three at the moment based on what I’ve been told by people who are looking at the data… the best data they have. I mean, it’s difficult to say, but they are quite confident about this.”
Ferrari, driven by Charles Leclerc and Hamilton, were then pipped to finish fourth. “A lot of people are saying that Ferrari look quite a handful, actually. Several individuals from different teams have said that to me,” said Slater before placing Alpine in at five.
Racing Bulls and Aston Martin (in the eyes of Kravitz) would then follow in sixth and seventh, respectively. “Racing Bulls, which should be up there, in terms of power unit with Red Bull, but it’s quite a different-looking car. But they look solid so far.”
The pair put a question mark next to the position of Aston Martin. “If the car runs as good as it looks, then maybe Aston could be ahead of Alpine, Racing Bulls and even Ferrari. We don’t really know!” Haas, Audi, Cadcillac and Williams finished off their 11-team prediction in that order.
Mercedes Looking Beyond the ‘Favourites’ Tag
Despite being tipped to reign triumphant in 2026, Craig Slater claimed that Mercedes are looking to avoid being tagged as the ‘favourites’, claiming they are in the same bracket as the Big Four. “According to [Mercedes], they don’t like that status and they deny that they’re ahead at the moment. As far as they see it, and I’ve spoken to a senior figure there, it is very close between last year’s big four,” he said before adding:
“So, they count themselves in the same rough bracket as Ferrari, Red Bull, which is very creditable for them, and McLaren, too. But if you speak to those three others outside Mercedes, they put Mercedes, well, certainly, I spoke to someone at McLaren, they think it’s not necessarily a permanent thing or built in for the whole season, but based on this test, they are a little bit ahead.
“[McLaren believe Mercedes] have come with a very good car, that it’s not just down to these conditions, which, in the previous iteration of cars, suited Mercedes, these cold conditions. They think it is irrespective of that.
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“And part of it only is this better understanding of the power unit and how to harvest and deploy the electrical energy. That’s not the whole story, as far as they’re concerned. [McLaren] think [Mercedes] have come out of the box with a good car, and are maybe a little bit ahead of the rest leaving here,” Slater added. As mentioned, the season will start in early-to-mid March.