Red Bull\u2019s and Ferrari\u2019s brand-new power units were singled out for praise by George Russell after the first day of testing in Barcelona.<\/p>\n
Day one at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya finished with Red Bull\u2019s RBPT-powered RB22 at the top of the times.<\/p>\n
George Russell: Red Bull mileage shows they\u2019ve \u2018done a good job\u2019<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust.<\/p>\n Driven by Isack Hadjar, the RB22 finished at the top of the unofficial timing screens on day one in Barcelona, as the brand-new 2026 F1 cars took to the track for the first time.<\/p>\n With seven of the 11 teams using up one of their three permitted days on the first of the five-day event, Mercedes opted to split its running between George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.<\/p>\n Russell, driving in the afternoon, finished second in the times, with Antonelli\u2019s morning best netting him fourth place. Russell\u2019s best time was just over half a second down on the best time, set by Hadjar, but it was the mileage racked up by Red Bull that caught Russell\u2019s eye.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are pleased with our day, but I\u2019ve also been impressed by several other teams, too,\u201d he said in Mercedes post-running debrief.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Red Bull power unit has completed a lot of laps, which, given that it\u2019s their first engine they\u2019ve built, means they\u2019ve clearly done a good job.\u201d<\/p>\n Red Bull<\/a> rolls out its first power unit this year after four years of building up its new Red Bull Powertrains [RBPT] department, a project initially set up and overseen by former CEO and team boss Christian Horner, with Laurent Mekies succeeding Horner in the roles following the split between Horner and Red Bull last summer.<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a four-year trek to get to the point of becoming a fully autonomous constructor, a move done specifically for the new F1 regulations, and such mileage at the first time of asking in a car that had otherwise not completed a shakedown impressed Russell.<\/p>\n But Haas\u2019 benchmark of 154 laps equally caught his eye.<\/p>\n \u201cHaas also managed a similar amount of running to ourselves, so the Ferrari power unit has also put together plenty of mileage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not quite how it was in 2014! The sport has evolved so much since then, and the level, in every single aspect, is so high now.\u201d<\/p>\n On that occasion, the last time the engine rules changed, Mercedes High-Performance Powertrains dominated with the first iteration of the hybrid V6 power units, both in terms of reliability and performance. The Brixworth-based manufacturer, according to paddock whispers, is the favourite to hit the ground running with the engine to beat for the new regulations, although these rumours are speculative.<\/p>\n While Mercedes didn\u2019t nab the quickest time on this occasion, the power unit powering the W17 did reach 149 laps between the two drivers, and Mercedes\u2019 head of trackside engineering, Andrew Shovlin, said the team was happy with the progress made on the first day.<\/p>\n \u201cThe main thing we are looking for in the early running of any new car is to make sure we can get plenty of laps in,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThat enables us to get into the learning of our programme in subsequent days. Today was all about understanding the car, therefore, making sure it stabilised at the correct temperatures, and ensuring we could do our long runs. It is positive that we were able to achieve that.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been a monumental project to get this car read,y both on the chassis and power unit side; at Brixworth, they have been working on this for years.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t know where we stand in terms of performance, but we\u2019ve proved we are able to keep the car out on the track, and that isa\u00a0 testament to the hard work of everyone at both our factories.\u201d<\/p>\n More on F1 testing<\/p>\n Valtteri Bottas identifies key Cadillac priority with revolutionary new F1 cars<\/a><\/p>\n Aston Martin confirms late start to F1 2026 testing as Barcelona plans announced<\/a><\/p>\n As for Antonelli, who is entering his second year in the sport, he was pleased with the initial feel of the W17 as he put in 56 laps and the fourth-quickest time during his morning appearance.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was nice to be back in the car this morning and, more importantly, we\u2019ve had a productive first day here in Barcelona,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is lots for us to learn with these new machines, so it\u2019s important that we complete as much mileage as we can and build our knowledge.<\/p>\n \u201cThe team at Brackley and Brixworth has done a great job to get us to this position, developing and building a car that has been able to complete over 150 laps on its first proper day of running.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is early days, though. There will be things we discover in the coming days that we can improve, but that is the point of testing. For now, though, the package overall feels good, and we will look to build on this start over the following two days of running we\u2019re allowed here in Barcelona.\u201d<\/p>\n The F1 2026 regulations mean the drivers are having to learn a new driving dynamic after four years with ground-effect generated downforce, but Russell said he doesn\u2019t expect it to be too steep a learning curve.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are quite different for us as drivers but, once you get your head around it, driving them is quite intuitive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s enjoyable being behind the wheel, and I think there\u2019s a lot for fans to look forward to with these new regulations.\u201d<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? 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