Inside F1’s Secretive 2026 Shakedown: Day One Unveiled
Formula 1 kicked off its highly anticipated shakedown week at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. On Day One, the Mercedes W17 was the first to hit the track, driven by Andrea Kimi Antonelli. He was quickly followed by Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto. Both Bortoleto and Colapinto encountered technical difficulties, though details on these issues remain scarce due to the event’s closed-door policy.
Key Events and Performances
Other drivers included Liam Lawson for Racing Bulls, Isack Hadjar for Red Bull, Valtteri Bottas for Cadillac, and Esteban Ocon for Haas. By midday, Ocon had emerged as the standout performer in lap count, completing 67 laps. A red flag incident involving Lawson briefly halted the action.
Timing Confusions
Some unofficial lap times were leaked by enterprising YouTubers who accessed the timing system. However, the accuracy of these times is questionable. Teams were running varied programs, making any reported times unrepresentative of true performance. The fastest unofficial lap was reportedly logged by Hadjar at 1m18.159s. George Russell, who took over from Antonelli in the afternoon, was 0.537 seconds slower.
Challenges and Security Measures
The day was not without its challenges; security tightened around the circuit as tensions rose regarding public access. During the afternoon, valuable information on lap times was abruptly cut off, leading to further speculation among fans. F1 TV was on site, conducting interviews and capturing footage, but social media updates from teams were limited.
Lap Count Overview
When focusing on lap counts rather than timings, Ocon’s performance was impressive, clocking up a total of 154 laps. The breakdown of laps completed is as follows:
- Esteban Ocon (Haas): 154 laps
- George Russell (Mercedes): 93 laps
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes): 56 laps
- Franco Colapinto (Alpine): 60 laps
- Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls): 88 laps
- Sergio Perez (Cadillac): 11 laps
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi): 27 laps
Overall, Cadillac struggled with just 44 laps while Audi managed to diagnose its issues, indicating improvements for the days ahead.
Upcoming Days and Expectations
The first day of the shakedown highlighted the varying readiness levels among teams. McLaren and Ferrari have confirmed they will not be running until Tuesday, while Aston Martin is expected to miss at least one day, starting no earlier than Thursday. The weather will influence teams’ run plans for the remainder of the week as everyone prepares for a competitive 2026 season.
