Formula 1’s brand new era officially kicked off in Barcelona on Monday, with seven of the eleven teams taking to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the opening day of the 2026 closed shakedown week.
It was Red Bull’s rookie Isack Hadjar who topped the timesheets, posting an impressive 1:18.159 in the RB22 – notably the first car to run Red Bull’s own power unit.
The Frenchman had been quickest in the morning session and, despite George Russell briefly taking the top spot during the afternoon, Hadjar managed to go even faster to claim the day’s best time.
Mercedes, Red Bull, Racing Bulls, Haas, Audi, Alpine and the new Cadillac outfit all participated, though no media were permitted trackside for the behind-closed-doors running.
Red Bull’s rookie Isack Hadjar who topped the timesheets, posting an impressive 1:18.159 in the RB22
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Russell ended up half a second behind Hadjar in second place, while Franco Colapinto impressed by finishing third in the Alpine – which now runs Mercedes power.
The Alpine A526 did cause one of three red flags during the morning due to a sensor problem, but the team got back out on track without too much trouble.
Kimi Antonelli handled Mercedes’ morning duties and wound up fourth fastest overall.
“It’s a massive learning,” Antonelli said of the new-generation machinery. “We’ve been trying to tune the power unit and the car, and obviously this afternoon the car has improved a lot.”
On the much-anticipated Mercedes engine, he added: “The team did a really good job and driveability, which was a big question mark, seems to be good so far.”
Mercedes are fancied as title winners this year
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Not everyone was out on track, though. McLaren and Ferrari had already confirmed they’d sit out Monday’s running, while Williams won’t be attending the test at all due to delays with their 2026 challenger.
Aston Martin are also holding back, announcing on Monday that they’ll only run on Thursday and Friday – the final two days of the five-day test.
That’s got everyone rather excited, as it means we’ll finally get our first glimpse of Adrian Newey’s debut design for the Silverstone-based squad.
Teams can only run on three of the five available days, with the focus firmly on reliability rather than outright pace given how radically different the 2026 cars and engines are.
Official pre-season testing doesn’t begin until Bahrain on February 11.
A first glimpse as drivers and team get to know their new machinery 👀 pic.twitter.com/I2NEXrUUOo
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) January 26, 2026
Monday also marked a historic moment for Cadillac, the grid’s newest entrant, who ran alongside the established teams for the very first time.
Valtteri Bottas was behind the wheel during the morning session, marking his return to Formula 1 after spending a year away from the sport.
His teammate Sergio Perez then took over after lunch, continuing his preparations for an F1 comeback.
The Mexican had already given the Cadillac its first taste of action during a shakedown at Silverstone earlier this month.
It’s brilliant to see both drivers back in the paddock, with Bottas and Perez bringing plenty of experience to the American team’s maiden campaign.
