New era, new feel: F1 drivers deliver first verdicts on 2026 machines

Formula 1 kicked off on Monday its week-long Barcelona Shakedown for the sport’s new generation of cars, and while lap times were meaningless and scarce, driver impressions were anything but.

From wide-eyed optimism to cautious head-scratching, the first verdicts on the sport’s bold new machinery began to emerge.

Seven of the 11 teams logged mileage on day one, with Williams sitting the entire test out and Aston Martin still racing the clock just to get a car ready.

Red Bull rookie Isack Hadjar topped the unofficial order ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell, while Esteban Ocon quietly racked up the most laps.

Yet it was the human feedback – not the data streams – that truly mattered.

First Impressions

Kimi Antonelli, who began the day for Mercedes, sounded genuinely energised and positive by what he experienced.

“It still will take a bit of time to try all the modes - overtake, override, all that kind of stuff - it's different,” Antonelli said.

“But the car is nice, it's very nice to drive and obviously, on the power unit side, it's a bit different compared to what we had last year - it requires a bit more management but it's all doable.”

For a regulation set that places huge emphasis on hybrid deployment and energy juggling, drivability was a looming concern. Antonelli admitted it had been “a big question mark” – one that, at least initially, appeared reassuring.

Team-mate Russell echoed the sentiment after taking over in the afternoon, describing a car that demanded mental adjustment but rewarded it quickly.

“They are quite different for us as drivers but, once you get your head around it, driving them is quite intuitive,” Russell said. “It's enjoyable being behind-the-wheel and I think there's a lot for fans to look forward to with these new regulations.”

Complexity bites, but familiarity helps

At Haas, the day was less polished but no less revealing. Ocon’s VF-26 suffered early gremlins, yet the Frenchman still completed a marathon run – and came away with a clear picture of what drivers are up against.

“It's very different, very complicated,” Ocon said. “I was lucky to be able to do a lot of simulator days before we started the year, so we’re pretty well set on that.

“Everything is clear but yes, it's very complicated for all of us. But I hope that this will be the same for everyone.”

His comments underlined a recurring theme: the cars are understandable, but only if drivers invest heavily in preparation. Cockpit workload has risen sharply, and the learning curve is steep.

New Cars, But Not a New Universe

Few drivers approached the test with less historical baggage than Gabriel Bortoleto. The Brazilian, who debuted in Formula 1 only last year, became the first driver to sample Audi’s maiden F1 car – complete with the manufacturer’s first-ever power unit.

“They are very different. They feel a little different,” Bortoleto said. “I don't know how to express this because I didn't really drive any similar car in the past. I would say the Formula 2 car, it's much slower than the old regulations of F1. And I feel these ones are going to be slower as well.

“But it's very cool to have the power unit being 50% electric now. You'll go out of the corner, and you have so much speed being deployed and then you can see how strong it is. And these things are different and you need to get used to it and adapt your way of driving the car as well.

“But it's still a racing car and it's not another world. It's just a new regulation change that is very different.”

Alpine’s Franco Colapinto – limited to 60 precautionary laps and briefly stopped on track – struck a remarkably similar note.

“They are very different, but at the end of the day it still is a race car, and you need to drive it quickly within the grip that is available and that's very similar,” he said.

“At the end of the day, the technique is changing a little bit, the energy management, the tyres are much thinner, smaller and, of course, we need to adapt our driving as well.”

Learning Mode at Racing Bulls

Perhaps the most candid assessment came from Liam Lawson, adapting not only to new rules but to Red Bull’s first in-house power unit, developed alongside Ford.

“I definitely haven't got my head around it fully yet,” Lawson admitted. “It's something that we'll keep learning over the next few days and weeks when we go to Bahrain as well. But it's very, very different.

“It feels like there's a lot more we can do as drivers potentially to make a difference, which is good. But right now, it's very early days. So it's very hard to know where we are. But for now, just trying to learn how to optimise the car. I'm enjoying it so far.”

Reliability – the silent fear of any new era – was, for now, a source of quiet confidence.

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“The main thing is reliability at the moment. We've done a good number of laps today, only a few little things,” Lawson said. “And honestly, the only issues we really had today were safety precautions, not really any actual issues.

“So far, honestly, on the power unit side, it's been very, very good. But again, it's hard to know compared to everybody else where we're at.”

Day one in Barcelona didn’t crown winners or expose losers. Instead, it painted a picture of a Formula 1 on the brink of reinvention – complex, demanding, but far from alien.

As rain threatens to shake up Tuesday’s running and McLaren and Ferrari prepare to join the fray, the early message from the cockpit is clear: the cars are different, yes – but the thrill of mastering them is already unmistakably Formula 1.

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