Mercedes completed its three days of testing in Barcelona by confirming its strong form ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season, although Kimi Antonelli revealed that some minor issues emerged during the running.
The Brackley-based team has now wrapped up its allocated three days of testing in Barcelona. Mercedes concluded a highly efficient programme with no major setbacks, establishing itself—at least for now—as one of the teams best positioned to start the 2026 season strongly. However, Kimi Antonelli did issue a note of caution regarding a few small problems encountered along the way.
The Mercedes programme
Mercedes’ Spanish test comes to an end having served as the first true benchmark for the team’s new car under the 2026 technical regulations. The focus of the programme was primarily on mileage accumulation with the new W17, with both drivers running mainly on the soft compound tyres throughout the three days.
Kimi Antonelli took to the track in the morning session, adding a further 90 laps to his weekly total and bringing his overall tally to 237 laps across the test. In the afternoon, George Russell took over driving duties and completed 78 laps, finishing the three-day programme with a personal total of 265 laps.
Overall, Mercedes completed 500 laps during the Barcelona test, equivalent to approximately 2,300 kilometres. While the team now returns to the factory to analyse the data collected, it is fair to say that Mercedes emerged as one of the most impressive outfits, completing its programme with fewer interruptions than its rivals.
Antonelli’s comments
At the end of the test, Kimi Antonelli offered his assessment of these first outings of the season, while also revealing that a few minor issues did surface for the German manufacturer.
“Overall it has been a positive shakedown,” Kimi Antonelli said. “We had a few small issues, but nothing that really limited our work. We managed to complete a lot of laps and gather plenty of data. Today we focused on the C3 tyre, working mainly on long runs rather than outright performance. We were able to understand a bit more about the behaviour of the car and the power unit with different setup configurations.”
“Now I’m looking forward to having a few days to work with the team and analyse everything we collected in Barcelona. At the same time, I’m already eager to get back in the car in Bahrain for the first official test and continue our path towards the start of the season. We’ll arrive there with a good knowledge base of the car and hopefully start off on the right foot,” Antonelli concluded.
For Mercedes, these three days were defined by consistency and reliability. Having achieved their primary goal of accumulating kilometers, the team has built a robust foundation upon which they can now develop outright performance during the upcoming official tests in Bahrain. While Antonelli’s mention of “small problems” reminds us that no 2026 project is perfect, the sheer reliability of the W17 suggests that Mercedes has successfully translated their simulator work into a potent on-track reality. The 2,300 kilometers logged provide a summary of a team that is not just ready for the new regulations, but poised to lead them from the front.
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