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'Extreme' Red Bull clears first F1 hurdle as Mercedes and Ferrari assert control
Analysing the performance of the Barcelona shakedown is almost
impossible owing to the usual variables of fuel loads and engine
modes used to achieve their best times. If we look at the fastest
four times recorded in Spain during the week, it is clear that the
performance was very close, with 0.305s between Lewis Hamilton and
Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc, with George Russell and Lando
Norris sandwiched in between. Fastest four times in Barcelona
shakedown Whilst it is worth noting the presence of two Ferraris in
the top four, it is not overly relevant in assessing the actual
performance of the car, with other factors outside the isolated lap
times influencing performance, such as temperatures, grip from the
track, and the tyre compounds. To get a slightly more accurate
picture of the early pecking order, the laps completed by each team
must be factored in, although the caveat of it not being indicative
of pure performance should be noted. Number of laps completed by
each team Testing conclusions The 502 and 435 laps completed by
Mercedes and Ferrari, respectively, represent a solid benchmark,
showing strong reliability with a test lacking in any major
technical woes. It was certainly comforting for both teams to have
completed their running so consistently and to show flashes of
performance. Mercedes came away in an upbeat mood, with George
Russell and Kimi Antonelli buoyed by their progress, whilst Ferrari
was also content, especially when the comments of Lewis Hamilton
and Charles Leclerc are compared, with unanimous praise for the
SF-26, whilst 12 months ago in Bahrain, opinions between the
drivers diverged massively. Turning to the defending world
champions McLaren, it seems clear that the MCL40 has very high
potential, with Norris's time coming without any major effort, but
otherwise, the running completed seemed to be in disguise. Prior
to the test, McLaren had sent its car to AVL in Austria for
extensive dyno running, which could have provided leads that the
track tests only had to confirm, even through the use of
non-extreme power unit modes and fuel levels, to conceal their
significance from rivals. Ergo, the MCL40 is a car which, from what
emerged in Barcelona, was well born and, on paper, capable of
fighting with Mercedes, with which it shares an engine. The initial
feedback of the Red Bull is that it is a car which could be a
valuable tool in the hands of Max Verstappen, with a design which
has interesting points of conceptual extremism. What was most
striking about the RB22 was the reliability of the Red Bull
Powertrains-Ford engine, which, although not pushed to the maximum,
appeared to be less problematic than Audi's effort. Audi faces a
steep learning curve to optimise its power unit performance
alongside the usual vehicle and aerodynamic aspects, which, to
date, does not seem to have been the main target of the team,
instead focusing on the challenge of mastering the tricky new
engine formula. Firmly in the midfield are Racing Bulls, Haas, and
Alpine, three teams which completed a healthy number of laps, with
no power unit reliability concerns from their respective RBPT,
Ferrari, and Mercedes suppliers. Of the three, it is Haas who
emerges just in front, ahead of Racing Bulls and Alpine, despite
Pierre Gasly's respectable eighth-fastest time overall. At the
back are Audi and Cadillac, which focused mainly on establishing an
understanding of the power unit modes and learning how to operate
trackside. In short, Cadillac's week was largely an overall
validation of the project. Although Aston Martin did also make it
out on track late on Thursday, it is impossible to rank the Adrian
Newey-designed machine, owing to the limited running in which the
AMR26 only completed a single full day on Friday.
