The Formula 1 winter tests in Barcelona for the 2026 season have finally begun, and with them, a breeze of change is blowing over the championship. As the teams adapt to revolutionary regulations, the question of hierarchy arises already, but beware of false appearances!
A Revolutionary Shakedown
The 2026 version of F1 has experienced its first three days of winter testing in Barcelona. In what the discipline has called a “shakedown,” the teams were able to start their preparation for the upcoming season in the face of one of the most dense regulatory changes in the history of the championship. Narrower and lighter chassis, active aerodynamics on the front and rear wings, cars generating less downforce, simplified engines but with enhanced hybridization, 100% sustainable fuel… The list of innovations is very long.
Promising Tests
The Catalan running allowed the teams to finally get a taste, in relatively free conditions, of the reality of the track. What has emerged so far from these tests is a surprising impression of great reliability for such new F1 cars. While some feared a scenario like 2014 with numerous technical problems – despite a much more modest technological leap on the engine side – the running has ultimately been significant.
In the very cool conditions of late January in Spain, the information to be drawn in terms of pure performance should be taken with great caution. Even if, as often, everyone is already trying to understand where the strengths lie, attempting to establish a first hierarchy can be as difficult as it is futile.
Esteban Ocon’s Observations
However, when asked about the subject during a media meeting, including the news of Formula 1, Esteban Ocon played along and provided a first sketch: “For the hierarchy, it’s a bit early to talk about it, but we saw that Mercedes was very fast in all these tests. We saw that the Ferraris were well placed too, that the Red Bulls were good, and that the McLarens are also in the mix.”
“So far, that’s what Barcelona tells us, that it will be tighter for the group behind – VCARB, Alpine, us – and a bit of a step behind for now Audi and Cadillac. It’s a bit early to talk about it, we’ll have to see in Bahrain. But for now, we think that’s what’s happening.”
A Hierarchy to Confirm
A first hierarchy offered by the Haas driver that will of course need to be confirmed in Bahrain from February 11 to 13, but which is hardly surprising, knowing that the pace of development in 2026 will be frantic and is likely to quickly change positions.
A Haas “Well Born Enough”
Esteban Ocon driving the Haas VF-26 during the 2026 F1 tests in Barcelona.
When asked to discuss the situation of his own team, Ocon detailed: “We worked a lot [in the simulator] during the winter and I think this tool proved to be very effective. On the engine side, on deployment, everything we encountered in the simulator, we also encountered in reality.”
“We were therefore extremely well prepared. I would say that when we arrived, in terms of driving, we did exactly what we needed to do, and then we moved forward with the engine engineers, which was very pleasant.”
“We also need to improve a bit on the correlation regarding grip. The balance of the car seemed good from the start. The correlation was good. We noticed a bit of instability in certain areas. We definitely need to work a bit on that, but I think it won’t take too long to fix.”
“I think the car, in terms of balance, is well born enough and it should be fairly simple for everyone to master it and go in the direction that myself and Ollie [Oliver Bearman] are asking for.”
While Haas is the third team in terms of total running in Barcelona (391 laps, or about 1821 km), Esteban Ocon is the second driver who has run the most (243 laps, or about 1132 km).
