Mercedes Dominates Barcelona Day 3 as McLaren Makes Steady Test Debut

The third day of Formula 1’s 2026 pre-season testing in Barcelona belonged firmly to Mercedes, as the Silver Arrows accumulated massive mileage and topped the timesheet. Meanwhile, world champions McLaren finally made their track debut with a measured approach focused on system checks and reliability.

Mercedes Sets Blistering Pace with 183 Laps

Mercedes delivered the most impressive performance of the Barcelona shakedown to date on Wednesday, completing a staggering 183 laps—equivalent to 852 kilometers or 530 miles of running. The team’s dominance was absolute, with both drivers claiming the top two positions on the unofficial timesheet.

Kimi Antonelli, who took over the W17 for the afternoon session, set the fastest time of the entire test so far with a lap of 1:17.362s. His teammate George Russell, who handled morning duties, was just 0.218 seconds behind after completing 92 laps compared to Antonelli’s 91.

The remarkable reliability and consistency brought Mercedes’ total lap count to over 334 laps across the Barcelona test, significantly more than any other competitor.

McLaren Takes Cautious First Steps

After sitting out the rain-affected opening two days, McLaren finally unveiled the MCL40 on Wednesday morning. Reigning world champion Lando Norris, sporting the coveted number one on his car for the first time, emerged from the garage around 11:00 am local time.

The Woking-based team adopted a deliberately conservative approach for their debut, focusing on system checks and basic familiarization rather than performance. Norris completed 76 laps throughout the day, with the team running an all-black test livery ahead of their official color scheme launch scheduled for February 9.

Speaking after the session, Norris revealed the car had only been fully assembled that morning, emphasizing the team’s decision to maximize development time before committing to track running. The McLaren driver described the day as productive, focusing on understanding how the new car operates and verifying that systems function as intended.

Six Teams Share Circuit as Red Bull, Ferrari Sit Out

Only six teams participated on Wednesday following the previous day’s rain disruption. Mercedes, McLaren, Alpine, Haas, Audi, and Racing Bulls all took advantage of improved weather conditions, with sunshine eventually breaking through after a cold morning that saw track temperatures drop to just two degrees Celsius.

Red Bull opted to skip the day following Isack Hadjar’s crash on Tuesday, using the time to repair the damaged RB22. Ferrari also sat out after completing their program in wet conditions the previous day.

Reliability Challenges for Audi and Haas

The day wasn’t trouble-free for all participants. Audi suffered its second reliability issue of the test week, with Nico Hulkenberg bringing out red flags after completing just a handful of laps. The German manufacturer managed to return to action later, ultimately completing 68 laps—a respectable recovery from the early setback.

Haas also encountered problems when Oliver Bearman stopped on track during the morning session, triggering another brief red flag period. The British rookie was able to return and complete 42 laps total, though this represented a significant decrease from the 154 laps Haas had accumulated on the opening day.

A third red flag was reported in the afternoon when Racing Bulls’ car also stopped on track, though the team still managed to complete an impressive 120 laps with British teenager Arvid Lindblad at the wheel.

Alpine Benefits from Mercedes Power

Alpine enjoyed a productive day as another Mercedes customer team, with both Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly sharing driving duties. Colapinto handled the morning session while Gasly made his first appearance of the test week in the afternoon. Combined, the duo completed over 125 laps, placing fourth and fifth on the timesheet respectively.

The all-Mercedes-powered top five demonstrated the German manufacturer’s early advantage in the 2026 power unit regulations, with their customer teams appearing well-positioned to benefit from the works team’s extensive development program.

Russell Highlights Cold Conditions

George Russell spoke positively about Mercedes’ progress after his morning session, noting the exceptional reliability that allowed both drivers to accumulate such significant mileage. The Briton remarked on the challenging track temperature of just two degrees Celsius during the early running—among the coldest conditions he had experienced.

Russell indicated that Mercedes would shift focus toward more qualifying-style runs for their remaining test day, with the decision on whether to run Thursday or Friday dependent on weather conditions.

Looking Ahead

With two days remaining in the Barcelona shakedown, six teams—Alpine, Audi, Haas, Mercedes, Racing Bulls, and Red Bull—must choose between Thursday and Friday for their final permitted day. The remaining teams, including McLaren, Ferrari, and Cadillac, can participate in both sessions.

Aston Martin is expected to finally make its test debut on Thursday after delays in assembling the AMR26. Williams remains absent from the entire Barcelona test but has confirmed it will participate in the Bahrain sessions next month.

The private nature of the test continues, with no official timing published and limited media access. However, the patterns emerging suggest Mercedes has made the strongest start to F1’s revolutionary new technical era.