The Barcelona‑Catalunya circuit has now hosted three and a half days of running in Formula One’s extended 2026 shakedown, and the emerging mileage picture paints a clear early hierarchy among the five engine manufacturers. F1Technical’s senior writer Balazs Szabo reports on how successful engine manufacturer have been so far with their all-new power units.
With teams focused on system checks, correlation work, and early reliability validation, the lap counts offer the first meaningful snapshot of how each power unit is coping with the demands of the new regulations.
Mercedes leads the field with commanding mileage
Mercedes-powered teams have set the benchmark so far, amassing 646 laps across Mercedes, McLaren, Alpine, and Williams. That figure places the German manufacturer comfortably ahead of the rest of the field, underlining both strong reliability and a productive testing approach from all four customer teams.
The combined effort has allowed Mercedes to gather a broad range of data across different chassis concepts and run plans—an invaluable advantage at this early stage.
Ferrari holds second with steady progress
Ferrari sits second in the mileage table with 361 laps shared between Ferrari, Haas, and Cadillac. While not matching the relentless accumulation of the Mercedes camp, the Scuderia’s engine division has still enjoyed a largely uninterrupted programme.
The lap count reflects a solid, methodical approach, with all three teams contributing to the total despite occasional setup‑related delays earlier in the week.
Red Bull Ford close behind in third
The newly branded Red Bull Ford power unit has reached 342 laps through Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls. The figure keeps them within striking distance of Ferrari, suggesting a relatively smooth start for the revised power unit architecture.
Both teams have split their time between baseline aero work and early drivability assessments, and the mileage so far indicates a stable foundation heading into the second half of testing.
Audi’s single‑team effort shows early limitations
Audi, represented solely by its works team, has logged 95 laps. While the total is naturally lower due to having only one car on track, the number also reflects a more cautious and occasionally interrupted run plan.
The German manufacturer is still deep in its integration phase with the new power unit, and the limited mileage suggests there is still significant refinement ahead.
Honda yet to turn a wheel
The biggest surprise of the week is Honda, which has completed 0 laps with Aston Martin. The team has yet to begin meaningful running, with the lack of mileage pointing to unresolved technical issues that have kept the car in the garage.
With the rest of the field already gathering hundreds of laps’ worth of data, the absence of track time puts Honda and Aston Martin on the back foot heading into the remainder of the shakedown.
