Mercedes' accomplishment of completing a full race simulation just two days into the pre-season testing in Barcelona has been described as a "laugh in everyone's face" by James Vowles, the chief of Williams Racing. This strong performance is seen as an indicator of Mercedes' formidable capabilities for the upcoming 2026 Formula 1 season.
During the shakedown held at the end of January, Andrea Kimi Antonelli successfully executed a complete race simulation with the Mercedes W17, which was powered by the HPP engine that he shared with his teammate, George Russell. Notably, both the Mercedes team and their customer teams, McLaren and Alpine, experienced reliable runs throughout the session. This early success particularly stood out to other competing teams who were still in earlier phases of their own preparations.
Vowles expressed his admiration, stating, "I’ve been impressed with them. I probably shouldn’t be since I used to be a part of it, but for Mercedes to hit the ground running and achieve a race distance on just the second day is a significant statement about how advanced they are in their preparations. It’s almost a cheeky gesture towards the competition."
After the positive outcomes from the shakedown, Russell could barely contain his excitement about the performance of the W17. However, he also emphasized the need to remain cautious about the competition, especially noting that the top teams from the previous season are showing promising signs as well. "We left Barcelona feeling optimistic because the car responded as we expected. The aerodynamic data we're seeing aligns perfectly with our simulator results, and the car's handling matches our expectations. This level of consistency is something we haven't enjoyed since 2021," he commented.
Russell further acknowledged the competitive landscape, remarking, "We cannot underestimate our rivals. There were discussions about Red Bull's power unit not meeting expectations last year, but based on what we've observed, they've clearly made significant improvements. Ferrari's power unit also appears reliable, as they completed many laps closely trailing us during the tests. The reality is that we might be in for an exciting battle this season, but we feel good about our progress so far."
Vowles also praised Red Bull Ford Powertrains for their impressive debut power unit, which he remarked looked notably competitive during the Barcelona tests. "It’s been a pleasant surprise for the sport to see how well Red Bull's power unit has performed. Creating a power unit from scratch in its inaugural year and having both of their teams clocking substantial mileage is an impressive achievement," he noted.
However, Williams faced challenges of its own, missing the shakedown due to production delays. Despite this setback, the data collected by the teams equipped with Mercedes engines has somewhat alleviated the difficulties for Williams, who now must catch up during the next two three-day tests scheduled in the Gulf region.
To mitigate their missed opportunities, Williams conducted two filming days at Silverstone and Bahrain to allow the FW48 to run through its paces. "While we couldn’t participate in the test, we compensated with a week of virtual track testing where we logged several hundred kilometers. Although it's not exactly the same as on-track testing, it helped us uncover some issues, followed by two successful filming days where the car performed flawlessly and met our mileage goals.
It’s clear we’re behind since others have had three days of track time, but I believe we can make up that time over these six days of testing. It's worth remembering that most seasons feature only three days of testing, but we are fortunate to have double that this year. The power units are generally performing very well, which allows for higher mileage figures to get us back on track toward our objectives."
As the season progresses, Williams remains focused on making strides, albeit recognizing that a championship challenge may still be out of reach for now.
