Are Mercedes 2026 F1 title favourites? Winners and losers from first test in Barcelona

Heading into his 20th year in the sport, Lewis Hamilton has witnessed his fair share of Formula 1 regulation changes. The most recent, in 2022, saw the Briton’s era of domination at Mercedes end with aplomb. As such, his move to Ferrari last year marked the start of a new chapter. Something fresh, decked in red.

When F1 cars looked ridiculous. Plus: Should F1 testing be private?

As part of it, we polled readers for their thoughts. The result was a resounding defeat for me, as my position of being “against” F1 testing being held in private scored only 43.7 percent compared to Luke’s “for” argument getting 56.3 percent of the vote.

F1 testing: Five takeaways from first week of all-new 2026 cars on track featuring Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, Aston Martin

Long-time 2026 favourites Mercedes quickly catch the eye before Ferrari finish with a flourish; impressive reliable debut for Red Bulls first engine; watch every round of the 2026 Formula 1 season live on Sky Sports F1,

What we know (and don't) about F1 in 2026 after Barcelona test

After five days of shakedown testing at Barcelona, ESPN's F1 analysts reveal what they learned about the state of the field ahead of 2026 rule changes.

F1's secretive 'Barcelona Shakedown' test kicks off with new cars and no fans

Ten new cars, five days, no fans. And plenty of security. Formula 1 started a new era with the public and the media excluded from the teams' reliability-focused private testing session in Spain on Monday.

Explained: How Formula 1’s first 2026 test will work — and why you can’t watch it

The F1 teams are testing their 2026 cars at the Barcelona track this week. But why is the action not open to the public?
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Why F1 Barcelona test couldn't have gone better for Mercedes, according to Andrew Shovlin

Mercedes is the favourite for both constructors' and drivers' title glory in F1 2026, especially as it backed up said promise by being the standout in this week's Barcelona shakedown
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Cadillac prioritizes ‘debugging’ after 44-lap opening day of F1 testing

Cadillac opted to prioritize finding solutions to specific problems rather than track time during the opening day of the Barcelona shakedown, according to team principal Graeme Lowdon.Valtteri Bottas managed 33 laps in the morning on Monday before handing over to Sergio Perez,

Lando Norris: "Surreal" to see number 1 on my car as McLaren kicks off F1 2026 testing

"I saw it on the timing screen and I still find it just unbelievable," says Norris as he makes his Formula 1 2026 track debut in the #1 McLaren

Formula 1: Liam Lawson completes first week of testing new Racing Bulls car, beaten by new teammate Arvid Lindblad

Liam Lawson has completed his final day of Formula One’s first testing for the new season, logging another 64 laps in Racing Bulls’ new car, the VCARB03. With drivers limited to three of the five available days on track,