2026 Pre-Season Testing

[FrukostScones]

/SoyMotor/status/2016483327989961051

Seems like Merc has started to do some performance running after their long runs.

A 17.5 still seems awfully slow so I am not taking much from that. However, 92 laps in the morning session alone is quite impressive.

yeah, still a bit slow. keeping in mind Chicane in run up to straight (old turn 14/15) was removed in 2023. In 2020 the fastest were running 1.15.732 in testing with chicane.

what was Poel s2025 something like 1.11...

[chrisc90]

Still somewhere between quali and race lap times though. 1:20s were race times at start of race last year

[FrukostScones]

Still somewhere between quali and race lap times though. 1:20s were race times at start of race last year

acknowledged.

[Badger]

1:17s is approaching the sort of lap times the 2025 cars did towards the end of the race last year on new tyres. I don't see these cars being able to set such times in "race mode" where they are very energy starved, even with new tyres. I'd wager this was done on softs (as seen in the pictures) and with quali-style deployment. Fuel and engine mode unknown obviously.

[Emag]

1:17s is approaching the sort of lap times the 2025 cars did towards the end of the race last year on new tyres. I don't see these cars being able to set such times in "race mode" where they are very energy starved, even with new tyres. I'd wager this was done on softs (as seen in the pictures) and with quali-style deployment. Fuel and engine mode unknown obviously.

I think these cars should be able to get into the 16s and potentially lower.

I made a (very rough) approximation on 2022 cars being able to set a 1:13.5 - 1:14.0 in this Barcelona layout. If they end up being more than 3 seconds slower than the first generation of the ground effect cars I would personally be surprised.

Another point of reference : Last year's fastest race lap was in the 15s by Oscar I think (on the last stint, so very little fuel).

[CHT]

In terms of manpower, no doubt they can fix it.
But in terms of parts, it's not sure they have spares so early in the season.

Big budget teams should have spares to build an identical car back at factory.
Cant possibly leave it to chance to disrupt testing program.

"Big budget teams" have you missed the part where every team is operating under a cost cap, each spending the maximum allowed amount of money?

Smaller teams doesnt max out the budget limit..

[cplchanb]

No ferrari running today?

[matt_b]

No ferrari running today?

Nah they're waiting for it to rain again because why run in the dry

[gearboxtrouble]

Sounds like Red Bull will run on Friday
https://x.com/dr_obbs/status/2016496770415469035

[De Wet]

No ferrari running today?

Nah they're waiting for it to rain again because why run in the dry

[Badger]

Interesting to see some sector times and speed trap figures. Seems like Merc is deploying more in S1, more of a quali mode on that particular lap.

[Emag]

Early day 3 laptimes and lap count released :



That is seriously impressive by Merc. 183 laps between their drivers.

[Cassius]

Early day 3 laptimes and lap count released :



That is seriously impressive by Merc. 183 laps between their drivers.

RUS, ANT and LIN all did race sims? Would be good to nice to know stint averages.

[Cassius]

Early day 3 laptimes and lap count released :



That is seriously impressive by Merc. 183 laps between their drivers.

RUS, ANT and LIN all did race sims? Would be nice to know stint averages.

[Emag]

Early day 3 laptimes and lap count released :



That is seriously impressive by Merc. 183 laps between their drivers.

RUS, ANT and LIN all did race sims? Would be good to nice to know stint averages.

It would, but there is no such data available since they cut the feeds after the morning session of day 1.
Only the teams know.