Mercedes shows strong early reliability with Antonelli completing race sim

Mercedes has delivered a strong and reliable start to the 2026 Formula 1 pre-season, with rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli completing a full race simulation on only his second half-day in the new W17 car. The team, along with its customer squads McLaren and Alpine, has racked up significant mileage with the new Mercedes HPP power unit during the Barcelona shakedown, signaling an early warning to its rivals.

Why it matters:

After several seasons of struggling with a troublesome and unpredictable car concept, Mercedes appears to have its house in order from the very first test. This level of early reliability and the ability for a rookie to immediately complete a race simulation suggests a solid foundation for the new technical regulations, which is critical for maximizing development time before the season opener. For Antonelli, it's a massive confidence boost as he steps into the seat vacated by Lewis Hamilton.

The details:

• Impressive Mileage: George Russell completed 92 laps by lunchtime on Wednesday before handing over to Antonelli, who then added 91 more laps in the afternoon session.
• Rookie's Rapid Adaptation: Antonelli described completing a race simulation as "nice," emphasizing the importance of gathering data and mileage for the team. He noted the new car is "a big step" from last year's, providing more confidence and requiring constant learning on track.
• Customer Team Endorsement: The new Mercedes power unit is also running reliably in the McLaren and Alpine cars, with Williams being the only Mercedes-powered team absent from the test. This broad reliability is a positive sign for the engine's robustness.
• Focus on Fundamentals: Russell highlighted the team's focus on long runs and proving out the power unit in challenging conditions, mentioning track temperatures as low as 2 degrees Celsius.

What's next:

Mercedes confirmed it will run for a third and final day on Thursday, with the team planning to shift its focus. After establishing reliability, the engineers and drivers will now begin to explore the performance envelope of the new package.

• Qualifying Mode Tests: Russell indicated the team would likely look at "more qualifying style runs" to understand how to deploy the car's full 350kW of electrical energy over a single lap, a new challenge under the 2026 regulations.
• Building Momentum: The seamless start allows Mercedes to accelerate its development program. As Russell put it, the team is "enjoying seeing the progress" and hoping it will be enough to put them in a strong competitive position when the season begins.