Vowles highlights Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes as Barcelona standouts

Williams Team Principal James Vowles has identified Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes as the teams that impressed him most during the recent Barcelona shakedown, despite his team not running its car at the event. He also praised the creative design of Aston Martin's new challenger, noting the unique placement of its wishbones.

Why it matters:

Early shakedown impressions, while not definitive, offer the first clues about which teams have successfully interpreted the new 2026 regulations during the winter. Vowles's perspective, coming from a rival team principal and a former Mercedes strategist, provides a valuable external benchmark for the grid's initial competitive order before official testing begins.

The details:

• Red Bull's Power Unit: Vowles was "really impressed" with Red Bull Powertrains, specifically highlighting the reliability of their all-new power unit. He called the achievement "mighty," given the complexity of developing an engine from scratch.
• Ferrari's Consistency: The Scuderia earned praise for their car's consistency right from the start of running. Vowles noted that while its outright single-lap pace may still be a question, its ability to deliver consistent performance was immediately notable.
• Mercedes' Robust Package: Drawing on his long history with the team, Vowles pointed to Mercedes' traditional strength in nailing regulation changes. He found it "very, very impressive" that the team was able to conduct a race simulation so early, just a day into the shakedown.
• Aston Martin's Creativity: When asked about the Adrian Newey-designed AMR26, Vowles highlighted its innovative front suspension. "It's really impressive what he's done with wishbones in places that I don't think they should be," he said, acknowledging the car's unique design philosophy.

What's next:

Vowles tempered expectations by noting that the cars seen in Barcelona may not be the same ones that arrive in Melbourne for the season opener, adding an element of intrigue. The true pecking order will begin to crystallize during official pre-season testing, but these early observations suggest the established top teams have all produced solid, reliable base packages from which to develop.