According to Esteban Ocon, Mercedes made a strong impression at the shakedown in Barcelona—he still sees Haas in midfield, with Audi currently behind them.
Last week’s shakedown in Barcelona did not yet provide a clear picture of the pecking order for the 2026 Formula 1 season. Nevertheless, Esteban Ocon already sees initial signs that the top teams of recent years will remain at the front under the new regulations.
“I think it’s still a bit early to talk about the pecking order,” the Haas driver clarified, “but we saw that Mercedes was very fast throughout the test.” According to their own statements, the Silver Arrows also completed 502 laps in Spain.
Not only was Mercedes fast, it also completed more test kilometers than any other team last week. “We also saw that Ferrari was in a very good position, Red Bull was good, and McLaren was also in the mix,” adds Ocon.
In other words, the four top teams of recent years once again made a good impression in the first test ahead of the new season.
In addition, the test showed “that it will be closer in the group behind – VCARB, Alpine, and ourselves,” believes Ocon. “And a little further back are Audi and Cadillac at the moment,” said the Haas driver, who nevertheless makes it clear once again that we will have to wait for the further tests in Bahrain to get a clearer picture of the order.
Ocon is not making any predictions about Williams and Aston Martin. The Grove-based team skipped the shakedown altogether, while the Aston Martin AMR26 only completed one of the three days allowed, which is why it is also difficult to draw conclusions about their performance.
George Russell has already said that he is not interested in being considered a favorite. “To be honest, it didn’t really affect me,” said the Mercedes driver, who explained: “As I’ve been saying for a long time, I feel ready to fight for a world championship.”
“And whether or not there are these statements about us doesn’t change my approach,” said Russell.