Lando Norris
McLaren
Mercedes
Red Bull
Ferrari
Williams
Racing Bulls
Aston Martin
Haas
Alpine
Mercedes may have set the pace at Formula 1’s inaugural Barcelona test, but a familiar shadow looms over the W17 that has been identified by Martin Brundle.
With a full day of running on Thursday marking Mercedes’ final session at F1’s Barcelona shakedown, it’s clear that the German constructor has something strong heading into the first race of the season.
The early forecast of the W17 has been mightily impressive, topped off by its ability to surpass the top speed set by Esteban Ocon in the 2025 Spanish GP during its second day of action on track.
As of Friday morning, George Russell currently holds the fastest time out of anybody at the Catalan-based circuit.
Senior figures at Mercedes have tried to keep a lid on any premature verdicts regarding a return to the top of the standings for the Silver Arrows, which has been backed up by the verdict of Martin Brundle.
George Russell breaks into the 1:16s! Can anyone challenge this on day five?! 🤯
Let us know in the comments below!
Martin Brundle has doubts over Mercedes’ competitiveness despite ‘relentless’ pace in F1 test
Speaking to Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz and Craig Slater upon the conclusion of the fourth day of running in Barcelona, pundit Martin Brundle was asked for his opinion on Mercedes’ impressive start to pre-season testing.
The 66-year-old praised the Silver Arrows’ early form, but identified a ‘problem’ that won’t be sussed out until the first race weekend of the season in Australia.
He said: “Well, obviously, it’s a completely different concept of aerodynamics. Mercedes never really aced the ground effect car; they never got it right. It was porpoising, and then they had a car they didn’t understand.
“It performed sometimes and not others, and they just didn’t know why. So, clearly, they look like they’ve aced this completely different set of regulations, but we need to see what it’s like on normal track temperatures.
“It’s going to be about [energy regeneration], but of course they’ll regen every bit as well as any other Mercedes-powered car and probably Ferrari-powered car too, but it does seem as if they’ve just hit the sweet spot pretty early doors.
“Their concept looks good, but it’s too early to say that. They might have a car that just fires its tyres up brilliantly on a cold day and then overheats them on a hot day. We’ve seen Mercedes have that problem before.
“I do think we need to stay calm on it, but you can’t ignore the relentless pace and reliability that they’ve had. Clearly, they’ve got a really good, cohesive package.”
- READ MORE: Kimi Antonelli thinks Mercedes have already answered his ‘big question mark’ about their 2026 F1 car
Testing may not count… but comparisons always do 👀
Which pairing surprised you most? 🤔
Martin Brundle also hailed Mercedes’ driver line-up for the upcoming F1 season
The former F1 driver continued his praise for Mercedes later on in the show, sharing his opinion on whether Kimi Antonelli will be able to take the fight to his more experienced teammate if the German constructor has a championship-worthy car.
He added, “They’re two very well-matched drivers. But these cars will be quite flighty from time to time in certain conditions, safety car restarts, wet, dry, will it, won’t it kind of moments.
“And I think George’s experience will show. If I had to guess, I’d put my money on George, but I think those two will be mightily strong.”
Now heading into his sophomore season in the category, Antonelli can now focus on securing strong results rather than succumbing to the pressure that a rookie campaign brings with it.
Luckily, Antonelli has benefited from Max Verstappen’s wisdom over the winter break and can utilise it to get one over on his Brackley teammate, and the Dutchman’s arch-nemesis.
Brundle ended the segment on Mercedes by issuing his verdict on the Silver Arrows’ line-up this year, saying, “What a pairing. What a great lineup they’ve got.”
Receive exclusive F1 news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
