Mercedes now dealing with ‘furious’ F1 rival after what they spotted during the Barcelona shakedown

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Mercedes are trying to establish themselves as the team to beat in the Formula 1 paddock in 2026, and the early signs for Toto Wolff’s outfit are very positive.

No team completed more laps than Mercedes at the Barcelona shakedown, and in what’s expected to be a power unit-dominated era of F1, they have one crucial advantage.

Honda and Audi only have one team to rely on for data about their engine, while Red Bull and Ferrari have two and three manufacturers, respectively.

Toto Wolff’s Mercedes team can rely on McLaren, Alpine and Williams – once they begin competitive running – to help them develop their power unit.

99 laps less than every other team – should we be concerned about Aston Martin’s new car? 👀

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On top of having the most data to analyse, Mercedes are believed to have found a compression trick that could earn them several tenths per lap over their rivals.

This hasn’t gone down well in the paddock, with Ferrari already preparing a response to Mercedes’ work.

Journalist Ralf Bach believes that Aston Martin’s exclusive engine supplier, Honda, are ‘furious’ with Mercedes as they look to play catch-up in the coming weeks and months.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Mercedes F1 Team from team principal to lineage

Honda ‘furious’ with Mercedes over ‘stretching’ of 2026 engine regulations

Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll got to test the AMR26 during the final two days of the Barcelona shakedown, but weren’t pushing to the same extent as the Mercedes-powered cars.

It looked like Alonso’s car was top speed-limited during his stint in the car, although it’s impossible to draw any conclusions on why this might be the case.

Bach was speaking about Aston Martin and Honda on F1 Insider’s YouTube channel and explained: “I see potential in the Aston Martin, and we mustn’t forget that the others have already had their day in the sun, whereas the Aston Martin was really just a youngster in Barcelona.

“They had to get it there with a World War II plane, and they assembled it quickly, and it really did drive out in Barcelona.

“So you can’t include it in this comparison yet. In Bahrain, especially in the second half of the test, there will be a lot going on with the chassis. Also with Alonso, and if Stroll feels like it, he can drive too.

“I think Honda is under pressure there, as you hear that they are a bit behind. They are also furious with Mercedes because they have stretched the regulations a bit too far.

“And you hear, I think it’s more likely that if Aston Martin gets a grip on the chassis, Newey will be able to put his ingenious ideas into practice on the track.

“I think their chassis is one of the best. But then Honda will have to keep up, and as I said, I hear they’re still lagging behind a bit.”

READ MORE: All to know about Aston Martin F1 Team from team principal to lineage

Aston Martin facing potential Aramco fuel issue on top of Honda power unit problems

Aston Martin fans will be very excited about seeing the first car designed by Adrian Newey take to the track at the Australian Grand Prix next month.

Newey’s track record speaks for itself, and alongside Alonso, it would be a championship-winning combination.

However, Honda’s initial plans to step away from Formula 1 after their partnership with Red Bull ended, only to be brought back in by Aston Martin, have slowed them down.

Lawrence Stroll has personally stepped in to help Honda, but Aston Martin are unlikely to enjoy the benefits of that intervention immediately.

On top of this, it looks like Aramco and Honda’s burgeoning partnership has started slowly, giving Newey another problem with the car’s performance that he can’t directly solve.