F1: Mercedes Logs High Mileage on Day 3; McLaren Makes Barcelona Shakedown Debut

Day 3 of the Barcelona shakedown saw Mercedes delivering the kind of running teams look for at this stage of the testing session. While teams approached the session cautiously, the Silver Arrows kept the W17 circulating as the focus stayed firmly on mileage and system checks under the new 2026 regulations. The day followed a clear rhythm, with consistent stints, limited interruptions and a steady stream of data flowing back to the garage. With official testing still to come, this was the sort of productive outing engineers aim for early in the build-up.

Also Read: F1: Ferrari Hits Track on Day 2 as McLaren Opts Out of Wet Barcelona Shakedown

McLaren also made its first appearance of the week after sitting out the opening two days of closed-door running. The MCL40 rolled onto the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the first time, marking the team’s true starting point in its 2026 preparation and allowing it to begin gathering baseline data.

Mercedes split its programme evenly across the day. George handled the morning running and completed 92 laps before Kimi took over in the afternoon, following a similar plan and adding 91 more laps. By the end of Wednesday, the team had logged a combined 183 laps, covering just over 850km in total. McLaren, with Lando Norris, completed 77 laps during the team’s opening day on track, covering a total distance of 358.589km.

Elsewhere, Alpine and Haas continued their own steady programmes, focusing on reliability and early setup direction. Racing Bulls remained active as well, adding more running to its shakedown plan. Audi also returned to the track after earlier technical setbacks, though its day included a few interruptions as the team worked through remaining issues.

Not everyone featured on Wednesday. Red Bull stayed in the garage while repairs from earlier incidents continued. Ferrari and Cadillac chose to delay their running, while Aston Martin’s first appearance was pushed back again due to preparation delays. Williams chose not to take part in the Barcelona shakedown and will instead start its season preparation in Bahrain.

Teams have been using the Barcelona shakedown mainly for system checks rather than chasing lap time or performance. With limited running available, the focus has been on confirming reliability and building early confidence in the new cars. Two days of running still remain at Barcelona, and more on-track action is expected as several teams have one or two test days left. For the Barcelona shakedown, each outfit can only choose three of the five available days to run.