Drivers Share First Impressions of the Radical 2026 F1 Cars After Barcelona Shakedown

The Barcelona Shakedown marked the first opportunity for Formula 1 drivers to experience the 2026-spec cars, which introduce sweeping technical changes including narrower, shorter, and lighter chassis, active aerodynamics, and revamped power units with equal fuel and electric output. These modifications aim to make the cars more agile and sustainable, but they also present fresh challenges for the drivers.

Reigning champion Lando Norris of McLaren described the new machines as "good fun" due to the balance of heightened power and reduced grip. "They’re good fun, because it’s more power and less grip to a certain extent," Norris told media, including F1.com. "Which means you’re hustling, you’re having to control the car a bit more, fight the car at times more." He noted the cars feel "more powerful and quicker," predicting more dynamic racing with varied strategies and overtakes.

Teammate Oscar Piastri echoed the excitement, finding the MCL40 less alien than anticipated. "Some things are a little bit different – the engine sound in the car was a little bit different, so that’s probably the first thing to get used to," he said. "And then just how the power is used – when you’re at full power out of a corner, you’ve got a lot of power, more than we had last year, and less downforce, less actual tyre surface on the track because they’re narrower. You’ve got a lot of power and less grip." Despite the adjustments, Piastri affirmed that the cars remain "just as impressive" and the fastest in the world.

At Ferrari, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton appreciated the driving dynamics of the SF-26. "In terms of just understanding the car and the balance, we have a lot less downforce than previous years," he observed. "The car generation is actually a little bit more fun to drive – it’s oversteery, it’s snappy and sliding, but it’s a little bit easier to catch and I would definitely say more enjoyable." Charles Leclerc highlighted the broader implications: "It’s an exciting time for Formula 1, where there’s so much change that we’ve got to adapt as drivers, we’ve got to adapt as teams and try and find ways to maximise what is now our new package, and especially with this energy management that is so much more important compared to the past."

Mercedes' George Russell was impressed by the power units across the board. "The amount of power they give is pretty impressive," he said. "I think for all the cars I was watching today, with all the different power units, it’s probably the quickest I’ve ever seen an F1 car pass here in Barcelona, so that was pretty exciting to see. And the cars, you feel it being smaller, you can feel that weight reduction compared to previous years, so I think from that aspect as well it’s gone in a good direction."

Younger talents like Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) found the cars agile and versatile. "It’s fun to drive," he reflected. "Obviously the car being a bit smaller, you feel it – it’s more agile, especially in changes of direction and in slow-speed corners which is a nice feeling, plus we don’t have bouncing anymore which is another good thing, so you don’t have to run the car as low and you have a bit more room to play with ride heights. You have a bit more room to play with the set-up, to play with the car, which is super nice and super interesting as well as a driver, to also understand what compromises you can find set-up-wise."

Red Bull's Isack Hadjar and Racing Bulls' rookie Arvid Lindblad also praised the increased driver involvement. Hadjar noted it's "easier to play around" with the cars and power units, while Lindblad enjoyed the novelty: "Obviously it’s very different to drive, so it’s exciting and it’s fun also obviously to drive in F1 but you feel it’s different. [I’m] thinking about, ‘how can I make a difference, how can I get the best out of all the different parts of the car’, because it is different to drive." Haas' Ollie Bearman added, "It’s good fun. It’s my first time being in this situation with a regulation change where, as drivers, we can have so much impact on the end result, so it’s a great prospect."

Overall, the shakedown has generated buzz about a transformative season, with drivers adapting to more hands-on control and anticipating closer, more unpredictable racing.