Photo: Race Pictures

Antonelli pinpoints key takeaways after maiden W17 run in Barcelona testing

14:01, 27 Jan

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byTobia Elia

Kimi Antonelli offered his first impressions at the end of the opening day of testing in Barcelona.

“The most important thing right now is getting as much running as possible — completing as many laps”

- Kimi Antonelli

The Italian was the first to take to the track in the W17 on the opening day, which officially marked the start of the 2026 season, closely sticking to the planned run programme.

Speaking to F1 at the end of the day, Antonelli said: “It was a very interesting morning and really nice to be back in the car. It’s a massive learning process and we’ve been working on tuning both the power unit and the car. This afternoon, the car improved a lot, and it’s all part of a constant learning curve. The most important thing right now is getting as much running as possible — completing as many laps as we can to fine-tune the PU and the car in the best possible way.

Antonelli also noted that it took him some time to get to grips with the new modes and terminology of the 2026 cars, but overall he described the driving feel as positive.

Photo: Race Pictures

“It will still take some time to go through all the different modes — overtake, override and everything else. It’s different, but the car feels good. It’s very nice to drive, and on the power unit side it’s quite different compared to last year. It requires a bit more management, but it’s all manageable.”

Finally, when asked how ready he feels heading into his second season with Mercedes, he concluded: “I definitely feel much more prepared. I know far better what to expect now, so I’m really looking forward to getting back on track over the next few days, then Bahrain and finally Melbourne. The start of the season is coming up very quickly, and I really can’t wait for the first race.”

Russell praises power unit rivals in Barcelona: 'It's not 2014!'

The Briton, who took over from his team-mate in the afternoon and ended the day with the second-fastest time overall, also shared his initial feedback after his first runs in the W17.

Russell completed 95 of the team’s 151 laps, meaning the Brackley outfit clocked up more than 700 kilometres of running over the course of the day.

He was also struck by the level of reliability shown across the field, noting how the 2026 power units already appear to be in a strong place, with teams racking up significant mileage from the very first day.

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