Aston unveils revolutionary car designed by Newey, while Mercedes delivers a 'surprise'.

      "The W17 is performing well."

      Aston Martin made its entry into Formula 1's Barcelona shakedown late Thursday, revealing a remarkably innovative 2026 car that stands in stark contrast to the completely absent Williams team. The Silverstone-based squad arrived late Wednesday night, and their car took to the track late Thursday in a bare carbon finish with no sponsorship decals. Lance Stroll managed to complete what a team spokesperson described as "a handful" of laps, although this included a breakdown.

      Despite the limited running, the design attracted attention. Observers commented on the nearly non-existent sidepods, a unique approach at the bottom of the engine cover, a distinctive front-end design, and a radical rear suspension arrangement - all characteristics suggesting an influence from Adrian Newey. Marca referred to it as a "radical, unexpected design, unlike anything else seen during the shakedown."

      When Fernando Alonso arrived at the circuit and was briefly stopped by a La Sexta reporter in the paddock parking area, he confirmed, "Yes, I’ll do a few laps," regarding Friday’s running. "First, we have to get in the car - we must temper expectations," he added. "First we work, then we’ll see."

      Oscar Piastri also took to the track for the first time at McLaren, although the team faced some minor issues as several teams completed their maximum three days of running within the five-day period. However, the clear early benchmark remains with Mercedes. Auto Bild reported that Mercedes has "shocked" competitors with their engine performance, while George Russell achieved a best lap in the mid-1m16s - less than five seconds off Piastri’s 2025 pole time. No other car during the shakedown went under 1m18s.

      "The car is functioning well," Russell stated, "but it's not just about that - it's about how fast it can go. We don't have any indications yet, so we’ll have to wait until Bahrain."

      At Ferrari, the atmosphere was cautiously optimistic despite a strange spin by Lewis Hamilton on a straight. "It was so cold that the tires weren’t working," Hamilton explained. "But we completed our program and figured out what we need to improve." "Last year we had a worse start to testing," he noted. "Given that this is a completely new set of rules, this is an improvement compared to our previous experiences."

      Red Bull opted not to run again, with spare parts just arriving from the UK after Isack Hadjar’s crash earlier in the week caused damage to the suspension, rear wing, and even the rear impact structure. Max Verstappen has only completed 27 laps so far, mostly in wet conditions.

      Williams continues to be entirely absent, although Carlos Sainz did complete a seat fitting at Grove on Thursday. Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher expressed his disappointment. "Not being present at the first test is unacceptable," Schumacher stated on Sky Deutschland. "This shouldn’t have occurred for James Vowles’ team. It represents a significant disadvantage. "It’s far from good, and one can only hope that the investors will be patient."

      Audi has also faced challenges with its all-new power unit. Both pace and mileage have been restricted, although technical director James Key asked for patience. "Our colleagues in Neuburg didn’t have any track reference data," Key explained. "This is the first time they've received real data for the power unit and gearbox. The car is still very underdeveloped - but nothing that surprising."