Mercedes highlight 'monumental' scale of F1 2026 journey

Mercedes trackside engineer Andrew Shovlin has stated the F1 2026 rule change has been the “biggest project” the team has ever undertaken.

The Brackley-based squad gave the W17 challenger its on-track debut at a shakedown at Silverstone before taking to the track on Monday in Barcelona as part of the first pre-season outing.

A brand new power unit has been built by Mercedes, as well as a fresh chassis with vastly different aerodynamic rules.

With the engine in production for several years, Shovlin asserted the scale of the project has not been lost on the team.

“It has been an absolutely monumental project,” he said.

“And on the power unit side in Brixworth, they've been working on it for years.

“It’s a very, very difficult and challenging program. You've also got all the complexity that the fuel development throws into that with Petronas.

“And then on the chassis side, a completely new set of regulations. Coupled with that, we've got all new electronic systems.

“It’s the biggest project we've ever done as a team.”

Both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli got behind the wheel on Monday, tallying 151 laps between them.

It marked a strong start for the team, who is hoping to enter the year ahead of title challengers.

“We don't know where we stand in terms of performance, but we are able to keep the car out on track, which is great because we'll be able to hopefully learn at a good rate,” Shovlin added.

“It’s a testament to, in some cases, years of preparation for these early days.”

Mercedes' strong start continued on Wednesday, with Russell tallying 92 laps in the morning segment.