F1 testing: Lewis Hamilton sets Barcelona shakedown week pace as Ferrari, Red Bull, McLaren run long

Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time of the Barcelona shakedown as Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull all topped 100 laps on a final productive day of long-running for most teams in Spain.

As the week of behind-closed-doors running at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya came to a close, eight teams were on track for Friday's final day.

Ferrari, Red Bull and world champions McLaren were joined by Aston Martin - whose maiden Adrian Newey-designed car completed its first-full day on track, with Fernando Alonso at the wheel - Haas, Audi, Alpine and Cadillac.

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Mercedes - the team who finished the week with the most laps (500) completed - and Racing Bulls had already reached their respective three-day testing allocations on Thursday. Teams could run on any three of the test's five days.

The fastest lap times have not been published officially all week due to the closed status of the shakedown but it is understood Hamilton topped Friday's running after posting a test-best time of 1:16.348 during his afternoon in the Ferrari SF-26. The Ferrari was thought to have been on the C3 soft tyres.

That was a tenth quicker than Mercedes' George Russell went on Thursday when he clocked 1:16.445.

McLaren's Lando Norris had set a 1:16.594 earlier on during Friday afternoon, eventually finishing second quickest, with Charles Leclerc third having set the morning pace of 1:16.653 when he drove the new Ferrari.

Max Verstappen completed 118 laps and was fifth quickest as Red Bull returned to track three days on from Isack Hadjar's crash in the wet.

'Under no illusions...but we can build from here' - Hamilton positive about Ferrari's start

Individual lap times in pre-season testing are notoriously unreliable indicators of outright car performance.

That is particularly likely to have been the case from this 'shakedown' week when teams' focus has been almost exclusively on testing the reliability and systems of their brand-new cars for F1's 2026 regulations.

Teams also generally run different tyres and fuel loads, plus car and engine settings, across their runs in testing, making accurate comparisons across the grid fraught with difficulty.

But Ferrari will certainly take heart from the strong early reliability displayed by their new car after the sport's biggest-ever regulation change dictated design teams overhaul their chassis and engines for the new campaign which starts in March.

Having completed almost 300 laps across the car's opening two days on track, Leclerc and Hamilton combined to add 145 more to the team's tally on Friday - taking Ferrari's overall count for the week to 440.

Describing it as a "really enjoyable week", Hamilton added: "Everyone is positive and incredibly enthusiastic but we're under no illusions. We know we've got work to do.

"Mercedes have done great running as well. Red Bull and Haas did some great running as well. We don't know where we are but I think it's a solid first week and we can really build from here.

"There may be some big leaps that are are going to need to take, development is going to be key, we need to take.

"Just really making sure we leave no stone unturned and we are just really and were clearly clear and concise with our communications and the decisions we take.

"It's going to take all of us to be at our best and I'm seeing that everyone is coming with new energy this year, which is great."

McLaren and Red Bull make up for lost track time

Reigning double world champions McLaren, too, will be encouraged by their Friday mileage after racking up 166 laps between Norris and Oscar Piastri after a fuel system problem curtailed the latter's Thursday running in the MCL40.

McLaren, who did not start running at the test until Wednesday, described their week as "very productive" although that they "still recognise that there is still much to review".

Norris completed 86 laps during the afternoon and said: "It's so easy to get caught up in comparisons. We are all competitive, so you always want to see yourself do well and feel like you can be quick.

"We understood a lot both in low-fuel and high-fuel stuff, the tyres - what we came here to do - understand the car, especially from a reliability point of view, making sure all the sensors are working as they should, the PU, the gearbox, everything. Reliability is one of the most important things, so a lot of it is from that side.

"A lot of it is stuff over the next few days and weeks the team will look into to try and improve and make better.

"From my side, just to get back comfy with the car. Some little bits that need changing here and there. Still feels like a racecar, still feels fast, still enjoyable."

Red Bull, meanwhile, returned to track having had to wait for spare parts to be flown in after Hadjar had damaged the rear of the R22 in an accident in wet conditions three days before.

Verstappen was at the wheel of the RB22 all day, topping 100 laps, and setting what was understood to be the fifth-quickest time behind Hamilton, Norris, Leclerc and Piastri.

Verstappen, who said he had been feeling unwell, told F1 at the end of the day: "I did a lot of laps. We learned a lot. Still a lot of things we want to look into and do better, but that's normal I guess.

"In general for us with a new engine, to do the amount of laps we did is very nice and it's a good start for us. Positive, but it's still very early days."

Aston Martin start testing first Newey-Honda car in earnest

After briefly getting out of the garage in the final hour of Thursday's session with four laps for Lance Stroll, Aston Martin finally truly got their pre-season up and running on the week's fifth day.

Alonso drove the AMR26 for the first time - his maiden experience of a coveted Newey-designed car ahead of his 23rd season of F1 - and completed 61 laps. His quickest time was 1:20.795 amid focus on mileage and reliability checks.

"Definitely excited to be back in the car after the winter. For us, it was really the very first day," said Alonso.

"I think we had a positive one. Sixty-plus laps and the car is responding well. First day and more to come."

Alpine capped a productive week with their first Mercedes-powered car by recording Friday's highest lap tally of 164 with Pierre Gasly, while Haas (104 laps for Oliver Bearman) and the new-look Audi team (148 laps between Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg) also passed centuries after each suffering reliability glitches earlier in the week.

The new Cadillac team completed their first week of running alongside rival teams with 54 laps for Valtteri Bottas.

When is F1 Bahrain pre-season testing?

The introduction of new regulations means there is a robust schedule of three separate testing events before the start of the 2026 season.

With the Barcelona Shakedown now complete, F1 will next head to Bahrain for two 'official' pre-season tests, when media will be present and live timing from the circuit available.

Two three-day Bahrain tests take place on February 11-13 and 18-20.

When is the first F1 race?

The teams then have two weeks to prepare for the opening round of the season, which is the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne from March 6-8.

The first practice sessions of the season will take place on Friday March 6, with Qualifying on Saturday March 7 and the opening race on Sunday March 8.

Watch every race of the 2026 F1 season live on Sky Sports, starting with the Australian Grand Prix from March 6-8. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime

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