Ferrari's Vasseur hails Barcelona mileage as 'important milestone'

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has labeled the team's successful completion of 170 laps during the Barcelona shakedown an "important milestone," emphasizing the critical need for mileage with the all-new 2026 cars. While Mercedes captured headlines with its flawless reliability over three days, Ferrari's productive running, including a final day on track Friday, has provided a solid foundation for understanding its SF-26 challenger.

Why it matters:

With Formula 1 entering a new technical era in 2026, pre-season testing is less about outright speed and more about fundamental reliability and system checks. Accumulating trouble-free laps is the primary currency for teams to learn about their radically new packages, making Ferrari's 170-lap haul a significant confidence boost and a necessary step before performance tuning begins.

The details:

• Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton combined for 170 laps on Thursday, just two laps shy of Mercedes' total for the day.
• Team principal Fred Vasseur stressed the importance of simply running the car, stating the target was "to be able to accumulate mileage, and we did it."
• He highlighted the "tons of topics to scan," including aerodynamics, mechanical setup, and the crucial new element of energy deployment, all of which require track time to evaluate properly.
• Charles Leclerc confirmed the team's focus remains on a massive checklist of tests and system approaches, admitting he has "no idea" where the car stands on performance relative to rivals at this early stage.

What's next:

The Barcelona running was merely a shakedown. The true test begins with the official pre-season tests in Bahrain in February, where teams will start to reveal their competitive pecking order.

• Ferrari will analyze the data from Spain to prepare for Bahrain, where performance will gradually become a priority alongside reliability.
• The early signs of durability from multiple teams, including Ferrari and Mercedes, are positive, but the complex 2026 power units and aerodynamics will face their first major stress test in the desert heat next month.