Hamilton tops final day of Barcelona shakedown as Mercedes leads mileage race

Lewis Hamilton set the fastest unofficial lap time on the final day of Formula 1’s 2026 pre-season shakedown in Barcelona, but Mercedes emerged as the clear leader in the crucial reliability battle by completing the most mileage across the week.

Why it matters:

While headline lap times grab attention, the primary goal of a shakedown is to accumulate trouble-free mileage to validate new cars and power units. Mercedes' ability to log over 500 laps across its three days, including a full race simulation, signals strong early reliability for the reigning champions' 2026 package. This foundational work is critical for preparing for the grueling 24-race season ahead.

The details:

• Hamilton's late glory run: The Ferrari driver clocked a 1m16.348s on soft tires late on Friday, narrowly beating teammate Charles Leclerc's morning time (1m16.653s) and McLaren's Lando Norris (1m16.594s).
• Mercedes' mileage mastery: The Brackley-based team, favored for the 2026 titles, focused on reliability. Andrea Kimi Antonelli completed a full race simulation on Wednesday, and the Mercedes power unit group (Mercedes, McLaren, Alpine) collectively logged approximately 1000 laps.
• McLaren's recovery: Oscar Piastri rebounded from a fuel-issue-shortened Thursday to complete 80 laps on Friday, expressing satisfaction with finally finding a rhythm with the new car.
• Red Bull returns: Max Verstappen returned to the track for Red Bull on Friday, completing 69 laps with a best time of 1m18.285s. This was the team's first running since Isack Hadjar's crash on Tuesday.
• Aston Martin's intrigue: The team, which only ran for the final two days, turned heads with its unique sidepod and engine cover design—the first car fully developed under Adrian Newey's technical leadership. Fernando Alonso completed 49 laps on Friday after Lance Stroll's limited running on Thursday.

What's next:

The Barcelona shakedown concluded without red flags on its final day, providing teams with valuable data. The focus now shifts to the official pre-season test in Bahrain on February 11-13, which will offer the first true comparative glimpse of 2026 performance ahead of the season opener.