F1 2026 testing: Everything we learned from Day 2 in Barcelona

Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc were the only drivers in action for the morning of Day 2 of Formula 1’s 2026 pre-season test in Barcelona, as rain arrived earlier than expected and limited the running at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

A brief red flag caused by Verstappen, extensive wet-weather mileage for Ferrari, and a late crash for Red Bull rookie Isack Hadjar defined a disrupted second day of the five-day behind-closed-doors shakedown.

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  F1 2026 testing: Everything we learned from Day 1 in Barcelona

With limited information filtering out due to the private nature of the test, unofficial updates suggested Verstappen took to the track shortly after the pit lane opened at 09:00 local time for his first laps of the week in the Red Bull RB22. However, his run was briefly interrupted when he went through the gravel, triggering the day’s first red flag.

Initial speculation of a mechanical issue was quickly dismissed, with reports indicating the four-time world champion had simply run wide. Once the session resumed, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc enjoyed a rare spell of uninterrupted running, posting an unofficial 1:20.8 lap as he and Verstappen had the circuit to themselves.

With rain forecast for the afternoon, Mercedes and Haas elected not to run on Tuesday, as teams are permitted to participate in only three of the five available days. Haas later confirmed that wet conditions were expected to play a role for much of the remainder of the week.

The rain arrived sooner than anticipated, spreading across the circuit midway through the morning. Despite this, both Ferrari and Red Bull continued running, switching to wet tyres to gather valuable data on the new-generation cars in low-grip conditions.

Leclerc was reported to have initially lapped in the 1:46 range on full wets, before improving as conditions evolved. Unofficial timings suggested further progress to a 1:37.501 and then into the 1:32s as the track began to dry. The Ferrari driver completed a substantial 66 laps during the morning, while Verstappen logged 27.

Hadjar crashes out in afternoon running

In the afternoon, Isack Hadjar took over driving duties for Red Bull to gain wet-weather experience, following his impressive performance on Day 1. However, with around 30 minutes of running remaining, the Frenchman lost control of the RB22 at the final corner.

Hadjar’s car slid across the gravel and made contact with the tyre barriers on the outside of the track. Eyewitness reports suggested the car sustained notable damage, including the loss of its rear wing, and came to rest backwards. It remains unclear whether the incident was caused by driver error or a technical problem.

The crash effectively brought Red Bull’s Day 2 programme to an early end, with limited time available to assess whether repairs could be completed before the 18:00 local chequered flag. Questions also remain over Red Bull’s available запас of spare parts and whether components may need to be flown in from the UK before further running.

Red Bull’s situation is complicated by the fact it is currently the only team to have run on both of the opening two days. Under testing regulations, each team may participate on just three of the five days, meaning the Milton Keynes outfit must now decide when to use its remaining allocation before Friday.

Ferrari, meanwhile, continued with its programme, handing the car over to Lewis Hamilton in the afternoon after Leclerc’s extended morning run. Like Red Bull, Ferrari focused heavily on understanding the behaviour of the 2026 car in wet and mixed conditions.

Despite the interruptions, Day 2 provided valuable early insight into reliability and drivability in adverse weather, even if outright performance remained largely secondary.

F1 2026 Pre-Season testing: Unofficial lap times from Day 2 in Barcelona