F1 2026 testing: Everything we learned from Day 5 in Barcelona

Lewis Hamilton ended Formula 1’s first pre-season test of the 2026 era on top, setting the fastest lap of the five-day Barcelona running for Ferrari in the closing moments of Friday.

As track conditions improved late in the afternoon at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Hamilton produced an unofficial best time of 1:16.348, a lap that not only secured him P1 on the final day but also made him the quickest driver of the entire test.

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That effort eclipsed the previous benchmark set by Mercedes’ George Russell on Thursday, with Hamilton going 0.097s quicker than Russell’s 1:16.445. The lap was also a notable reference point against recent form, coming just 0.605s slower than the fastest lap of last year’s Spanish Grand Prix, which had been set by Oscar Piastri.

Hamilton’s late flyer capped a strong week for Ferrari, particularly after much of the test had suggested Mercedes held the early advantage under the all-new 2026 regulations. While pre-season times must always be treated with caution due to varying fuel loads and run plans, Ferrari will take encouragement from both the pace and reliability shown across the five days.

Earlier in the week, Hamilton had already expressed confidence that the Scuderia had made a step forward compared to its position 12 months ago.

“Last year, we had a worse start to testing,” he said. “So this is actually, considering this a completely new band of rules, it’s better than we’ve experienced in the past. So I’m really hopeful that continues.”

McLaren emerged as Ferrari’s closest challenger on the final day. Lando Norris, the reigning world champion, took over driving duties from Oscar Piastri after the lunch break and delivered the first real signal of the MCL40’s potential with around 90 minutes remaining.

Norris set a lap of 1:16.594, briefly putting himself fastest on Friday and coming within 0.149s of Russell’s Thursday benchmark before Hamilton’s final run reshuffled the order. The McLaren driver then switched focus to long-run work, as several teams turned to soft tyres for short qualifying simulations in the final 15 minutes.

Norris ultimately finished second overall on the day, ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who had carried out the team’s morning programme and posted a 1:16.653. Piastri’s earlier effort placed him fourth on the timesheets.

A number of driver changes took place between the morning and afternoon sessions. Alongside Norris replacing Piastri and Hamilton stepping in for Leclerc, Nico Hulkenberg took over Audi duties from Gabriel Bortoleto, while Esteban Ocon replaced Ollie Bearman at Haas.

Red Bull returned to the track after missing action since Isack Hadjar’s accident late on Day 2. Max Verstappen completed a full day’s running, logging 118 laps, the highest total of any driver on Friday. His best time of 1:17.586 placed the four-time world champion fifth overall as the team focused on mileage rather than outright performance.

The busiest driver of the entire day was Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who completed an eye-catching 164 laps in the team’s new Mercedes-powered car. Gasly ended the day sixth fastest, rounding out what appeared to be a productive, if still inconclusive, test for the Enstone-based squad.

Local attention centred on Fernando Alonso, who made his first appearance of 2026 testing at the wheel of the striking Aston Martin AMR26. Alonso completed a full programme, recording 61 laps without major incident after an early problem had disrupted Lance Stroll’s debut outing on Thursday. Alonso finished 11th, one place ahead of Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas.

Elsewhere, Haas split its running between Ocon and Bearman, while Audi rotated Hulkenberg and Bortoleto across the day. Mercedes and Racing Bulls were notably absent on Friday, having already used up their permitted three days of running under the regulations that limited teams to three test days across the five-day window.

With the first collective mileage of the 2026 generation now complete, attention will turn to what has been learned beneath the surface — but Ferrari will leave Barcelona encouraged after ending the week on top.

F1 2026 Pre-Season testing: Unofficial lap times from Day 5 in Barcelona