Lewis Hamilton Stuns with Fastest Lap in Barcelona F1 Shakedown: A Thrilling Finale!
In a spectacular display of speed and skill, Lewis Hamilton claimed the spotlight on the final day of the 2026 Formula 1 shakedown in Barcelona, setting the fastest lap time and leaving the competition in his dust. The legendary Mercedes driver clocked an unofficial lap of 1m16.348s, sending shockwaves through the paddock as he outpaced former teammate George Russell, who had held the top position earlier in the session.
Hamilton’s jaw-dropping performance came after a strategic switch to soft tires late in the day, following a strong showing in the morning from his Ferrari counterpart, Charles Leclerc. Leclerc had earlier dominated the unofficial morning timesheet with a commendable 1m16.653s, showcasing a speed that was 0.793s faster than McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who finished second in the morning session with 80 laps under his belt compared to Leclerc’s 78.
Piastri, fresh off a challenging previous day marred by a fuel issue, expressed his relief and excitement after his solid Friday performance. “It was good,” the McLaren star said, reflecting on his smoother day. “Nice to get some good laps on the board this morning, much smoother than the first two we’ve had. I got into a pretty good rhythm and was able to feel what the car’s actually like, which was nice.”
As the afternoon progressed, reigning champion Lando Norris of McLaren put in a strong effort, posting a competitive lap time of 1m16.594s, only to be eclipsed by Hamilton’s late surge. However, the primary goal of the shakedown was not necessarily about chasing the fastest lap but maximizing mileage to prepare for the intense pre-season testing and the grueling 24-round calendar ahead.
Mercedes emerged as the clear winner in terms of mileage, completing an astounding over 500 laps across the three days of running earlier in the week. Their performance solidifies their status as the frontrunner for both the constructors’ and drivers’ titles this season. Notably, Andrea Kimi Antonelli executed a full race simulation on the second day, while Russell had set an impressive unofficial time of 1m16.4s on Thursday, which briefly seemed unbeatable.
The secret to Mercedes’ success lies in their powerful engine, hailed as the best in the Formula 1 world. Across the factory team and its customer teams, including McLaren and Alpine, the engine has collectively racked up around 1000 laps, significantly outpacing rival manufacturers.
Ferrari’s engine followed closely, securing the second-most mileage, while Red Bull Ford Powertrain came in third. Max Verstappen made his return to the track on Friday, completing 69 laps with a best time of 1m18.285s—the first glimpse of Red Bull since Isack Hadjar’s unfortunate crash earlier in the week.
Other teams, including Haas, Audi, Cadillac, and Aston Martin, participated in Friday’s action, with Aston Martin generating buzz with their innovative sidepod and engine cover design under the guidance of Adrian Newey. Fernando Alonso managed to complete at least 49 laps on Friday, bouncing back from a rocky outing earlier in the week where teammate Lance Stroll caused a late red flag with just five laps to his name.
As the shakedown wrapped up without any red flags, teams are now gearing up for the next collective test session in Bahrain from February 11 to 13, where the battle for supremacy in the 2026 season will intensify. Fans and teams alike are left eagerly anticipating the high-octane drama that awaits in the months ahead!








