Hamilton Lifts Ferrari With Fastest Lap At Barcelona Test

The sun set over Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Friday, January 30, 2026, marking the conclusion of Formula 1’s five-day shakedown and private testing event. As the paddock buzzed with anticipation for the season ahead, it was Lewis Hamilton who stole the spotlight for Ferrari, clocking a blistering 1:16.348 in a late push on soft tyres. For a team that endured a winless 2025, this performance proved to be a much-needed morale boost and a signal that the prancing horse might be back in contention.

Hamilton’s lap, set in the waning moments of the final day, edged out George Russell’s best effort for Mercedes—1:16.445 set just a day earlier. While headline times during preseason testing are always taken with a grain of salt, the psychological impact of Ferrari topping the timing sheets cannot be overstated. After all, this is a team that, along with its star drivers Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, suffered a bruising previous campaign. Not only did they fail to win a grand prix, but Hamilton himself missed the podium for the first time in his storied Formula 1 career.

This winter, change was in the air at Maranello. Hamilton, never one to shy away from pushing for progress, reportedly sent detailed documents to team boss Fred Vasseur and the wider Ferrari squad, outlining key suggestions for improvement. The team responded by making at least one significant change—replacing Hamilton’s race engineer Riccardo Adami—though the successor has yet to be officially named. The hope, echoed by former F1 driver Anthony Davidson on Sky Sports F1, is that Ferrari’s leadership truly listened to the feedback from both Hamilton and Leclerc.

"Who knows how the performance is going to be this year," Davidson remarked. "The one thing we do know is that they have two great racing drivers, two very experienced racing drivers that the team should listen to. Hopefully they listened to both of them over the winter, or even before that, and have channelled their energy, their focus, into giving the drivers what they feel they need out on track, and what's important to them—how you go about building a modern-day F1 car to the best of your ability to fit what the driver needs. It's a confidence game. The driver needs to feel comfortable and confident inside the car."

Davidson’s concerns were not unfounded. Last season saw Hamilton, usually the epitome of composure, spinning off track and struggling with a car that just didn’t feel like home. "Lewis, particularly, a new driver within that team last year, didn't feel confident in that car. We saw moments where he was having spins all by himself, going off the track all by himself, moments we've never seen before from Lewis, at least on a regular basis. It rang alarm bells for me, and it should have as well for the team, because it proves that the car wasn't to his liking," Davidson added. "It's not always up to the driver to get used to the car, [and the team saying] 'This is the car. You deal with it.' It's a team game, and you should rely on those two drivers to optimise the tools that you have back at the factory."

It seems, at least for now, that Ferrari has taken these lessons to heart. The Barcelona test wasn’t just about single-lap pace; it was a demonstration of reliability and endurance. On the final day, Hamilton and Leclerc combined for 145 laps—a clear sign that Ferrari’s reliability woes of 2025 may be receding. Their engine customer, Haas, went even further, racking up a staggering 195 laps with drivers Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon, the highest single-day tally recorded by any team all week. That’s more than three race distances around the Spanish circuit, underscoring a newfound robustness in the Ferrari power unit.

Charles Leclerc also showed strong form, topping the unofficial morning timesheets with a 1:16.653 and completing 78 laps. The Monegasque’s pace was 0.793s ahead of Oscar Piastri, who himself was in high spirits after a smoother day for McLaren. "It was good," said Piastri, who finished third in the 2025 standings. "Nice to get some good laps on the board this morning, much smoother day than the first two we've had, so that was nice. I got into a pretty good rhythm and was able to start to feel what the car's actually like, which was nice."

Elsewhere, Mercedes, widely tipped as the early favorite for both constructors’ and drivers’ titles in 2026, completed over 500 laps across their three days of running. Their power units, deployed not just in the works team but also across customer outfits like McLaren and Alpine, collectively amassed around 1000 laps—an impressive feat that sets a high bar for reliability. Andrea Kimi Antonelli even completed a full race simulation for Mercedes, demonstrating the team’s focus on long-run performance and preparation for the grueling 24-round calendar ahead.

Red Bull, with four-time world champion Max Verstappen back at the wheel, returned to the track on Friday after missing two days due to Isack Hadjar’s crash. Verstappen completed 69 laps with a best time of 1:18.285, still 1.2 seconds off Hamilton’s benchmark. Despite the gap, Red Bull’s new partnership with Ford for its powertrain project appears to be progressing smoothly, with no major reliability issues reported. Russell, too, acknowledged Red Bull’s impressive start to testing at the beginning of the week.

Aston Martin, meanwhile, brought intrigue with its unique sidepod and engine cover design, though their campaign was hampered by limited running—just four laps on Thursday and 61 by Fernando Alonso on Friday. Sources told ESPN that Aston Martin’s car was not running at full power, as indicated by a blue flashing light, so their true pace remains a mystery for now. The Silverstone-based outfit is banking on its new engine deal with Honda and a significant investment in development to pay dividends under the latest regulations.

Other teams also made their mark. Audi enjoyed its best day of the week with 148 laps between Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, while Valtteri Bottas added 54 laps for Cadillac. McLaren’s Norris and Piastri combined for 166 laps, dipping into the 1:16s themselves and showing that the British squad is ready to mix it up at the front. Alpine, too, kept the mileage counter ticking with Pierre Gasly logging an additional 121 laps on Friday.

What’s perhaps most encouraging for the sport as a whole is that the feared wave of reliability issues, anticipated due to sweeping new aerodynamic and engine regulations, never materialized. The behind-closed-doors format of the Barcelona test allowed teams to focus on mileage and data collection, setting the stage for even more revealing sessions next month.

With the next collective on-track test scheduled for February 11-13 in Bahrain, teams now have a brief window to analyze their data and implement final tweaks. The Australian Grand Prix on March 8 looms large, and while it’s far too early to draw firm conclusions, the signs point to a fiercely competitive 2026 season. For Ferrari and Hamilton, the relief is palpable: after a year in the wilderness, they’ve shown they can run at the front—at least for now. The stage is set, and the F1 world waits with bated breath for the next act.