Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time on the final day of the first Formula 1 pre-season test of 2026 in Barcelona. Driving for Ferrari, Hamilton clocked an unofficial best lap of 1:16.348, beating Mercedes’ George Russell’s previous fastest time of 1:16.445.
McLaren’s Lando Norris finished second, while Hamilton’s Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc came third. Several teams made driver changes on Friday, with Hamilton replacing Leclerc in the afternoon, and Norris taking over from Oscar Piastri at McLaren. Nico Hulkenberg drove for Audi, and Esteban Ocon replaced Oliver Bearman at Haas.
Red Bull returned to the track after missing sessions earlier in the week. Max Verstappen completed the most laps of the day, 118, and finished fifth. Fernando Alonso made his first appearance in the new Aston Martin AMR26, completing 49 laps and finishing 11th.
Mercedes and Racing Bulls did not run on the final day because both teams had already completed their maximum allowed three days of testing.
Here is a summary of the fastest laps on Day 5:
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 1:16.348
- Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1:16.594
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:16.653
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:17.446
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 1:17.586
The five-day test in Barcelona gave teams their first real look at cars and drivers for the 2026 season, with Ferrari showing strong pace at the end of the session.
