Formula 1 testing continues in Barcelona, with Ferrari taking to the track for the first time. Follow the live coverage of the morning session as teams react to changing weather conditions and begin their respective work programmes.
18:00 – End of the second day of Barcelona tests. Today’s session featured only Ferrari and Red Bull. Notably, Isack Hadjar had a late-session crash causing significant damage to his car.
Unofficial lap times and laps completed today:
- Max Verstappen: 1:20.0 – 27 laps
- Charles Leclerc: 1:20.8 – 64 laps
- Isack Hadjar: 1:31.8 – 51 laps
- Lewis Hamilton: 1:33.4 – 45 laps
17:59 – Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc managed to get back on track by himself. Only a minor error for him at the end of the day.
17:58 – Lewis Hamilton goes off into the gravel. No consequences expected for the SF-26. The track is extremely slippery at the moment.
17:50 – Hamilton returns to the track. The British driver has roughly ten minutes remaining before the end of the session.
17:44 – Hamilton is fine and has already returned to the pits after his incident a few minutes ago.
17:40 – First images emerge of Hadjar’s Red Bull against the wall at Turn 14. The rear wing is completely destroyed. It remains to be seen whether there were any impacts to the gearbox or power unit. This could pose a problem for Red Bull during these final days of testing.
17:37 – Hadjar had returned to the track earlier with flow-viz on the rear wing before the crash. Red Bull was likely testing something new on his car.
17:36 – It is very likely that no further laps will be completed in the last twenty-five minutes of the session.
17:30 – Marshals are repairing the barriers. This confirms that the impact was significant and not just a simple off-track excursion.
17:28 – Hadjar’s Red Bull has been recovered by the circuit marshals. The consequences of the potential crash are still being assessed.
17:23 – The incident seems to have affected the car. We are waiting for images, although the area is difficult to access even for the journalists present.
17:21 – Red flag with forty minutes remaining after Hadjar was stopped at Turn 14.
17:17 – It appears that Isack Hadjar went off into the gravel at Turn 13. It remains to be seen whether the Red Bull driver will be able to continue in these final minutes of testing.
17:08 – Lewis Hamilton has now completed over 44 laps, bringing Ferrari’s total to more than 100 laps on this first day of on-track activity.
17:01 – Both Lewis Hamilton and Isack Hadjar return to the track with just under an hour remaining in the second day of testing in Barcelona.
16:50 – Hadjar has completed a total of 42 laps. Hamilton, after returning to the track, has added several more laps, reaching nearly 40 in total. Lap times have not improved.
16:44 – Hamilton’s Ferrari is back on track, and his best lap remains at 1:33.4.
16:31 – Ferrari’s engine continues to be the one completing the most laps during these tests so far, a positive sign for reliability.
16:25 – Hadjar is back out on track, having already completed 10 laps. Meanwhile, here is the full interview with Charles Leclerc following the morning session:
16:03 – Earlier, Charles Leclerc shared his first impressions after hitting the track this morning. The Monegasque driver expressed satisfaction with the feeling from the new SF-26.
3:54 p.m. – The first lap times from Barcelona are coming in. Only Lewis Hamilton and Isack Hadjar have been on track so far. The British driver completed 20 laps and set the fastest time in 1:33.44, while the Frenchman completed 22 laps and posted a 1:31.981.
3:50 p.m. – At the moment, the temperature in Barcelona is around 15 degrees Celsius, but the rain continues to fall and no cars are currently running on track.
3:45 p.m. – Very little on-track action at the moment. In the meantime, here are some photos from this morning showing Max Verstappen on track with his Red Bull.
3:35 p.m. – After completing a few laps on full wet tyres, Lewis Hamilton has returned to his garage. It is still raining in Barcelona and track activity remains limited.
3:32 p.m. – Lewis Hamilton continues to run with his Ferrari on the Barcelona circuit. The British driver is scheduled to remain in the car for the entire afternoon session.
3:18 p.m. – It appears that Alpine has arrived in Barcelona with a more advanced version of its car. The vehicle is said to feature a very aggressive aerodynamic package, potentially offering a development advantage of three to four months compared to other teams.
3:07 p.m. – Rain has started to fall in Barcelona. At the moment it is light rain, but the forecasts currently indicate rain for the entire afternoon.
2:59 p.m. – New information is emerging regarding Lewis Hamilton’s on-track activity. Car number 44 is reported to have completed around thirteen laps before returning to the pits.
2:52 p.m. – Isack Hadjar is on track with the Red Bull. The rumours from a few minutes ago have been confirmed, with Max Verstappen expected to wait for dry conditions over the coming days before getting back behind the wheel.
2:51 p.m. – Lewis Hamilton is believed to still be in the garage. The British driver and Ferrari are waiting for track conditions to improve before heading back out.
2:49 p.m. – As for McLaren, Lando Norris will be driving tomorrow. Oscar Piastri will take over on Thursday, with the two drivers alternating on Friday.
2:41 p.m. – In the meantime, rumours are circulating about Aston Martin. The team owned by Lawrence Stroll could potentially take to the track only on Friday, limiting its activity to a single day.
2:37 p.m. – There are currently no images of Red Bull running. Any possible appearance by Isack Hadjar could be linked to the Milton Keynes team’s intention to allow Max Verstappen to drive only in dry conditions.
2:30 p.m. – Amos Laurito is reporting a possible driver change at Red Bull. As a result, Isack Hadjar could be seen running during this afternoon testing session.
2:29 p.m. – Lewis Hamilton went out on track on full wet tyres but immediately returned to the pits. This was likely an installation lap for the British driver before focusing on the main work programme.
2:20 p.m. – THE 2026 CHAPTER FOR LEWIS HAMILTON BEGINS. The British driver has taken to the track with the SF-26 for his first laps of the afternoon session, with the aim of gathering additional data.
2:13 p.m. – At the moment, there are no updates regarding the afternoon session. Neither Lewis Hamilton nor Max Verstappen has taken to the track so far. The teams are likely waiting for conditions to improve.
2:05 p.m. – A brief summary of the total laps completed so far by the various power units:
- Ferrari: 262 laps
- RBPT: 222 laps
- Mercedes: 209 laps
- Audi: 27 laps
- Honda: 0 laps
2:01 p.m. – Green flag! The afternoon session begins in Barcelona.
1:55 p.m. – Just five minutes to go before the afternoon session of day two gets underway. We are expected to see Lewis Hamilton at the wheel of the SF-26 after Charles Leclerc completed more than sixty laps during the morning session. Once again, this is an encouraging number, especially when combined with the mileage accumulated yesterday by Haas and Cadillac.
1:24 p.m. – The morning recap has concluded, with the session set to resume at 2:00 p.m. as the green light signals the final four hours of running.
1:08 p.m. – The main story of the morning was the on-track debut of the Ferrari SF-26, which was absent on the first day due to a strategic choice. Ferrari decided to make full use of the four-hour morning session by immediately sending Charles Leclerc out on track, with the clear objective of collecting data primarily focused on reliability and car behaviour, rather than outright performance, as also reiterated by Frédéric Vasseur.
On track, Ferrari also worked with tools and procedures typical of this phase, such as flow-vis paint on the rear wing, to analyse airflow and verify the quality of the aerodynamic package.
1:06 p.m. – Alongside Ferrari, Red Bull was the only team truly active on track. Max Verstappen was at the wheel, but the session got off to a difficult start due to a red flag caused by the Dutch driver after stopping at Turn 5. Once the issue was resolved, Red Bull continued with targeted technical work, including the use of aerodynamic rakes to analyse airflow in the rear wheel area, a particularly sensitive zone on the 2026 cars.
12:32 PM – Charles Leclerc has now completed more than 45 laps at the Barcelona pre-season tests, while Max Verstappen has logged 24 laps so far.
12:25 PM – Multiple sources from the paddock confirm that McLaren will not be hitting the track today. The debut of the MCL40 has been postponed to tomorrow.
12:20 PM – Leclerc is improving his times on the wet track. The Monegasque driver records a lap of 1:37.501 on full wet tires, showing promising pace despite the slippery conditions.
12:05 PM – Light rain is falling over the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and is expected to continue for the next twenty minutes. Forecasters predict that the rain will intensify in the afternoon, likely making track conditions very challenging.
11:57 AM – Charles Leclerc completes another four laps in the Ferrari, posting a best lap of 1:46.0. Credit to our colleagues at SoyMotor.com for providing these updates.
11:50 AM – Once again, Amos Laurito provides updates on Leclerc’s times. On the wet track, the Monegasque driver clocks a lap of 1:42.
11:48 AM – Williams reports that its new car from Grove has finally passed the crash tests. Further details on the car’s progress will follow shortly.
11:15 – Official announcement from Aston Martin: Stoffel Vandoorne has renewed his contract with the Silverstone-based team, continuing in his role as test and reserve driver. The third driver remains Jak Crawford.
11:06 – While waiting for further updates, it is worth revisiting Ferrari’s first laps on track. The SF-26 made its debut this morning with Charles Leclerc, completing several runs on the yellow-marked tyres. We discussed this in detail in a dedicated article.
11:02 – Calm conditions in Barcelona, now affected by increasingly persistent rain. Teams have several sets of intermediate and full wet tyres available, but there is no guarantee they will choose to run on track in these conditions.
10:56 – For this week of testing, Lewis Hamilton’s race engineer will be Bryan Bozzi, who will be working with the British driver as well as, of course, with Charles Leclerc. An official announcement regarding the replacement for Riccardo Adami is expected in the coming days.
10:48 – At this stage of the day, McLaren has still not taken to the track. An official announcement from the team is still missing, but given the weather conditions, it is likely that the team has decided to delay the debut of the MCL40 during this test.
The tyre choices for Barcelona
10:42 – When it comes to tyres, both teams currently on track have taken different directions compared to the rest of the field. Ferrari’s selection of compounds for Barcelona already gives a clear indication of the Scuderia’s priorities for these three days of testing.
10:40 – Ferrari has four sets of intermediate tyres and two sets of full wet tyres available, the same allocation chosen by Red Bull. It remains to be seen whether the teams will decide to run in wet conditions later on.
10:38 – Rain has started to fall on the Catalan circuit. Conditions could worsen earlier than expected, and the activity of the two teams on track may be compromised for the rest of the day.
10:31 – In addition to Max Verstappen’s lap times, a video has also emerged allowing fans to hear the sound of the Ford-powered engine.
🚨 MAX VERSTAPPEN en pista… ¡suban el volumen!
⏱️ Verstappen se coloca en pista posición: 1'20''0
👉🏼 Leclerc, que también está en pista, firma un mejor tiempo de 1'20''8#F1 #F1Testing pic.twitter.com/rLZfs02Ml0— SoyMotor.com (@SoyMotor) January 27, 2026
10:26 – The Dutch driver is back on track and, on soft tyres, sets a 1’20”0 lap, which puts him at the top of today’s timesheet. Charles Leclerc’s best lap so far remains a 1’20”8.
10:24 – Max Verstappen completed several laps on soft tyres after removing the aerodynamic rakes mounted at the front of his RB22.
10:20 – The two teams have adopted different approaches in this early phase. Ferrari has focused on analysing airflow in the rear area of the car, while Red Bull has immediately concentrated on a particularly sensitive zone behind the rear wheel. Airflow management in that area is crucial for overall aerodynamic efficiency. On the reliability side, both teams can rely on the mileage accumulated by their customer teams: Haas and Cadillac for Ferrari, and Racing Bulls for the Milton Keynes-based squad.
10:11 – Max Verstappen has completed only two installation laps following the issue that caused the red flag at the start of the session. Mileage has been limited for Red Bull so far this morning.
10:08 – Weather update. The temperature is around 14°C and the sky remains sunny one hour after the green light. However, clouds are approaching in the distance, bringing rain that is expected during the afternoon session.
10:06 – Today’s shakedown has so far involved only Red Bull and Ferrari. There is still no news from McLaren, which has yet to fire up the MCL40 during this test. The uncertain weather forecast for the afternoon has increased doubts within the British team about running today.
09:57 – From Spain comes the first video of Charles Leclerc at the wheel of the Ferrari SF-26 in Barcelona.
Red Bull brings an updated RB22
09:51 – Yesterday, Red Bull revealed the first images of its 2026 car, which differ from the renders presented on 15 January with the livery. Several interesting solutions immediately stood out, clearly recalling concepts seen on cars from a previous generation.
09:48 – Verstappen is back on track after the red flag caused by his stop at Turn 5. Any potential issue has been resolved by Red Bull, allowing the Dutch driver to resume running.
09:46 – Leclerc completed an 11-lap stint on the medium compound. His best lap was a 1’20”8, although lap times at this stage are not representative, given the unknown programmes being followed by the teams.
09:33 – While the session is temporarily stopped, the first photos of the Ferrari arrive from SoyMotor, positioned outside the Catalan circuit. Charles Leclerc is handling on-track duties this morning and will hand over the SF-26 to Lewis Hamilton in the afternoon. Flow-vis paint is clearly visible on the rear wing, highlighting Ferrari’s focus on analysing airflow in that area of the car.
09:27 – It is interesting to note that the Milton Keynes-based team took to the track immediately with aerodynamic rakes to analyse airflow exiting the rear wheels. This approach goes against the trend seen at other teams, which have mainly focused on engine checks. Red Bull may have benefited from the mileage accumulated yesterday by Racing Bulls.
09:19 – An immediate red flag, caused by the Dutch driver, as reported by SoyMotor. The reasons are still unclear, but the only car on track at the time was Max Verstappen’s RB22.
09:15 – Confirmation also arrives from Haas: the team will not participate today. “We will not be on track today, but this was planned. The team is focusing on the data obtained yesterday.”
09:12 – Red Bull exits the pit lane, with Max Verstappen driving the RB22 today. His teammate set the fastest time of the entire session yesterday.
09:04 – Ferrari immediately takes to the track. The Maranello team wants to make full use of the available time. With rain expected this afternoon, Ferrari began running straight away, aiming to maximise the four hours available in the morning.
09:02 – Racing Bulls joins the list of teams remaining in the garage. Audi and Cadillac had already planned to stay idle today in order to analyse yesterday’s data. Limited on-track action is expected overall.
09:00 – The green flag waves in Barcelona for the second day of testing. Ferrari and Red Bull are confirmed on track, while other teams may be added to the list of absentees due to the weather.
08:50 – Alpine follows the Brackley-based team and will not run today because of the rain forecast for the afternoon.
08:44 – Mercedes has announced that, due to the expected rain, it will not take part in today’s test session. The car will return to the track on the following days.
08:37 – As Frédéric Vasseur has confirmed several times, Ferrari is not interested in outright performance during this initial phase of testing. The focus is exclusively on reliability and on identifying any potential design issues. This philosophy is shared by other teams as well. A first real indication of performance is expected during the Bahrain tests scheduled for February.
Ferrari takes to the track, drivers’ programme revealed
08:24 – The Maranello team did not take part in the first day of testing. There were no car-related issues; it was a strategic choice. Both drivers will make their debut today, alternating at the wheel of the SF-26, with the same plan set for the coming days.
08:04 – Weather update. Rain is expected at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in the afternoon. As a result, less on-track action is likely compared to yesterday, with some teams choosing to spend the day analysing previously collected data.
07:49 – Teams have gathered their first feedback on the new cars. Sergio Perez admitted that Cadillac encountered several difficulties, but he remains optimistic for the coming days. Mercedes’ two drivers expressed satisfaction, with George Russell also turning his attention to rivals, including Ferrari. The Scuderia gathered valuable data from the 154 laps completed by Esteban Ocon in his Haas.
07:46 – A brief recap of yesterday. Isack Hadjar was the fastest driver, although lap times are not meaningful at this stage, followed by Russell and Colapinto. Some issues affected drivers such as the Argentine, Bortoleto and Lawson, all of whom caused red flags after stopping on track. Mercedes and Haas were the teams that covered the most mileage, which remains the main objective at this phase.
07:45 – Formula 1 continues its testing programme at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Live coverage of the entire morning session will follow. In addition to Ferrari, McLaren was also expected to make its debut, while Aston Martin will have to wait until Thursday and Williams will remain absent.
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