Ferrari ramps up the pace: Charles Leclerc nears George Russell’s benchmark on final morning in Barcelona. Charles Leclerc ends Ferrari’s Barcelona shakedown just two tenths off George Russell’s best time.

The Monegasque Ferrari driver concluded his shakedown with a strong performance.

Second fastest for Oscar Piastri, eight tenths back

Charles Leclerc was clearly the fastest driver during the fifth and final morning of the Barcelona shakedown. The Ferrari driver, in the second part of the session, first set a 1:16.9 lap on medium tyres before improving further to a 1:16.653, finishing just two tenths away from the best time of the week set by George Russell, achieved on the same soft tyre compound.

Oscar Piastri ended the session in second place, eight tenths behind the Ferrari. Max Verstappen, meanwhile, did not look particularly quick at this stage of the test and also experienced a harmless off-track moment at the exit of Turn 10, without any consequences for the car.

Worth highlighting are the 105 laps completed by Oliver Bearman with the Haas, while Fernando Alonso covered 49 laps at the wheel of the Aston Martin AMR26. Also notable are the 64 laps completed by Gabriel Bortoleto, who encountered no particular issues with the Audi R26, unlike what happened on Monday and Wednesday earlier in the week.

Barcelona test day 5: Morning times and lap counts