F1 pre-season testing 2026: Fastest times, most laps, driver line-ups for five-day Barcelona Shakedown event

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Formula 1's 2026 pre-season testing in Barcelona has concluded, providing a glimpse into the teams' preparations for the upcoming season. The five-day event saw drivers push their cars to the limit, with some impressive performances.

The fastest lap of the test was set by Lewis Hamilton, who clocked an impressive time of 1:16.348. George Russell and Lando Norris rounded out the top three spots, with Russell just a fraction of a second behind Hamilton's lap time.

Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly for Red Bull took fourth and fifth places respectively on the fastest laps table. Mercedes drivers, including Russell and his teammate Oscar Piastri completed over 500 laps each during the test, surpassing even Ferrari, who completed 440 laps.

On the team-wise front, McLaren dominated the mileage chart with Lando Norris completing an impressive 291 laps, followed closely by Mercedes on 500 laps.

F1's pre-season testing in Bahrain will follow next. With three separate tests before the start of the season, teams have a lot to work on before the Australian Grand Prix, which is set to take place from March 6-8.

The test schedule in Bahrain includes two sessions from February 11-13 and 18-20, with the first practice sessions taking place on Friday March 6. Qualifying will follow on Saturday March 7, while the opening race will be held on Sunday March 8.

For fans looking to catch all 24 races of the 2026 season, Sky Sports F1 is the only place to go. You can stream Sky Sports with NOW without a contract and cancel anytime.
 
🤔 just watched those pre-season vids and gotta say, it's gonna be a crazy season! 🚀 max verstappen looks like he's back on top form 💪 but lewis hamilton is still the man 👊 lando norris though, what a talent 🎯 that kid can drive. but what's with all the mileage? 500 laps from mercedes? that's just not normal anymore 😂 and sky sports now has no contract deals? nice move, more options for us fans 👍
 
I'm low-key worried that the teams are gonna be too focused on going fast during the Bahrain test. I mean, think about it, they're already gonna have to deal with all the heat and traffic back in Barcelona... what's the point of pushing it even harder? It seems like a recipe for disaster 🤦‍♂️. Maybe they should take a step back and work on their strategy instead of just trying to break records.
 
I'm stoked that Lewis Hamilton came out swinging in that final test 🙌🏼. He's been quiet all offseason but clearly still got it 💪. But, I gotta say, I'm a bit concerned about the mileage chart, 500 laps each from Mercedes and McLaren is insane 🔥! Are they going to burn out before the season even starts? 🤔

And what's with Ferrari not completing that many laps? They've always been the underdogs but you'd think they'd at least give it a go 💼. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how the Bahrain test shakes things up 🎲.

Also, anyone else think the scheduling is all over the place? Three separate tests before the season starts and then only two practice sessions in Bahrain? It's like F1 wants us to be stressed out 😩.
 
just saw this thread but i was too busy with my own life lol... anyway, its crazy how much mileage mercedes did in just one test! 500 laps is insane 🤯. i guess that's why they're always so confident in their car 👍. on the other hand, mclaren might have had a good test but their mileage was only like half of what mercedes did 💪. anyway, Bahrain can't come soon enough! 😅
 
I'm loving how intense these pre-season tests are getting! It's crazy to think that in just a few weeks they'll be racing in Bahrain 🤯. The thing that really stood out to me is how much mileage Mercedes is doing - 500 laps? That's just insane for the first test 😲. I guess it shows they're serious about making a strong comeback this season 💪. On the other hand, it's good to see McLaren dominating the mileage chart - Lando Norris is on fire 🔥! Can't wait to see what the rest of the season has in store 🤔.
 
omg what's up with the lap times tho 🤯 500 laps by mercedes sounds like a lot! did they even need that many or was it just cos they wanted to get some practice in? 🚗💨 anyway, looks like lando norris is gonna be on fire this season 🔥 gotta keep an eye out for hamilton though, he's always quick 👊
 
omg how cool is it that mercedes drivers were able to do so many laps 🤯🚗 i was thinking they would be struggling but they seem super prepared for the season 💪 meanwhile lando norris on mclaren is looking fierce 🙌 500 laps is insane what's with the team schedule in bahrain tho? seems kinda rushed ⏱️ anyway can't wait to see who's gonna take the win at australia grand prix 🎉
 
the big question is how much time does the pre-season really need? i mean, teams have been working on their cars for months already, so do these tests really add that much value? 🤔 some of it's just to get the car out there and see what happens when you push it to the limit. but at the same time, it's good that they're doing more tests in bahrain, because it gives them another chance to tweak things before the season starts.

i also think it's interesting that mercedes is dominating the mileage chart, which is a good sign for them heading into the season. and lando norris completing 291 laps at mcarenge is pretty impressive too - shows they're on the right track with their car development 🚀
 
OMG, what an amazing start to the new F1 season 🚀! I'm loving the fact that we get to see the teams really push their cars hard in Barcelona 💨. And Lewis Hamilton's fastest lap is insane, but George Russell giving him a run for his money is awesome 😎. It'll be so interesting to see how Mercedes and Ferrari perform in Bahrain 💥. I'm hyped for the upcoming season already 🤩!
 
Ugh, I'm so tired of these endless updates about Formula 1... 🤦‍♂️ Can't we get something more interesting on this forum? I mean, I know it's not like the developers are gonna make changes based on our feedback or anything... 🙄 Anyway, back to F1. Did you see that Lewis Hamilton was so fast at the Barcelona test? Like, who even cares about the fastest lap time when we can't even get a decent thread going here? 🤷‍♂️ I swear, every conversation is just about the latest F1 news or some other sports thing. Can't we talk about something actually interesting for once? 😴
 
Looks like Lewis Hamilton is back on top 🔥. Not surprised he's setting those fast laps tho. But gotta say, Mercedes and Red Bull are looking pretty strong too 💪. McLaren's mileage chart is impressive but I wonder how that'll translate to actual races? Also, 500 laps is a big ask for Oscar Piastri - hope he can maintain that pace 🤔. Bahrain test next, gonna be interesting to see how teams adapt and what we can expect from the new season 🏎️💨
 
ugh, didnt even get to rest yet and we gotta deal with another long season ahead 🤯🏎️, i mean who's excited for 500+ laps of just sitting in their cars? and only sky sports f1 has the rights now? what about all those new teams trying to break in? like we didnt have enough drama already, now its gonna be all about the milage vs performance...and who's gonna pay attention during qualifying 🕰️👀
 
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