F1 2026 testing live: Lewis Hamilton driving for Ferrari on final day in Barcelona
Follow live F1 action from the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with the first glimpse of the 2026 cars on the racetrack
The 2026 Formula 1 season is upon us and with just six weeks until the first race in Australia, the teams are now preparing for a campaign of unknowns.
New regulations this season mean it is a clean slate for all 11 teams, with Cadillac the first new team on the grid since Haas in 2016. Audi have also taken over Sauber, with Ford partnering with Red Bull to build their own engines.
McLaren won both world championships last year, with Lando Norris claiming his first drivers’ title. Yet this season, Mercedes are rumoured to be the frontrunners, though we won’t know anything until we see the cars out on track.
This week’s test behind-closed-doors in Barcelona is the first of three pre-season sessions for the teams, with official tests in Bahrain next month (11-13 February and 18-20 February). However, Williams won’t be present this week due to delays to their car.
Follow live updates from F1 pre-season testing with The Independent.
George Russell, after setting the fastest time on Thursday:
“It's been another decent day and overall, a positive shakedown for us here in Barcelona. The car feels nice to drive but more importantly, we've completed plenty of mileage and had no major issues.
“The minor issues we've come across we've been able to resolve which is the purpose of such running. The car is working well but we know that it is not about the car working well, it's about how fast it can go. We don't have any indication of that yet so we will have to wait until Bahrain until we get any indications of the relative pecking order.
“It's very early days but we can be pleased with this initial foundation we have put in place. It's an exciting time for our sport with possibly one of the most impactful regulation changes we've seen.”
Fernando Alonso appears at his home track
The 44-year-old, who has been holding out for this year’s regulation change and Adrian Newey’s arrival, is out testing the AMR26 on soft tyres this morning.
Given Aston only managed the last hour yesterday, today is a crucial day in their pre-season preparations.
What did Lewis Hamilton say after Thursday's running?
“It was good to finally get some dry running and work through our programme. Everything is new under these regulations and the cars are very different to what we’ve been used to, with lower downforce, so there’s a lot to learn.
“The most positive aspect so far is the amount of laps we were able to put together, and that’s a real credit to the work done back at the factory.
“We’ve been able to gather valuable data, understand where the car is at, and start building a clear direction. It’s early days, but the process has been productive and we’re focused on continuing to learn, refine and move forward step by step.”
Seven teams straight out on track
Most teams not waiting about this morning: Ferrari, Red Bull, McLaren, Alpine, Audi, Haas and Cadillac are all straight out on track?
The only absentee? Aston Martin.
Mercedes and Racing Bulls have completed their three days of running already.
Williams make shock call to miss first F1 2026 test after ‘delays’ in car development
Williams have withdrawn from the private F1 pre-season test in Barcelona following “delays” to their car development programme.
James Vowles’s outfit, who boast an impressive driver pairing in Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon, have long targeted 2026 and this new set of regulations as a year to work their way up the pecking order.
Yet following reports that the team’s 2026 car, the FW48, had failed the FIA’s mandatory crash tests, the team confirmed on Friday that they will not be present at the shakedown event for all 11 teams.
Christian Horner announces ‘exciting’ new venture ahead of 2026 F1 season
Christian Horner has announced a speaking tour in Australia ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
The former Red Bull F1 boss, who was sacked last summer after leading the team for 20 years since its inception, received a reported £80m pay-off as part of the terms of his exit.
Horner, 52, can return to the sport from this spring and is eyeing a route back into the paddock, with French team Alpine the most likely destination.
However, a week before the 2026 season starts in Australia on 8 March, the British executive is embarking on a new challenge: a three-day speaking tour down under.
Full piece below:
Christian Horner announces ‘exciting’ new venture ahead of 2026 F1 season
ICYMI: Nurburgring series moves March race to accommodate F1 star Max Verstappen
The 2026 Nurburgring racing series has moved its second round in March to accommodate the potential appearance of Max Verstappen at the event.
Four-time F1 world champion Verstappen obtained his A-licence last September to race the infamous 12.94-mile Nordschleife circuit, known as “The Green Hill.” He then won his first GT3 race a few weeks later.
Verstappen, 28, has admitted he would like to appear at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring event in May, which falls between F1 races in Miami and Montreal. However, the Dutchman acknowledged he needed to take part in one NLS (Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie) endurance race in order to be ready to compete in the 24-hour event.
Now, the series have announced that they’ve moved the second round of the 2026 NLS season by one week, to 21 March, to “enable top-tier drivers to compete.” The previous date, 28 March, clashed with F1’s Japanese Grand Prix.
Full story below:
Nurburgring series moves March race to accommodate Max Verstappen
ANALYSIS: Can Lewis Hamilton challenge for F1 title? Everything we know about 2026 Ferrari car
Heading into his 20th year in the sport, Lewis Hamilton has witnessed his fair share of Formula 1 regulation changes. The most recent, in 2022, saw the Briton’s era of domination at Mercedes end with aplomb. As such, his move to Ferrari last year marked the start of a new chapter. Something fresh, decked in red.
Yet even Hamilton has acknowledged, as pre-season testing gets underway this week in Barcelona, that this year’s regulation shake-up is the biggest he has ever seen. So much so that, for all 11 teams, the sense of the unknown is palpable as they gather data and crunch the numbers ahead of the first race in Australia on 8 March.
Full piece below:
Can Lewis Hamilton challenge for F1 title? Everything we know about 2026 Ferrari car
Day 4 - lap times, Russell fastest
That’s your lot for the penultimate day of the shakedown test!
George Russell set the quickest time with a speedy 1:16:445, with Mercedes leading the way once again - that’s their test done and dusted!
- George Russell - 1:16:445 (78 laps)
- Kimi Antonelli - 1:17:081 (90 laps)
- Charles Leclerc - 1:18:223 (83 laps)
- Oscar Piastri - 1:18:419 (48 laps)
- Arvid Lindblad - 1:18:451 (47 laps)
- Lewis Hamilton - 1:18:654 (87 laps)
- Liam Lawson - 1:18:840 (64 laps)
- Sergio Perez - 1:21:024 (66 laps)
- Lance Stroll - 1:46:404 (5 laps)
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