Formula 1's "Barcelona Shakedown" took place this week, giving the 11 F1 teams competing in the 2026 season the opportunity to get their new cars on track and see what they're capable of.
However, this week isn't really about speed. Teams are primarily checking that everything is working as it should, and seeing how the data gained on track correlates with what they've learned from various simulations. The Shakedown took place from Monday through to today, January 30, at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the home of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
While we'll get a much better idea of who's fastest when the drivers head to Bahrain for a three-day testing session starting February 11, we do have the quickest lap times for each of the drivers who took to the track in Spain.
Williams was the only team that missed the Shakedown, with Team Principal James Vowles explaining that they decided to finish refining their car's performance instead of rushing to make this crucial five-day sesssion.
Overall, Mercedes completed the most laps with around 500 over three days. While they were overall most impressive, Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton set the fastest lap time, something the 7-time Drivers' Champion's fans will be hoping is an indication that he could clinch his eighth title in 2026.
Reigning World Champion Lando Norris was third fastest, and the four big teams—McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes, and Red Bull Racing—are still outpacing the rest of the field. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll set the slowest time by a significant margin.
How much this tells us about what's to come in the 2026 F1 season is up for debate, but they certainly make for pretty interesting reading...
Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)- 1:16.300
George Russell (Mercedes)- 1:16.445
Lando Norris (McLaren)- 1:16.554
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)- 1:16.653
Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)- 1:17.081
Oscar Piastri (McLaren)- 1:17:446
Isack Hadjar (Red Bull Racing)- 1:18.159
Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)- 1:18.285
Ollie Bearman (HAAS) - 1:18.423
Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 1:18.840
Franco Colapinto (Alpine) - 1:19.150
Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) - 1:19.420
Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 1:19.754
Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) - 1:20.179
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) - 1:20.795
Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) - 1:21.010
Sergio Perez (Cadillac) - 1:21.024
Esteban Ocon (HAAS) - 1:22.456
Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) - 1:22.790
Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) - 1:46.404
Carlos Sainz (Williams) - N/A
Alex Albon (Williams) - N/A