Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen both took to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for their initial laps during the early days of the Formula 1 shakedown test, held ahead of the 2026 season. The test, conducted behind closed doors, saw reduced participation on a rain-affected Tuesday, impacting running conditions and leading to a crash involving Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar.
Rain Restricts Running for Teams at Barcelona
Formula 1 teams can select which three days to run during the five-day test at Barcelona, with only Ferrari and Red Bull choosing to run on the wet conditions Tuesday. Red Bull’s decision to continue testing despite already clocking a strong Monday was disrupted when Hadjar crashed his RB22 at Turn 14 late in the day, damaging key parts of the car’s rear section including suspension and rear wing.
The challenging track conditions also caught out Hamilton, who found himself in the gravel on his first outing of the day but managed to keep his car largely unscathed. Red Bull later confirmed via social media that Hadjar was unharmed in the incident.
That’s a wrap for day two of Shakedown, with 78 laps of running for Max and Isack in RB22,
Red Bull’s social media post said.
Isack’s afternoon was cut short after finding the barrier at Turn 14. He was out of the car immediately and is ok.
?Red Bull Team Statement
Ferrari’s Cautious Approach to the Barcelona Test
Unlike several other squads who took full advantage of Monday’s primarily dry conditions, Ferrari opted to delay their participation until Tuesday, focusing on a specific testing plan announced beforehand. The team had also run the SF-26 on their private Fiorano track the previous Friday.
Charles Leclerc led Ferrari’s first runs on Tuesday, initially enjoying dry conditions before the onset of rain midway through the morning session. He was soon joined on the circuit by Verstappen, who had not run on Monday, as Hadjar had taken all Red Bull’s laps that day.
Limited Team Participation Shapes Testing Schedule
Teams active on Monday such as Mercedes, Haas, Audi, Alpine, Cadillac, and Racing Bulls stayed off the track on Tuesday, with reigning world champions McLaren pushing their start to Wednesday. Williams did not attend the event, and Aston Martin aimed to join the test on Thursday.
Track Conditions Challenge Drivers and Cars
Morning sessions began on slick tyres but were cut short by the arrival of rain, forcing teams to adapt to wet weather. This provided the first opportunity to evaluate the brand-new 2026 cars under slippery conditions, a critical part of assessing the vehicles’ systems for the season ahead.
Charles Leclerc completed 66 laps before handing over to Hamilton after lunch, who managed 57 laps for Ferrari. Verstappen ran 26 laps in the morning before being replaced by Hadjar, who completed 52 laps before his crash ended his day early.
Performance Times Less Relevant as Teams Focus on Reliability
While unofficial timing showed Verstappen setting an early dry-tyre pace with a 1:19.578 lap, this was 1.5 seconds slower than Monday’s quickest time by Hadjar. Teams emphasized that lap times hold little significance during this test week, as the primary goals are to verify reliability and scrutinize the new technical systems resulting from the sport’s biggest rule overhaul in history.
Leclerc Expresses Optimism Despite Mixed Conditions
After completing his runs, Leclerc reflected on Ferrari’s progress, acknowledging the challenging weather but expressing satisfaction that the car was functioning as expected during this early phase.
For now, it’s all about trying to understand if everything is working properly, which it kind of did,
Leclerc said.
We’re more about looking at all the systems that are new on this car and seeing if everything works as it should. It did, so that’s a positive.
?Charles Leclerc, Ferrari Driver
Regarding the team’s mindset following a difficult 2025 season where they fell to fourth in the championship without a Grand Prix win, Leclerc looked forward to testing their competitiveness against rivals once more performance testing begins.
“I am very excited to see what the others have in store and, when we start pushing a little bit more, to see where we are compared to the others,”
Leclerc said.
“I think this year is a big opportunity for every team to do something different and to maybe gain a bigger advantage than what we have seen the last few years.”
I hope we are the team that will manage to make the difference but wherever we start we will push at the maximum to try and bring Ferrari back to the top. It’s been quite a few years, so I hope this one is ours.
?Charles Leclerc, Ferrari Driver
Looking Ahead to the 2026 Formula 1 Season
The Barcelona shakedown continues to set the stage for what promises to be a highly competitive season, particularly given the far-reaching technical changes. Teams appear focused on ensuring their new cars handle the demands of the updated regulations while monitoring reliability under various conditions, such as rain.
With McLaren, Aston Martin, and others yet to join the test, further data and insights will emerge over the following days, offering a clearer picture of how teams like Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes might perform once the 2026 season officially begins.
Fans can look forward to an intense season spanning 24 races, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming options available for those seeking flexible viewing arrangements.
