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Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton is believed to have set the fastest lap of the Barcelona shakedown as the 2026 Formula 1 cars completed their first significant running alongside each other.
However, both Ferrari and every other team in the paddock will be taking that result with a pinch of salt, considering how early in the development cycle these cars are.
Overall, team principal Fred Vasseur will be pleased with how Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc performed.
Only Mercedes completed more laps than Ferrari, and more importantly, there didn’t appear to be any hiccups with the all-important new power unit.
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Ferrari and customer teams, Haas and Cadillac, seemed to have no issues with the hybrid engine, although it’s believed that Mercedes may have a management advantage over their rivals at this early stage.
Journalist and commentator Nelson Valkenburg was reflecting on the five days of action at the Circuit de Catalunya, where information was very difficult to come by.
He believes that Ferrari’s decision to run on Tuesday when the weather was far from perfect caught plenty of other teams in the paddock by surprise.
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Ferrari’s wet weather running during Barcelona shakedown ‘raised eyebrows’ among F1 teams
Valkenburg was speaking about Ferrari’s performance on the Nailing the Apex Podcast and explained: “There were raised eyebrows [about] why Ferrari elected to run in the wet.
“But you could say there is no better way to optimise drivability of power output than in very low grip conditions.
“They made use of it for their first day. By this Friday, they really looked good.
Lewis Hamilton led the way in Barcelona but the gaps were tight!
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“Apparently, the car is responding well to exits. Of course, it’s running in, as you say, very basic spec, so expect to see a lot more intricate wings. But it’s been good.
“The big issue I have is, how come Lewis Hamilton doesn’t have an engineer there?
“He’s working with the same engineer that Leclerc has. That’s great, but you don’t build a relationship, and you need to learn about this car together, and that’s what these tests are for.
“I don’t understand it. I don’t understand what’s going on there.”
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How Lewis Hamilton reacted to running in wet weather conditions in Barcelona
The biggest headline that came out of day two of the Barcelona shakedown involved Ferrari’s rivals, Red Bull.
In what F1’s official commentary described as a ‘small off’, Isack Hadjar hit the barriers during the final sector while running in the wet, setting Red Bull back two days.
Max Verstappen only returned to the track on Friday, with Red Bull having to fly in spare parts to make sure that the four-time world champion could complete his running.
Hamilton had a small spin of his own, but enjoyed a far more successful day than the young Frenchman.
Reflecting on his first day in the car and the decision to run in the wet, Hamilton said, via PlanetF1: “Very challenging today, obviously, because it started raining at 10.30.
“So, Charles had a little bit of dry running, but then it’s been wet all afternoon, so figuring out how to get the tyres working, it was really productive.
“I think we got 120 laps or something like that, given it’s in the wet conditions, and we had a red flag, I think that’s pretty solid.
“Really proud of everyone back at the factory for getting the car to this point, and we got a lot of information on the car today. Definitely need to keep it up. Lots and lots to do, but a good first day.”
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