Mercedes impress with performance and mileage on penultimate day of the Barcelona shakedown

The penultimate day of the 2026 Barcelona shakedown offered the most coherent picture yet of the emerging performance order, with a broad range of lap times and mileage revealing how differently each team approached its programme. Although shakedown running is never representative, the times still provided a useful early reference.

Mercedes established itself as the benchmark of the day. George Russell set the fastest lap with a 1:16.445, which placed him comfortably ahead of the rest of the field. His total of 77 laps indicated that Mercedes balanced performance checks with medium‑length stints.

Kimi Antonelli reinforced the team’s strong showing by recording a 1:17.081, a time that was just over six‑tenths slower than Russell’s best effort.

The Italian completed 90 laps, the highest mileage of the day, which suggested that Mercedes focused heavily on consistency and data gathering.

Ferrari also produced encouraging signs. Charles Leclerc delivered a 1:18.223 over 89 laps, which placed him third on the timesheet. Lewis Hamilton followed with a 1:18.654 from 85 laps, indicating that Ferrari concentrated more on long‑run stability than on chasing outright speed.

The roughly two‑second gap to Mercedes should not be over‑interpreted at this stage, but it does highlight the team’s more aggressive approach.

McLaren and Racing Bulls formed a tightly packed midfield group. Oscar Piastri set McLaren’s quickest time with a 1:18.419 from 48 laps, although his lower mileage was down to a fuel system-related issue.

Racing Bulls delivered a solid performance as well: Arvid Lindblad produced a 1:18.451 over 47 laps, while Liam Lawson added a 1:18.840 from 64 laps. Both drivers finished within a few tenths of McLaren’s best effort, suggesting that Racing Bulls may have a competitive early package.

Cadillac continued its learning phase with Sergio Pérez completing 66 laps and setting a best time of 1:21.024.

Although this placed him well behind the midfield group, the mileage indicated that the team prioritised reliability and systems checks rather than performance running.

Aston Martin endured the most difficult day. Lance Stroll managed only 4 laps, and his best time of 1:46.404 was clearly unrepresentative. The Canadian headed out onto the track with just under an hour left on the clock, but he came to a halt after just four laps.