Leclerc explains what "turned out to be tricky" during the Barcelona shakedown run

Following a productive three days of running at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Charles Leclerc explained what "turned out to be tricky" during the Barcelona shakedown run.

Ferrari concluded its Barcelona shakedown last week with a productive last day of running at the Circuit de Barcelona‑Catalunya, completing the final phase of early‑season preparation with the SF‑26.

The team added 145 laps on the last day alone — 675 kilometres — as Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton split driving duties between the morning and afternoon sessions.

Charles Leclerc began the morning on Pirelli’s Medium (C2) compound, completing 49 laps as Ferrari continued its baseline checks and systems validation. He then switched to the C3 compound for a further 16 laps before returning to C2s for the final phase of the session. His morning total reached 78 laps, equivalent to 363 kilometres, contributing to the team’s consistent mileage throughout the week.

After the lunch break, Lewis Hamilton took over the SF‑26 and began his session on C2 tyres, completing 44 laps across runs of varying lengths, with the team interspersing the stints with routine checks and setup adjustments.

With around 90 minutes remaining, he switched to the C3 compound for a 10‑lap run before finishing the day back on C2s. Hamilton ended the afternoon with 67 laps (312 kilometres), bringing Ferrari’s three‑day total to 440 laps and 2050 kilometres.

Following a productive three days of running at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Leclerc explained what "turned out to be tricky" during the Barcelona shakedown run.

"Overall it’s been a productive shakedown. We completed our programme and managed to run a good number of laps, which was important to start understanding the car and the new systems.

“We went through our programme, we did everything we wanted to do. We pushed a little bit more as well which was nice, to feel a little bit the limit of this car and to understand a little bit more of it as well. I’m happy because again we’ve gone through our programme and done everything we wanted.”

"The first day in wet conditions was tricky, especially with a completely new car, but it turned into a valuable learning experience. The last two days were positive as well, and now the focus shifts to analysing the data and working in Maranello ahead of the Bahrain test," concluded the Frenchman.