Lewis Hamilton made his return to the track as Ferrari and McLaren completed Pirelli’s latest Formula 1 tyre test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with Charles Leclerc setting the fastest overall time.
With F1’s 2026 regulations introducing smaller, lighter cars, Pirelli is adapting its tyres accordingly. The new prototypes feature a reduced width—25mm narrower at the front and 30mm at the rear—while maintaining the same wheel rim diameter.
Following a wet and intermediate tyre test at Paul Ricard last week, Pirelli conducted a two-day session in Barcelona, focusing on dry compounds. Ferrari’s SF-24 was shared between Hamilton and Leclerc, while Lando Norris drove McLaren’s MCL60 from 2023. Both cars were modified to replicate the expected characteristics of the 2026 regulations.
This outing marked Hamilton’s first return to action after his previous crash at the same circuit, which had disrupted Ferrari’s original testing schedule.
“This session focused on the development of slick tyres,” Pirelli confirmed in a statement. “We tested various construction and compound combinations, primarily from the harder end of the range—C1 to C3—suited to Barcelona’s highly demanding layout.”
On Tuesday, Norris completed the most mileage with 159 laps, while Leclerc and Hamilton logged 86 and 87 laps, respectively. Norris set the fastest time of the day at 1m15.215s, followed by Hamilton at 1m15.930s and Leclerc at 1m16.060s.
Oscar Piastri took over McLaren’s testing duties on Wednesday, covering 152 laps, while Leclerc and Hamilton each added another 74 laps to Ferrari’s tally. This brought the total distance covered during the test to 2,943km, providing Pirelli with valuable data for future development.
Leclerc posted the fastest overall lap time with a 1m14.971s, while Piastri recorded 1m15.815s, and Hamilton followed with 1m16.759s. However, Pirelli noted that lap times were not indicative of performance due to differing test programs.
“This session was particularly useful in comparing different constructions for next season and testing several compounds from the harder range,” said Pirelli Motorsport Director Mario Isola. “Barcelona is one of the most demanding circuits for tyres in terms of energy load and degradation, so the data we gathered will be crucial for further development.”
Pirelli’s 2026 tyre testing program continues on February 13-14 at Jerez with Alpine (both days), while McLaren and Mercedes will each take part for a single day. Another session is scheduled in Bahrain on March 2-3, immediately after pre-season testing, with Alpine and Williams participating in both days.
