F1 Wraps Up Barcelona Shakedown with Strong Mileage and Final Preparations for 2026

Sports

The final day of the 2026 Barcelona Shakedown at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya brought the most complete running of the week, with teams using the last available track time to consolidate their 2026 programmes before heading toward official testing and the season opener. After four days focused on installation laps, early systems checks and reliability work, Day 5 allowed crews to expand runs, refine setups and gather meaningful data ahead of the next phase of pre-season activity.

Several teams took advantage of the full session to complete their allotted track days. With the pressure off compared with competitive testing, drivers were able to focus on smooth laps and detailed feedback. Power unit and hybrid systems were a central theme, with engineers watching temperatures and energy deployment patterns as cars completed longer stints than they had earlier in the week. Running at higher fuel loads helped teams simulate race-like conditions and gather important information on tyre behaviour and cooling.

Mercedes once again showed strong consistency. With both cars on track for much of the day, they logged some of the highest mileage totals of the week, confirming that their revised aero and chassis packages were behaving predictably. The Silver Arrows also tested multiple tyre compounds and brake settings, looking ahead to the unique demands of their first competitive weekend in Bahrain.

Red Bull utilised the session to refine suspension and aerodynamic balance. Feedback from drivers was used to adjust wing angles and floor settings, while long-run simulations allowed them to monitor tyre degradation. Reliability checks continued to be a priority as the team aims to hit the ground running once the official tests begin.

Ferrari and McLaren both used the final day to complete system diagnostics and extended simulations. McLaren’s repeated laps on worn tyre sets helped the team better understand the impact of track evolution and tyre wear over longer runs, which is critical for race strategy planning. Ferrari focused part of the day on brake cooling configurations and energy recovery systems, aiming to extract consistent performance under high load.

Several teams brought in reserve or young drivers for portions of the running. These outings not only offered valuable track time for the wider talent pool but also helped teams validate different setups without compromising main driver programmes.

By the end of the session, lap counts were significantly higher than earlier in the week, with most cars having completed hundreds of kilometres. Team engineers gathered for debriefs focused on final tweaks before the next on-track action. Data collected over five days in Barcelona will now feed into simulation work and preparations for the next official shakedown tests.

While official lap times were not the headline on Day 5, the significance of the running was clear. Teams closed out the Barcelona Shakedown with a solid foundation of mileage, confidence in component behaviour and a clearer picture of how their 2026 cars perform under evolving conditions. With pre-season testing in Bahrain looming, Formula 1’s new era is ready to shift into full gear.