Lewis Hamilton gives verdict on ‘intense’ first Ferrari F1 test in Barcelona
“It was an intense but productive first day, especially with the mixed weather conditions,” Hamilton said, after his testing on Tuesday.
“We managed to get good mileage on the car and gather a lot of useful information, which is important with such a big regulation change.
“There were no major issues and that gives us a solid foundation to keep learning and building over the next few days.”
Kieran Jackson29 January 2026 14:00
VIDEO: Ferrari at Barcelona shakedown
Kieran Jackson29 January 2026 13:45
ICYMI: Nurburgring series moves March race to accommodate F1 star Max Verstappen
The 2026 Nurburgring racing series has moved its second round in March to accommodate the potential appearance of Max Verstappen at the event.
Four-time F1 world champion Verstappen obtained his A-licence last September to race the infamous 12.94-mile Nordschleife circuit, known as “The Green Hill.” He then won his first GT3 race a few weeks later.
Verstappen, 28, has admitted he would like to appear at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring event in May, which falls between F1 races in Miami and Montreal. However, the Dutchman acknowledged he needed to take part in one NLS (Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie) endurance race in order to be ready to compete in the 24-hour event.
Now, the series have announced that they’ve moved the second round of the 2026 NLS season by one week, to 21 March, to “enable top-tier drivers to compete.” The previous date, 28 March, clashed with F1’s Japanese Grand Prix.
Kieran Jackson29 January 2026 13:30
McLaren chief designer Rob Marshall on the MCL40
Marshall, formerly of Red Bull, is the man credited for McLaren’s championship-winning car last year:
“I think what you see is probably pretty much what we’ll bring to the first race. A lot of our effort will be going into understanding this. Also we need to take into account what the opposition are up to.
“We need to be inspired by what they may or may not achieve, and may or may not show us. We really are going to have to be very focused on getting our heads around these cars. It’s very complicated. It’s all new.
“There’s a lot of stuff that we need to dial in and tune in, so I think bringing a lot of new stuff to it early doors would complicate things, and I think we’re better off understanding our platform before we get too keen on redesigning it before it’s turned a wheel.”
(Getty Images)
Kieran Jackson29 January 2026 13:15
VIDEO: Lando Norris on No 1 car tag
Kieran Jackson29 January 2026 13:01
Here are the reported lap times and lap count after this morning’s four hours of running.
Another very good morning for Mercedes…
Kimi Antonelli – 1:17:081 (90 laps) Oscar Piastri – 1:18:419 (48 laps) Lewis Hamilton – 1:18:654 (87 laps)Liam Lawson – 1:18:840 (64 laps) Sergio Perez – 1:21:349 (38 laps)
Mercedes 2026 F1 at testing in Barcelona (Mercedes F1)
Kieran Jackson29 January 2026 12:45
Lewis Hamilton completes 87 laps
A really solid morning for Hamilton.
The Ferrari driver has completed 87 laps in dry conditions, with a lap time which was third-fastest behind Kimi Antonelli and Oscar Piastri.
Lewis Hamilton (Reuters)
Kieran Jackson29 January 2026 12:31
Thirty-three laps for the Mexican in his Cadillac this morning, with a best time of 1:21:349.
Must say, it’s nice to have him and Valtteri Bottas back on the grid.
Hopefully final times from this morning’s running will drop soon!
Kieran Jackson29 January 2026 12:19
Aston Martin yet to enter fray
Interestingly, we’re still yet to see Aston Martin out on track.
That being said, reports are indicating that when they do leave the garage, their car will be decked in black, similar to McLaren and Cadillac, not the usual racing green.
Aston are revealing their 2026 livery on Monday 9 February, with an event in Saudi Arabia.
Kieran Jackson29 January 2026 11:44
NEW: Lando Norris admits ‘surreal’ McLaren moment at start of 2026 F1 testing
Lando Norris says seeing the championship-winning No 1 tag on his new McLaren car is a “surreal” feeling as he starts his 2026 F1 season preparations this week.
The British driver, who won his inaugural title last year, was at the wheel of McLaren’s MCL40 on Wednesday, setting the third-fastest lap of the day and clocking up 77 laps in total.
As per the regulations, the reigning world champion has the option of picking the number one tag for the following season’s car and, having taken up that option, Norris acknowledged how different it felt on Wednesday.
Kieran Jackson29 January 2026 11:28