Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen kicked off their participation in the Barcelona shakedown, with both drivers experiencing a baptism by fire as torrential rains set in early in the morning session. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was the first driver to hit the track on Tuesday, but his initial 30 minutes of dry-tyre running were cut short when the rain arrived.
The wet weather necessitated a change from slick tyres to wets, allowing Leclerc and Verstappen to try out their cars in the rain. Despite the challenging conditions, Ferrari's hopes for a strong season appear to be on track after a productive day of work.
Hamilton, meanwhile, was cautiously optimistic about the car's performance, praising his team's efforts in getting the 2026 model up to speed despite subpar weather conditions. "It has been really productive," he said. "We got a lot of information out of it."
Verstappen, who was also taking part in wet-tyre running for the first time, expressed similar sentiments. Ferrari's Leclerc completed an impressive 66 laps before switching to wets and struggling to find his footing in the rain.
However, his teammate Verstappen made a more impressive showing, completing 26 laps on dry tyres before switching to wets. Despite a disappointing first day for Ferrari, team principal Mattia Binotto remained upbeat about their prospects for the season.
But it was Red Bull's Isack Hadjar who stole the show with an early exit after crashing out of his lap at Turn 14 on the second day of testing. The incident forced the team to take a hit in terms of running, but fortunately, neither Hamilton nor Verstappen were involved in the accident.
Red Bull had initially opted not to participate on Monday due to the dry conditions, choosing instead to wait until Tuesday when the rain arrived. Their decision proved costly, however, as they struggled to make up for lost time after a red flag was waved at Turn 3. The team's chief engineer said that they were "a bit worried" about their chances in terms of reliability, but remained confident that their car would hold up.
Ferrari had initially decided not to take part on Monday due to the dry conditions, instead opting for a day off in order to allow their new driver Charles Leclerc to get accustomed to his new surroundings. This decision proved wise as Leclerc was able to make the most of his time on track, completing 66 laps before switching to wets.
The teams are now focused on gathering data and testing out systems with their new cars, rather than competing for lap times. This approach is being taken in order to gain a better understanding of the car's performance and to identify any issues early on.
With only three days left until the end of the test, all 10 teams will be eager to make the most of their remaining time on track. But it remains to be seen how their efforts will translate into on-track success come the first race in Melbourne next month.
The wet weather necessitated a change from slick tyres to wets, allowing Leclerc and Verstappen to try out their cars in the rain. Despite the challenging conditions, Ferrari's hopes for a strong season appear to be on track after a productive day of work.
Hamilton, meanwhile, was cautiously optimistic about the car's performance, praising his team's efforts in getting the 2026 model up to speed despite subpar weather conditions. "It has been really productive," he said. "We got a lot of information out of it."
Verstappen, who was also taking part in wet-tyre running for the first time, expressed similar sentiments. Ferrari's Leclerc completed an impressive 66 laps before switching to wets and struggling to find his footing in the rain.
However, his teammate Verstappen made a more impressive showing, completing 26 laps on dry tyres before switching to wets. Despite a disappointing first day for Ferrari, team principal Mattia Binotto remained upbeat about their prospects for the season.
But it was Red Bull's Isack Hadjar who stole the show with an early exit after crashing out of his lap at Turn 14 on the second day of testing. The incident forced the team to take a hit in terms of running, but fortunately, neither Hamilton nor Verstappen were involved in the accident.
Red Bull had initially opted not to participate on Monday due to the dry conditions, choosing instead to wait until Tuesday when the rain arrived. Their decision proved costly, however, as they struggled to make up for lost time after a red flag was waved at Turn 3. The team's chief engineer said that they were "a bit worried" about their chances in terms of reliability, but remained confident that their car would hold up.
Ferrari had initially decided not to take part on Monday due to the dry conditions, instead opting for a day off in order to allow their new driver Charles Leclerc to get accustomed to his new surroundings. This decision proved wise as Leclerc was able to make the most of his time on track, completing 66 laps before switching to wets.
The teams are now focused on gathering data and testing out systems with their new cars, rather than competing for lap times. This approach is being taken in order to gain a better understanding of the car's performance and to identify any issues early on.
With only three days left until the end of the test, all 10 teams will be eager to make the most of their remaining time on track. But it remains to be seen how their efforts will translate into on-track success come the first race in Melbourne next month.
i mean, leclerc and verstappen are both doing pretty well despite the rain, but red bull's decision to skip monday is really going to hurt them. hadjar's crash was a major bummer though! 
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. can't wait to see what the rest of the test brings! 
but Red Bull's decision not to participate on Monday might catch up with them... 
. Charles Leclerc was really quick on dry tires, but then he had some issues in the wet. And Max Verstappen was pretty good too, but I think it's crazy that Red Bull crashed out early and messed up their whole day 
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. Anyway, it's only three days left in testing and then everyone goes back home until the next race. Hopefully, we'll see some actual racing action soon! 
They were all set to have a strong season and now Charles Leclerc's just trying to find his footing in the rain? That's gotta be a bit of a worry. But on the other hand, Mattia Binotto seems pretty confident about their chances... or is he just being optimistic because they didn't participate on Monday due to the dry conditions? 
. But what about Red Bull's decision to sit out on Monday? Were they trying to conserve resources or just not feeling confident in their car's performance? 
! leclerc and ferrari are defo looking strong, but let's not count red bull out yet 
. they took a risk by skipping monday but it seems to have paid off. hamilton and verstappen were both super positive about their cars, which is all we need to know 
. isack hadjar's crash was a major bummer tho... 
hopefully he'll be back to his old self soon! anyway, can't wait to see what the rest of these three days bring 
the rain made everything so much more exciting, even for non-racing fans like me. Ferrari's handling is looking pretty sweet too 
. Red Bull's decision to skip Monday was a total bummer tho... 
. I'm so hyped for the rest of the season now! 
. Red Bull's decision to wait till Tuesday was a bit risky, but it's good they made up for lost time in the end 
. And can we talk about Hamilton's team effort? I'm loving the vibe from Mercedes so far 
. The fact that teams are focusing on data and testing over just trying to shave off seconds is all good 
!
️ so its like they saying Ferrari's hopes for a strong season are back on track now that they got some wet-tyre running in 
and leclerc was able to get in 66 laps before switching to wets... but you know how it is with these teams, always something's gonna go wrong right? 
. wonder what kinda issues Red Bull is dealing with now...
. Hadjar's crash does raise some concerns about their car's reliability though - fingers crossed they can get it sorted out for Melbourne 
can't wait to see how it all plays out in melbourne next month 
. Can't say I'm surprised Red Bull got caught out, though. Should've been prepared for anything when you're not even participating on the first day 
. And now everyone's just trying to gather data and test systems... where's the excitement in that?