Lewis Hamilton has completed his latest outing in a Ferrari Formula 1 car as his new team and McLaren concluded a tyre test with Pirelli in Barcelona on Wednesday.
Ferrari once again split driving duties between Hamilton and team-mate Charles Leclerc as the two both posted 74 laps to add to their combined 173 laps on Tuesday.
Leclerc was the fastest Ferrari driver on this occasion, posting a best time of a 1:14.971s compared to the seven-time F1 champion setting a 1:16.759s as his quickest attempt.
However, times in testing can be rendered meaningless as compounds, engine modes and fuel loads are all undisclosed variables, with Pirelli having a role in the programmes.
The occasion still represented Hamilton’s debut appearance in Ferrari’s 2024 car, but it came in a modified version of the SF-24 that was driven to five victories last season.
This was done to help Pirelli gather more accurate data as the test was held to help the Italian supplier with development of the tyres that it plans to introduce next season.
To accommodate the 20 per cent downforce loss expected under the new rules, Ferrari ran the altered SF-24 in a low downforce configuration to replicate the new 2026 car.
Meanwhile, McLaren was also in action at the Spanish Grand Prix venue, with Oscar Piastri taking over from Lando Norris in a ‘mule’ MCL60 without sponsorship stickers.
The Australian lapped the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya 152 times, with his best lap of a 1:15.815s enough to split Leclerc and Hamilton in the shared Ferrari.
Pirelli has announced that its testing schedule will continue next week as Alpine accompanies it at the Jerez circuit in Spain for two days on the 13 and 14 February.
McLaren and engine supplier Mercedes will also be in attendance on one of those days each, while Alpine and Williams will test the 2026 tyres in Bahrain on 2 and 3 March.
READ MORE – Andrea Stella admits Lewis Hamilton’s ‘historic’ Ferrari F1 debut got him ‘excited’
