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Hamilton Ends Barcelona Shakedown Fastest as Mercedes Tops Mileage

Teams now pivot to Bahrain testing in mid-February to gauge performance in warmer conditions.

Overview

  • Mercedes logged more than 2,300 kilometers with few issues and left Barcelona encouraged by the W17’s reliability and long-run learning, according to drivers and engineers.
  • Lewis Hamilton closed the week with a 1:16.348 for Ferrari after Charles Leclerc led the morning on 1:16.653, with teams cautioning that cool conditions and differing programs limit comparisons.
  • McLaren signaled pace as Lando Norris posted 1:16.594 after Oscar Piastri rebounded from a Thursday fuel-system investigation to complete strong mileage on Friday.
  • Red Bull recovered from earlier setbacks to give Max Verstappen 118 laps on the final day, helping compress the headline times as rivals edged closer to Mercedes’ earlier benchmark.
  • Newcomers worked through teething issues: Audi traced early stoppages to solvable problems such as a hydraulic leak and increased Friday mileage, while Cadillac reported ongoing power unit, electronic and drivetrain challenges and limited laps.