Mercedes capped off their three‑day stint at the 2026 Formula 1 Barcelona pre‑season shakedown with a dominant performance on Day 4, as George Russell set the fastest time of the week ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli.
Charles Leclerc also produced an encouraging performance at the wheel of the Ferrari SF‑26 to slot into third, roughly 1.778s adrift Russell’s benchmark.
Oscar Piastri’s debut in McLaren’s MCL40 yielded the fourth fastest time but was curtailed by a frustrating fuel system glitch that sidelined the Australian after 48 laps.
The headline beyond Mercedes’ supremacy was undoubtedly Aston Martin AMR26’s long-awaited track debut, as Lance Stroll finally unleashed Adrian Newey’s “super aggressive” design late Thursday afternoon following an all-day assembly at the circuit.
Stroll managed just five installation laps before halting on track, triggering a red flag that prematurely curtailed proceedings.
Unofficial 2026 F1 Barcelona pre-season testing Day 4 Results
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Lap time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:16.445 | 77 |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:17.081 | 90 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:18.223 | 89 |
| 4 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:18.419 | 48 |
| 5 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:18.451 | 47 |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:18.654 | 85 |
| 7 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:18.840 | 64 |
| 8 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 1:21.024 | 66 |
| 9 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:46.404 | 4 |
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