Although some media outlets claim that Lewis Hamilton was faster than Charles Leclerc at the Pirelli tire test in Barcelona, in reality Leclerc had the best time on both days…
Last week, the drivers tested wet tyres, now it's the turn of slicks for 2026. As usual, Pirelli shared little meaningful information about the event, but they did release the times. They also noted that these times should be taken with a grain of salt, which is why the previous outburst of emotion is incomprehensible. Although Hamilton did indeed finish first during the first day of practice with Scuderia Ferrari and McLaren, considering today's results - purely statistically - Charles Leclerc is considered the winner. After various tactics, programs and distances, Leclerc was fastest at the end of the two days (1:14.971), ahead of Oscar Piastre (1:15.815) and his teammate Lewis Hamilton (1:16.759).
In terms of laps, Piastre was the most productive (152 laps), followed by the Ferrari pair, who each completed 74 laps. Pirelli has had a productive day, as everyone completed at least one race the length of the Spanish Grand Prix today. The next race is on the 13th-14th in Jerez, where Alpine, Mercedes and McLaren will work.
Photo: F1
