Ferrari has achieved the quickest lap in Formulation 1’s 2026 pre-season testing, courtesy of Charles Leclerc.
The eight-time grand prix winner topped the timesheet all through the day. He was quickest within the morning with a 1m33.689s; within the afternoon, he successively introduced this benchmark all the way down to 1m33.629s, 1m33.162s and 1m32.655s with C3 rubber.
Leclerc then bolted on C4 tyres and lapped in 1m32.297s, then 1m31.992s.
No person else beat Kimi Antonelli’s 1m32.803s reference from yesterday, with Lando Norris closest. The McLaren driver, who didn’t run within the first two hours of the afternoon, ended up 9 tenths adrift of Leclerc in 1m32.871s, with the C3 compound.
Crimson Bull took third with Max Verstappen in 1m33.109s on Pirelli’s prototype tyres, the identical utilized by Mercedes’ George Russell to set a 1m33.197s. It was a trickier day than common for the Silver Arrow; it induced a crimson flag within the morning session with Antonelli on the wheel, due a lack of pneumatic stress, and consequently needed to bear an influence unit change.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photograph by: Steven Tee / LAT Photos through Getty Photos
Alpine topped the midfield courtesy of a late effort by Pierre Gasly on C5 rubber, the softest in Pirelli’s vary, which yielded a 1m33.421s. That was simply 0.066s quicker than Haas’ Oliver Bearman, who set his personal benchmark utilizing C3s in a 170-lap day for the group.
Audi was seventh-fastest with Gabriel Bortoleto lapping in 1m33.755s on the C4 compound.
The one rookie on the grid, Arvid Lindblad, actually made certain he was bodily prepared for his step as much as F1, masking a outstanding 165 laps by himself (555mi, 893km) on his method to a 1m34.149s – two tenths faster than Carlos Sainz.
Then it was the now-usual suspects on the backside of the classification. As has turn into customary, Cadillac didn’t take to the observe for the primary 100 minutes of the day; the American squad nonetheless accomplished 99 laps and Valtteri Bottas set its quickest time to date, however that’s only a 1m35.290s, one second away from the midfield.
In the meantime, Aston Martin accomplished simply six laps with Lance Stroll, setting no lap instances, as an engine components scarcity ensued from the battery-related subject Fernando Alonso suffered yesterday.
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