Barcelona, Spain – Following McLaren’s just-completed tyre test in France. This week’s sessions assure excitement due to testing in better, warm conditions. The most recent Pirelli development programme, in preparation for the 2026 Formula 1 Season, saw some very important tyre testing at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
In attendance for this fast weekend were Scuderia Ferrari HP and McLaren F1 Racing. Crucial data about tyre construction, energy exertion, and degradation was extracted at this track. Over two days, both teams did huge mileage.This offered good insights into what potentially could be the new 2026 tyres from Pirelli.
This test was the second of four planned sessions that are scheduled to help develop the next generation of tyres. In total, 300 laps were completed on Wednesday. The Formula 1 teams ran a modified “mule” cars. These cars had a more narrow front and rear dimensions to simulate possible 2026 regulations.
Driver Performances and Key Lap Times
Leclerc and Hamilton joined the McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Charles Leclerc recorded the quickest overall lap of the test – 1:14.971 – on Wednesday. He drove 74 laps that day, a few less than his 86 rounds on the first day. His teammate Lewis Hamilton completed the same amount of laps with the best time recorded on Tuesday with a 1:15.93 lap time. Overall, in two days, Hamilton completed 161 laps – a lap more than Leclerc.
McLaren also had good mileage on the board, where Oscar Piastri enjoyed a really productive Wednesday. 152 laps with a best time of 1:15.815. While on Tuesday it had been Lando Norris who drove logging 159 laps with a best lap of 1:15.21.
Tyre Test Focus
This test was above all aimed at gathering data with a view to the 2026 slick tyres – specifically for the C1 to C3 compounds. Pirelli tested various combinations of construction. Also using harder compounds to gauge their response to different energy loads and different levels of degradation over long runs.
Although the lap times gave an interesting reference, Pirelli said the real value lays within data harvested. On a regular GP weekend teams optimize performance for the right speed. This type of testing session asks for more consistent and comparable results.
Pirelli Motorsport Director Mario Isola underlined how challenging it is to pre-season test and the fact the teams are particularly busy at this time of the year.
“It’s a really demanding start to the year with four test sessions even before the season begins, and I want to thank all the teams that are working with us, because we know how busy they are at the moment.”
What’s Next?
Pirelli’s pre-season tyre testing programme will continue with a session at Circuito de Jerez in Andalusia from February 13-14. There Alpine will run on both days, while Mercedes and McLaren will each participate on one day. Notably, McLaren will have taken part in three of Pirelli’s pre-season tests, gaining valuable insights ahead of 2026.
The final pre-season tyre test will be held in Bahrain on March 2-3, with Alpine and Williams running on both days. Not long afterwards, Bahrain will also stage the only three-day pre-season test, where all teams will have their final chance to run their 2025 cars ahead of the new season’s first round, the Australian Grand Prix.
While the test in Barcelona did not give immediate race-related conclusions, it did provide valuable information that will contribute to shaping F1’s future tyre technology.
As the sport heads toward its 2026 regulations, this data from the sessions will be crucial in making tyres that achieve a balance of durability, performance, and adaptability. And while further testing continues, teams and engineers will remain busy fine-tuning their next compounds to give them the head start they seek into the new seasons.