Barcelona Shakedown Day 4: When Everything Finally Rolled Out

Barcelona Shakedown Day 4 was the day the week finally came together. Cold, overcast conditions didn’t stop teams pushing through full programmes, closing out allocations, and making decisions about what will be the closing stages of this private shakedown. New cars appeared, others signed off, and the shakedown entered its final phase.

Key Points – Barcelona Shakedown Day 4

• Aston Martin finally made their on-track debut with the AMR26
• Mercedes and Racing Bulls completed their full three-day allocation
• Ferrari logged its heaviest single day of mileage so far
• McLaren’s running was cut short by a fuel system issue
• Cadillac showed improved stability on its second outing
• Several teams now face a final-day decision on Friday

Aston Martin Finally Arrive

Thursday morning opened with a familiar sight. Cars queuing at the end of the pit lane, drivers cycling through systems, and teams knowing exactly what they wanted to achieve. Sergio Perez led Cadillac’s second outing, while Kimi Antonelli, Liam Lawson, and Lewis Hamilton all headed out early for Mercedes, Racing Bulls, and Ferrari.

Oscar Piastri joined mid-morning, marking his first laps of the shakedown for McLaren following Lando Norris’ debut run on Wednesday. By lunch, Mercedes and Ferrari had already racked up substantial mileage, while one garage remained closed.

Aston Martin waited.

Late in the afternoon, the AMR26 finally rolled out. Lance Stroll completed the team’s first laps of the shakedown in the first Adrian Newey-designed Aston Martin Formula 1 car. The run was brief and cautious, but significant. This was about first getting the car on track, but with only a handful of laps logged, being the only Honda-powered team still leaves a big question mark over just where this project is.

Fernando Alonso is set to take over on Friday as Aston Martin begin the real work.

Mercedes Close Their Week Cleanly

Mercedes finished Barcelona the way they started it. Calm, methodical, and heavy on mileage. Kimi Antonelli completed another long morning run before handing over to George Russell in the afternoon, bringing the team past 500 laps across their three days.

There were no declarations and no noise. Just a car that ran when it was sent out and came back when expected. Barcelona was about proving the W17 works. Bahrain will be about finding out what it can do.

For now, Mercedes are done and are packing up to head back home to Brackley. Reliability done. Performance comes next.

Racing Bulls Tick Every Box

Racing Bulls will also be loading up the lorries and heading home, having completed their final permitted running on Thursday, and leave Barcelona quietly satisfied. Across three days, the car ran reliably, both drivers logged meaningful mileage, and the team explored energy management and engine modes without interruption.

Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad worked through their programmes in tandem, building a shared understanding of a car that is fundamentally different to last year’s. This was a key thing for the newly launched Red Bull Ford DM01 power unit. No red flags. No late fixes. Just data gathered and confidence built.

Ferrari Finally Get Representative Running

Ferrari used Thursday to recover what wet conditions denied them earlier in the week. Lewis Hamilton opened the day with long stints on the C2 and C1 compounds before Charles Leclerc took over after lunch for a full, uninterrupted afternoon.

Between them, Ferrari logged 174 laps and more than 800 kilometres. It was the clearest picture yet of the SF-26 in representative conditions. Both drivers spoke about how different these cars feel under the new regulations, with lower downforce, heavier electrical management, and a higher workload behind the wheel.

Ferrari were not chasing performance. They were completing a checklist, and it is still a long one, but they will go into tomorrow buoyed by today’s output.

McLaren Find Rhythm, Then Lose Time

McLaren’s second day should have been about building flow. Oscar Piastri finally got his first taste of the MCL40 and immediately began identifying both opportunities and problems.

A fuel system issue discovered during the lunch break brought their running to an early end. The work will be done overnight, but time is now compressed. With only one day left available, Friday has to deliver.

For McLaren, preparation has been prioritised over presence. That approach now carries pressure, and this was always the risk in delaying the start of their shakedown.

Cadillac Look More Settled Second Time Around

Cadillac returned for their second day with Sergio Perez and looked noticeably calmer. The focus remained on learning, set-up exploration, and building comfort rather than chasing lap counts.

Perez spoke positively about the progress being made run by run. There are still issues to uncover, but Thursday looked like a team moving forward rather than reacting. Valtteri Bottas is expected back in the car on Friday to complete the week.

Coffee Corner Take

Day 4 was notably a step up in on-track action.

Mercedes and Racing Bulls leave Barcelona knowing their cars work. Ferrari finally got the clean running they needed. Cadillac look steadier than they did on Day 1 as they settle into their new home in the paddock. McLaren lost time they can’t really afford, even if the reasons are understandable.

And Aston Martin finally arrived, but they have left it late.

Unofficial lap times are everywhere. They still don’t matter. What matters is who leaves Barcelona with answers and who leaves still chasing fundamentals.

Friday won’t change the order. But it will decide who turns up in Bahrain ready to work and who turns up already behind, still searching for answers.