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Formula 1 Tyre Testing: Hamilton Shines in Ferrari’s New Era
This week, Lewis Hamilton returned to the track with Ferrari during Pirelli’s Formula 1 tyre test at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where teammate Charles Leclerc achieved the fastest overall time.
The ongoing evolution of Formula 1 is evident as new technical regulations for 2026 are set to make cars smaller and lighter. This change will also see tyres narrowed by 25mm at the front and 30mm at the rear, accompanied by a slight reduction in diameter, although the wheel size remains unchanged.
Pirelli has initiated trials of tyre prototypes in anticipation of next season. Recently, a two-day test was conducted with McLaren at Circuit Paul Ricard, focusing on wet and intermediate tyres. This week’s tests in Spain represent the next step in their comprehensive evaluation of the 2026-spec tyres.
During the test, Hamilton and Leclerc utilized a shared SF-24, while McLaren’s Lando Norris piloted the MCL60 from the 2023 season. These vehicles incorporated technical modifications aligning them more closely with the forthcoming regulations.
This session marked Hamilton’s first time back on track since his crash last week, which had compromised Ferrari’s testing potential alongside Leclerc’s performance.
Pirelli outlined that the primary goal of this session was the development of slick tyres. The focus was on testing various construction types and compounds, particularly those from the harder end of the range (C1 to C3), given the demanding characteristics of the Spanish circuit on tyre endurance.
Test Results Overview
On Tuesday, the trio of drivers completed a total of 332 laps. Norris led the day with 159 laps, followed closely by Hamilton and Leclerc, who logged 87 and 86 laps, respectively. Norris posted the fastest lap of the day with a time of 1m15.215s, followed by Hamilton at 1m15.930s, and Leclerc at 1m16.060s.
Oscar Piastri took over the McLaren on Wednesday, completing an impressive 152 laps, while both Leclerc and Hamilton managed 74 laps each. This two-day testing session culminated in a total of 300 additional laps, contributing to a substantial dataset of 2,943 km for Pirelli’s engineers to analyze.
Leclerc’s fastest lap was noted at 1m14.971s, while Piastri and Hamilton recorded times of 1m15.815s and 1m16.759s, respectively, on the second day. Pirelli cautioned that these times are not definitive due to the varied testing programs undertaken by the teams.
Importance of the Data Collected
Mario Isola, Pirelli’s motorsport director, emphasized the value of the testing opportunity. “The session was invaluable, particularly in terms of providing a comparative analysis of different constructions and hard compound experiments,” he remarked, underscoring Barcelona’s reputation for being a challenging circuit that significantly impacts tyre performance.
Isola concluded that the data gathered would play a crucial role in the future development of F1 tyres, enhancing the performance and reliability of the next generation.
Upcoming Testing Sessions
Pirelli plans to continue its 2026-spec tyre testing on February 13-14 at Jerez, with Alpine participating for two days and McLaren and Mercedes each taking a day. Following this, another test is scheduled in Bahrain on March 2-3, shortly after the pre-season testing, where both Alpine and Williams will be in attendance.
Source
www.autosport.com