Get ready for an exclusive debrief on the thrilling final day of the Barcelona Shakedown! This five-day event at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has been a rollercoaster, and we're here to break it down for you.
The Final Lap:
On Day 5, the sun shone brightly as several teams and drivers took to the track. Valtteri Bottas and Ollie Bearman led the way, representing Cadillac and Haas respectively. They were soon joined by Pierre Gasly from Alpine and the legendary Max Verstappen of Red Bull. Charles Leclerc followed suit for Ferrari, along with Oscar Piastri in the McLaren and Gabriel Bortoleto for Audi.
But here's where it gets interesting: Fernando Alonso made his shakedown debut with Aston Martin, giving the AMR26 some extra mileage after its first appearance on Day 4 with Lance Stroll.
Amidst the busy morning, Bearman recorded an impressive lap count, while Piastri, Leclerc, and Gasly also gained significant mileage. Some teams even swapped drivers for the afternoon session, with Lando Norris jumping into the McLaren and Lewis Hamilton taking over at Ferrari.
As Day 5 reached its climax, Hamilton, Ocon, Gasly (who had an exceptionally high lap count), Hulkenberg, Verstappen, and Norris all lapped towards the end, before the chequered flag signaled the end of the shakedown.
Team Participation:
Every team, except Williams, participated in the Barcelona Shakedown. However, they've assured us they'll be ready for the official pre-season testing in Bahrain. With each team allowed to run on three days, Mercedes and Racing Bulls completed their programs on Day 4, having used their allocated time on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Most teams spread their three days across the week, but Aston Martin was an exception, running only on two days after their track debut on Thursday.
Driver Insights:
After a successful morning in the McLaren, Piastri expressed satisfaction, commenting, "It was good. Nice to get some good laps on the board... I feel like I got into a pretty good rhythm." He added, "I tried a few things to see how we can improve... All in all, I think it was a pretty successful morning."
Looking ahead, Piastri said, "We've prepared well... Just making sure it works as expected is the biggest thing."
Norris, who took over driving duties in the afternoon, was "reasonably" happy with the team's progress. He said, "It's so easy to get caught up in comparisons... But I think we understood a lot... Just what we came here to do, really."
Over at Ferrari, Leclerc said, "It was good again. We pushed a little bit more, which was nice to feel the limit of this car." He added, "I'm happy because we've gone through our program and done everything we wanted."
Hamilton, reflecting on his experiences, said, "It's been a really enjoyable week... To see the mileage we've been able to get is great. In terms of understanding the car, we have a lot less downforce, but it's more fun to drive."
Verstappen, who wrapped up Red Bull's running, labeled the shakedown as "overall pretty decent." He said, "We learned a lot. Still a lot of things we want to look into and do better, but that's normal."
Bearman, who had a particularly high lap count, was pleased with his performance. He said, "We did more than double the mileage in half the time. No issues on the car. I learned a hell of a lot about the car today."
Alonso, who experienced his first run on Friday, said, "I'm excited to be back in the car. For us, it was really the very first days, so I think we had a positive one."
Bortoleto, who ran in the R26 on Day 5, called it "positive." He explained, "We had some issues at the beginning, but then we fixed it and had an amount of good laps."
Hulkenberg, who had an upbeat assessment, said, "It was certainly one of our better days here this week - more than 140 laps, good mileage for the car and all the components."
Bottas, from Cadillac, acknowledged it had been a milestone week for the new squad. He said, "It's great, but we still have a long way to go. We still have lots of problems to solve, but we are getting there step by step."
What's Next:
With the Barcelona Shakedown complete, some teams will now focus on their launches. Mercedes and Williams will hold their events on February 2 and 3, respectively, while Cadillac will unveil their livery on February 8. McLaren and Aston Martin will both launch on February 9.
After that, all eyes turn to official pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, with two tests scheduled for February 11-13 and February 18-20.
So, what do you think? Are you excited for the upcoming launches and testing? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
