Hamilton tops final day as Mercedes leads Barcelona shakedown mileage

Lewis Hamilton set the final-day unofficial fastest lap (1:16.348) as Mercedes led the Barcelona shakedown with the week’s most mileage (over 500 laps across three days) in a mileage-focused prelude to Bahrain. Charles Leclerc topped the morning times (1:16.653) with Lando Norris (1:16.594) and Oscar Piastri close behind before Hamilton sealed top spot after a late switch to soft tyres. Ferrari engines were second in mileage and Red Bull Ford Powertrains third, with Max Verstappen returning on Friday for 69 laps (best 1:18.285) after Isack Hadjar’s crash earlier in the week. Aston Martin drew attention for its distinctive sidepod/engine-cover design; Williams were absent due to production delays, while Haas, Audi and Cadillac also ran. No red flags interrupted the day as teams prepare for Bahrain on 11–13 February.