Hadjar Tops Unofficial Day 1 Afternoon at F1 Barcelona Test

Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Isack Hadjar unofficially set the fastest time during the afternoon session of Day 1 at Formula 1’s 2026 Barcelona pre-season shakedown, according to local Spanish reports.

With live timing discontinued after the morning session and strict security measures in place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, information from the track has been limited. However, reports from Soy Motor indicate that the Red Bull Racing driver topped the times with a lap of 1:18.159.

Hadjar’s benchmark placed him ahead of George Russell in second position. The Mercedes driver recorded a 1:18.696, making him the only other competitor to lap in the 1m18s range during the afternoon running.

Early Pace and Mileage Focus

Behind the leading pair, Franco Colapinto of Alpine completed the unofficial top three at the end of the opening day. The session also marked the first laps of Sergio Perez for Cadillac at a Formula 1 test, as the American manufacturer continues preparations for its debut season.

From a mileage perspective, Esteban Ocon emerged as one of the busiest drivers. The Haas driver reportedly completed around 150 laps, the highest total of the day. Mercedes also accumulated the second-highest mileage overall, underlining a clear focus on reliability and systems validation rather than outright performance.

Unofficial Nature of the Data

All afternoon figures remain unofficial, with no publicly available timing data and no confirmation from Formula 1 or the teams themselves. As with any early pre-season test, lap times are heavily influenced by fuel loads, run plans, power unit modes, and aerodynamic testing programmes, making direct performance comparisons unreliable.

Unofficial Afternoon Classification – Day 1

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Looking Ahead to Day 2

Day 2 of the Barcelona pre-season test begins on Tuesday morning at 09:00 local time (CET). With several teams expected to expand their programmes and increase mileage, further clues may emerge regarding early technical direction under the new 2026 regulations, even if competitive order remains carefully disguised.

While Hadjar’s unofficial pace has drawn early attention, the true picture will only begin to form as teams progress through the week and into the more representative Bahrain tests.