Formula 1 Barcelona-Catalunya Pre-Season Testing

Fred Vasseur: Barcelona F1 shakedown "a very good first step" for Ferrari

Ferrari topped the lap charts on Thursday as Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton get to grips with the all-new SF-26 in Barcelona

Ferrari Formula 1 team principal Fred Vasseur says the Scuderia's mileage in the Barcelona shakedown is an "important milestone" as the team explores the SF-26.

Ferrari pipped Mercedes in Thursday's lap charts as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc completed a total of 170 laps, with Mercedes on 168 after racking up the most miles of any team over its three days of running - a benchmark that won't be beaten on Friday's final day.

But while most attention has gone to the near flawless debut of the Mercedes W17, Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur believes his team can also be satisfied with the running it has completed already, with Ferrari also on track again on Friday.

"It was an interesting first day with slicks for us. We had day one in wet conditions, and [Thursday] was a very good session with something like 180 laps on the board, and this is important for the team, for their ability to accumulate mileage, to learn about the car," the Ferrari boss explained. "It's a huge challenge for everybody, and the more mileage you are doing, the more you are learning, and this is good.

"But still a lot to do, it's still a long way, a long way before Melbourne and the season, but I think it was a first step, today was a very good one. It's an important milestone to be able to run, to put mileage in. I think we can do more, but at one stage you have to stop to refuel!"

Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc $ Frédéric Vasseur, Ferrari

Photo by: Ferrari

Despite Barcelona being a shakedown, with real performance running to follow at Bahrain's two tests in February, Vasseur says the all-new nature of the 2026 cars means it is even more important than usual to get in the laps.

"You have tons of topics to scan on the car, from aero, to mechanical, to engine; energy deployment is a big topic for everybody. It means that you have to scan every single parameter, and it's taking time, and the best way to do it is to stay on track.

"At the end of the day, we'll have to keep in mind that performance at one stage will become crucial, but the target was to be able to accumulate mileage, and we did it."

Leclerc added: "The checklist is still massive, so there are still many things we want to test and try differently, whether it's some set-up on the car or some approaches that we have with this new system.

"In terms of performance, I have no idea where we are and it's just a huge question mark. There's nothing that tells me: 'Okay, we are more or less here or here'."