On the third day of Formula 1’s secret 2026 shakedown test at the Barcelona circuit, six teams were active on track, including Mercedes, McLaren, Alpine, Haas, Racing Bulls, and Audi. Mercedes was especially busy, covering 183 laps with George Russell in the morning and Kimi Antonelli in the afternoon. Antonelli also set the fastest lap of the week so far, though timings aren’t official.
McLaren made its first appearance in the 2026 car when Lando Norris took to the track after skipping the first two days. Other drivers like Arvid Lindblad, Oliver Bearman and Nico Hülkenberg also ran, but their teams faced technical issues that brought out red flags.
Behind-closed-doors testing continues as teams use this private session to learn about their new cars under the 2026 rules before official pre-season tests in Bahrain.