Another day done in Barcelona! On Wednesday the third test day of this first shakedown was held behind closed doors. After Tuesday’s rain showers the drivers kept it dry at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. That allowed a broad mix of teams back on track. Constructors’ champions McLaren took to the circuit for the first time with the new MCL40, while Red Bull — after a crash on Tuesday — skipped this third test day.
At 08:00 UTC this morning Mercedes were the first to emerge at the end of the pit lane. After the opening test day on Monday the Silberpfeile returned to action. Not long after, Racing Bulls and Alpine followed. Haas and Audi also took part, although the morning session did not run smoothly for either team. Both Oliver Bearman and Nico Hülkenberg came to a halt on track: the red flag was waved twice. For Audi it was the second stoppage of the test week; on Monday Gabriel Bortoleto had to bring his R26 to a stop due to a technical fault.
Norris steps into the MCL40
Two hours later McLaren finally joined the running and put the first metres on the board in the new MCL40. In a special test livery — and running race number 1 — reigning world champion Lando Norris blasted onto the circuit. According to sources in Barcelona his first stint was short-lived: after one reconnaissance lap he returned to the pit lane. Not long after he was able to continue and completed McLaren’s opening laps. George Russell, meanwhile, did solid work for Mercedes. Reportedly he covered the most laps in the morning and also set the fastest time of the week. It fuels rumours that the Silberpfeile will be dominant again in 2026.
During the afternoon session there were several driver changes. Russell stood down for Kimi Antonelli and Franco Colapinto — who had clocked no fewer than 56 laps for Alpine — swapped places with Pierre Gasly. Meanwhile Nico Hülkenberg returned to the circuit for a second shot in his Audi R26. Arvid Lindblad remained active for Racing Bulls, although not without problems. The British‑Swedish driver stopped on track and brought out another red flag. His VCARB 03 had to be recovered by a tow truck. It was the first mechanical retirement for a car running a Red Bull power unit.
Later in the afternoon Antonelli went quicker than his team‑mate. A Mercedes car still topped the timing screens, but the real pecking order remains conjecture for now. Notably, Lando Norris was absent for much of the session; sources say the black McLaren only returned to the circuit with one hour left on the clock. The MCL40 was extensively filmed by Formula 1 cameras during that period. The unanswered question is whether this car will prove as competitive as its predecessor.
