Hadjar Tops Day 1 of 2026 Barcelona Shakedown; Perez Debuts with Cadillac

Isack Hadjar unofficially led the afternoon session of the first day of 2026 pre-season testing in Barcelona, setting a 1m 18.159s. With live timing disabled and security tight, reports were scarce, but Red Bull's new recruit managed to outpace George Russell. The session also marked Sergio Perez's first track appearance with Cadillac.

Why it matters:

The Barcelona shakedown offers the first glimpse into the pecking order for the new regulations era. With Red Bull integrating new talent and Cadillac fielding their car for the first time, these early laps are critical for validating simulation data and reliability before the season opener.

The details:

• The Pace: Hadjar's 1:18.159 put him half a second clear of Russell, who was the only other driver in the 1m18s bracket.
• Debuts: Sergio Perez took to the track for Cadillac, alongside teammate Valtteri Bottas, marking the American team's on-track entry.
• Mileage: Esteban Ocon, now with Haas, reportedly completed around 150 laps, leading the mileage charts ahead of Mercedes.
• Other Times: Franco Colapinto (Alpine) was third, followed by Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli.

What's next:

Testing continues on Tuesday morning at 09:00 local time, giving teams another opportunity to rack up mileage and refine their setups under the new regulations.