Hamilton takes over from Leclerc as Ferrari continues SF-26 running

The Scuderia Ferrari team again participated in the afternoon session on the second day of running at the Montmelo circuit, with the seven-time world champion stepping back into the car after previously testing it during the team’s initial shakedown at Fiorano.

Hamilton replaced teammate Charles Leclerc, who had completed Ferrari’s earlier running on Tuesday morning. Red Bull Racing, who are the other team on track, also made a driver switch for the afternoon, as Isack Hadjar took over from Max Verstappen, who had driven in the wet morning session.

Hamilton reportedly completed several installation laps before returning to the pits, after which he began his planned on-track programme.

While Hamilton and Hadjar continue the afternoon running in Barcelona for both Ferrari and Red Bull, respectively, it was Verstappen who topped the timing sheet from the earlier runs at the Montmelo track.

The Dutch driver clocked a time in the 1:20.00s, with Leclerc said to be about eight tenths slower than the four-time world champion.

Both Leclerc and Verstappen had runs in both dry and wet conditions, as fluctuating weather forced teams to adapt their running strategies throughout the session.

The remaining days of the shakedown are expected to see several teams, including McLaren, which opted against running on Tuesday, hit the track.

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