High tyre degradation at the Formula 1 Barcelona Grand Prix will create small differences between the three compounds and considerable strategic variation during Sunday's race, according to pole winner George Russell.

Friday's long runs over FP2 demonstrated that the medium compound was dropping off at around three tenths per lap across the opening 10-12 laps of a stint, before dropping off further once beyond that threshold.

Pirelli's decision to opt for a softer grade of tyres at this year's Barcelona race, picking the C2, C3, and C4 compounds, has produced higher-than-expected levels of degradation. The small pace deltas between each grade of tyre also means that there won't be a significant difference between the compounds used.

Barcelona's plethora of high-speed and longer-radius corners has put greater energy into the tyres, making it much more difficult for the drivers to manage their temperatures over a lap, let alone a full stint. Russell says that even the softest of the three, the C4, will likely be used in the race - and that the indications are of a two-stop race at minimum.

"I think closer to a three than a one," Russell responded to a question from Motorsport.com about the expected strategy on Sunday.

"I don’t think a one-stop is going to be possible at all. It’s not clear what the best tyre is; it’s quite interesting, on a track surface like this, all three tyre compounds look quite similar. That was the case last year. 

"Everybody was running the C3s and the C2s last year, and obviously with the C4 this year, it still looks not a bad race tyre. 

"So, there’ll be a lot of variation, but I don’t think a different tyre will make that much of a difference."

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton, who joined Russell on the front row of Sunday's grid after surprising with his final Q3 effort, said that the level of degradation was double what Ferrari had expected.

It may be that a handful of teams will experiment with a three-stopper if they cannot demonstrate a clear improvement in tyre degradation from Friday's FP2 session; Arvid Lindblad's 16-lap run on the medium tyre demonstrated a seven-second drop off between his first lap on the C3s and his final effort prior to pitting.

It was an easier ride for the top teams during FP2, but there was still a considerable per-lap time loss as none of the tyre compounds could produce repeatable lap times - even over short stints. This will be worse in traffic, as the dirty air from the cars in front will exacerbate the effect of overheating in the tyres.

Thus, it would not be unreasonable to suggest that some teams may prefer to make an extra stop rather than get caught in traffic. 
 
"The deg was like double than what we expected," Hamilton confirmed. We came into the weekend with an expectation of whether what the tyres are going to be, and for us, we had twice the amount of deg. 

"It will be interesting to see if that’s improved going into tomorrow, but yes, it’s going to be at least a two-stop."

F1 Barcelona GP: George Russell beats Lewis Hamilton to pole as Charles Leclerc crashes

The starting grid for the 2026 F1 Barcelona GP

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Qualifying at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix is officially in the books, and while the grid is locked in, the drivers are opening up about the absolute tightrope they had to walk to secure their positions.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 immediately after the session, Lewis Hamilton shed light on the intense pressure of the final shootouts, exposing a brutal thermal reality that completely eliminates any safety net for the drivers. On this track, you either nail the peak performance of the rubber on lap one, or your session is effectively over.

The Single-Lap Cliff

In modern Formula 1, drivers occasionally rely on a “prep lap” or a mid-session cool-down lap to take a secondary stab at a flying lap on the same set of soft tyres. However, the blistering track temperatures and abrasive track surface in Barcelona have completely eliminated that luxury.

Hamilton explained that the compounding thermal degradation turns a second push lap into an exercise in futility.

“These tyres only last one lap, right?” Hamilton stated bluntly. “So you only have two shots at it in each session. And even if you do a cool-down lap to go again, the car balance is completely off, so it’s not a good reference.”

This one-lap limitation introduces a massive psychological burden during Qualifying. Because the light grey, sun-baked asphalt of the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit naturally triggers severe understeer and sudden rear-end snaps, sliding just a fraction of an inch too wide immediately cooks the surface layer of the tyre. Once that thermal threshold is crossed, the balance of the chassis completely disintegrates.

Hamilton Clambering Out of a Practice Hole

The single-lap window made Hamilton’s eventual qualifying position even more impressive, given the mountain he had to climb during practice.

After sitting out the opening FP1 session on Friday, Hamilton found himself completely at sea during the subsequent representative runs, desperately hunting for compliance from his Ferrari chassis.

“Honestly, this weekend’s been so difficult,” Hamilton admitted. “Missing FP1—not that it’s necessarily an excuse to miss FP1—but I had a few setbacks, so every time I went out in FP2, I was just over a second off, and I just didn’t feel quite comfortable enough.”

The deficit didn’t magically disappear on Saturday morning either, leaving the seven-time World Champion severely doubting where his starting position would be heading into the high-stakes knockout sessions.

“So then I went into FP3 and again, I was easily four tenths, five tenths off, and I was thinking, ‘Jeez, where am I going to get that pace?'” Hamilton revealed.

Ultimately, finding the sweet spot under extreme pressure when the tyres offer exactly 60 seconds of peak performance is what separates the elite on Sunday. Hamilton managed to pull the rabbit out of the hat when it mattered most, but his technical breakdown proves that managing thermal degradation will be the defining battle of the Grand Prix.

Colton Herta says representing Cadillac on his grand prix weekend debut in Barcelona "meant a lot to me", as he revelled in the speed of a current Formula 1 car.

On Friday, Herta took over Sergio Perez's car for the first of four planned FP1 outings. F1 teams are required to hand four first free practice sessions per year to a rookie, two per car, with Herta slated to conduct all four as he is prepared by Cadillac for a potential F1 career.

At the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Herta completed 27 laps in Perez's Cadillac MAC-26, setting the 21st and slowest time of all runners. But rather than chasing laptimes, Herta's role was to leave the car in a good set-up window for Perez for the remainder of the weekend. As Cadillac's F1 test driver, the outing also gave the Californian a precious opportunity to gain current F1 car experience, following a series of sessions at GM's simulator facility in Charlotte.

"It was very enjoyable," Herta said. "I think we got done what we wanted to get done, which was good. Hopefully I provided some good data for them to look at, and just from a more personal side it's very enjoyable to be a part of something like that, an official session. It means a lot to me, especially having a Cadillac badge as an American. I definitely felt very proud today."

When asked by Motorsport.com how key Barcelona's outing was in his overall development this year, Herta replied: "Having an understanding of how things work is the most important thing. Going through what they go through in the pre-event meetings. And then most importantly, seeing how the session plays out, what they're trying to achieve during the session.

"It's all new and it's quite different to what I've done in the past. There's so much more to look at. So many more sensors, so much more development race to race, there's a lot of things happening. So that's all very new to me, and something that I'm trying to pick up on as fast as possible."

Colton Herta, Cadillac F1 Team

Herta has conducted sporadic F1 testing in the past, but said the vicious speeds of an F1 car were still surprising.

"I think whenever anybody talks about a Formula 1 car in a push lap, it's just the outright speed of it that's the most impressive part," he said. "The braking, the acceleration, the cornering. Every part of it is just faster than anything I've done, so it's very impressive."

Herta is dovetailing his test duties with a drive in Formula 2 with Hitech. The 26-year-old went into the Barcelona weekend in 13th place, having scored points on three occasions while adapting to the European racing scene.

"I just need to continue improving," he said. "Obviously, as a racing driver you want to win and unfortunately at the moment, that's not what's happening. So, we need to just kind of put our heads down and continue to improve. But I think it's been very clear every weekend that it's getting better.

"If we can kind of continue that trend, that's going to be the most positive in my eyes. But like I said, anything that I do, I want to compete in. So, I want to do better than I'm doing at the moment."

Herta is still getting his head around the huge differences between IndyCar, his home for the past seven season, and the different style of racing and machinery in F2, saying a lot of elements felt "foreign" to him.

"It's all very different to my past experience," the nine-time IndyCar race winner explained. "The car, the tyre, the torque of the engine, the downshifts; everything is very foreign at the beginning, so it does take quite a bit of adjustment in the driving style.

"The mental side to tell yourself to do it and then to actually do it is quite difficult, obviously. But I found it enjoyable. Learning new things, driving new cars, it's always been a good thing. And I think it's a good thing for Formula 1 too, right? You need to be a chameleon, the car is changing every weekend, and you need to be able to adjust. So, it's a good year for that."

Cadillac loses maiden F1 point as Sergio Perez penalised

Cadillac on Colton Herta’s tricky F2 debut: ‘He wasn’t going to blow everyone away’

Cadillac F1 CEO Dan Towriss said the squad was satisfied with the underlying progress Herta is making this year, even in the absence of headline results.

"We certainly expected to see the ups and downs," Towriss said when asked by Motorsport.com about Herta's trajectory in 2026. "I think a big part of the Formula 2 journey was to learn tracks and tyres.

"Obviously in Formula 1, one-lap pace is so important, being able to get your tyres ready and go out and do the one lap. And these are very different tyres than what Colton’s raced on his entire career, and so relearning that, learning new tracks as we go – I love the progress that he’s making, and everything’s on track, and it’s really going about how we expected."

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

James Vowles has waded into the Monaco pit lane controversy with a clear position: he’s surprised the FIA reinstated Pierre Gasly‘s podium, and he’d back McLaren and Red Bull in their push to undo it.

The Williams team principal was speaking with Sky Sports F1’s Natalie Pinkham in Barcelona when the full Q&A laid out exactly where he stands.

Gasly had crossed the line third in Monaco, only to be handed two separate five-second time penalties for pit lane speeding that dropped him to seventh.

Evidence later surfaced that a measurement discrepancy at the pit lane entry meant Gasly and four other drivers had been incorrectly flagged for exceeding the 60 km/h limit.

Alpine pushed for a right of review, the stewards agreed, and Gasly’s podium was restored.

Vowles, whose own driver wasn’t directly affected by the result swap, nonetheless offered an explanation of how teams actually manage pit lane speed. Asked by Pinkham for his take, he went deep:

“Here’s my view on it. It’s not the first time. Singapore, I don’t know if people remember a while back – I wasn’t at the team, it was a different team back then – but exactly the same thing happened where… what happens is you can shortcut the pit lane. If you get onboard [camera angle], you’ll see they’re not driving in the white lines, they’re driving across the white lines, so you shorten the distance.

“If you look back as well at Monaco, we received a speeding fine on Friday, and we had a look into it like, ‘Ah, this is what’s happened,’ and tuned down our pit limiter as a result of it, because that is the regulation. What you do is, however they set it, you’re aware of the fact that no one tunes their car pit speed limiter to 60 km/h. It’s always below that in function to how you drive. My advice to anyone is drive the way you’re going to drive on Friday, Saturday, the way you’re going to drive on Sunday. Don’t change your line, which is what catches you out.”

Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu made a similar argument, noting that the large majority of F1’s 22-car grid managed to get through the race without alleged speeding violations – implying driver and team behaviour, not a broken system, was the differentiating factor. Vowles is essentially agreeing.

The Real Problem Is What Happens to George Russell and Oscar Piastri

Where Vowles gets genuinely uncomfortable is over the domino effect the reinstatement creates.

“I’m surprised we have the reinstatement being frank about it. It doesn’t really affect us personally; he was ahead of us whichever way you do that. Obviously, it’s a championship position. I think it’s more it creates a bit of a mess now. What do you do with George? What do you do with Piastri in those same circumstances who should have then been on the podium as a result? That’s the mess that I don’t feel comfortable about.”

Russell was one of five drivers – Ferrari‘s Lewis Hamilton, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, and Alpine team-mates Franco Colapinto and Gasly – who collected five-second time penalties for pit lane speeding during the Monaco race.

Russell’s race unravelled further when Mercedes failed to serve his sanction correctly, which led to a more severe penalty – and in-race penalties of that kind cannot be retrospectively undone by stewards.

That asymmetry is exactly what Vowles is flagging: one driver gets his result corrected, the others don’t, and the sporting outcome becomes incoherent.

McLaren and Red Bull have both filed notices of their intention to appeal. For Red Bull, the motive is obviously Gasly’s restoration drops Isack Hadjar from third to fourth. For McLaren, Oscar Piastri moves back to fifth.

Both teams lodged their notifications within the one-hour window available, and now have a further 96 hours – until Tuesday afternoon – to file an official appeal.

Pinkham put it to Vowles that both teams had already signalled they might challenge the decision.

“For a good reason. I would support them in that, absolutely,” he confirmed.

Williams has no skin in the podium fight itself, which makes Vowles’s position all the more credible. When a team principal with nothing to gain says the reinstatement created a mess, it’s a genuine verdict on a process that answered one injustice while leaving several others unresolved. The FIA now faces pressure from a large number of people in the paddock.

Perhaps Lewis Hamilton hadn't quite realised what he'd let himself in for upon joining Ferrari last year. For all of the hype around his move to Formula 1's longest-serving team, his first year fell flat.

His form so far in 2026, however, has illustrated a night-and-day difference in his demeanour. Many of his frustrations had been borne from Ferrari's decision to call quits on developing its 2025 car early, having put the bulk of its focus into 2026 as early as April.

The 2025 car had been in some regards an evolution of its 2024 car, albeit with a significant change to its front suspension package that perhaps would have benefitted from a greater run-up in terms of development. Furthermore, it was already in production when Hamilton had joined the team, and the seven-time champion was effectively forced into adapting to a car in which he'd had no input.

Furthermore, Hamilton struggled to gel with his team. Although the team had played it down slightly over the course of last year, it was apparent that his side of the garage needed a reshuffle - Riccardo Adami since stepped down as his race engineer, and Carlo Santi now fulfils the role.

Hamilton had earlier dubbed Santi as the "Italian Bono" - referring to his long-time Mercedes race engineer Pete Bonnington - and noted that the two had a great working relationship. This extends to the team as a whole, and Hamilton feels that he and Ferrari are on the same wavelength.

"It's been a great first part of the season, it could of course be better, but I think it's been a real positive feeling, the harmony between myself and my personal team and the racing team is better than it's ever been," he said.

"It's taken us a good year to get to know each other and we're more aligned than ever and I think this is a good foundation for us to then build on moving forwards.

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

"There's still a huge amount of work to do, there's still improvements we need to make. In terms of galvanising the troops, they're all so passionate, you go back to the factory I've never seen a love for a team like it and a passion for the team. It's just about directing that, steering it in the right direction, that's what I try to do."

Discussing his much stronger start to 2026, Hamilton explained that he had spent last year suggesting changes to Ferrari's processes and in asking for certain changes to be made to the car, which were not possible when development closed down on 2025.

Fully ingratiated in the team for 2026, however, Hamilton says his feedback has now been listened to and acted upon by the Ferrari design team - and that he spurred the team on to be innovative with its 2026 developments. 

Ferrari has indeed taken the initiative with some of its developments, most notably with its rotating "Macarena" wing - which turns upside down to dump drag when the straight-mode active aerodynamics system is applied. The team has also explored winglets mounted within the exhaust exit, which almost all of the 2026 grid has since built into their designs.

"When you're in a scenario where you know what's needed to improve and you shout it from the top of the mountain, and it doesn't get done necessarily because it can't be done immediately - or it takes months to develop, or it can't happen to the next year because of the regulations, whatever it may be, it's like banging your head against the wall and it's tough," he continued.

"So, it's nice to be in a [different] period. For example, last year, one of the things I was [asking was] 'Where is our innovation? Ferrari should be the innovators; they should be the ones that all the teams are trying to copy.' 

"This year you see us arrive with innovative things that other people have followed, and there is a lot more innovation coming which is really exciting. 

Rear wing comparison, Ferrari SF-26

"I think probably the fact that I'm now starting to see some of those things happen, and Fred has really been great with working with me and helping make certain changes that I've wanted, that it just kind of releases you to get up and do what you do best."

Hamilton feels that Ferrari still needs to find more overall downforce to start challenging Mercedes on a more regular basis. Ferrari has also been granted two upgrades through the ADUO system, but it is expected that any developments to the powertrain will have a much longer lead time. 

The team introduced a new aero package for Barcelona, featuring an updated front wing and a series of new floor components.

Ferrari unleashes major Barcelona F1 upgrades as it chases down Mercedes

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

The Barcelona-Catalunya grand prix is shaping up to be a true tyre battle. Long-run simulations at the end of Friday’s second free practice session revealed one thing above all else: exceptionally high tyre degradation across the entire Formula 1 field.

In some cases, drivers lost as much as five seconds of pace within just ten laps – even on the supposedly durable C3 compound, which serves as the medium tyre this weekend.

This extreme degradation could completely reshape the Formula 1 pecking order on race day.

Charles Leclerc topped the long-run charts for Ferrari at the end of the session. The Scuderia not only brought eight upgrades to the SF-26 in Spain, but also appears to have arrived with a car that traditionally struggles to bring its tyres up to temperature, yet suffers less degradation as a result – a potential trump card in Barcelona.

After accounting for differences in stint lengths and tyre compounds, Leclerc was 0.16 seconds per lap faster than Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli. By contrast, teammates Lewis Hamilton (+0.83) and George Russell (+1.4) encountered significant difficulties with their long-run pace.

Is Ferrari really the favourite in Barcelona?

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

These results come as something of a surprise. In recent years, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has generally been considered a challenging venue for Ferrari, while Mercedes and McLaren have traditionally performed more strongly there.

Reigning world champions McLaren were, on average, 0.39 seconds per lap slower during the long runs and also struggled with severe tyre degradation. However, the team looked much stronger over a single lap, as did Mercedes.

As a result, it remains difficult to identify a clear favourite for the remainder of the weekend. The teams now have time to analyse the data and adjust their setups to cope with the high degradation levels, meaning the competitive order could still shift considerably.

Red Bull only the fourth-fastest team?

Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Red Bull is equally difficult to assess. Max Verstappen managed only sixth place in the qualifying simulations, while the team's long-run pace (+0.45) was broadly comparable to McLaren's, leaving them noticeably behind Ferrari and Mercedes.

Red Bull proved particularly competitive in the high-speed first sector but lost time through the corners. Ferrari, meanwhile, struggled on the straights yet gained significant time in the second sector. Mercedes and McLaren appeared consistently strong across all three sectors.

Midfield: Finally more points for Audi?

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team

In the midfield battle, Racing Bulls and Audi impressed once again, continuing the strong form they displayed in Monaco. Arvid Lindblad finished seventh in the second practice session, while Gabriel Bortoleto followed closely behind in eighth for Audi. The German team also looked solid during the long-run simulations.

With an average deficit of 1.02 seconds per lap to the outright pace, Nico Hulkenberg recorded the strongest long-run performance among the midfield drivers – and by a comfortable margin. The next-best midfield runner was Haas driver Oliver Bearman, who was already losing nearly two seconds per lap.

Williams endured a more difficult day. The team last scored points in Barcelona ten years ago, and this year's pace appears unlikely to change that trend. Their long-run deficit stood at 2.75 seconds per lap. Only Cadillac (+3.13) and Aston Martin (+4.56) were slower.

Tyre Battle: Pirelli expects “At least two atops”

Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Lando Norris, McLaren

Tyres remain the dominant story of the weekend. Degradation levels were enormous on Friday, and even in qualifying trim the performance gap between the three compounds appeared relatively small. The expected gains from switching from the medium to the soft tyre largely failed to materialise.

For the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, Pirelli has deliberately selected a softer tyre range, bringing the C2, C3 and C4 compounds instead of the usual C1 to C3 selection. Even so, a two-stop strategy was already the fastest option last year, and under the current conditions it appears all but unavoidable.

“We wanted to encourage more pit stops, at least more than one,” Pirelli Motorsport Director Dario Marrafuschi explained to Sky. “We expected two stops, but under these conditions tyre degradation is becoming very severe.”

“The rear tyres are overheating significantly, making life extremely difficult for the drivers. On Sunday, at least two pit stops will probably be necessary – everything beyond that will depend on the conditions.”

“How it should be” – Mercedes backs FIA’s ADUO verdict after surprise Red Bull result

F1 Barcelona GP: Saturday schedule, weather forecast and how to watch

McLaren, Red Bull lodge intention to appeal Pierre Gasly's right of review win

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli has spoken out about the support he has received from Formula 1 champions Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

The 19-year-old driver, in his second year in the championship, currently leads the drivers' championship by 66 points over Hamilton. His dominant start to the season, which has included five consecutive grand prix victories, has placed him firmly in the championship fight.

Speaking during the drivers' press conference in Barcelona, Antonelli was asked whether Hamilton and Verstappen had offered any specific tips on how to beat his experienced team-mate George Russell, and was also asked about their support in general.

"No, we haven't talked specifically about that. Well, Max, his latest advice was to wait for the red light to go off and wait one second," he joked. "Then unfortunately, yeah, he had the PU issue, but that was his latest advice, which obviously was a joke.

"But no, we haven't talked specifically about that. We talk about a lot of stuff, but not so much about that. He just said to keep doing what I'm doing, keep enjoying, keep being myself, and then the results will come.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

"It's been many drivers, but also, as we're talking specifically about Max and Lewis, they've been very kind as well since I've joined the sport, and they seem to be very supportive as well.

"It's great to see, it's great to witness on my side. But they also don't want to, I mean, we're still competitors at the end of the day, so you still don't want to give too much advice. But yeah, it's been fun, the relationship with them."

After winning the Chinese, Japanese, Miami, Canadian and Monaco Grands Prix, Antonelli leads the championship. Hamilton overtook Russell for second in Monaco and sits 66 points behind the Italian. Russell follows in third, two points behind his former team-mate.

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Fernando Alonso has conceded that this weekend's Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix will likely mark his final Formula 1 race at the circuit.

Speaking during the drivers' press conference, the 44-year-old acknowledged his fans' unwavering support while also dropping a hint regarding his retirement.

"It's going to be a special weekend, probably my last Barcelona race in Formula 1," he said.

"So, I want to say thanks to everyone. I will try to enjoy the weekend. I will not be competitive and I will not be too long in the car in qualifying, and in the race, hopefully yes, but not at the pace that we all want. But I want everyone to still enjoy the weekend.

"It has always been a celebration when they come to Barcelona. I think it's my 23rd Spanish Grand Prix, and all of them have been magical. And this last has to be magical as well."

When asked if it was difficult to think about this as his last race in Barcelona, the Spaniard explained that the hardest part was not being competitive. Alonso picked up Aston Martin's first point of the 2026 season with a 10th-place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix.

The Silverstone outfit has faced major issues during 2026, despite its new power unit partnership with Honda and its car being the first designed under the leadership of Adrian Newey.

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing

"No, I mean, it's not hard. For me, the hardest thing is not to win races and not to be competitive. If it's the last or not the last, it's not affecting too much," Alonso added.

"I'm at peace with my career and with my life, and if anything comes now, welcome. If it doesn't come, it will not change my feeling. I achieved a lot more than I ever dreamt when I was a kid, or I was here, as we said again, my first test here or my go-kart experience when I was racing in Spain. I never dreamt to be a Formula 1 driver and then race for the best teams in the paddock and stay for a very long time.

"So, everything is a plus. It is a plus now. I'm not as competitive as we all want to be in the team now, and that's probably the biggest pain that we go through every weekend. But in terms of personal feeling, it's not too hard, or it's not anything."

Alonso has not officially announced his retirement yet, and with no Barcelona race in 2027, it is still unclear as to whether he may retire at the end of this season or next.

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.