Lewis Hamilton matched Charles Leclerc’s speed in Barcelona (Image: Getty)
has brushed off concerns about his one-lap speed heading into his first season as a driver, finishing one-tenth clear of new team-mate on the opening day of a Pirelli tyre test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Hamilton and Leclerc were joined by the duo of and Oscar Piastri at the Spanish Grand Prix’s host venue on Tuesday for the first day of track time in Pirelli’s latest tyre test.
Pirelli held its first off-season test at Circuit Paul Ricard last week, with Norris and Piastri testing the prospective wet and intermediate tyres that will be used during the 2026 season. Their second programme takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday in Barcelona, and four cars are on track.
According to an report, Norris was the fastest of the four drivers on day one, posting a best time of 1:15.2. Hamilton’s fastest time was 1:15.9, seven-tenths down on the driver, but crucially, one-tenth clear of new team-mate Leclerc.
While testing times are not accurate representations of a driver’s true pace, the fact that Hamilton is, after private TPC test days in Fiorano and Barcelona, matching the speed of Leclerc will be a huge a mental boost for the seven-time world champion.
Hamilton lost out 19-5 to team-mate in qualifying last year and was severely lacking confidence on Saturdays. This caused speculation among some pundits, who believed that the seven-time world champion was losing his edge over one lap.
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George Russell beat Hamilton 19-5 in qualifying in 2024 (Image: Getty)
“For Lewis, it is something he will have to work on, though, because in 2025, it’s going to be super close, and if he is two or three tenths away from Charles, you could end up P6 or P7 on the grid and all of a sudden, your race is completely different,” former F1 driver Karun Chandhok told Betway.
“I’m sure it’s weighing on his mind, but I don’t think Lewis needs people to tell him where he needs to improve, he knows within himself where he needs to improve, and you can see the body language.”
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Along with the tests in France and Spain, Pirelli plans another test before pre-season gets under way in Bahrain. However, Hamilton and will not be at the track, with Alpine, and the teams called upon to aid the tyre manufacturer.
“On 4 and 5 February, and will be on track at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit, and then, on 12 and 13 at Jerez de la Frontera, Alpine will be working with us on both days, while and will do one day each,” explained motorsport director Mario Isola.