Overview
- Lewis Hamilton set the unofficial benchmark of 1:16.348 on the final day, edging strong earlier showings from Mercedes during a week of private, non‑publicly timed running.
- Fernando Alonso completed 61 laps in his first outing with Aston Martin’s Adrian Newey‑designed AMR26 after Lance Stroll’s brief debut the day before ended with a stoppage and red flag.
- Mercedes logged the heaviest mileage and consistent pace, with George Russell leading times on Thursday and Andrea Kimi Antonelli sharing a full race‑distance program earlier in the week.
- Alpine closed the shakedown on a positive note as Franco Colapinto reported more corner‑exit power, greater sliding and smaller car dimensions; he recorded a reported 1:19.150 after early issues were resolved.
- Official preseason running resumes at Bahrain on February 11–13 and February 18–20, where comparable conditions are expected to give a clearer read on the new‑era cars.