My preference would be that you have an approved verification plan which allows (among other methodologies) the acceptance of lab notebook contents as evidence of verification provided that the contents are subject to an independent (and critical) review. If the lab notebooks are subject to appropriate controls and the documentation within them is not suspect in anyway (records are cleanly made by an identified person on a specified date, records aren't 'back-corrected', etc.) then it is possible they might serve as evidence of verification.
The lab notebooks would become part of the Design History File and would be subject to all the necessary documentation controls for such records.
Generally, I would prefer that protocols be created and approved prior to verification testing. Verification testing is also intended to be done on established/released/controlled designs with validated test methods, specified (and if necessary calibrated) equipment, and trained testers.
I've kept lab notebooks myself (for a variety of medical device compliance-adjacent reasons) and I would prefer that people not poke around in my notebooks as objective evidence. I've written up analyses based on my notebooks for consumption by folks looking for something specific, and let those write-ups be my official account. To my knowledge such reports have never been used as design verification.
