The beginning of the 2026 F1 season and the debut of the brand new regulations is not as far away as it feels as the year kicks off with the Australian Grand Prix on March 8. But there is plenty of action for F1 fans to get their teeth into prior to this, especially considering there are a total of three preseason tests to follow this year.
First of these is all set to kick off Monday at Barcelona as all teams will get the chance to test out their new generation cars in a proper capacity for the first time. This first test is an important moment at the start of a new regulations era, that will not only deal with major changes to the car but also the fuel, as more sustainable fuels are coming into the sport in 2026.
Hence, there is a lot to look forward to, even apart from the completely overhauled aerodynamic and power unit regulations. So let’s take a look at a few key details regarding the preseason test in Spain.
Barcelona Preseason Test: Dates, Venue, Schedule & Other Key Details
The first preseason test of the 2026 is scheduled to go ahead at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit for a total of five days from Monday to Friday. During this time, a team will be allowed to only run on three of the five total days. A team will be registered as having run a day as soon as one of their cars complete a lap, notwithstanding what they do the rest of the day. [via Formula1.com]
According to GPBlog, each of the five days will be divided into two sessions of four hours each with a break in the middle of them. The first session will begin at 9:00 AM CET (local time) (8:00 GMT) and run until 1:00 PM CET (12:00 PM GMT). The second session of the day will start after a one-hour break, continuing from 2:00 PM CET (1:00 PM GMT) until 6:00 PM CET (5:00 PM GMT).
Who is Taking Part?
This special five-day test has been organized by the 11 F1 teams on the grid and hence all of them were expected to attend with both their cars and drivers. But on Friday, the Williams F1 team announced that they are opting out of the test after delays relating to their new FW48 challenger. Many reports have suggested this delay has been caused due to a chassis issue.
So, as things stand, all the other 10 teams on the grid are expected to be at the test, including newcomers Cadillac, who will get their first taste of such an outing. Audi will also be making their debut as a works’ team, evaluating their new power units.
PlanetF1‘s Thomas Maher has also reported that the Aston Martin team has also encountered some delays ahead of the test in Barcelona and are expected to miss the first day of the test. The Silverstone-based team will instead decide on their run plan on this day, which is Monday. It remains to be seen how much of a part they can take during the shakedown.
How to Follow the Barcelona Preseason Test?
Unfortunately for F1 fans, the preseason test at Barcelona will not be telecast live. Since the event has been organized by the teams, it is being conducted behind closed doors and without the presence of any media at the track. Only team personnel from the teams are expected to be at the event.
Fans will have to wait for updates about how their favorite teams and drivers got on during the preseason test from them alone.
Beyond the Barcelona Preseason Test
The preparations for the 2026 F1 season will not simply stop in Barcelona. Following the five days of testing in Spain, the teams will then return once again for the first official pre-season test at Bahrain, scheduled from Feb. 11-13. The fans will be able to watch this three-day test live as they have done in previous years. It will also be open to the media.
Following this, another test of the same kind will take place again at the Bahrain International Circuit from Feb. 18-20.
And after a total of 11 days of testing, the 2026 F1 season will kick off with the Australian Grand Prix with Practice 1 at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne scheduled for March 6. The first race of the season will take place on March 8.
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