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yesterday

F1 Confirms 2026 Pre-Season Tests With Private Barcelona Debut

The five-day private collective test in Barcelona will bar outside attendees to protect teams during the rollout of new 2026 regulations.

Formula One F1 - Austrian Grand Prix - Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Austria - June 29, 2025 Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Red Bull's Max Verstappen crash out during the race REUTERS/Gintare Karpaviciute
Sergio Perez of Mexico driving the (11) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 leads Carlos Sainz of Spain driving (55) the Ferrari SF-24 during the F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan at Baku City Circuit on September 15, 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
McLaren's Australian driver Oscar Piastri drives on the third day of the Formula One pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir on February 28, 2025.
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Overview

  • F1’s 2026 pre-season programme opens with a five-day private collective test at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from January 26 to 30 with no outside attendees.
  • The schedule includes two further three-day stints at Bahrain International Circuit on February 11–13 and February 18–20 ahead of the March 6 season opener in Australia.
  • The expanded format responds to sweeping engine and chassis regulations, giving teams extra track time to manage development under the new rules.
  • Journalists, photographers and social media squads will be barred from the Barcelona session to shield early performance from public scrutiny.
  • Teams have yet to decide if they will unveil their new 2026 cars publicly before the private Barcelona test or debut them within the closed session.