Ce que vous devez retenir
- In a surprising move, Formula 1 has announced that Barcelona will once again host preseason testing at a critical moment when major regulation changes are set to shake up the grid.
- The new 2026 cars will make their debut at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – but with a twist that might disappoint racing enthusiasts.
- In contrast, the Bahrain tests are expected to be open to the public and broadcast on television.
In a surprising move, Formula 1 has announced that Barcelona will once again host preseason testing at a critical moment when major regulation changes are set to shake up the grid. The new 2026 cars will make their debut at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – but with a twist that might disappoint racing enthusiasts: the public won’t be allowed to watch these tests.
Why the 2026 F1 regulations matter
The 2026 season represents a golden opportunity for teams currently struggling to compete for championships. This includes teams like Aston Martin and Williams, plus new manufacturers entering F1 such as Audi (taking over Sauber), Ford (powering Red Bull), and Cadillac.
The next generation of F1 cars will look dramatically different from today’s machines. They’ll be shorter, narrower, and lighter (a welcome change after years of increasingly bulky cars). The DRS system will be eliminated in favor of active aerodynamics. Perhaps most significantly, the power units will derive equal energy from electric and thermal sources – a change that has attracted more manufacturers due to its relevance to road car technology.
Extended testing schedule for 2026
With such substantial changes on the horizon, teams and drivers need more preseason testing time than the mere three days (just 1.5 days per driver) they’ve been limited to in recent years. This restriction has been a constant source of frustration, especially for drivers switching teams.
For the 2026 season, the FIA and F1 have agreed to expand testing opportunities. The first tests will take place at Barcelona from January 26-30, 2026 – much earlier than usual. This Spanish session will be the most extensive, with five full days to evaluate cars that will differ greatly from current models.
Following Barcelona, teams will head to Bahrain for two additional testing periods: February 11-13 and February 18-20. In total, teams will have eleven testing days to fine-tune their revolutionary new machines before the season begins.
No fans allowed – but why?
The closed-door policy for the Barcelona tests might stem from teams’ desire for privacy as they work through the inevitable technical issues that come with radical rule changes. Finding the right balance between performance and reliability will be a delicate process, and teams may prefer to keep their early struggles (or innovations) away from prying eyes.
Media access is also expected to be restricted, and it remains unclear how much information will be shared through official channels. In contrast, the Bahrain tests are expected to be open to the public and broadcast on television. (The difference in venue investment likely plays a role here.)
The 2026 season and beyond
The 2026 F1 season will kick off around March 8 at the Melbourne Circuit in Australia. The calendar will feature 24 races, including two in Spain: Barcelona on June 14 and the new addition of Madrid on September 13.
While McLaren currently leads the Formula 1 championship, the big question is how the new regulations will reshape the competitive order. No one knows exactly how development is progressing at each team, though there’s notable interest in Aston Martin, where design genius Adrian Newey is already working on their 2026 car.
These private tests in Barcelona might be our first – albeit hidden – glimpse into F1’s next era. Racing fans will just have to wait a bit longer for their first look at the sport’s future.
