Williams will miss the first pre-season test event of the 2026 F1 season as it was unable to prepare its car for the shakedown in Barcelona.
Rumors surfaced on Thursday that the car had not passed the crash tests required to take part in the closed-door event at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from January 26 to 30. In the closed-door event, teams were coordinating all new cars to run together for the first time.
On Friday, Williams issued a statement confirming its absence from the first event, but said it expected to be ready to drive in Bahrain in the first of two official tests arranged by F1 from February 11 to 13.
The introduction of a new chassis and power unit for 2026 is described by many as the biggest regulation change in the history of the sport, posing a huge challenge for teams as they prepare new cars just seven weeks after the end of the 2025 season.
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A statement from the team said: “In order to continue to maximize the performance of our car, the Atlassian Williams F1 Team has taken the decision not to participate in next week’s shakedown test in Barcelona following delays to our FW48 program.”
“Instead, the team will conduct a series of tests next week, including a VTT program, on the 2026 car in preparation for the first official test in Bahrain and the first race of the season in Melbourne.”
“We look forward to getting back on track in the coming weeks and would like to thank our fans for their continued support. We have much to look forward to together in 2026.”
More to come…
When does F1 pre-season testing take place?
With the introduction of new regulations, a strong schedule of three separate test events is planned before the start of the 2026 season.
The first test will take place behind closed doors in Barcelona from January 26th to 30th, followed by two more tests in Bahrain from February 11th to 13th and 18th to 20th.
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Highlights from F1 testing at Barcelona Shakedown will be streamed live every night from Monday 26th January to Friday 30th January from 7pm on Sky Sports F1 YouTube and 9pm on Sky Sports F1 Channel.
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The team will then have two weeks to prepare for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne from March 6th to 8th.
The first practice session of the season will take place on Friday, March 6th, followed by qualifying on Saturday, March 7th and the opening race on Sunday, March 8th.
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