Formula 1’s ridiculous plan to hold the first 2026 test in secret has already failed

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Formula 1 fans will be excited to see the 2026 cars in action for the first time in the shakedown session in Barcelona – except, they won’t.

The teams will take to the Circuit de Catalunya next week in the first official test of the season. Many teams have already run their cars in private sessions, such as Audi, Cadillac, Racing Bulls and Alpine.

Barcelona will be a chance for teams and fans to get an idea of where the pecking order stands for 2026. The private tests did not reveal all too much, besides Cadillac struggling to start their engine and Arvid Lindblad spinning in Imola for Racing Bulls.

The countdown is on — which 2026 challenger are you most excited to see? 👀

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The issue with the first shakedown of 2026 is that the teams will get an idea of where their rivals are, but neither the fans nor the media will. F1 have decided to hold the sessions behind closed doors.

Not many are sure why this plan has been taken, and the possible reasons for it seem a bit questionable. Besides, the aim to keep the test a secret has already failed in spectacular fashion.

Formula 1’s ridiculous plan to keep the 2026 Barcelona shakedown private has already failed

Perhaps one reason why teams intend to keep the Barcelona shakedown quiet is what happened the last time there was a major change in the regulations.

F1 suffered a ‘PR disaster’ in 2014 when the sport shifted to turbo-hybrid V6 engines. At the shakedown at Jerez, very little mileage was covered across all 11 teams, three of which did not get a lap in at all.

It is something that F1 will be desperate to avoid, but the likelihood of that happening again, especially with today’s cars and technology, is slim to none. It makes the reason for keeping the 2026 test a secret completely ridiculous, and their efforts are in vain anyway.

It was confirmed that Sky Sports will provide daily coverage of the shakedown through pit lane reporter Ted Kravitz. He is highly knowledgeable about all the happenings of the paddock and is sure to give detailed, inside information on what occurs in Barcelona.

While Kravitz’s coverage will be absolutely welcome, it does defeat the whole point of what F1 was trying to achieve. It was completely pointless to have the test behind closed doors when fans could get to see what happens anyway.

READ MORE: Ralf Schumacher already hearing about 2026 Ferrari ‘disaster’ as worrying testing theory emerges

McLaren will not be at the first day of Barcelona testing, and others could join them

Ahead of the first test of 2026, there are already some similarities to 2014 and the nightmare the teams suffered with the rule changes.

McLaren will not take part in the first day of the test, opting to focus on the development of the MCL40. 12 years ago, at Jerez, the Woking outfit did not make it out of the garage for any laps.

Furthermore, Marussia did not build their car in time to make it to the circuit, while Lotus did not turn up at all. It is rumoured that a similar situation could unfold in Barcelona.

A paddock rumour suggests Red Bull may not make it to the first day of testing as they are said to be lagging behind with their 2026 preparations. Williams may not make it either, as they are struggling to develop the chassis.