Lando Norris
McLaren
Mercedes
Red Bull
Ferrari
Williams
Racing Bulls
Aston Martin
Haas
Alpine
The 2026 Formula 1 grid is set to hit the track together at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona at the end of January, but there could be a notable absentee.
The test will be the first chance for the teams to see where their packages stack up against their rivals and how the new cars are looking ahead of the regulation changes.
Audi were the first to shake down their 2026 car in Barcelona. Running an all-black livery, the German manufacturer kept their session under wraps, but spy footage gave fans the first look at the new machines.
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Cadillac tested their car at Silverstone, also with an all-black design, but F1’s 11th team revealed more photos and videos during a filming day with Zhou Guanyu and Sergio Perez.
More private tests are set to go ahead before the Barcelona outing. Liam Lawson will gather the ‘first real data’ for Racing Bulls and indeed Red Bull’s in-house engine.
Barcelona will merely be a shakedown session for the teams before official testing starts in Bahrain in February. However, one F1 team may not even make it to Spain next week.
Williams may not make it to Barcelona due to issues with their chassis
According to journalist Ralf Bach, there have been rumours that Williams may not make it to the Circuit de Catalunya. They have encountered serious problems with their chassis amid the regulation changes.
He said via F1-Insider: “And what I keep hearing more and more often is that Williams won’t even make it to the first test week in Barcelona, not even for chassis reasons.
“So there are people who say they’re not even going there because the chassis isn’t up to scratch with all that extra weight and they just can’t manage it.
“Can’t manage it with a lot of excess weight and they just can’t get it right. That’s rumoured. Whether it’s true, we’ll see. If Williams is there then it wasn’t true. But if it is there, well, good night.”
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Williams are coming off a stellar 2025 campaign, with two podiums courtesy of Carlos Sainz. Finishing P5 in the championship was perhaps not what they envisioned, especially when they made it clear that 2026 was the priority.
But if the rumours are true, not making it to Barcelona, after all that time preparing for the new rules, would be an embarrassment. It would see a repeat of F1’s ‘PR disaster’ in 2014 if one team does not make it to the circuit.
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But if the Grove outfit does manage to solve their issues and make it to the test, many have high hopes for the team. Former Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has heard encouraging things about Williams and that they have made ‘considerable progress’ for 2026.
James Vowles has found an improvement at ‘zero cost’ at Williams with their work practices. The team’s operation has changed for the better, but it will all be for nothing if they cannot make it to the first 2026 test.
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