According to AutoRacer, the 2026 Formula 1 season could start in January with testing in Barcelona.
The three-day testing session for the 2025 season has just concluded, but Formula 1 is already looking ahead. Next year, a new set of regulations will be introduced, which, according to various renderings shown by the FIA, represents a true revolution in the aerodynamic field. For this reason, teams will need more test days to adapt to these new dynamics.
According to the authoritative magazine AutoRacer, the 2026 season could start earlier than expected, potentially as early as January. In fact, the first pre-season tests are anticipated to take place in Barcelona from January 26 to 30. These five days would be split as follows: three days of official testing for the eleven teams (including Cadillac) and two days for shakedown.
This setup is reminiscent of what happened in 2022, the year of the regulation change with the new ground-effect cars. Therefore, the teams will necessarily require additional days to understand and analyze the behavior of the cars with the new modifications and any technical issues that might arise.
After the five days in Barcelona, according to the forecasts, the Circus is expected to move to Bahrain, where two three-day testing sessions are planned:
- 12-14 february
- 18-20 february
In total, the teams would have nine days (plus two days for shakedown) to carefully study every single area of the new regulations.