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Eleven days of testing granted by the FIA ​​to the teams for the new 2026 regulations

Pre-season testing will be split into three five- and three-day sessions, in Barcelona and Bahrain, in January and February next year.

Published 30/06/2025 à 12:59

Hugues Derckel

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Eleven days of testing granted by the FIA ​​to the teams for the new 2026 regulations

Eric Alonso / DPPI

To great ills, great remedies. Charles Leclerc announced it on the sidelines of the Austrian Grand Prix, "The 2026 regulations will probably make the cars much less enjoyable to drive." In addition to the engine revolution, these new single-seaters will feature active aerodynamics and reworked bodywork.

To enable a better understanding of the F1 2026, the FIA ​​has implemented eleven days of testing pre-season, divided into three sessions of five and three days: from January 26 to 30 in Barcelona, ​​then from February 11 to 13 and from February 18 to 20 in Sakhir (Bahrain). In Spain, the teams will only be able to ride on three of the five days, which will be held in a private setting and not broadcast.

For the latest introduction of new regulations in Formula 1, at the start of 2022, the teams were granted an additional three-day session, in addition to private shakedowns and driving sessions for authorized advertising filming.

Eleven days of testing, something not seen in over ten years

Since 2021, F1 has reduced the format to three days, all held in Bahrain, in order to limit costs and increase the challenge for teams, with the exception of 2022. Before that, the standard format was six days, spread over two sessions in Barcelona and sometimes Bahrain.

Pre-season testing is a pivotal moment for F1 teams ahead of their season. It's the first session during which they can draw conclusions from simulations conducted over several weeks, if not months, of development.

It's also the first gathering of the season, where all the teams spy on each other, on the lookout for the slightest innovation. In 2022, for example, Mercedes et Red Bull had waited until the second practice session before testing their respective pontoon philosophies, used for the remainder of the season.

Formula 1 pre-season testing in 2026:

  • from January 26 to 30 in Barcelona (Spain)

  • from February 11 to 13 in Sakhir (Bahrain)

  • from February 18 to 20 in Sakhir (Bahrain)

ALSO READ > Why will the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix take place on a Saturday?

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2 Comment (s)

DANIEL MEYERS

30/06/2025 at 04:39 a.m.

Totally wrong, it's 9 days! During the 5-day session, teams will be able to run 3 days of their choice. Mr. Derckel, It's not enough to simply repeat information that's already been published everywhere else, you have to synthesize it! In this case, it was impossible to miss it since the principle of 3 days out of 5 has been known for several months, impossible if you're an experienced F1 expert!

1

Yves-Henri RANDIER

30/06/2025 at 02:15 a.m.

It makes sense to do more winter testing following the major regulatory changes for 2026 and to compact them... but perhaps it's a shame not to use tracks that are potential candidates for a GP (like Paul Ricard, Portimao or even Kyalami for the altitude) so that spectators can enjoy F1 a little rather than the circuits already on the calendar!

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