Barcelona, F1
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Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc joined four-time world champion Max Verstappen in making their 2026 preseason debuts in a quieter second day of testing.
A recap of all the action on Day 1 of 2026 testing.
Team sources described this year as feeling “more uncontrollable than ever” because of the extended pre-season schedule and compressed offseason. Between 2023 and 2025, there was just a single three-day test — held in Bahrain each time.
Ferrari unveiled its new SF-26 on Friday in Fiorano, where it held a 15km shakedown meeting the Demonstration Event regulations, then opted to skip the first day of the Barcelona test.
BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson looks ahead to the first F1 test of 2026, which is happening in private in Barcelona.
The F1 teams are testing their 2026 cars at the Barcelona track this week. But why is the action not open to the public?
Mercedes hit the track for the first time in Formula 1 in 2026 and underlined its favoritism with a strong day of running.