As the 2026 season looms closer, Formula 1 teams are gearing up for what promises to be one of the most significant regulation transitions in the championship’s history.

With sweeping changes to aerodynamics, power units and sustainability objectives, the winter testing period has been expanded and reshaped to give teams ample track time to refine their challengers before the first race in Melbourne.

Unlike recent years – where a single, condensed test was the norm – the 2026 pre-season will consist of three distinct test sessions, spanning two venues and totalling 11 days of track time.

Kicking off with a longer, private run in Barcelona and culminating with consecutive sessions in the Bahrain, this schedule is designed to maximise opportunities for teams to understand the radical new machinery under real-world conditions.

Below is the official pre-season testing schedule confirmed by Formula 1 and the FIA.

Test No1 – Barcelona – 26-30 January

The winter testing window allows teams to address the challenges of new technical regulations and gives fans a first real glimpse of the 2026 cars in action.

The Barcelona test – held privately with no public attendance – provides an initial shakedown of the cars.

Test No2 – Bahrain – 11-13 February

The first Bahrain test marks the point at which the 2026 picture starts to look clearer.

With track action open to media and fans, teams move beyond basic systems checks and start to explore performance, giving the first meaningful – if still heavily caveated – indications of competitive order.

Test No3 – Bahrain – 18-20 February

The second and final Bahrain test is where preparation gives way to readiness.

Set-ups are refined, reliability concerns either resolved or exposed, and attention quietly shifts towards race-weekend execution, as teams leave Sakhir with their Melbourne specifications effectively locked in.