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F1's Secretive 'Barcelona Shakedown' Test Kicks Off with New Cars and No Fans
Teams commence preseason testing under new 2026 Formula 1 regulations with Red Bull running first and McLaren delaying runs and race-livery launch until February 9.
- On Monday, Red Bull and McLaren brought their 2026 cars to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Spain, for the first preseason test, which is underway over three days in this year’s overhaul.
- A complete overhaul of the 2026 technical regulations prompted the Barcelona shakedown, requiring teams to validate new chassis, engines, fuel, tyres and active aerodynamic elements.
- McLaren issued digital renders and is running an all-black testing livery in Barcelona, postponing its race-livery launch until Feb. 9.
- Behind closed doors, teams prioritise reliability ahead of Bahrain on Feb 11-13; Red Bull elected to run on Monday while McLaren delayed its first day until Tuesday or Wednesday.
- Development delays reshuffled who could use limited track time in Barcelona, with Williams missing the test and Mercedes first on track at 9 a.m. with Kimi Antonelli.
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Rutland Herald+6 Reposted by 6 other sources
F1's secretive 'Barcelona Shakedown' test kicks off with new cars and no fans
F1 has started a new era with the public and the media excluded from its private testing session in Barcelona. It’s hard to imagine a bigger contrast to last year’s lavish launch party that involved 16,000 fans and famous faces…
The 2026 Formula 1 (Test) season is the first time he's finished! In Barcelona, seven of the eleven teams went on the track together with their new F1 cars for the first time.
The 2026 Formula 1 season began with testing behind closed doors. Several teams stayed away from Monday's opening day.
·Budapest, Hungary
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Total News Sources38
Leaning Left4Leaning Right1Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution45% Left, 44% Center
Bias Distribution
- 45% of the sources lean Left, 44% of the sources are Center
45% Left
L 45%
C 44%
11%
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