Formula One outfit Williams’ run-up to the 2026 season has faced a major setback, as they have admitted their car won’t be ready for the first testing session in Barcelona next week.
The significant overhaul
of the sport’s technical regulations has created a race against time for teams to get ready for the new season. The initial five days of testing will be held behind closed doors at the Circuit de Catalunya starting Monday.
Additionally, two more sets of three-day tests are scheduled in Bahrain next month, leading up to the first race in Australia on March 8.
The Williams F1 Team announced on Friday that they have decided not to participate in next week’s shakedown test in Barcelona due to delays in the FW48 programme. Instead, they will focus on a series of tests, including a Virtual Test Track (VTT) programme with the 2026 car, to prepare for the first official test in Bahrain and the season’s opening race in Melbourne.
The team expressed their eagerness to get on track in the coming weeks and thanked their fans for their continued support, highlighting that there is much to look forward to in 2026.
Last year, Williams achieved an impressive fifth place in the constructors’ championship. Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz secured eighth and ninth places respectively in the drivers’ standings, with Sainz achieving two podium finishes, marking Williams’ best season in a decade.
