With the start of 2026 pre-season testing in Barcelona less than a week away, teams are finalising their running schedules. Although this test lasts five days in total, teams are only permitted to run on three of them.
This gives trackside personnel some wriggle-room to take to the circuit on different days. Some, for example, will begin circulating around the Catalunya circuit from day one.
Others, like McLaren, will miss the first day of testing. Indeed, the papaya squad have confirmed their pre-season programme will start on either the second or third day of Barcelona testing.
At face value, missing the opening day of running can be interpreted as a cause for alarm. Traditionally, arriving late to testing is attributed to delays in development or the manufacturing of components.
For McLaren, however, their decision to start running on day 2 or 3 is part of an ambitious development plan.
McLaren will take Melbourne-spec car to Barcelona testing
Over the last few weeks, 2026 engine development – particularly surrounding Mercedes – has dominated headlines in F1 news outlets.
However, when the cars begin circulating in Spain, aerodynamics will also come into focus. Whilst power units could be decisive in 2026, there are plenty of engineers who expect bigger differences to emerge from the aerodynamic side.
In this sense, how teams approach the first tests in Barcelona is crucial.
For some teams, a cautious approach is preferred. Ferrari, for example, are expected to bring a relatively basic version of the SF-25 to the first week of testing.
Only in the later tests in Bahrain (and by extension, the opening rounds in Australia and China) will more sophisticated and therefore complicated components be fitted,
The logic behind taking more basic specifications is that, at least initially, teams can establish a baseline. By ensuring the most foundational aspects of these 2026 cars work, engineers can be more confident with bringing more high-risk upgrades.
Of course, this approach is not shared by all the teams. Red Bull have already outlined their intentions to start testing with a relatively advanced version of their 2026 challenger. (cont. on next page)
