Formula 1 has confirmed plans for three pre-season testing sessions leading up to the significantly altered regulations era starting in 2026.
With the 2026 season introducing arguably the most substantial regulation changes in the sport`s history, involving completely new car and engine designs, teams will benefit from increased track time to prepare their brand-new machinery. This contrasts with the single three-day tests used in recent seasons, providing teams with additional opportunity before the 24-race calendar begins.
The first confirmed test is scheduled for Spain`s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, running for five days from January 26-30. However, this initial session will be a private, closed-door test exclusively for the teams, as stipulated by the regulations for the upcoming year.
Following the Spanish test, Bahrain, which has been the primary location for pre-season testing recently, will host two consecutive three-day tests in February.
The first Bahrain test is set for February 11-13, with the second taking place immediately after, from February 18-20.
The 2026 Formula 1 season is then scheduled to commence two weeks later with the Australian Grand Prix, running from March 6-8.
In other calendar news, F1 has also announced that the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix will shift its schedule to a Saturday race. This change is being made to avoid conflict with a national holiday.
The street race in Baku will now be held on Saturday, September 26. The revised weekend format will feature qualifying on Friday and practice sessions on Thursday. While sharing a similar weekend structure to the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the time difference means the Baku race will still be viewed as a Sunday event for audiences in the UK.
