Barcelona eyes '26 F1 winter testing return
Barcelona eyes '26 F1 winter testing return
Barcelona eyes '26 F1 winter testing return
Barcelona is eager to reclaim its place on Formula 1's official pre-season testing roster for 2026.
This year, the teams opted for its mere three days of collective running to take place in Bahrain, banking on consistent, sunny conditions.
Yet, despite its desert setting, the Sakhir circuit has proven "colder than Europe" and notably windy, according to Red Bull adviser Dr Helmut Marko, who also noted a first-day power outage as "something I've never seen in modern Formula 1."
Beyond weather woes, Bahrain's stop-start layout contrasts with the more typical flowing corners of the Circuit de Catalunya.
"We won't be able to tell the order at a cold, wet Bahrain," said Williams' James Vowles after rain unexpectedly hit the track on Thursday.
Germany's Bild newspaper reported that only Aston Martin and Haas had proactively ordered wet-weather Pirelli tyres.
While it's uncertain if teams now rue choosing Bahrain, Barcelona could re-emerge as an option for 2026 regardless.
Many paddock observers anticipate that, with the introduction of entirely new chassis and engine regulations, Formula 1 may permit three comprehensive three-day tests early next year.
Some speculate Barcelona might even secure multiple of those outings.
"Sources at the circuit deny that there is already an agreement with F1 in this regard," reported Spain's Diario Sport.
A Circuit de Catalunya insider clarified: "We are in talks and at the moment we only know that teams will come here at the end of January, but it is obvious that we would like to be able to return to the pre-season calendar."
Though absent from this year's official pre-season line-up, Barcelona has still seen action, hosting Ferrari privately for Lewis Hamilton's outing in the 2023 car, followed days later by Ferrari and McLaren aiding Pirelli's 2026 tyre development at the venue.
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