P1racenews AI automatic summary:
RacingNews365 can reveal F1’s unusual plan for 2026 pre-season testing ahead of the major rules reset.
“F1 pre-season testing for 2026 will kick off with a unique five-day program in Barcelona in January, as reported by RacingNews365.
The upcoming season will bring significant changes to chassis and engines, amounting to the most extensive overhaul ever seen in F1 history.
Teams will have triple the testing time, with nine days in total compared to just three in 2025.
The first phase of testing will take place in Barcelona from January 26 to January 30, with each team running for three out of the five days provided.
Following Barcelona, testing will move to Bahrain’s Sakhir International Circuit for two three-day tests in February.
After the extensive pre-season testing, the 2026 season will commence with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 8th.
Exciting developments for the 2026 season include the debut of the Cadillac team and Audi’s entry as a full works outfit, while Renault is set to withdraw from F1 following the 2025 season.”
