P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The first pre-season test of 2026 will get underway on Monday, at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Red Bull has chosen 18 sets of the C3 soft compound tyre for the upcoming first pre-season test in Barcelona, as confirmed by Pirelli. Pirelli announced that the C1 (Hard), C2 (Medium), C3 (Soft), Intermediate, and Wet compounds will be available for the five-day official shakedown test. Williams will be absent from the test due to issues passing the mandatory crash tests and focusing on their 2026 F1 car. Red Bull has opted for 18 sets of soft tyres, while McLaren has chosen four sets of C1, 10 sets of C2, and six sets of C3 tyres for Barcelona. Mercedes stands out with eight sets of hard tyres selected, with Ferrari choosing the most C2 tyres at 12 sets.
