Williams will not participate in the opening test of the Formula 1 season at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya next week after hitting delays with its new car.
The test presents the first opportunity for all teams to hit the track with their 2026 cars, which have been built to a completely new set of engine and chassis regulations this season.
Taking place without media or fans in attendance, the Barcelona test, or ‘shakedown,’ is designed to be an opportunity for teams to debug their cars ahead of two official F1 tests in Bahrain.
Williams said it would use the time to conduct a virtual track testing programme in preparation to join the other 10 F1 teams in Bahrain.
“Atlassian Williams F1 Team has taken the decision not to participate in next week’s shakedown test in Barcelona following delays in the FW48 programme as we continue to push for maximum car performance,” the statement said.
“The team will instead conduct a series of tests including a VTT programme next week with the 2026 car to prepare for the first official test in Bahrain and the first race of the season in Melbourne.
“We are looking forward to getting on track in the coming weeks and want to thank all our fans for your continued support — there is a lot to look forward to together in 2026.”
The news is a blow for the team, which repeatedly said it had sacrificed development of its 2025 car in order to be ready for 2026.
It finished fifth in the constructors’ championship last year, leading to high hopes for further progression up the order this year with Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz continuing as its driver line-up.
Williams missed the first two days of testing in 2019, which then-deputy team principal Claire Williams described as “embarrassing” and ultimately led to the departure of technical director Paddy Lowe later in the year.
Even before the delay to this year’s car, the team’s launch date was already scheduled for Feb. 3 — four days after the Barcelona test.
It had planned to use a testing livery voted for by fans on its car in Spain before revealing its full race livery at the launch event the following week.
