LONDON: Williams&#39; preparations for the 2026 Formula One season have been dealt a significant blow after conceding defeat in having their car ready for next week&#39;s first testing session in Barcelona.&nbsp;A major upheaval of the sport&#39;s technical rulebook has meant a race against time for teams to be ready for the new season.&nbsp;The opening five days of testing takes place behind closed doors at the Circuit de Cataluya circuit from Monday.&nbsp;There are a further two sets of three-day tests in Bahrain next month ahead of the first race in Australia on March 8.&nbsp;&quot;Williams F1 Team has taken the decision not to participate in next week&#39;s shakedown test in Barcelona following delays in the FW48 programme as we continue to push for maximum car performance,&quot; the British team said in a statement on Friday.&nbsp;&quot;The team will instead conduct a series of tests including a VTT (Virtual Test Track) 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.&nbsp;&quot;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.&quot;&nbsp;Williams finished an impressive fifth in last year&#39;s constructors&#39; championship.&nbsp;Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz finished eighth and ninth respectively in the drivers&#39; standings last season, with the latter landing two podium finishes to ensure Williams&#39; best season in a decade.

Racing

Williams will miss upcoming Barcelona shakedown due to FW48 delays, focusing on virtual testing instead. The team aims to debut in Bahrain, building on last year’s strong fifth-place constructors’ finish and driver successes.

Articles tagged with "Williams"

Williams to miss opening F1 test due to car delays