F1 Barcelona pre-season testing live commentary and updates - day 1
F1 2026 starts here! Follow along for updates as they unfold from Barcelona
Live Text
So far we've had seven teams take to the track this morning: Mercedes, Audi, Alpine, Haas, Cadillac, Racing Bulls and Red Bull. With McLaren, Williams and Ferrari not in action today that just leaves Aston Martin as the last unknown.
F1 cars, everywhere you look!
What can we show you?
Given the behind-closed-doors nature of the Barcelona test, there’s a strict lockdown over what can be shown from the test. F1 teams will be releasing a handful of images and short social media videos each day, along with F1 itself, plus end of day interviews with whoever each team opts to put in front of the camera.
Of course, since the last proper private collective test (circa 2014) the world of social media and image technology has exploded, so the online world will be awash with speculation and grainy footage. Here we will filter what’s right and what’s wrong to provide the best picture.
Mercedes has 'won' the battle to get first out on the track ahead of Audi, with Alpine completing the rostrum in third. It has zero bearing on the outcome of the 2026 F1 world championship, but time and again teams have taken pride in being 'first' on the track at the collective tests. If we're being picky, Audi won that race two weeks ago with its private shakedown.
Audi F1 Team shakedown
Photo by: Audi
This morning has also been busy in the online world, as Red Bull has released first shots of its actual F1 car, while McLaren has released renders of its 2026 challenger for the first time.
Cars on-track, cars in digital form... 2026 is go!
Red Bull Racing RB22
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
Let's start by making things clear, for this test there is no live timing, no live TV action and no blow-by-blow account of what is happening each day. But we will be providing updates as much as we can over the full five days to deliver your F1 fix. For a full explanation on what this test is all about, look no further...
F1 2026 begins!
...is this thing on? Right, good. We're on.
Hello everybody, and welcome to 2026. F1 testing is under way in Barcelona - but it's behind closed doors. So, we'll be doing what we can to bring you info from this week.
Stick with us throughout the week, and hopefully we'll have plenty to share!
By: Autosport Staff
