F1 2026 pre-season testing: Barcelona's weather could cause chaos

The work towards the start of the 2026 season continues to ramp up, with the first pre-season testing dates in Barcelona quickly approaching for teams and drivers.

Teams will take to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the first official tests of their 2026 machines, taking place from January 26-30.

Teams will be allowed to run on three of the five days in the event that will take place behind closed doors, giving teams some vital preparation before official testing takes place in Bahrain in February.

Red Bull Racing were the first team to reveal its machine for the 2026 season - Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

Weather to cause chaos?

However, Catalunya is no stranger to bizarre weather in January, including snow that fell during one year of testing, and adverse conditions may hit Spain, potentially derailling some of the vital testing hours for teams and drivers.

Monday will see bright sun blasting down on the track, but Tuesday may see the worst of the conditions, with several forecasts predicting heavy rain throughout Tuesday in Barcelona. The Met Office believes there is a 30% chance of rain throughout the morning, rising to 50% going into the afternoon.

Some rain may also hang around going into Wednesday morning's running and throw preparations for all 11 teams into disarray, before the sun makes a return on Thursday and Friday.

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McLaren to skip Monday testing

With teams running on three of the five days of testing, Red Bull, Racing Bulls and Alpine will be out on track on the Monday to start the week in Barcelona.

It was also revealed that McLaren would not be taking part in the first day of testing, with team principal Andrea Stella stating that the move has always been part of the plan for the papaya-coloured team.

Apart from those four teams, the rest of the grid has given little away as to what days they will take to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

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