All you need to know about F1’s private pre-season test in Barcelona

Written by Peter Johnson, Edited by Meghana Sree

Just 50 days since the curtain fell on the 2025 season in Abu Dhabi, Formula One cars will hit the track once more on Monday in the first of three pre-season tests.

The Circuit de Catalunya will host the five days of pre-season testing this week | Credit: Formula One

As Ferrari performed a shakedown of their new challenger at Maranello on Friday, Lewis Hamilton reacted to returning to work after what he described as the shortest winter break ever.

The seven-time world champion also admitted to being even more excited than usual as F1 witnesses the biggest regulation overhaul in its history, and it is hard not to match his excitement as the sport plunges into the unknown.

Teams will begin to get a read on how their packages are performing as pre-season testing gets underway this week with the first of three tests starting in Barcelona.

However, fans may have to wait a little longer to see for themselves and to understand how the new cars compare to one another because the week of action at the Circuit de Catalunya will take place behind closed doors.

Lewis Hamilton gave his new SF-26 a spin around Fiorano on Friday | Credit: Formula One

While the 2014-21 era of regulations — which was largely dominated by Mercedes — placed particular emphasis on engine performance, and the four seasons since 2022, best enjoyed by Red Bull and McLaren, demanded an understanding of ground-effect aerodynamics, the new regulations require both engine and aerodynamic performance.

The decision to run the test behind closed doors was made to remove an extra element of pressure on the teams as they try to understand their new machinery.

The ground-effect era is now behind us, with active aerodynamics becoming the new order of the day. The Drag Reduction System (DRS) has also become a thing of the past.

There has also been a huge technical overhaul in the engine department. The new motors will now pull half of their power from the internal combustion engine and the other half from the electrical system.

Even the tyres are different for 2025 — while Pirelli will continue providing tyres eighteen inches in diameter, the fronts will be 25 millimetres narrower than last season, while the rears will be 30mm slimmer.

It is widely believed that the Mercedes engine is a step ahead of the others, which bodes well for the Mercedes works team, McLaren, Williams and Alpine. 

Meanwhile, Red Bull have begun a new engine partnership with Ford — their performance is one of the big unanswered questions prior to the season start.

Red Bull and Ford launched their new partnership at an event in Detroit earlier this month | Credit: Formula One

The all-new regulations, widely regarded as the biggest overhaul of rules in F1 history, are already proving difficult to master, with teams going to the absolute extremes to maximise development time in the factory.

Williams have already confirmed they will not be present in Barcelona, while Constructors’ Champions McLaren have already ruled out running on Monday, and perhaps even Tuesday. Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur has insinuated that his squad will follow a similar programme.

Even for the teams who will be at the track, they are limited to running on just three of the five days — and even then, only with one car — so McLaren and Ferrari will not lose out by skipping the first day.

Unlike in previous years, when one three-day test has become the norm, a second test is scheduled in Bahrain on 11th to 13th February, while a final three-day test at Sakhir will take place on 18th to 20th February.

The last test in Bahrain will mark the end of pre-season on-track action, with no more wheels setting in motion until the season opener a fortnight later in Melbourne.

F1 will return to Barcelona in June for the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, with the Spanish Grand Prix changing home to a new circuit in Madrid.