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Breaking: Williams explain painful decision behind F1 2026 Barcelona test exit
Williams has explained the painful reasoning why it has opted to
withdraw from first pre-season test in Barcelona next week. As
revealed by RacingNews365 earlier today, sources with knowledge of
the situation confirmed that Williams has struggled recently to
pass the FIA's mandatory crash tests. It is now known that, on this
basis, a decision has been made that the team will not take part in
the test. With Williams losing one-third of the total permitted
nine days of testing before the season-opener, it means drivers
Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz will have, at best, three days each in
the FW48 machine across the two Bahrain tests in February. A
Williams statement read: "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 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. "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." more follows
