2026 F1 cars to run as early as January 9: Full pre-season Formula 1 testing calendar. Formula 1 is preparing for the 2026 regulations.

F1 goes on track already in early January: the dates of the first 2026 car tests

The 2026 Formula 1 season is already taking shape. With earlier filming days and an advanced test programme in Barcelona, the new era is set to begin right in the middle of winter. Here are all the dates fans need to know. The 2025 World Championship has ended only a few days ago, yet Formula 1 is already looking ahead to the future and preparing for the first tests of 2026. The start of the new technical cycle is forcing teams and drivers to push forward every stage of their preparation. The testing schedule has been redesigned, bringing the entire paddock back on track much earlier than in previous years.

The 2026 cars, completely new and built around the technical regulations that will come into effect on the first of January, will require extensive work over the coming weeks. This is why Barcelona will effectively become the centre of this new development phase.

The first signs of 2026: filming days already arriving in January

The drivers will hardly have a break. They will need to stay in peak physical condition throughout the Christmas period, as engines will be fired up sooner than expected. According to Spanish outlet Grada3, Audi will be the first team to take to the track on 9 January at Montmeló for a filming day with its new car. This will mark the very first on-track activity of the entire 2026 cycle.

The FIA is expected to authorise additional teams within the same weeks. The goal is to give everyone the chance to check the reliability of both the new chassis and power units. The 2026 units will run on fully sustainable fuels, without the MGU-H, and with a far more powerful hybrid system.

Also in Barcelona, two days after Audi’s debut, the new Mercedes-powered Alpine is scheduled to complete its first kilometres, with Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto behind the wheel. For the French team, this session is a key step. The new engine, combined with the regulatory overhaul, represents a major opportunity to relaunch the project after several difficult seasons.

2026 car launches and official tests: all the dates

Alpine will unveil its new car on 23 January, again in Barcelona, just three days before the start of testing. The Spanish session will consist of a total of five days, with each team free to choose three of them. This format is designed to help teams working on completely new cars that still need to be fully explored.

After the Barcelona programme, the paddock will travel to Bahrain for two official test sessions open to the media, scheduled from 11 to 13 February and from 18 to 20 February. These tests will carry enormous weight. Teams will have to verify reliability, fix early issues and begin to understand the behaviour of the new aerodynamics and the new power units.

The 2026 season is the beginning of a completely different decade for Formula 1. The cars will be lighter, more efficient and more complex to manage. Teams will begin this journey as early as January. In this crucial initial phase, every kilometre will count double. Those who find the right direction in the very first days could build a decisive advantage for the rest of the season.

The Formula 1 of 2026 is coming. And it is arriving ahead of schedule.