Williams to miss 1st preseason test due to car 'delays'

GROVE, England (AP) — Williams will miss next week's first Formula 1 preseason testing in Barcelona after reporting “delays” in getting its car ready for the season.

Williams said Friday it still has “a lot to look forward to” despite the setback ahead of next week's five-day test. It's the first time that 2026-specification cars will be on track for more than brief filming and reliability runs.

“Atlassian Williams F1 Team has taken the decision not to participate in next week’s shakedown test in Barcelona following delays in the FW48 program as we continue to push for maximum car performance,” the team said.

A virtual testing program is planned for next week instead as Williams now aims for the first of two tests in Bahrain next month. The Barcelona test is being held in private with a focus on reliability, with teams able to run on any three of five days.

“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,” Williams added.

It's a setback for Williams, which improved throughout 2025, with two podium finishes for Carlos Sainz, Jr.

Williams was one of the teams most open about planning in detail for 2026 as early as possible, betting that a major change in regulations could shake up the field and allow it to make progress. Before the 2025 season began, driver Alex Albon said he was already testing out ideas for 2026 in the team's simulator.

The decision to withdraw from the first test echoes a previous low point for Williams, which missed the opening days of testing in 2019 when its car wasn't ready. That ended up being one of the team's worst seasons with just one point scored all year.

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