Barcelona Angles For 2026 Test Comeback

Barcelona’s gunning to reclaim its spot on Formula 1’s pre-season testing slate in 2026. This year, teams banked on Bahrain’s desert sun for three days of group running, but Sakhir’s been a mess. “Colder than Europe,” Red Bull’s Helmut Marko called it, with wind whipping and a day-one power outage he dubbed “something I’ve never seen in modern Formula 1.”

Sakhir’s stop-start layout isn’t helping either—not like the flowing bends of Circuit de Catalunya. “We won’t be able to tell the order at a cold, wet Bahrain,” Williams boss James Vowles said after rain hit Thursday. Only Aston Martin and Haas had wet Pirellis on hand.

Regrets? Maybe. But Barcelona’s already eyeing a 2026 return, with chatter of three full tests tied to new chassis and engine rules. Some reckon the Spanish track could snag more than one. Diario Sport quotes a Circuit de Catalunya source: “We are in talks and at the moment we only know that teams will come here at the end of January, but it is obvious that we would like to be able to return to the pre-season calendar.” No deal’s locked, though—they’re clear on that.

The track’s not sitting idle. Ferrari gave Lewis Hamilton a private spin in the 2023 car this year, and days later, Ferrari and McLaren ran 2026 Pirelli tyre tests there. Barcelona’s ready to flex.