Williams F1 team principal James Vowles has confirmed the team will appear with the FW48 at the first 2026 Bahrain test in February. It takes place from the 11th to the 13th.
It has been a difficult start to 2026 for a team that was on the rise last season. Carlos Sainz bagged two superb podiums in Baku and Qatar, with a top 3 finish in the F1 Sprint in Austin as well.
Meanwhile teammate Alex Albon finished P8 in the Drivers’ Championship, best of the rest behind the top 4 teams. Williams finished a strong 5th on the Constructors’ side thanks to both drivers.
However, despite putting full focus on 2026 and not wanting to think about short term success, James Vowles and Williams F1 look to be on the back foot heading into Melbourne. They missed the Barcelona shakedown that is taking place this week.
It remains to be seen how competitive they will be in the six days of testing to come. The British engineer also confirmed they will do a filming day in advance of it.
What Williams F1 Team said last Friday
“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 aswe continue to push for maximum car performance.
“The team will instead conduct a series of tests including a VTT programme next week with the 2026 car to preparefor the first official test in Bahrain and the first race ofthe 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.”
Confirmation from James Vowles on Williams F1 going to first 2026 Bahrain test:
“I’m confident in our decision to miss Barcelona, and I’m confident it was the right one to prepare for the first test in Bahrain and Melbourne. I’m pleased to say that we’ve passed all necessary tests and we’re ready to run in Bahrain. And we’ll carry out a promotional filming day ahead of it.”
