Williams is set to miss the first F1 2026 pre-season test in Barcelona next week, RacingNews365 understands.
All 11 teams were due to be on track at the Circuit de Catalunya, running for a maximum of three days across the private five-day session.
But sources with knowledge of the situation have confirmed that Williams has struggled recently to pass the FIA’s mandatory crash tests. It is understood that on this basis, a decision is poised to be made that the team will not take part in the test.
With the team poised to lose 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.
In 2019, Williams also missed the first two days of testing due to problems with the build and design of its FW42 car, only getting out onto the Barcelona circuit during day three of running.
Williams has been contacted numerous times for comment. At the time of the publication of this article, there had been no reply.
More to follow
