Williams Turns to VTT at AVL, Plans Bahrain Catch-Up

A behind-closed-doors private shakedown for 2026 cars at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya opened with several teams delaying or shortening their on-track programs. Aston Martin skipped the first day but planned to run later in the week; PlanetF1 reported that McLaren and Ferrari also had shortfalls. PlanetF1 additionally reported that the Adrian Newey–designed AMR26 had passed the relevant FIA safety tests, although some late component specifications still required homologation, leaving room for late-stage technical and regulatory checks before full pre-season running resumed.

Williams confirmed it would not take part in the Barcelona shakedown, announcing the FW48 was behind schedule and that the team would instead run a virtual test-track (VTT) program and preparatory checks—most likely at AVL in Austria—before the first official pre-season test in Bahrain. Coverage cited build delays that teams have linked to the sweeping 2026 chassis and power-unit regulations and reported that compliance with FIA crash-test rules acted as a gating requirement for on-track appearances; some outlets said crash or stress-test timing was a factor in Williams’ absence. Under team principal James Vowles, Williams also acknowledged diverting development time to the 2025 car during late-season work, a decision the team said contributed to the FW48 delay. Missing the Barcelona shakedown—the first of three pre-season events required by the regulations—reduces Williams’ early on-track mileage and data collection compared with rivals who ran in Spain, and the team will rely on Bahrain to complete critical validation and setup work that real laps would ordinarily provide. While the VTT and preparatory program aim to limit the shortfall, reporting noted that virtual runs cannot fully substitute for live running, leaving Williams with a catch-up task once on-track testing resumes.