Williams faces fan skepticism after missing Barcelona shakedown

Williams is the only Formula 1 team yet to run its 2026 car, having skipped the collective pre-season shakedown in Barcelona. Over 63% of fans polled believe this absence puts the historic team at a significant disadvantage as the new campaign approaches, despite the team confirming it will be ready for the official Bahrain test next week.

Why it matters:

The pre-season shakedown is a critical, albeit limited, opportunity for teams to conduct initial system checks and gather baseline data. Missing this collective running means Williams will arrive at the sole official pre-season test in Bahrain with zero on-track data for its new car, while rivals have already logged hundreds of laps. In a sport where every minute of track time is precious, starting a test week on the back foot can compromise a team's entire development program for the opening races.

The details:

• Team Principal James Vowles confirmed the FW48 has now passed all required FIA crash tests, overcoming earlier build-up difficulties, but the team chose to continue working on the car at its factory instead of attending the Barcelona event.
• A fan poll conducted by RacingNews365 revealed that a majority (63.3%) view missing the shakedown as a "huge disadvantage" for Williams.
• Only 10.5% of voters believe the team will be unaffected, with 26.2% remaining unsure about the long-term impact.
• The team maintains its car will be present and running at the three-day pre-season test in Bahrain, which begins in one week.

What's next:

All eyes will be on the Williams garage when testing begins in Bahrain. The pressure will be immediate to not only get the car on track reliably but also to compress a typical shakedown's worth of checks into the valuable test days, all while trying to begin meaningful performance runs. Any technical issues during the Bahrain test would compound the existing delay, potentially leaving Williams scrambling for setup and understanding heading into the season opener. The team's ability to execute a flawless and productive test will be the first real indicator of whether the missed shakedown was a prudent strategic delay or a costly setback.