Williams there is official confirmation, no tests in Barcelona: “Delays in the FW48 program”

Confirmed rumors The rumors relaunched by the RacingNews365 website were true. 2026 is off to a terrible start for Williams, which was among the most eagerly awaited teams in this regulatory revolution after the excellent steps forward made in 2025, which had even brought it to fifth place in the Constructors’ standings. Through an official press note, the Grove team confirmed that it will not take to the track in any of the five days of testing scheduled by F1 and FIA in Barcelona between 26 and 30 January. This is a very hard blow, in terms of image but also substantial, for the team directed by James Vowles. The team statement: “The Atlassian Williams F1 team – reads the team’s official statement – has decided not to participate in next week’s test shakedown in Barcelona due to delays in the FW48 programme, as we continue to push for maximum performance from the car. The team will instead conduct a series of tests, including a VTT program next week with the 2026 car, to prepare for the first official test in Bahrain and the first race of the season in Melbourne. We can’t wait to get down to it track in the coming weeks and we would like to thank all our fans for their continued support: there is a lot to look forward to in 2026.” Behind the words of circumstance, the key point of this statement obviously concerns the admission of “delays in the program” of the new car. It now remains to quantify this delay, in the hope for Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz that the British team will somehow be able to get back on track soon pile up problem after problem and see the season completely compromised even before the actual start of the World Cup.