PREVIEW: 2026 Pre-season testing begins in Barcelona

The waiting is almost over for the first bit of on-track action as the 2026 season begins in Barcelona with three days of pre-season testing for all the teams.

New drivers will be getting up to speed around a familiar venue ahead of Round 1 next month, as they look to build the foundations to what they hope will be a successful season.

Here is all you need to know about Formula 3 pre-season testing.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Three days await the teams with running taking place from February 10th through to the 12th.

Running gets underway on all three days at 09:00 local time, with the lunch break bringing the first half of each day to a close at 12:00. On days one and two, testing resumes at 14:00 local time while on day three, the afternoon’s running begins again at 13:00 local time and ends at 16:00.

Teams will have the Hard compound Pirelli tyres available to them across the test.

STAT PACK

• 14 drivers return for another season of F3 in 2026, with the rest of the testing field made up of rookies.
• Last year’s fastest time across the three days of testing was a 1:26:618 set by Nikola Tsolov for Campos Racing on the morning of Day 2.
• Campos Racing have confirmed that Patrick Heuzenroeder will deputise for Ernesto Rivera this week, with the Mexican driver currently sidelined with back pain following an on-track incident.
• Michael Shin will also miss the three days of testing after sustaining a shoulder injury over the winter. Hitech have confirmed that Tim Tramnitz will drive in his place in Barcelona.

WHERE TO FOLLOW

For the first time, testing will be available to follow along with via live blog on the official Formula 3 website. Reports and reaction will follow on all three days of testing, with behind-the-scenes content available via the official F3 social media channels on Instagram, TikTok and X.

2026 BARCELONA PRE-SEASON TESTING ENTRY LIST