Formula 1 took the controversial decision to hold the first pre-season test of the F1 2026 season behind closed doors last week.
Yet despite fans and media being locked out, the joys of modern technology meant everyone was still able to get a clear idea of what was going on at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. So what was the point of ‘Shakedown Week’ taking place in the shadows?
How F1 missed an opportunity with behind-closed-doors test
A version of this article originally appeared in PlanetF1.com’s conclusions from the Barcelona shakedown
Formula 1 cannot have it both ways.
It cannot pour such enormous resource into making itself appeal to the masses, only then to lock the masses out when the first test of the new season rolls around.
There were two main reasons why this test, officially branded Shakedown Week, was held behind closed doors.
Analysis: What we learned from the first F1 2026 pre-season test in Barcelona
Winners and losers from the Barcelona testing shakedown (Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya)
What we learned about each team from Barcelona F1 2026 shakedown
The first is that Bahrain pays handsomely for the rights to hold official testing each season, hence the request – ignored by some teams – to use only testing liveries in Barcelona.
The second was that teams were concerned that their first steps in this new era would not cast them in a particularly flattering light.
Clearly the memories of the early days of the V6-hybrid era, when some high-profile teams were plunged into disasters from which they would not quickly recover, were not far from some minds.
Yet what was there to really fear about this test? Did any team really disgrace itself?
Some covered more mileage than others, yes, but were the lows so low that they had to be shielded from public view? The technical bloodbath of January 2014 this was not.
It is as clear now as it was three months ago that it was a mistake to hold this test behind closed doors.
More than that, though, it was an opportunity missed.
Formula 1 teams are never more impressive, after all, when they are forced to confront problems, troubleshooting issues and finding the solutions to them.
There was a chance here to tell a tale of progress and how the teams – especially the stragglers of this test – work to overcome the many hurdles they encounter between Day 1 in Barcelona and the opening race in Australia.
By failing to face the world at their weakest, in other words, the teams also lost the opportunity to show Formula 1 at its strongest.
How to cover a behind-closed-doors F1 test
A behind-closed-doors test meant the media was faced with an unusual challenge for the Barcelona shakedown.
While some outlets travelled to Spain regardless, PlanetF1.com opted to respect the wishes of the organisers and cover the test from afar.
The daily live blog was a central part of our coverage, attracting a high number of visitors on each of the five days of testing.
The emergence of a publicly available live timing system meant we were able to cover the first morning of the test pretty much as normal.
When that avenue was closed off later that day, however, it made our jobs harder, leaving us to rely mostly on updates from the teams and local media.
For instance, when images emerged online of Gabriel Bortoleto’s Audi stopped on track on Day 1, PlanetF1.com swiftly received confirmation from the team that a “technical issue” had brought the R26 to a halt.
We were able to verify the unofficial laptimes from Barcelona within 30 minutes of the chequered flag on each of the five days of running.
Some teams like McLaren also gave us a helping hand by including their own position, best lap time and lap count in their end-of-day press releases.
Normal service will resume for the remaining two tests in Bahrain next month with PlanetF1.com bringing you all the news and reaction from the paddock in Sakhir.
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