F1 2026 preparations | Another top team goes on track after Audi: details of the next test. Audi opened the 2026 Formula 1 season with the first on-track test.

After Audi opened the 2026 Formula 1 season by being the first team on track, it is now time for a top team: here is where and when the second test will take place.

Today, Friday 9 January, the Audi team took its new single-seater onto the track ahead of its debut adventure in the top category of motorsport. Following in the footsteps of the German manufacturer, one of the four top teams will head out on track next week for another important test in preparation for the 2026 Formula 1 season. Here are all the details.

The importance of filming days

As already seen with Audi, this second on-track appearance also falls within the 200 kilometres allowed for filming days. Rather than being full-scale test sessions, these days are officially intended for promotional activities and the collection of basic data. Despite this limitation, they always carry strong symbolic value for every team, as they represent the moment when the new car leaves the garage for the first time and completes its initial laps on track.

For this new generation of cars, it is a crucial milestone. After running exclusively in the simulator, teams finally get real-world confirmation that the entire package works as intended, from the power unit to the overall balance of the car. It is at this stage that drivers deliver their first impressions and initial feedback.

After Audi, a top team goes on track

After Audi opened the proceedings, another team is ready to take to the circuit. According to information reported by Marca, Mercedes has scheduled a filming day for Monday 12 January, when the German team will run the W17 on track for the first time at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

The Brackley-based team has also chosen Barcelona, and this decision is far from coincidental. The Catalan circuit is considered one of the most complete tracks on the entire Formula 1 calendar, combining fast corners with slower, more technical sections. It is the ideal environment to gather the first meaningful indications about the car’s overall behaviour and baseline performance.