F1’s first group test of 2026 got underway in Barcelona on Monday in a strange locked down environment, completely free of media and fans. The Race’s Edd Straw and Jon Noble were amongst a handful of hardy journalists who spent the day trying to observe from a distance while evading over zealous security guards, and on this episode of The Race F1 Podcast they report back on what they found.

They discuss which teams ran (and which didn’t), who lapped the most, and who set the benchmark time, and also share their initial thoughts on what the new cars look and sound like on track. They also explain why they were left with the impression that the whole event was a big missed opportunity for F1.

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