F1 News Today: Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari STOPS on track as F1 team ruled out of testing

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc walk with a Ferrari background — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Today

F1 News Today: Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari STOPS on track as F1 team ruled out of testing

All the F1 headlines!

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Friday 23 January 2026 16:22

F1 TV's schedule has confirmed fans will miss out on live coverage of the second pre-season test in Bahrain.

Due to the 2026 regulations reset, F1 will have three periods of on-track action before the season starts, with Barcelona (January 26-30) followed by two tests in Bahrain (February 11-13 and February 18-20).

But already fans are coping with the grim realisation that they will not get the full picture on what is happening in testing - at least not as it happens live.

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Lewis Hamilton drives new 2026 Ferrari F1 car and it stops on track already

How did you want Lewis Hamilton's first few meters driving this year's new Ferrari F1 car to go?

If you a big fan of the seven-time champion it was probably not for it to end with him stopping out on track before being wheeled back into the garage.

The same thing happened to Charles Leclerc although all is not as it seems.

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Williams OUT of F1 pre-season testing in Barcelona

Williams have announced that they will not be present at next week's F1 shakedown testing in Barcelona.

The decision puts obviously the team behind the 8-ball when it comes to pre-season running, with track time crucial to discover how well wind tunnel and simulator models have turned out in real life.

The vastly improved technology over the last decade or two of the sport means that teams are less reliant on on-track testing than at any point in F1 history, but getting wheels on the tarmac in real life is still a crucial part of the process.

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Ferrari held its 2026 F1 car launch, and it lasted 84 SECONDS

Ferrari have launched their 2026 F1 challenger in one of the most briefest car launches seen.

The team streamed their car launch to online viewers in a presentation that only lasted 84 seconds and didn't feature a single person or script.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will hope the speedy launch will be an omen for the new SF-26

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Lewis Hamilton left out in F1 Movie Oscars announcement

Ferrari F1 driver Lewis Hamilton was missed off the list of personnel for the F1 movie as the 2025 epic received four Oscars nominations.

Hamilton received a production credit for the film which was released last summer, and has been praised by the film's lead actor Brad Pitt for his role in the making of it.

F1 became Pitt's highest grossing film of all time at box office following its release, and received plaudits from pundits and fans alike.

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McLaren to skip F1 testing

McLaren will not take part in the first day of F1 testing in Barcelona on January 26.

The reigning world champions will be hoping to defend both their constructors' and drivers' title in 2026, but a complete overhaul of the regulations could topple McLaren's crown.

According to team principal Andrea Stella, however, McLaren will not be present on the first day of private testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

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F1 movie gets FOUR Oscars nominations as full 2026 list announced

The F1 movie has earned four Oscars nominations following the unveiling of the 2026 list.

F1 received the Hollywood treatment last year with the theatrical release of the Joseph Kosinski-directed feature, also starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris.

Now, the F1 movie has landed four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.

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Mercedes promote Doriane Pin for 2026 F1 season

Doriane Pin has been promoted at Mercedes following her F1 Academy title win in 2025.

The French driver beat rival Maya Weug to claim her first title in the series at the Las Vegas Grand Prix last year, and her next career move has been unveiled.

Pin will remain in the Mercedes family as a development driver, carrying out simulator work at Brackley and trackside.

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FIA boss looking to avoid F1 court case over alleged engine loophole

The FIA's single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis wants to avoid a court case due to a potential loophole in the 2026 engine regulations.

One of the biggest storylines heading into the 2026 season is that Mercedes, and potentially Red Bull, have discovered a loophole in the engine regulations.

This alleged loophole is in regards to the compression ratio and could see the two teams gain an extra 0.3 seconds worth of lap time.

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Ferrari F1 car launch today: Watch the big reveal LIVE

All eyes will be on Fiorano in Italy today (next door to Maranello) as Ferrari officially take the wraps off their new SF-26 car.

Year 2 of the Lewis Hamilton Project begins, hopefully paving the way for better results than that miserable campaign in 2025.

You can watch the big event live, without leaving the comfy confines of GPFans.

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Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

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