F1 event labelled 'PATHETIC' as fans shut out

F1's behind closed doors testing event has been labelled 'pathetic' by a former general manager in the sport.

There are 11 days of testing taking place ahead of the 2026 season, in an attempt to try and help teams to get used to the new regulation changes that are sweeping into the sport for next year.

Barcelona will see a five-day testing event in late January, before two three-day events in Bahrain in February ahead of the season starting officially in March with the Australian Grand Prix.

But the five days of testing in Barcelona are set to be privately conducted, away from the eyes of F1 fans, in the first shakedown for the new 2026 cars.

Now, Windsor has called the decision not to open up the testing event to fans 'pathetic', stating that the sport could attract so many fans to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya even just for a testing event.

"It's a perfect opportunity to really sell F1 before the season starts," Windsor said on the Cameron CC YouTube channel.

"The fans should have access to the test and they should all be there. It's not as if it's a Fiorano test or some sort of Silverstone shakedown, it's a proper test.

"It's a Formula 1 test and it's a great thing. And they should start having those hot laps at tests too and Pirelli should be allowed to do those hot laps at tests, there should be 50,000, 60,000 people at every day of the test.

"That's what testing should be all about, and they're missing a massive opportunity in not doing that. The only word I can think of is pathetic."

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