You can watch 2026 F1 pre‑season testing, but coverage is a bit fragmented and depends heavily on the specific test and your country.

Where to watch F1 testing 2026

1. Big picture for 2026 testing

There are multiple test blocks in 2026, and not all of them are fully televised.

  • The first shakedown test (Barcelona) is effectively behind closed doors with no live TV coverage and only limited highlights/timing made available later.
  • The Bahrain tests are where fans finally get proper on‑screen running, but the first Bahrain test has only partial live coverage.
  • A later Bahrain test is scheduled to be shown in full by major broadcasters , with continuous coverage through the test days.

Think of it as: secret Barcelona, half‑visible early Bahrain, then a fully visible later Bahrain test.

2. Official broadcasters & platforms

Sky Sports (mainly UK and some regions)

  • For the first Bahrain test (3‑day block) , only the final hour of each day is broadcast live by local rights holders such as Sky Sports F1 in the UK.
  • One example schedule: live window from about 3:00 p.m. to around 4:10 p.m. local broadcast time on those three days.
  • A nightly highlight / wrap‑up show is also made available after each day’s running.

F1TV (official F1 streaming service)

  • Community and help‑desk info indicates that F1TV Premium will carry Bahrain testing , with coverage often split between F1TV’s own team and a shared feed with Sky during the day.
  • For some sessions, especially early in testing, only limited windows (about an hour per session) are streamed , with later tests expected to be shown in full.
  • In the US , users report that they watch testing via F1TV , sometimes prompted to link to an Apple account depending on the app/platform they use.

Example from a fan: in the US with F1TV Premium, they can watch testing, but the broadcaster only shows one hour per session early on , with a later block of tests airing in full.

Second / later Bahrain test

  • Reports from specialist F1 outlets say that the later Bahrain test (18–20 February window) is expected to be broadcast in full by local broadcasters , with coverage starting early in the morning and running through to late afternoon, plus an evening wrap show.
  • Sky Sports plans to show the entire later test window live on its sports channels, not just the final hour.

3. Country‑by‑country flavor (examples)

Exact channels vary, but fan discussion gives some concrete examples.

  • United Kingdom
    • Sky Sports F1 : final hour of the first Bahrain test each day; full coverage planned for the later Bahrain test block.
* Streaming via **Sky Go** or **NOW** (if bundled with your Sky Sports subscription).
  • United States
    • F1TV Premium : primary way to watch; testing streams are available, though early tests can be limited to an hour of live coverage per session, with later ones in full.
* Some users are prompted to **link F1TV with an Apple account** when watching on Apple TV or F1’s new hub experiences.
  • Australia
    • Fans report watching via Kayo Sports , with coverage starting in the early morning local time (for example 2:00 a.m., depending on the day and session).

Other regions typically rely on their local F1 rights holder (e.g., Canal+, DAZN, etc.) using the same shared testing feed schedule mentioned above.

4. What you can’t watch

Not everything is on screen in 2026.

  • The earliest 2026 test in Barcelona is essentially closed to TV cameras , with teams and F1 limiting access to avoid over‑analysis of early problems.
  • For this shakedown, you’re limited to:
    • Short highlight clips released by F1 or teams.
    • Timing updates and live blogs on major sports sites like ESPN and F1’s official site.

So if you’re searching “where to watch F1 testing 2026” hoping to see every lap of every test, the reality is: only Bahrain — especially the later test — is truly “full broadcast.”

5. Practical tips before lights out

To actually catch the action, you’ll want to:

  1. Check your region’s F1 rights holder
    • UK: Sky Sports F1.
    • US: F1TV Premium (plus any local TV arrangements).
 * Australia: Kayo / local F1 broadcaster.
  1. Confirm test dates and slots
    • Look up the Bahrain pre‑season testing schedule on F1’s official site or your broadcaster’s schedule so you don’t miss the fairly narrow live windows of that first Bahrain test.
  1. Use official apps / live blogs
    • When there’s no live video (Barcelona, or off‑air hours in Bahrain), you can still follow live timing and text updates on F1.com and sites like ESPN.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.