Formula 1 teams often use the period before the first official winter test of the year to send their new car onto the track for the first time during a closed test. This will be no different in 2026. Earlier this week, Audi was the first team to test drive its new car, making it the first car on display with the 2026 regulations changes in mind.
These so-called shakedowns form a crucial link between the drawing board and the actual racing. It is the first opportunity for teams to check whether months of development work actually works on the track. During a shakedown it’s not about performance; it only checks whether the car’s most important technical functions work.
There are clear limitations to a shakedown. First of all, a team may travel a maximum of 200 kilometers. This limited distance has been deliberately determined and has a clear purpose: to control the basic functions, such as the steering, the braking feel and the integration of the power source. It is also a pleasant testing moment for the drivers, because they can get used to sitting in the cockpit and to the way the car behaves under the new rules.
A shakedown always takes place in the context of a ‘film day’. Two of these are allowed per season. A team that does not officially do a closed shakedown and only debuts the new car during the winter test, therefore saves a filming day for later in the season.
But there is not only a restriction in the number of kilometers driven. To prevent teams from testing performance-oriented, they must drive on special Pirelli tires. These tires offer significantly less grip. This way, teams can’t collect valuable performance data, but can still monitor critical systems.
Especially when the cars are completely new, as with this year’s rule changes, shakedowns can reveal important problems that were not visible in simulations. From checking wheel tightness to testing complex hybrid systems, it’s all about laying a solid foundation that can be built upon during official winter testing.
Although shakedowns do not replace full-fledged tests, such as those that will take place in Barcelona and Bahrain in the near future, they form an essential bridge between theory and practice. At Audi, there were satisfied faces after the shakedown, when it turned out that the car could cover the entire 200 kilometers without any fundamental problems.
