F1 News Today: F1 Teams Head to Nürburgring as FIA Approve New Race Activity
Formula 1 machinery will return to the iconic Nürburgring later this month after the FIA approved a revised schedule of on-track activity during an unexpected break in the 2026 season.
Although the championship calendar has been disrupted by the cancellations of both the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, teams will still take to the track in April as part of a series of crucial tyre development tests.
The headline event will see Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team and McLaren Formula 1 Team running at the Nürburgring across April 14 and 15 in collaboration with tyre supplier Pirelli. The two-day test will focus on dry-weather tyre development, an essential component in refining performance and durability under the sport’s evolving technical regulations.
This Nürburgring outing forms part of a broader testing programme that has been reshaped due to the logistical challenges of operating in the Middle East. Earlier plans for a tyre test in Bahrain were scrapped even before the official race cancellations were confirmed, prompting Pirelli and the FIA to relocate testing operations entirely to Europe.
Prior to the German test, Scuderia Ferrari are scheduled to conduct wet-weather tyre testing at their private Fiorano Circuit facility on April 9 and 10. This will allow Pirelli to gather critical data across varying track conditions, ensuring that both wet and dry compounds are sufficiently developed despite the disruption to the race calendar.
The tyre programme has already been set in motion, with Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls having completed an earlier test at the Suzuka International Racing Course following the Japanese Grand Prix. That session provided baseline data which will now be expanded upon during the European phase of testing.
The Nürburgring itself remains one of motorsport’s most revered venues. The modern Grand Prix circuit spans 5.148 kilometres and features 17 corners, combining technical complexity with safety-focused design elements such as expansive run-off areas. In addition to its physical characteristics, the circuit is equipped with advanced digital monitoring systems that oversee both the GP layout and the legendary Nordschleife, reinforcing its reputation as a technologically advanced racing venue.
While this activity does not constitute a competitive race weekend, it effectively ensures that F1 cars will still be seen on track during what would otherwise have been a prolonged five-week hiatus.
Attention will then shift to the next official race on the calendar, the Miami Grand Prix, which is set to take place at the start of May. The Miami weekend will follow the sprint format, with practice and sprint qualifying scheduled for Friday, followed by the sprint race and Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday, and the main race on Sunday.
Former F1 driver and commentator Martin Brundle has already described the Miami event as “one of the biggest relaunches in the history of Formula 1,” underlining its importance as the championship resumes after an unusually long break.
Historically, the Nürburgring has played a significant role in Formula 1. The last race held on the original Nordschleife layout was the 1976 German Grand Prix, famously won by James Hunt. Since then, F1 has competed on the modern configuration intermittently, including a return between 2009 and 2013.
More recently, the circuit hosted the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix during the COVID-affected season, where Lewis Hamilton claimed victory on his way to securing a record-equalling seventh world championship.
While fans will have to wait until Miami for the next points-scoring event, the Nürburgring test ensures that Formula 1 remains active, with teams continuing development work that could prove decisive as the 2026 season progresses.