Williams F1 team principal James Vowles confirmed the team’s decision to miss the Barcelona shakedown, calling it “incredibly painful” but necessary to focus on Bahrain testing. Vowles assured that all required FIA crash tests have been passed, and the team is preparing for a promotional filming day and virtual test track runs. The complexity of the new car, which is three times more intricate than previous models, caused delays in parts production, leading to the strategic skip of Barcelona.