Race weekends · Updated for 2026
F1 filming days explained
Why teams can run current cars for promotional content without receiving an unrestricted private test.
Quick answer
A filming day is a regulated promotional event with restricted mileage, tyres and operating conditions. Teams often use it as a shakedown, but its limits prevent it from becoming an unlimited performance test.
The official purpose
Teams use filming days to create moving images for partners, launches and media campaigns. The sporting rules define the permitted car, tyres, distance and notification process.
A useful shakedown
Even restricted laps can expose leaks, sensor faults, control problems or installation errors before a formal test or race weekend. Engineers can verify that the car starts, stops and completes basic procedures.
Why the data is limited
Restricted tyres, distance and programme reduce the value of lap-time comparisons. A filming day can confirm operation, but it cannot reproduce the breadth of an official test.