F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Formula 1 set for three-day pre-season test in 2021

Formula 1 teams will reportedly prepare for the 2021 season with a single three-day test program, likely to be conducted in Bahrain.

Last winter, Formula 1 reduced its pre-season program from eight to six days across a two-week period spent at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.

However, with teams carrying over into 2021 their current chassis as part of the sport's cost-saving measures, less development will be required, thus justifying a further reduction of F1's pre-season program to just three days.

Finals dates for the three-day test and confirmation of Bahrain as the host circuit have yet to be announced.

The lighter pre-season program will precede a record 23-race schedule that was released earlier this week, with the opening round of the 2021 season to take place in Melbourne on March 23.

Bahrain, which hosted its first Grand Prix in 2004, last welcomed F1 for pre-season testing in 2014. Teams are unlikely to encounter adverse weather at Sakhir while an end of February, early March date at Barcelona could foil testing plans as was the case in early 2018.

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Michael Delaney

Recent Posts

Russell impressed by Mercedes rivals’ power unit strength

While Mercedes spent the first week of the 2026 shakedown in Barcelona looking like a…

1 hour ago

Gasly invests in MotoGP team Tech3 as Steiner-led era begins

Pierre Gasly is adding a new kind of horsepower to his career. The Alpine F1…

3 hours ago

Jo Bonnier: A true gentleman racer

Sweden's Jo Bonnier, who was born on this day in 1930, enjoyed a career in…

5 hours ago

Barcelona Gallery: Tracking F1's technical revolution on track

While the stopwatches and spreadsheets provided the hard data, the visual spectacle of the 2026…

6 hours ago

Schumacher ’94: Netflix revisits legend’s epic first F1 title

Netflix is gearing up to transport viewers back to one of Formula 1’s most volatile…

6 hours ago

Formula 1’s Barcelona Shakedown by the numbers

The 2026 Formula 1 era roared to life in Barcelona this week, offering a first…

7 hours ago