Bahrain likely to host F1 pre-season testing

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Formula 1 teams will likely set up shop at Bahrain rather than Barcelona for pre-season testing in March as a result of the probable postponement of the season opening Australian GP.

The Circuit de Catalunya was initially earmarked as the venue of choice for winter testing, as in previous years, but the pending postponement of Melbourne's opening round has led F1 to consider switching its pre-season plans to Bahrain where the 2021 campaign is now expected to kick off on March 28.

The potential change, to which teams have reportedly agreed, would facilitate F1's logistics amid lingering COVID-19 restrictions.

Teams and freight would travel to Sakhir for three days of testing and then remain on site for the March 28 opening event, an organization that would also lower everyone's costs.

Read also: 2021 Australian GP curtain-raiser set for postponement

F1's sporting regulations stipulate that pre-season testing must take place between February 1 and a period ending ten days before the first race of the championship.

Testing could therefore be conducted by teams as late as March 16, or two weeks later than the initial March 2-4 dates that were scheduled in Barcelona.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.