F1 News, Reports and Race Results

F1 and teams agree on dates for Bahrain pre-season testing

Formula 1 will conduct its 2021 pre-season testing on March 12-14 in Bahrain following an agreement reached between the sport's chiefs, the FIA and the teams.

Teams had initially planned to test in Barcelona in early March, the traditional venue for winter testing.

But the postponement of the Australian GP due to lingering COVID-19 restrictions has led to Bahrain hosting the opening round of the campaign.

Therefore, from a logistical and practical perspective - not to mention cost reasons - it made sense to also transfer pre-season testing to Sakhir where teams will establish themselves for the better part of two weeks.

According to reports, teams debated the possibility of testing on the weekend before the Bahrain GP. But McLaren, which is changing engine suppliers this season, opposed the idea as it wanted more time to fine tune its new package.

But an obvious silver lining to the change is the additional extra week of preparation allocated to all the teams.

Pre-season testing will therefore take place at Sakhir on March 12-14, from Friday to Sunday, two weeks before the start of the 2021 season.

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

Horner: Max 'answered critics' with epic Sao Paulo GP drive

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner hailed Max Verstappen’s sensational Sao Paulo Grand Prix victory…

4 mins ago

Sainz left puzzled by double crash drama in rainy São Paulo

Carlos Sainz was left scratching his head after a disastrous Sunday at the Sao Paulo…

1 hour ago

Alonso pushed through agonizing pain to complete Sao Paulo GP

Fernando Alonso braved both physical agony and mechanical challenges in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix,…

3 hours ago

Alpine double-podium in Brazil could deliver $30 million windfall

Alpine’s remarkable double podium at the São Paulo Grand Prix with Esteban Ocon and Pierre…

17 hours ago

F1i's Driver Ratings for the 2024 São Paulo GP

Alexander Albon, Williams (Did Not Start): 5.5/10 Alex Albon is definitely going through something of…

19 hours ago

Jos Verstappen rips British media after Brazilian Max fest

Jos Verstappen wasted no time after his son spectacular win at the São Paulo Grand…

20 hours ago