Bahrain F1 pre-season test: Schedule and line-ups for week 1

Formula 1 returns to action today in Bahrain where teams have assembled to resume their crucial on-track preparations after their initial shakedown in Barcelona at the end of last month.

Starting today, all 11 teams will begin a grueling schedule of six total days of running. But unlike Barcelona, these sessions represent the first time the new challengers will be run "in anger."

Engineers will be obsessively monitoring Active Aero, Boost Mode, and Overtake Mode as drivers—limited to just 1.5 days each in the cockpit per test – scramble to master the sophisticated machinery.

The first window runs this week from today, Wednesday, to Friday, followed by a second three-day stint next week from February 18–20. With eight hours of daily track time, the pressure is on to move past basic hardware checks and into full race simulations.

How to Watch the Action

On-track action starts at 10:00 local time on Wednesday and runs through until 19:00 local, with a one-hour mandatory break for lunch between 14:00 - 15:00 local.

For the opening test, coverage remains somewhat exclusive. Fans in the UK can catch the final hour of track action live on Sky Sports F1 from 3–4 pm daily. The evening schedule features a "Testing Wrap" at 8 pm, followed immediately by "Ted’s Testing Notebook" at 8:30 pm.

While live timing will be available throughout the day on F1.com, those seeking wall-to-wall broadcast coverage will have to wait for the second test next week, which will be shown in full.

As everyone gets down to business at Sakhir, the mystery of the 2026 grid will finally begin to unravel. Expect teams to hide their true pace, but with only 12 hours of cockpit time per test, there is nowhere left to hide for the drivers.

Provisional driver line-ups for Bahrain F1 pre-season test - Week 1