Everything you need to know about 2024 F1 Pre-season testing in Bahrain

The 2024 Formula 1 season is on the horizon. All F1 teams have launched their cars for the year ahead, and the focus has shifted to pre-season testing. The winter tests will take place at the Bahrain International Circuit. One week later, the Formula 1 World Championship begins at the same location as the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix.

When is F1 pre-season testing in 2024?

There are three pre-season test days in 2024, all at the Bahrain International Circuit. The first test takes place on Wednesday, February 21. The second test takes place on Thursday, February 22. The final test takes place on Friday, February 23. 

The same time schedule is used every day. The track goes green at 10am (local time) for what is known as the morning session. Due to the time difference, this is 7am in the United Kingdom. This session will last for four hours. Teams, drivers and marshals will then have a one-hour break for lunch. The test resumes at 3pm (local time)/12pm (UK time) and will again last four hours. The time will not stop for red flag periods.

Sunset in Sakhir is just after 17:30 local time. This means the floodlights will take over, and the final part of the test will be at night. This is particularly helpful for the teams because the first two Grands Prix, including the Bahrain Grand Prix, are at night.

Where is F1 pre-season testing in 2024?

The pre-season tests will take place in Bahrain at the Bahrain International Circuit. In years gone by, pre-season testing traditionally took place in Barcelona. Logistics-wise, it was a helpful location but was often deemed too cold. In addition, Formula 1 wants to reduce the amount of travelling as much as possible, and it makes sense to host the tests at the same venue as the first Grand Prix.

Will pre-season testing produce a clear picture of the order?

Pre-season testing will indicate how the land lies ahead of the 2024 Formula 1 season. But it will not be a clear picture. Fuel loads and engine modes are largely unknown. The top teams are also known to do 'sandbagging', where they go slower than they can. We will have to wait until qualifying and the Bahrain Grand Prix to get a more precise indication, but we will give it an educated guess based on the data from testing. 

Is pre-season testing on Sky Sports F1?

Sky Sports F1 will broadcast full coverage of winter testing in Bahrain ahead of the 2024 Formula 1 season. The British broadcaster will show every single second of the action so fans in the United Kingdom won't miss anything. GPblog will also provide a liveblog with updates throughout each day of testing. Click here to see Sky Sports F1's full schedule for pre-season testing.

What is the weather forecast for pre-season testing?

As expected in the desert, the weather forecast suggests it will be dry and warm. AccuWeather reports that temperatures will be 22-24c during the day, with temperatures dropping to as low as 15c at night. The website says "a full day of sunshine" can be expected for Thursday and Friday. On Wednesday, it is predicted to be "sunny and breezy", which could make testing interesting. There is a 0% chance of rain.