F1 preseason testing set for Bahrain in February

Preseason testing for the 2025 Formula 1 season will take place in Bahrain across three days in late February next year.

For the first time since 2020, Bahrain will not host the season-opening grand prix in 2025, which is set to take place in Melbourne, Australia on March 16.

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The pre-season test, which provides teams with three days of track running with their new cars, will take place between Feb. 26-28 at the Bahrain International Circuit.

It will represent Lewis Hamilton’s first official test in his new Ferrari once his move from Mercedes is completed over the winter.

Bahrain has hosted pre-season testing on six separate occasions since 2009 and is a popular test venue as it provides warm and consistent conditions so early in the year.

Teams are allowed to run one car on each of the three days of testing and typically split the time equally between their drivers.

The test gives the first indication of the competitive order, although lap times can often be misleading as engineers focus on set run plans that rarely reveal the true pace of the cars.

F1 will return to Bahrain in April for the fourth round of the season, with the same circuit hosting the middle race in a triple header with Japan and Saudi Arabia.