F1 | Pre-season tests 2024: when they take place and where to see them

The new F1 season is upon us and the teams will travel to Bahrain for pre-season testing, where fans will be able to get their first look at the teams' competitive levels.

Once again the drivers will kick off the F1 season with pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit which will take place from 21st to 23rd February and which will represent the first track date for 2024.

This year's tests come a week before the Bahrain Grand Prix scheduled for February 29 to March 2, opening the world championship.

Will Red Bull be the team to beat once again? Is Max Verstappen on course for a fourth consecutive world title? Or, can McLaren build on the momentum in 2023 and close the gap on Red Bull?

While much of the starting grid will remain the same, the names of two teams will change: AlphaTauri has changed its name to RB and Sauber has abandoned its Alfa Romeo guise.

With interest building towards the upcoming F1 season, here's everything you need to know about pre-season testing, where fans will also get a first look at the new liveries of the 2024 cars.

When does the 2024 pre-season testing take place?

• F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain: 21-23 February 2024

For the fourth consecutive year, F1 will hold its pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, where teams will have just three days of testing to complete their testing programs before the season opener at the same track.

Choosing Bahrain as the pre-season testing location allows F1 teams to test in more representative warm conditions, in the dry and in the sun. It also reduces travel costs and remains in line with F1's commitment to being more environmentally sustainable, as teams no longer have to fly from pre-season testing to the venue for the first Grand Prix.

However, before pre-season testing, a team also carries out a test day – also known as a filming day – where they can drive up to 200km to make sure everything works correctly on the new car.

Who drives in F1 pre-season testing?

For 2024 the driver market was quiet, as each team retained its lineup from the 2023 season. The biggest news of the season was the transfer of a driver, but for 2025: Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes for Ferrari , and this is expected to be one of many transfers for next year, as several contracts expire at the end of 2024.

This year too, the drivers will be on track at different times, with one side of the garage taking care of the morning session while the other takes care of the afternoon session. However, details on the testing lineups have not yet been revealed.

What happens in F1 pre-season testing?

F1 pre-season testing offers teams the first opportunity to test different set-ups, components and programs ahead of next season. It's not a question of pure competitiveness, but rather of gaining knowledge of the new car by completing as many laps as possible, in whatever setup the teams want. It can be considered as a first free practice session, but which extends throughout the day.

Night lighting and Bahrain flag

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

F1 pre-season testing on TV

Official TV times have yet to be announced but, as last year, it is expected that F1 will broadcast the entire test in Bahrain on Sky Sport F1 in Italy, as well as on F1 TV in countries where it is available.

Motorsport.com will have live commentary on the F1 pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Weather forecast for F1 pre-season testing

Bahrain is expected to experience warm and sunny weather during the 2024 F1 pre-season testing, with temperatures regularly exceeding 20 degrees, but not going above 24. Friday is expected to be the warmest and sunniest day, with Wednesday and Thursday Cloudy intervals are expected.

However, there are nine hours between the start and end of the track day, so temperatures can vary and get much cooler as the sun starts to go down.

The chances of rain are also very low, which makes this event more representative ahead of the opening Grand Prix than the pre-season tests in Barcelona, ​​because temperatures in the Spanish city rarely exceed 15 degrees in February.

How accurate is F1 pre-season testing?

These are only tests, so lap times should not be considered a definitive indicator of what the starting order will be. This is because the lap times achieved in testing are clouded by multiple variables, including different car set-ups, fuel load, engine modes, compounds and tire use, so it's not like qualifying, where the teams have everything available for a dry lap.

Hiding is also common in pre-season testing and refers to when a team prefers to hide their potential so as not to show everyone their pace before the opening grand prix of the season. All of this can be seen in the data below, which lists the fastest lap in testing compared to the equivalent pole position time at the same circuit later in the year.

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB19

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

What happened between 2016 and 2019 explains better why testing is not the most important thing, because Ferrari always did well in that period, but the Scuderia didn't win any of those world championships. There's also 2014, when Felipe Massa excelled in testing for Williams, but the British company scored less than half the points of Mercedes, world constructors' champion that year.

However, pre-season testing still offers some indication of who might be strongest, because Red Bull have excelled in the last two years before dominating both seasons – although Charles Leclerc took pole and victory in Bahrain in 2022.