Who is driving when during Bahrain’s F1 pre-season test?

Formula 1 cars will once again roar into life this week as winter testing takes place in Bahrain ahead of the 2021 season.

Following a relatively short winter break, the teams and drivers are back in action from tomorrow as pre-season testing gets underway at the Bahrain International Circuit.

It will mark the first time since 2014 that Bahrain has hosted pre-season testing after a switch around with F1’s traditional winter home Barcelona as a result of calendar changes due to ongoing coronavirus-related restrictions.

This year’s winter programme has been cut down to just a single, three-day test in a bid to save costs with teams carrying over a significant amount of their 2020 cars into 2021 as the sport seeks to recover from the financial hardship brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It means the drivers will get the equivalent of just 1.5 days running behind the wheel of their updated cars in preparation for the longest season in the history of F1, which begins on 28 March with the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Most teams have already conducted an initial shakedown with their 2021 cars but the upcoming Bahrain test will provide them with a proper chance to run their latest challengers extensively for the first time. 

With a number of drivers switching teams during the off-season and just 24 hours of track time before the new campaign starts, you can expect a flurry of activity across the three days.

Below is a full rundown of the confirmed driver line-ups for the pre-season test. This will be updated.

Mercedes

Friday: Valtteri Bottas (AM), Lewis Hamilton (PM)
Saturday: Lewis Hamilton (AM), Valtteri Bottas (PM)
Sunday: Valtteri Bottas (AM), Lewis Hamilton (PM)

Red Bull

Friday: Max Verstappen
Saturday: Sergio Perez
Sunday: Sergio Perez (AM), Max Verstappen (PM)

McLaren

Friday: Daniel Ricciardo (AM), Lando Norris (PM)
Saturday: TBC
Sunday: TBC

Aston Martin

Friday: Sebastian Vettel (AM), Lance Stroll (PM)
Saturday: Sebastian Vettel (AM), Lance Stroll (PM)
Sunday: Lance Stroll (AM), Sebastian Vettel (PM)

Alpine

Friday: Esteban Ocon
Saturday: Fernando Alonso
Sunday: Esteban Ocon (AM), Fernando Alonso (PM)

Ferrari

Friday: Charles Leclerc (AM), Carlos Sainz (PM)
Saturday: Carlos Sainz (AM), Charles Leclerc (PM)
Sunday: TBC

AlphaTauri

Friday: Pierre Gasly (AM), Yuki Tsunoda (PM)
Saturday: Yuki Tsunoda (AM), Pierre Gasly (PM)
Sunday: Pierre Gasly (AM), Yuki Tsunoda (PM)

Alfa Romeo

Friday: Kimi Raikkonen (AM), Antonio Giovinazzi (PM)
Saturday: Antonio Giovinazzi
Sunday: Kimi Raikkonen

Haas

Friday: Mick Schumacher (AM), Nikita Mazepin (PM)
Saturday: Nikita Mazepin (AM), Mick Schumacher (PM)
Sunday: Mick Schumacher (AM), Nikita Mazepin (PM)

Williams

Friday: Roy Nissany
Saturday: Nicholas Latifi
Sunday: George Russell