F1's strangest pre-season test? Bus on track halts running
A pair of unusual reasons led to the final day of F1 pre-season testing to be stopped.
The third and final day of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain was briefly red-flagged twice for a pair of bizarre reasons.
With around 40 minutes remaining in the morning session on the final day of running, red flags were flown despite nobody appearing to have any issues or stopping on track.
TV footage quickly revealed that the reason for the suspension was for debris on the start-finish straight.
Shattered glass on track
The curious stoppage appeared to be the result of a panel of glass becoming detached from the starting gantry which overhangs the start-finish straight and shattering debris onto the track surface.
đź”´ RED FLAG đź”´
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 28, 2025
Debris on the start/finish straight - looks like a pane of glass from the starter's booth has fallen onto the track #F1Testing #F1 pic.twitter.com/Fi4UOHCAap
Following a brief interruption to allow marshals to clean up the debris, the morning session was able to resume.
There was some confusion when Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso entered the track despite the red flag still being shown.
It seems a green light at the end of the pit lane had briefly been shown at 10.21am UK time, enabling Antonelli and Alonso to head out, only for the red flag to flash once more.
After returning to the pits following a single lap, the session did get back underway for proper following the short suspension.
Bus on track after lunch
Running had only just resumed after lunch when it was quickly halted once more, this time for a truly shocking and unsafe reason.
A shuttle-bus was picked up by TV replays driving on the run-off area down at Turn 10 while the track was live and drivers were circulating.
🚩 Um, there’s a bus on the track. pic.twitter.com/tRpmJXtgPx
— The Race (@wearetherace) February 28, 2025
Power cut stops play on Day 1
None of the three red-flag stoppages so far have been caused by problems for drivers on track.
A circuit-wide power outage was to blame for the afternoon session of the opening day of running to be suspended for over an hour.
Lights went out in the pit lane and paddock causing team garages to descend into darkness, while the floodlights around the Sakhir circuit also failed.
To compensate for the lost track time, F1 and the FIA decided to extend the session by an additional hour in the evening.
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for Crash.net around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
