F1 teams agree to move pre-season testing from Spain to Bahrain

Formula 1 teams have agreed on a proposal to move pre-season testing from Spain to Bahrain, Crash.net has learned.

The three-day test was originally meant to be held in F1’s usual winter home at Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on 2-4 March, but it will now take place in Bahrain between 12-14 March following changes to the opening rounds of the 2021 season.

F1 revealed its revised 2021 F1 calendar on Tuesday morning, with the planned season-opening Australian Grand Prix postponed from March to November, and the Chinese Grand Prix postponed indefinitely.

SEE ALSO: Can adaptable F1 really pull off ambitious 23-race plan?

As a result, the new campaign will now get underway a week later than scheduled with the Bahrain Grand Prix on 28 March.

Due to the calendar changes, it was suggested that moving pre-season testing to the Sakhir International Circuit in Bahrain would be logical, though agreement was needed amongst the teams, F1, and the FIA for the plan to be approved.

The proposal to delay pre-season testing has now been unanimously agreed upon by the teams.

The single-event test will be held across Friday 12, Saturday 13 and Sunday 13 March, two weekends prior to the opening round of the season. It will mark the first time since 2014 that Sakhir has hosted F1 pre-season testing.

Bahrain provides teams with more reliable and predictable weather conditions compared to Spain during the winter months and although the circuit is further away from their respective bases, teams will not need to transport their equipment again before the first round of the year.

Teams will be limited to just three days of running this year following a cutback to pre-season testing in a bid to save costs, with teams carrying over their 2020 chassis into 2021.

That means that each driver will be restricted to just one and a half days of running behind the wheel of their respective cars before the season begins.