2025’s Formula 1 season is nearly here, as we tick off the days until it officially kicks off in Melbourne, Australia on 16 March. But this week, the cars and their drivers are hitting the track for pre-season testing. But what is pre-season testing and will it tell us who will be crowned as the world champion in 2025?
What is F1 pre-season testing?
The pre-season test is a crucial time for F1 teams as they refine their car designs ahead of the new season. Firstly, it is an opportunity to see if all the parts work correctly. F1 cars are bespoke items with the majority of the components produced in-house at each team, with little carry-over parts from the 2024 cars.
Secondly, unlike the shakedown and filming days the majority of teams have done to acquire digital assets, the official F1 test will see the cars use this season’s Pirelli tires. It will be the first time the engine, chassis, and tires will have been used in combination, so it is an opportunity for teams and their drivers to understand how the car performs on track. F1 rules are limited when it comes to any other on-track running of the current season’s car, so instead each team will have run its designs in a wind tunnel. The test will ascertain whether the results in the wind tunnel correlate to the live running at the track.
Testing is limited to just three days and is regulated to ensure equal running for all 10 teams. A total time of 24 hours is split across the three-day event with teams only permitted to run one of their cars at a time. It means that driving duties within each team is split between both drivers. More of than not, one driver will take the wheel in the morning session and the other driver for the afternoon session.
Charles Leclerc running his Ferrari at the preseason test in Bahrain, 2024.
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Where and when is F1 pre-season testing taking place?
The three-day event runs from 26-28 February, starting at 10am and finishing at 7pm local time (GMT +3). There is a break for lunch between 2pm and 3pm.
It is being held at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain. The track configuration is the same as the Bahrain F1 Grand Prix.
Where is it being shown on TV?
F1 fans in the United States can watch the coverage on ESPN+ on all three days. Coverage starts runs from 1:55am until 6am EST, then the second session is from 6:55am to 11am EST. It is also available to stream on F1 TV Pro.
Are there points on offer? If so, why do I need to watch?
No, no points or trophies are on offer, but testing provides a great insight into how the start of the season will play out. It is the first time to see all 10 new cars and their liveries on track — including Lewis Hamilton driving for Ferrari.
It’s also a great time to see how the drivers are performing on track. You will get a chance to see this year’s rookies, including Hamilton’s replacement at Mercedes, the highly-rated Italian, Andrea Kimi Antonelli. There is also the chance to assess how New Zealander Liam Lawson will compare as he goes head-to-head with his Red Bull teammate and reigning world champion, Max Verstappen.
Fans won’t see all the engineers harvesting data from the thousands of sensors spread across the car, but they will get to witness the drivers trying to refine the set-up process of their machines for 2025.
Does the quickest team in testing equal a win at the first race of the season?
No. While finishing at the top of the pre-season timesheets will vindicate a team’s design and no doubt provide a boost in confidence ahead of the the new campaign, it is not necessarily a given that they will be quickest come Melbourne.
There are several unknowns that could contribute to a fast lap time. For instance, a team may set a quick lap based on a much-lower fuel load. There is also the potential for sandbagging, where teams do not run their cars at full capacity to disguise the true pace of its car until qualifying in Australia, when it is turned back up to the maximum.
Bonus things to look for
If you are into car tech, there is plenty to study. Looking over the new designs on each of the 10 cars, assessing the side pods and front and rear wings, is an appreciation of art.
Also, as a rule of thumb, if teams pump in a high number of laps, it is encouraging as they have a reliable basis to build on over the season. Breakdowns can prove costly to a team’s development rate over the course of the season. If a team is also able to match that reliability with quick lap times, then it is a good indication that they will be fast come the start of the season.
However, there are still 12 days until the race in Melbourne and plenty of new parts are in development at each factory, so it is entirely likely there will be some upgrades coming in time for the season opener, which could also change the pecking order.
In this article
Be the first to know and subscribe for real-time news email updates on these topics
Subscribe to news alerts
