F1 cars will soon be back on track with pre-season testing at Bahrain International Circuit on the 21-23 February.
That is just a week before the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on the 29 February-2 March, so preparations are firmly underway for the upcoming campaign.
Recent weeks have seen excitement build for the 2024 season with teams unveiling their livery for the year ahead, amid various other news like Lewis Hamilton’s shock move to Ferrari for 2025.
It means the seven-time world champion has just one season left with Mercedes, who will look to close the gap on Red Bull.
Red Bull heads into 2024 after a truly dominant season where it won 21 of 22 grands prix in 2023 with triple world champion Max Verstappen claiming a record-breaking 19 victories.
So, will it become clear in pre-season testing that Red Bull and Verstappen are once again the team-driver pairing to beat, or will there be a surprise package?
Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Team, in testing
Photo by: Haas F1 Team
When is F1 pre-season testing?
- Date: 21-23 February
- Start time: 2am Eastern Time/10am local time on Wednesday 21 February
F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain starts at 2am ET and 10am local time on Wednesday 21 February 2024 to kickstart three days of running.
Each day of F1 pre-season testing will start at the same time with the morning sessions lasting four hours, before running gets going again after lunch in Bahrain at 7am ET and 3pm local time.
|
Date |
Session |
Session time |
|
Wednesday 21 February |
Morning |
2am ET – 6am ET 10am local time – 2pm local time |
|
Wednesday 21 February |
Afternoon |
7am ET – 11am ET 3pm local time – 7pm local time |
|
Thursday 22 February |
Morning |
2am ET – 6am ET 10am local time – 2pm local time |
|
Thursday 22 February |
Afternoon |
7am ET – 11am ET 3pm local time – 7pm local time |
|
Friday 23 February |
Morning |
2am ET – 6am ET 10am local time – 2pm local time |
|
Friday 23 February |
Afternoon |
7am ET – 11am ET 3pm local time – 7pm local time |
How can I watch F1 pre-season testing in the USA?
American viewers can only watch pre-season testing via F1TV because its US TV partner ESPN will not live broadcast the three days of action.
F1TV will start its coverage on Wednesday morning but it will not be one continuous live programme due to a lunch break each day.
F1TV is a live streaming service which can be used on up to six separate devices at once including the internet, its app or a smart television.
The action from Bahrain can also be followed via Motorsport.com, who will be running live text commentary.
F1TV times for pre-season F1 testing
|
Date |
Session |
Session time |
Network |
|
Wednesday 21 February |
Morning |
2am ET – 6am ET 10am local time – 2pm local time |
F1TV |
|
Wednesday 21 February |
Afternoon |
7am ET – 11am ET 3pm local time – 7pm local time |
F1TV |
|
Thursday 22 February |
Morning |
2am ET – 6am ET 10am local time – 2pm local time |
F1TV |
|
Thursday 22 February |
Afternoon |
7am ET – 11am ET 3pm local time – 7pm local time |
F1TV |
|
Friday 23 February |
Morning |
2am ET – 6am ET 10am local time – 2pm local time |
F1TV |
|
Friday 23 February |
Afternoon |
7am ET – 11am ET 3pm local time – 7pm local time |
F1TV |
When can I watch F1 pre-season testing highlights?
Formula 1 pre-season testing highlights will be available via the official F1 YouTube channel where, last year, it uploaded a package of around five minutes soon after each day had finished.
F1TV Pro subscribers will also be able to watch highlights via the streaming service.
Who is testing for each F1 team?
F1 teams only have one car on track for each session, so they usually look to split running between its two drivers during pre-season testing, handing them 1.5 days each in the car.
In 2023, for example, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz drove two morning sessions and one afternoon while team-mate Charles Leclerc did the opposite.
Other teams may opt for something different. Last year Red Bull gave Max Verstappen all of day one and Sergio Perez all of day three, while they both split duties on day two.
Occasionally a reserve driver might get some running as 2021 saw Roy Nissany drive day one for Williams, while Felipe Drugovich partook for Aston Martin in 2023 due to Lance Stroll’s cycling crash injuries – but occasions like this are rare.
Official details of who will be driving when in this year’s F1 pre-season testing are yet to be revealed, so stay tuned to Motorsport.com
A parachutist arrives with a US flag at the US GP
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
How can I watch F1 races in 2024 in the USA?
ESPN holds F1’s broadcasting rights in the USA and it is contracted to show the series until at least 2025 after first airing the championship in 2018.
ESPN broadcasts Sky Sports’ coverage, which is produced in the UK, to its American audience across its channels including network ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU and ESPN Deportes (Spanish language).
How can I stream F1 races in 2024 in the USA?
If you don’t have ESPN included in a cable package, a subscription is needed to watch F1 race weekends in America.
F1 coverage is available to live stream through ESPN, so the series can be watched on either a laptop, cellphone or tablet device. Its dedicated streaming app ESPN+ is available for $10.99 per month or $109.99 a year for new customers.
But widely-used digital platforms such as Fubo TV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV will also offer ESPN’s coverage.
F1TV also holds the rights to live broadcast the series in America – plus several other countries but not the United Kingdom – with the platform available annually for $80 or monthly for $9.99.
An F1TV Pro subscription gives fans the chance to watch each session during a grand prix weekend live, as well as full race replays, live timing features, historic documentaries and more.