A crucial three days of pre-season testing begin in Bahrain for Formula 1 teams on Wednesday as Red Bull's rivals look to glean the first indication of whether they have managed to close down the world champions' advantage from last year over the winter. Each of the 10 teams will put their respective new car through its paces from Wednesday across three days of testing at the Bahrain International Circuit with live track coverage starting from 7am each day on Sky Sports F1.
Pre-season's sole test is particularly important for the main would-be challengers to F1's world champions - namely Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, and Aston Martin - as they look to hit back in 2024 after Red Bull and Max Verstappen produced the most dominant season in the sport's history last year.
Red Bull are again expected to at least start the season as the team to beat after winning back-to-back world title doubles so far in the current era of regulations. Bahrain testing begins for Red Bull against the backdrop of the ongoing investigation into team principal Christian Horner over a claim of inappropriate behavior made against him by a colleague. Horner categorically denies the allegations.
Just one week after testing, the opening race of the 2024 season will begin with the Bahrain Grand Prix from February 29 to March 2. Due to the Muslim holy period of Ramadan, the Bahrain and, seven days later, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, will be held on a Saturday. This means practice one and two will take place on Thursdays, with final practice and qualifying on Fridays.
Each team is looking to make improvements to their cars based on the lessons learned from the previous season. Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, and Aston Martin are all aiming to challenge Red Bull's dominance in the upcoming season. The teams are focusing on refining their designs and addressing any weaknesses in their cars to close the performance gap with the reigning champions.
With the new season fast approaching, fans can expect an exciting battle on the track as teams strive to outperform each other and claim victory in the highly competitive world of Formula 1.
