Bahrain's Tv Testing: What's The Deal?

Formula 1 fans can watch preseason testing in Bahrain on TV and online. The 2024 preseason testing in Bahrain, which took place from February 21 to February 23, was broadcast on Sky Sports F1, with coverage starting at 6:50 am on the first day. F1 fans can also subscribe to F1TV to watch all practice, qualifying, and grand prix events, as well as testing sessions in Bahrain. The 2023 preseason testing in Bahrain was also broadcast on Sky Sports platforms, with live coverage of every minute of the three-day testing event.

How to watch F1 preseason testing in Bahrain on TV

The 2024 Formula 1 World Championship preseason testing takes place at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, from Wednesday, February 21, 2024, to Friday, February 23, 2024. Each day of testing will start at 10 a.m. local time (AST) and finish at 7 p.m., giving drivers nine hours of track time to fine-tune their preparations.

F1 fans can follow the action from the testing sessions in Bahrain from anywhere in the world by subscribing to F1TV. With an F1TV membership, you can also watch all practice, qualifying, and grand prix events online once the new season begins.

Broadcasting details for preseason testing are usually scarce, but the following broadcasters are likely to be showing preseason testing on their respective channels:

• TSN (English)
• RDS (French)
• Foxtel Go
• Kayo Sports

For fans in the United States, F1 races are streamed on ESPN+.

F1 2024 preseason testing dates

The 2024 Formula 1 World Championship's preseason testing will take place at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, on February 21-23. The three-day testing session will see 20 drivers get to grips with new cars, rules, and regulations ahead of the new season, which will kick off at the same track the following weekend.

Each day of testing will start at 10 a.m. local time (AST) and finish at 7 p.m., with a one-hour lunch break from 2-3 p.m. The sessions are comprised of two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon/evening, with a one-hour break in between.

F1 fans can follow the action from the testing sessions by subscribing to F1TV, which will also allow them to watch all practice, qualifying, and grand prix events online once the new season begins. Broadcasting details for preseason testing may be subject to change, but it is likely that the following broadcasters will be showing preseason testing on their respective channels: TSN (English) and RDS (French).

For those who want to attend the testing sessions in person, tickets for the 2024 F1 pre-season testing were priced at 5 BHD (approx. $13 USD) for adults and 2.5 BHD (approx. $6.50 USD) for children. Hospitality tickets were also available for $1,100 USD per day, offering access to exclusive areas and additional perks.

F1 2023 preseason testing dates

The 2023 F1 preseason testing took place in Bahrain from 23 to 25 February. The three-day testing event was held at the 5.412-kilometre Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, which is also the venue for the opening race of the season.

The event offered fans a first glimpse at the constructors' new cars and how they were shaping up for the 2023 season. Most teams revealed their new cars ahead of the test event, but the Bahrain testing event was when they were put through their paces.

Each day of the event started at 10 am local time and finished at 7:30 pm. This equated to 7 am (GMT) for UK viewers, 2 am (ET) in the United States and Canada, 12:30 pm (IST), and 3 pm for those in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore. For viewers in Australia, it was 6 pm (AEDT), and 8 pm (NZDT).

F1 2022 preseason testing dates

The 2022 Formula 1 preseason testing took place in two parts. The first was a lower-key, pre-testing track session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain from February 23 to 25. This was followed by the Official Pre-Season Test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, from March 10 to 12.

The Barcelona session did not feature live coverage or live timing. However, it did include content and best lap times at the end of each day. On the other hand, the Bahrain session had fans in attendance and featured live TV coverage and timing.

The Bahrain International Circuit also hosted the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix from March 18 to 20. The race started at 6 p.m. local time (AST), which is 3 p.m. GMT or 10 a.m. ET.

F1 preseason testing: Key dates, start times and schedules

The 2024 Formula 1 World Championship preseason testing will take place at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain. The three-day testing session will begin on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, and end on Friday, February 23, 2024, with the Bahrain Grand Prix kicking off the new season on Saturday, March 2.

Each day of the testing session will start at 10 a.m. local time (AST) and finish at 7 p.m. local time, translating to 3 a.m. ET and 7 p.m. ET, respectively. For UK viewers, this equates to a start time of 7 a.m. GMT and an end time of 4 p.m. GMT.

The testing session will be the first time that all 20 drivers competing in the 2024 season will gather on the same track to test their new cars and get familiarised with the rules and regulations. It will also be an opportunity for rookies to get up to speed before the official start of the racing season.

F1 fans around the world can subscribe to F1TV to watch the testing sessions and all practice, qualifying, and grand prix events throughout the season. Additionally, broadcasting details for preseason testing may become available closer to the event, with channels like TSN (English) and RDS (French) likely to show the testing on their networks.

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