What is F1 pre-season testing?
25 February 2025F1 pre-season testing is a key period in the build-up to the Formula 1 calendar, providing teams and drivers vital preparation time for the upcoming season. Glimpses of the new cars in action can give early indications of what to expect when the first five lights of the year are extinguished at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
The evolution of F1 pre-season testing
Historically, pre-season testing was held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain. However, in recent years, testing has found a new home at Bahrain International Circuit as Spanish weather proved too unpredictable. Bahrain's consistently dry and warm conditions ensure more reliable running, allowing teams to get the most out of the limited track time available to them.
How F1 pre-season testing is run
Pre-season testing is condensed into a three-day session, limiting the amount of track time to emphasise efficiency and extract as much data as possible from any and all on-track running.
There are only 10 cars on track at any given time, meaning each team runs only the one car and drivers must split their time behind the wheel. The schedule is structured into mammoth nine-hour sessions on each of the three days, providing teams with opportunities to put the new cars through their paces in scenarios unseen during traditional race weekends.
What to watch for in 2025 F1 pre-season testing
F1 pre-season testing will take place in Bahrain once again in 2025. Key areas to keep an eye on include:
- Hamilton in red: Lewis Hamilton may have completed private tests for the Scuderia, but pre-season testing will mark the first time the seven-time champion will be behind the wheel of current-generation Ferrari F1 machinery.
- Russell and Antonelli: Testing will also signal the first time a direction comparison can be made between George Russell and his hotshot rookie team-mate Kimi Antonelli. Fans and industry insiders alike will have their eyes fixed on the Mercedes garage to see how they stack up against one another.
- Norris with a point to prove: 2024 runner-up Lando Norris has been outspoken about altering his mindset and approach to racecraft ahead of the upcoming season, so the Brit will want to hit the ground running if he’s to forge a bona fide title tilt this year.
- All-new Aston Martin: With Adrian Newey now installed at the Silverstone-based team, Aston Martin has gone back to the drawing board with its 2025 challenger. This could see a significant swing in performance for the green machines, for better or for worse.
- Where does the reigning champion stand? Having been on the back foot at the tail end of 2024, Max Verstappen and Red Bull will be looking to recover lost ground to the likes of McLaren and Ferrari. That journey starts at pre-season testing.
- Bearman faces first full season: Like Aston Martin, Haas has completely overhauled its car for 2025. Ollie Bearman, the young Brit contesting his first full F1 campaign will be hoping to utilise any additional pace that may have been unearthed at Banbury.
Why F1 pre-season testing is important
Pre-season testing is a vital process in the run-up to the first race, essential for gathering data to fine-tune setups before the season gets underway in earnest.
- The lay of the land: Teams analyse aerodynamic performance, power unit performance, and tyre degradation among other factors to get a true indication of potential pace.
- Troubleshooting: Early tests allow teams to detect and resolve any reliability problems, which, if left unresolved, could cost them valuable points later in the year.
- Driver preparation: For the likes of Hamilton, Bearman, Antonelli and many others on the 2025 grid, testing offers the first opportunity for drivers to embed themselves within a new team environment.
How pre-season testing gives an indication of the year ahead
While sandbagging (a strategy in which teams deliberately underperform to hide true pace) is part and parcel of modern-day F1 testing, unmistakable patterns can emerge – often in race runs – that establish a rough pecking order ahead of the first Grand Prix of the year.
