What is Pre-Season testing in Formula One? Where to watch it?

The winter break in Formula One is finally over, well, almost. The pre-season testing will be held from the 23rd to the 25th of February in Sakhir, Bahrain. It won’t be long before the drivers assemble at the circuit. Over the winter break, they kept fit and traveled, and engaged in fun-filled activities. 

It is time to get back to business now. The car launches are over, and the pre-season testing is next. The weekend after the testing is the season opener at the Bahrain International Circuit. It will take place over the course of three days which is not enough for the teams. 

Last season, as it was the new era of cars, thanks to the technical regulations in Formula one, two sets of tests were conducted. This year there will only be one. The teams will run their new cars with their new liveries for the first time in 2023. Once the cars are taken to the tracks, the real challenger will be revealed, most of the teams have been highly secretive about it so far. 

Related: “Means a lot to me” James Vowles gets emotional after his first day as Williams Racing’s new team principal

What is Pre-Season testing in Formula One?

Pre-season testing is when the teams test their cars on tracks. They can run their cars on different set-ups and programs and gather as much data as possible from this limited period. The aim is to fix the car if needed. This is the moment when the teams test their reliability and other issues.

The lap time put in by the drivers during the pre-season testing does not make any difference. Often the teams play low to avoid revealing their strength to the opponents, in other words, “Sandbagging”. Mercedes were often accused of this, so much so that last season when they actually had problems, no one believed them initially, thinking they were sandbagging. The pace in the pre-season testing will be different from the one at the Bahrain qualifying. 

This season it is important to look out for the porpoising. Hopefully, the rule of raising the floors by 15 mm will help the teams with porpoising. Reliability is another important issue, last year few teams like Haas lost time on the track because of this. While the track is open for them to conduct their tests, the teams will want to use it most. 

There are no rules in pre-testing apart from following the safety measures. The teams are allowed to use any number of tires, and the amount of fuel can be determined by them. They can even run their car with their test drivers if they want. They don’t have to follow the Grand Prix rules. It is their first opportunity to learn about their new creation on the field. The lap times from the testing do not mean anything, and it is very important for the drivers not to crash during the run. Nyck de Vries, Logan Sargeant, and Oscar Piastri will be making their debut as Formula One drivers.

When and where to watch it?

In case you missed it:

Helmut Marko hopes Red Bull F1 arch-rivals Mercedes will be “strong again” for one key reason.

‘Drive to Survive’ producer feels the Netflix series wouldn’t exist if not for Daniel Ricciardo

Stay Updated!

Join our newsletter to receive exclusive updates and curated insights directly to your inbox.

Subscribe NOW