After nearly three months without F1, action resumes later this week with the 2024 pre-season testing kicking off. Like the last three years, this year’s testing will also take place at the Bahrain International Circuit. With lots to look out for, fans cannot wait to catch the action live.
F1 testing always provides a good insight into where each team stands – performance-wise. Of course, this could drastically change throughout the season as we saw with McLaren in 2023. But it is always fun to watch three days of testing and come up with bold predictions.
For now, one question that lingers in the minds of fans all over is, how they can watch the 2024 F1 testing. Well, here’s how.
How to watch the 2024 F1 testing?
ESPN will broadcast F1 in the United States of America, but unfortunately, pre-season testing is not a part of the package. To watch these three days of running, fans in the USA have to subscribe to F1 TV, which costs $80 per year, or $10 a month. F1 TV will cover each day of running, with four hours of action in the morning and evening respectively.
For fans living in the United Kingdom, Sky Sports F1 will have them covered. They will have non-stop coverage of all three days of running. Sky Sports and F1 have a very long and deep partnership, so for those living in the UK, a subscription to Sky Sports is more than enough.
In Canada, F1 action will be live on TSN (English) and RDS (French) whereas in Australia, Fox Sports and Kayo will continue broadcasting the sport.
Line-up for F1 testing
As always, all 20 drivers will get sufficient running time out on the Bahrain International Circuit to test out the new machinery. Time, of course, is divided between them for all three days. The line-up for the 2024 pre-season testing is:
Red Bull – Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez
Mercedes – Lewis Hamilton and George Russell
Ferrari – Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz
McLaren – Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
Aston Martin – Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
Alpine – Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon
Williams – Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant
RB – Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda
Sauber – Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu
Haas – Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg
When is the 2024 F1 testing?
2024’s F1 testing will be a three-day affair. It begins on 21st February 2024 and will continue on 22nd February 2024, and 23rd February 2024. Each day will have a morning session and an evening session – each lasting four hours. There will be a one-hour break in between.
The schedule for the upcoming F1 test is:
Wednesday, February 21st – 10 AM to 7 PM local time (2 AM to 11 AM ET/11 PM to 8 AM PT)
Thursday, February 22nd – 10 AM to 7 PM local time (2 AM to 11 AM ET/11 PM to 8 AM PT)
Friday, February 23rd – 10 AM to 7 PM local time (2 AM to 11 AM ET/11 PM to 8 AM PT)
What happens in F1 testing?
In F1 testing, teams ensure that their drivers spend as much time out on the track as possible. Before the real action begins, this is the last chance for them to dust off the cobwebs, and find out their strengths and weaknesses.
Different aspects of the car’s performance are taken into consideration in F1’s testing, and drivers put in hundreds of laps around the circuit. Often, some underlying problems are chalked out early, which gives the engineers time to rectify them.
For fans, it is an opportunity to see how their favorite teams and drivers have prepared themselves for the long grueling season ahead. It gives a preview as to which team will be strong, and who has to work hard, at least in the initial stages of the season.
