F1 pre-season testing set to be cut to three days in 2021
Formula 1 is set to cut pre-season testing to a single three-day event ahead of the 2021 season.
While a location is yet to be decided, it is understood that pre-season testing is likely to move from its traditional venue at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to the Bahrain International Circuit for next year.
F1 reduced its usual eight days of pre-season testing to six days of running across two weeks in Spain for 2020 and is set to make a further cut to just three days following agreement from the teams.
The normal amount of on-track running is not considered to be necessary given that teams are carrying over their current cars into next season as part of a cost-saving move which has seen F1’s next major regulation overhaul postponed until 2022.
With development over the winter limited, there is less need to run significant mileage prior to next season.
F1 teams are also concerned about their staff suffering potential burnout given that personnel have been stretched by the condensed nature of the 2020 season following the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier this week, the championship announced a record-breaking 23-race calendar for 2021 featuring two triple-headers and running from 21 March through 5 December.
A final date for pre-season testing has not been determined either, but there is scope to extend the winter break to compensate for the late-finishing 2020 campaign by holding the three-day test in early March.
The season-opening Australian Grand Prix is scheduled to take place on 21 March, a week later than the planned 2020 race. From a logistical standpoint, it would also make sense for F1 testing to take place in Bahrain before going on to travel to Melbourne for the 2021 curtain raiser.
Bahrain last held F1 pre-season testing in 2014 prior to the start of the first season using the new V6 hybrid power units.
The Sakhir venue has hosted grands prix since its debut on the F1 calendar in 2004, while it has also staged two in-season tests following its race in 2017 and again in 2019.
