What is Pre-Season Testing in Formula 1?

Before we get started - check out the full F1 2025 schedule and how the F1 weekend works prior to the Grand Prix! Don’t forget to make sure you know how a full length Formula 1 race works too!

When does the 2025 pre-season Formula 1 testing take place?

The 2025 Formula 1 season begins with pre-season testing in Bahrain, which takes place over the course of three days between February 26th to February 28th. This testing session takes place two weeks before the inaugural Grand Prix of the 2025 season which is held at the Albert Park Street Circuit in Melbourne, Australia. 

What is pre-season testing and why is it important in Formula 1?

The beginning of the Formula 1 season always starts with the pre-season testing which takes place in late February to early March and runs over the course of three days. In 2025, pre-season testing will take place from February 26th to February 28th in Bahrain. This year marks the fifth consecutive year that Bahrain has hosted Formula 1 for its pre-season testing. 

These three days are a crucial opportunity for the teams and drivers to familiarize themselves with the car they will be competing with that season. With F1 constantly introducing new changes and upgrades, ahead of a new season, it is imperative that the teams have time to test the mechanics of their car and sort out any problems or bugs that arise.

Teams will have their drivers run different modes, tires, fuel levels and speeds to gain insight on different data which will help them get a better understanding of their car and how they can improve it either ahead of the season or over the course of the season. It also gives them a better sense of the strengths and weaknesses of their team as well as the other teams. Testing is the time when fans will see some unusual elements on the F1 cars such as flo-vis paint or aero rakes.

The neon flow visualization paint (flo-vis for short), is applied by the engineers to certain areas of the car in order to get a sense of how the airflow differs. This helps the mechanics get insight into better understanding the aerodynamics of the car and any areas that are impairing their speed or reliability. As the driver takes to the track, the paint will streak and then dry in patterns that reveal how the car moves through the air and the way it affects certain components.

Aero rakes are another very common element that fans may see during pre-season testing. The rakes look very similar to scaffolding and are metal structures that are covered with sensors which relay important information for the teams. The sensors confirm that the real-life on track performance of the cars matches the data that they collected during their wind tunnel simulators. Those are just two examples of elements one may spot during pre-season testing, but teams opt to try a variety of tools to ensure they collect as much data and knowledge ahead of the start of the F1 season. 

What are the rules of Formula 1 pre-season testing?

Pre-season testing takes place over the course of three days, usually planned two weeks ahead of the inaugural race of the season. In 2025, pre-season testing will take place between February 26th to February 28th in Bahrain. Each of the three days consists of eight hour sessions where the drivers are allowed to head out on track. Although this seems like a lot of time, it really only gives the teams a total of 24 hours of on-track testing ahead of the first Grand Prix.

The eight hours are split into two different sessions: a morning session and an afternoon session. The biggest thing to note is that only one car per team can be on track at a time. Usually, the teams will split these evenly amongst the drivers and have them each participate in a morning or afternoon session over the course of the testing days, which works out to each driver receiving 12 hours of on track time, barring any incidents or mechanical issues. 

Are the timesheets important during pre-season testing?

Similarly to a Free Practice session, the timesheets during pre-season testing are not accurate indicators of which teams are looking strong and which are seeming to struggle. Of course when a driver or team tops a timesheet it can be exciting and seem as though they will be the championship contenders, but with so many tests being run with different modes, formats, tires, fuel levels, and more, it is really isn’t an accurate portrayal of the true testament of the team's capabilities. 

As we know from the course of the season, certain teams or drivers fare better on different circuits. With pre-season testing only taking place in Bahrain, it also makes it difficult to see which teams will dominate the street tracks or tighter corners of a circuit. There are also times that drivers and teams struggle more in pre-season testing due to certain bugs or problems that didn’t come up in the development of the car. This can make it seem as though a top team or driver is not performing at their best, when in reality, it is very possible they will attend the first Grand Prix of the season and perform better than everyone was expecting.

In the past, teams have been accused of sandbagging, meaning that they perform worse in pre-season testing to throw off their competitors and surprise them with their strengths at the first race of the season. Although there usually isn;’t enough proof that this does happen, it is a common tactic used by teams to try and hide their data from their rivals.

With six new rookie drivers on the grid for the 2025 season, it will be very exciting to see how they shape up against each other, but more importantly, how they fare against the veteran drivers. Pre-season testing marks the beginning of the Formula 1 season and is a great way to get excited ahead of the first Grand Prix of the year!

‍

If you’re curious about other aspects of Formula 1, check out our other How-To articles:

How an F1 Weekend Works

How Does an F1 Grand Prix Work?

How Does Qualifying Work in Formula 1?