F1 testing plans for 2025 season with dates and venue confirmed

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen during Bahrain testing.

The location of F1’s 2025 pre-season tests has been confirmed, for what will be the final year of the current regulation cycle.

The Bahrain International Circuit in Bahrain will play host to next year’s pre-season testing, despite not hosting the first Grand Prix of the championship.

Bahrain confirmed as host venue for F1 2025 pre-season testing

Formula 1 and the FIA have confirmed the Bahrain track will host pre-season testing for the F1 2025 championship.

F1 testing will take place from the 26th to the 28th of February. Unlike in recent years, the teams won’t stay on until the following week for the first Grand Prix of the year to be held at the same venue, as Australia will instead host the season-opener on the weekend of the 16th of March.

Bahrain serves as a very useful test venue – Bahrain has consistent warm weather conditions, a good mix of high and low-speed corners, and two long straights which allow the teams to firmly assess their cars in a variety of conditions for a long season ahead.

Just like in F1 2024, the teams are being given just three days of pre-season testing as the regulations remain stable for the final year of the current cycle. For F1 2026, the amount of test days is likely to increase, with the teams needing more time to get on top of revolutionary new chassis and engine regulations.

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The circuit was purpose-built as a new venue for Formula 1 for the 2004 season, but was initially panned by fans due to the barren landscape of desert surrounding it – but it has since become a firm favourite for fans as a race venue since switching to a spotlit night race in 2014.

Despite the calendar changes meaning Bahrain won’t host the season opener, meaning the teams will have to travel to Sakhir twice next year, a “significant amount” of freight and equipment will be left at the circuit for the month of March before the teams return for the fourth round of the championship, as the Bahrain Grand Prix takes place on the 13th of April.

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