Bahrain Pre-Season Test Broadcast Plans Shifted to Final Hour Only
F1 will only broadcast the final hour of the first Bahrain pre-season test, reversing plans for full coverage. The second test week will air entirely.
Plans to broadcast the entire first Bahrain pre-season test have been scrapped. Instead, fans will only see live coverage during the final hour of the first three-day session, while the second test week will remain fully televised.
Why it matters:
Access to live track time is crucial for fans and analysts to gauge early performance and reliability pecking orders. Limiting coverage for the first week reduces transparency, forcing teams and fans to rely more heavily on reported lap times and media updates rather than real-time observation of car behavior.
The details:
- Schedule Change: The first test runs from Feb 11-13, but live broadcast is restricted to 15:00-16:00 GMT each day.
- Full Coverage: The second session (Feb 18-20) will be broadcast in full from 07:00 GMT to 16:00 GMT.
- Media Access: While live video is limited, the track remains open to media and the public. Photos, videos, and news updates will still circulate, providing partial visibility into the teams' progress.
- UK Viewers: Sky Sports will air the limited coverage window. Note that F1 TV Pro remains unavailable in the UK market.
Looking Ahead:
Before the cars hit the track in Bahrain, teams will conduct a private, three-day filming day at Barcelona on Jan 26-30. This closed-door session offers the first glimpse of the new machinery, but the real competitive picture will only emerge once the lights go green for the first full test in Sakhir.