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The 2021 season of Formula 1 and Formula 2 is set to kick off at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) with six days of testing starting today.
The ‘Home of Motorsport in the Middle East’ is playing host to three days of pre-season testing for the 2021 FIA Formula 2 Championship, F1’s leading feeder series, until Wednesday.
This will be followed by pre-season testing for the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship from Friday until Sunday.
While testing will not be open to spectators, the Sakhir circuit is busy preparing to welcome Covid-vaccinated and Covid-recovered fans at the end of the month.
“The tests are part of both series’ final preparations for the start of their new seasons, both of which will be held in Bahrain,” the BIC said, in a statement.
“For all the competitors, it is their first chance to get an indication of how competitive their latest cars will be ahead of the first race of the season, making for a crucial period at BIC.”
The F2 tests will run on each of the three days from 9am to noon and then from 2pm to 5pm. The F1 tests will run from 10am to 2pm on their designated days, followed by a second session from 3pm to 7pm.
From March 26 to 28, Bahrain is set to host the opening round of the 2021 season for both F1 and F2, for which tickets are now available for purchase, only for vaccinated and Covid-recovered fans.
A single-discounted ticket of BD100 across stands will get fans access to the three-day event, during which 11 F2 teams and 10 F1 teams will vie for the top prize.
This year, the F2 field will see a significant shakeup as each round will be comprised of three races instead of two. The Friday sessions, comprised of a 45-minute practice followed by 30-minute qualifying, remain the same.
Two 45-minute F2 sprint races will take place on Saturday, followed by the one-hour feature race on Sunday.
Prema Racing will be defending their 2020 title against Uni-Virtuosi Racing, Carlin, Hitech Grand Prix, ART Grand Prix, MP Motorsport, Charouz Racing System, Dams, Campos Racing, HWA Racelab and Trident.
In the F1 series, world champions Mercedes are joined by Red Bull Racing, McLaren, Aston Martin, Alpine, Ferrari, AlphaTauri, Alfa Romeo, Haas and Williams in gearing up for the record 23-race calendar that is set to flag off in the kingdom.
For more details, visit bahraingp.com.
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