2025 F1 winter testing: dates for three-day test in Bahrain at Sakhir Circuit

2025 F1 winter testing: dates for three-day test in Bahrain at Sakhir Circuit. Teams and drivers will be on track in Sakhir from February 26 to 28..

Anticipation for Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari Debut
The countdown to the 2025 F1 season has begun, marking the first time Lewis Hamilton will take to the track behind the wheel of a Ferrari. Scuderia Ferrari will unveil its new car on Wednesday, February 19, and the following week, drivers will hit the track for the only collective winter testing session.

Bahrain Confirmed
Although this year’s championship will once again begin in Australia—something that hasn’t happened since 2019—the winter test venue remains Sakhir in Bahrain. Barcelona has proven too susceptible to adverse weather conditions, whereas Bahrain offers reliable conditions and a circuit that is both demanding on tires and well-suited for evaluating new car designs. For this reason, in recent years, F1 has consistently conducted at least one winter test session in the Middle East (in 2022, there was also a three-day test in Barcelona, and in 2026, there will be a total of nine test days divided into three three-day sessions).

F1 2025 Winter Testing: Dates and Schedule
The three-day test will begin on Wednesday, February 26, and conclude on Friday, February 28. Each day, teams and drivers will have eight hours of testing, split into two sessions: four hours in the morning (from 08:00 to 12:00 CET) and four hours in the afternoon (from 13:00 to 17:00 CET). Each team will have only one car on track at a time, meaning a maximum of ten drivers can be on track simultaneously. Each driver will have a total of 12 hours to prepare for the season opener in Melbourne on Sunday, March 16. Below is the schedule summary.

Wednesday, February 26
08:00-12:00 Morning session
13:00-17:00 Afternoon session