The 2024 Formula 1 season is almost upon us, and there’s no doubt it’ll bring all the storylines, drama and high-octane action we’ve come to expect in recent years from the very pinnacle of motorsport. After a 2023 campaign dominated by Red Bull and Max Verstappen, preseason testing in Bahrain gets underway tomorrow, with the 19 other drivers all gunning to knock the three-time world champion off his perch.
Taking place little over a week prior to the season’s opening race, also in Bahrain on Saturday, March 2, today sees three days of testing begin with the 10 competing teams in 2024’s World Championship keen to push their cars — and drivers — to the limit. Every single competitor wants to get off to the best possible start ahead of a gruelling 22-race campaign, and the next three days at the Bahrain International Circuit will give a good indication of each team’s progress during the off-season.
With a 20-strong driver lineup unchanged from the end of last year, and the only team changes involving new partners for existing entrants, the 2024 season is shaping up to be one where the one-man domination seen in 2023 is a thing of the past, with Verstappen the man to beat and everyone else doing their upmost to wrestle the World Championship title out of his hands.
When is F1 2024 preseason testing? Key dates
The 2024 Formula 1 World Championship’s preseason testing gets underway at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, lasting for three days as the 20 drivers get to grips with new cars, rules and regulations.
The testing will start each day at 10 a.m. local time (AST), lasting for nine hours before finishing at 7 p.m. These three days are all the drivers get to fine-tune their preparations ahead of the campaign getting underway at the same track the following weekend.
| Region | Wednesday, February 21 | Thursday, February 22 | Friday, February 23 |
| US (ET) |
Start: 2:00 a.m. Finish: 11:00 a.m. |
Start: 2:00 a.m. Finish: 11:00 a.m. |
Start: 2:00 a.m. Finish: 11:00 a.m. |
| Canada (ET) |
Start: 2:00 a.m. Finish: 11:00 a.m. |
Start: 2:00 a.m. Finish: 11:00 a.m. |
Start: 2:00 a.m. Finish: 11:00 a.m. |
| UK (GMT) |
Start: 7:00 a.m. Finish: 4:00 p.m. |
Start: 7:00 a.m. Finish: 4:00 p.m. |
Start: 7:00 a.m. Finish: 4:00 p.m. |
| Australia (AEDT) |
Start: 6:00 p.m. Finish: Thurs, Feb 22, 3:00 a.m. |
Start: 6:00 p.m. Finish: Fri, Feb 23, 3:00 a.m. |
Start: 6:00 p.m. Finish: Sat, Feb 24, 3:00 a.m. |
| India (IST) |
Start: 12:30 p.m. Finish: 9:30 p.m. |
Start: 12:30 p.m. Finish: 9:30 p.m. |
Start: 12:30 p.m. Finish: 9:30 p.m. |
How to watch F1 2024 preseason testing: TV channel, live stream
F1 fans can follow the action from the testing sessions in Bahrain from anywhere in the world by subscribing to F1TV, and with that membership you can also watch all practice, qualifying and grand prix events online once the new season kicks into gear.
Otherwise, here’s how to follow this weekend’s F1 preseason testing from all corners of the globe:
| Country | TV channel | Online stream |
| USA | ABC Sports Network, ESPN | ESPN+, Fubo |
| Canada | TSN (English); RDS (French) | TSN Direct |
| UK | Sky Sports F1 | SkyGo, NOW TV |
| Australia | Fox Sports | Foxtel Go, Kayo Sports |
| India | F1 TV Pro | StarSports online |
What to expect in F1 2024 preseason testing
Lewis Hamilton‘s shock move to Ferrari from 2025 onwards has been the biggest news by a country mile this off-season, with the seven-time world champion departing Mercedes after 12 hugely successful seasons. Having not won a single race amidst total Red Bull dominance in 2023, Hamilton will certainly be hoping he can push for a seventh title with Mercedes, and eighth in total, to end his time there on a high before departing for pastures new next year.
While Hamilton’s potential game-changing move to shake-up the current balance of power in F1 doesn’t happen until next season, he and plenty of others will fancy their chances of dethroning three-time world champion Max Verstappen in 2024. The Flying Dutchman won all but three of last year’s 22 in the most dominant F1 season we’ve ever seen, however Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz will also look to lay down a marker in preseason testing tomorrow.
While there’s been no changes in the lineup of drivers or team numbers in 2024, two of the 10 entrants this season will be scorching down the track in new names and colours. Alfa Romeo’s partnership with Sauber ended last season, with the Ferrari-powered Swiss team linking up with new sponsors Stake and Kick. Scuderia AlphaTauri have also rebranded to Racing Bulls or simply ‘RB’, with Visa and CashApp coming on board to sponsor their Honda-driven units.
| Team Name | Driver 1 | Driver 2 |
| Alpine-Renault | Pierre Gasly | Esteban Ocon |
| Aston Martin | Fernando Alonso | Lance Stroll |
| Ferrari | Charles LeClerc | Carlos Sainz |
| Haas | Kevin Magnussen | Nico Hulkenberg |
| McLaren | Lando Norris | Oscar Piastri |
| Mercedes | Lewis Hamilton | George Russell |
| Visa Cash App RB | Daniel Ricciardo | Yuki Tsunoda |
| Red Bull | Max Verstappen | Sergio Perez |
| Sauber/Stake | Valtteri Bottas | Zhou Guanyu |
| Williams | Alexander Albon | Logan Sergeant |
When is first F1 2024 race in Bahrain? Start time
Following the end of preseason testing on Friday, February 23, the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship calendar gets underway with the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday, March 2. The teams will converge for their pre-race practice sessions on Thursday, February 29, with qualifying taking place on Friday, March 1.
The Bahrain Grand Prix will begin at 6 p.m. local time (AST). That translates to 3 p.m GMT / 10 a.m. ET.
Lights out in 2024 isn’t far away at all, and we at The Sporting News can’t wait for the action to get underway.
Races usually take place on a Sunday, and will do for the majority of this season too, however, the opener in Bahrain and following week’s race in Saudi Arabia have both been moved forwards by 24 hours due to the holy Muslim festival of Ramadan beginning on Sunday, March 10.