Formula 1 pre-season testing is about to ramp up with two three-day events in Bahrain; watch the 3-4pm hour on each day of the first Bahrain test live from Wednesday on Sky Sports F1 before full cover

F1 returns this week with pre-season testing. Here’s what to expect

Testing in Bahrain takes place this week from Wednesday to Friday between 6pm and 3am (AEDT). You can watch the last hour, plus a post-session analysis program, live on Fox Sports and Kayo from 2am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Follow live updates and the best video as the 2026 Formula 1 pre-season continues with three days of testing from the Bahrain International Circuit.

Laurent Mekies, Red Bull’s F1 boss, has used the word “crazy” to describe the scale of the team’s new in-house engine program. With support from Ford, Red Bull has built its very first F1 engine for 2026, powering its own team and the sister Racing Bulls outfit.

Bahrain F1 testing dates, local times, weather expectations, broadcast info, and how to watch the first preseason session before the 2026 season kickoff.

Is the 2026 title already decided? Rivals Audi and Ferrari protest Mercedes' \"thermal expansion trick\" that allegedly bypasses F1's 16:1 compression limit

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has turned the spotlight on his Formula 1 rivals, declaring Red Bull the early “benchmark” under Formula 1’s new rules as he dismissed the pre-season hype over his own team as exaggerated.

F1 has a jam-packed testing schedule this year