This is what you need to know ahead of the Formula 1 winter test in Bahrain

The official F1 winter test

Two weeks on from the first test, the teams have had time to work on their cars. After three days of testing in Spain, the Formula 1 teams have gathered a lot of data about their new car and in the factory they have been able to convert that data into new parts. So don't be surprised if the cars suddenly look different.

Unlike the first test week in Barcelona, you will be able follow the test week in Bahrain live. The Middle Eastern country had stipulated with F1 that the official start of this season would take place in Bahrain and so the test in Barcelona was organized behind closed doors. However, with the amount of photos that have come out, fans have already seen the cars.

Watching Live

The winter test will be held in Bahrain from 10 to 12 March. It will start there locally at 10 AM, which in the UK is 7 AM. The morning program then lasts until 11AM, after which the afternoon program starts at 12PM and ends at 4PM. You can follow the test on Sky Sports F1.

The three test days will again be divided per team between the two regular drivers. Red Bull Racing, AlphaTauri, Ferrari and McLaren chose in Barcelona to put both drivers in the car for a whole day and split up the third day. On the contrary, all other teams chose to split up all days. Who will be in action and when is not yet known.

What to expect

Although testing does not necessarily involve looking at the timesheet to determine who has the best car, you can certainly read something from the test. In Bahrain, it is a week before the start of the season and since the teams are at the same circuit as the first Grand Prix, they will (possibly with a little more fuel or a lower engine setting) push the limit of the car a little more.

After the first week of testing in Barcelona, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull Racing emerged as the top teams. Ferrari, however, has indicated that it will not bring any updates to Bahrain. This is in contrast to the teams of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, who could come up with an entirely new car.

It is therefore particularly interesting to keep an eye on these four teams and see how they relate to each other. Each team follows a certain program and there are always comparisons to be made. Also, we will be able to see how the cars behave on the track.

The Formula 1 winter test in Bahrain can also be followed live here on GPblog. We will provide a daily liveblog with the latest action and news from the circuit and on the website you'll be able to find the latest reactions, images from the circuit and of course the summary of the day. Make sure you have GPblog open this week so you don't miss anything from winter test.