{"id":487010,"date":"2026-02-18T02:35:16","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T02:35:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/487010\/"},"modified":"2026-02-18T02:35:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T02:35:16","slug":"how-to-watch-f1-pre-season-testing-tv-times-schedule-driver-line-ups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/487010\/","title":{"rendered":"How to watch F1 pre-season testing: TV times, schedule, driver line-ups"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"How
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOscar Piastri in the #81 McLaren MCL40 during the first F1 test at Bahrain.<\/p>\n

The season began with a \u201cshakedown\u201d behind closed doors in Spain at Barcelona before the first official test in Bahrain at the Sakhir circuit.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how you can follow the third F1 test at Bahrain and the state of play.<\/p>\n

How to watch F1 pre-season testing<\/p>\n

Australian fans can watch all the action on Fox Sports \u2013 either on Foxtel or streaming services Kayo Sports and Foxtel Go.<\/p>\n

All three days of on-track testing will be broadcast, with two sessions a day from the Bahrain International Circuit.<\/p>\n

Track action kicks off in the early evening on Wednesday for Australian fans, with running set to continue well into the night.<\/p>\n

Each \u2018morning\u2019 and \u2018afternoon\u2019 session is four hours long with a one-hour break between. Teams can split their drivers across the two sessions per day or elect to use them for the entire day.<\/p>\n

Live timing is available via the official F1 website.<\/p>\n

F1 testing TV broadcast start times (AEDT)<\/p>\n

Wednesday, February 18
Session 1 \u2013 5:50pm \u2013 Fox Sports 506
Session 2 \u2013 10:55pm \u2013 Fox Sports 506<\/p>\n

Thursday, February 19
Session 1 \u2013 5:50pm \u2013 Fox Sports 506
Session 2 \u2013 10:55pm \u2013 Fox Sports 506<\/p>\n

Friday, February 20
Session 1 \u2013 5:50pm \u2013 Fox Sports 505
Session 2 \u2013 10:55pm \u2013 Fox Sports 506<\/p>\n

F1 testing driver line-ups<\/p>\n

Team
\nWednesday AM
\nWednesday PM
\nThursday AM
\nThursday PM
\nFriday AM
\nFriday PM<\/p>\n

McLaren
\nLando Norris
\nOscar Piastri
\nLando Norris
\nOscar Piastri
\nOscar Piastri
\nLando Norris<\/p>\n

Mercedes
\nKimi Antonelli
\nGeorge Russell
\nGeorge Russell
\nKimi Antonelli
\nKimi Antonelli
\nGeorge Russell<\/p>\n

Red Bull
\nIsack Hadjar
\nIsack Hadjar
\nMax Verstappen
\nMax Verstappen
\nIsack Hadjar
\nMax Verstappen<\/p>\n

Ferrari
\nCharles Leclerc
\nLewis Hamilton
\nTBC
\nTBC
\nTBC
\nTBC<\/p>\n

Williams
\nAlex Albon
\nCarlos Sainz
\nAlex Albon
\nAlex Albon
\nCarlos Sainz
\nCarlos Sainz<\/p>\n

Racing Bulls
\nArvid Lindblad
\nLiam Lawson
\nLiam Lawson
\nLiam Lawson
\nArvid Lindblad
\nArvid Lindblad<\/p>\n

Aston Martin
\nLance Stroll
\nFernando Alonso
\nFernando Alonso
\nFernando Alonso
\nLance Stroll
\nLance Stroll<\/p>\n

Haas
\nEsteban Ocon
\nOliver Bearman
\nOliver Bearman
\nEsteban Ocon
\nEsteban Ocon
\nOliver Bearman<\/p>\n

Audi
\nNico Hulkenberg
\nGabriel Bortoleto
\nGabriel Bortoleto
\nNico Hulkenberg
\nNico Hulkenberg
\nGabriel Bortoleto<\/p>\n

Alpine
\nPierre Gasly
\nFranco Colapinto
\nFranco Colapinto
\nFranco Colapinto
\nPierre Gasly
\nPierre Gasly<\/p>\n

Cadillac
\nSergio Perez
\nValtteri Bottas
\nValtteri Bottas
\nSergio Perez
\nSergio Perez
\nValtteri Bottas<\/p>\n

Who are the favourites for F1 2026?<\/p>\n

McLaren won the constructors\u2019 championship and drivers\u2019 championship in 2025, but come into the 2026 season as something of an unknown quantity.<\/p>\n

Mercedes and Red Bull have been tipped as the early favourites with George Russell and Max Verstappen respectively.<\/p>\n

The Mercedes W17 and Red Bull RB22 have both found a compression ratio loophole in the regulations that no other team has enacted, causing some concerns among their rivals.<\/p>\n

Who was fastest in the first Bahrain test?<\/p>\n

Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time on Day 3 of the first test in Bahrain with a 1:33.669 in his Mercedes W17, followed by his teammate George Russell on a 1:33.918s.<\/p>\n

Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were third and fourth respectively ahead of the two McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.<\/p>\n

Red Bull are something of a dark horse, with many believing Max Verstappen hasn\u2019t shown his hand. He was seventh at the end of the first test ahead of Haas duo Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon. The top 10 was completed by Alpine\u2019s Franco Colapinto.<\/p>\n

Norris was the only driver inside the top 10 to set his quickest time on the C2 medium compound, while the others were all on the C2 soft.<\/p>\n


\"\"\/
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