Teams confirm Bahrain F1 test drivers

All 10 Formula 1 teams have confirmed the drivers they’ll field in this week’s two-day test in Bahrain, starting tonight.

It marks the first of two official in-season tests with another set to follow the Spanish Grand Prix in May.

Regulations severely limit the amount of testing teams can do, with the official sessions their only opportunity to gain track mileage outside of a race weekend once the season gets underway.

Teams had just eight days of pre-season testing in February across two tests, both held at Barcelona.

Pirelli will also have an opportunity to test and develop new tyres, with cars from McLaren and Toro Rosso.

Fernando Alonso will drive one of the cars for the Italian tyre company, sharing duties with Carlos Sainz, while Daniil Kvyat will take control of the Toro Rosso.

Of the four in-season days of testing across the two tests (Bahrain and Barcelona), two days must be given over to ‘rookies’, or drivers who have competed in fewer than two grands prix.

Mercedes ticks that box in Bahrain with George Russell, the Mercedes junior last weekend started his second race for Williams, for whom he’ll drive on Tuesday.

Mick Schumacher will be a rookie driver for both Ferrari and Alfa Romeo, while Dan Ticktum (Red Bull), Jack Aitken (Renault), Pietro Fittipaldi (Racing Point), and Nicholas Latifi (Williams) are also set to climb into cars as ‘rookie’ drivers.

By not running a rookie at this test, Racing Point and Toro Rosso will both have to run both days at the Barcelona test with a young driver.

The Bahrain test runs until Wednesday after which point teams will pack up and head to Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix on April 12-14.