Teams relaxed about test days in Bahrain for 2014

  • Published on 08 Oct 2013 16:22
  • comments 0
  • By: Rob Veenstra
Bahrain has receded as a weighty political issue in F1, as the sport schedules back-to-back winter tests in the island kingdom. Racing in Bahrain has been a highly controversial topic since the civil uprisings of 2011, when the grand prix was cancelled due to violence.

It has remained a contentious issue until now, but F1's 2014 engine makers - Mercedes, Renault and Ferrari - have selected the Sakhir circuit as the ideal testing ground for days of pre-season testing of the new turbo V6 units. It will force the teams to be based in Bahrain for days and even weeks during the European winter, amid the prospect of another return to the kingdom for a reportedly floodlit race weeks later in April.

According to the Reuters news agency, however, the teams are much more relaxed about Bahrain these days. "I think people are relaxed about going there based on their experience of this year," said Martin Whitmarsh, boss of the partly Bahrain-owned British team McLaren.

Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn added: "Quite frankly, it's not been a major topic, it's not been discussed, so hopefully we can have a quiet time there. There have been assurances about the conditions there," he said.

Brawn said Bahrain had emerged as the ideal venue for crucial pre-season running of the new engines. "From the purely technical perspective, Bahrain is a more representative circuit," he said, undoubtedly referring to the more traditional winter test venues in Spain. We can test there (in Bahrain), we prefer to test there. It's the best, most suitable track at that time of the year," added Brawn. (GMM)

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Date
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Circuit
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Bahrain
29 - Mar 2
Bahrain
7 - Mar 9
Saudi Arabia
22 - Mar 24
Australia
5 - Apr 7
Japan
19 - Apr 21
China
3 - May 5
United States of America
17 - May 19
Italy
24 - May 26
Monaco
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Canada
21 - Jun 23
Spain
28 - Jun 30
Austria
5 - Jul 7
United Kingdom
19 - Jul 21
Hungary
26 - Jul 28
Belgium
23 - Aug 25
Netherlands
30 - Sep 1
Italy
13 - Sep 15
Azerbaijan
20 - Sep 22
Singapore
18 - Oct 20
United States of America
25 - Oct 27
Mexico
1 - Nov 3
Brazil
22 - Nov 24
United States of America
29 - Dec 1
Qatar
6 - Dec 8
United Arab Emirates
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2024

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
29 - Mar 2
7 - Mar 9
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
22 - Mar 24
Australia Albert Park
5 - Apr 7
19 - Apr 21
3 - May 5
United States of America Miami International Autodrome
17 - May 19
24 - May 26
Monaco Monte Carlo
7 - Jun 9
21 - Jun 23
28 - Jun 30
Austria Red Bull Ring
5 - Jul 7
United Kingdom Silverstone
19 - Jul 21
Hungary Hungaroring
26 - Jul 28
23 - Aug 25
Netherlands Circuit Zandvoort
30 - Sep 1
Italy Monza
13 - Sep 15
Azerbaijan Baku City Circuit
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18 - Oct 20
United States of America Circuit of the Americas
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1 - Nov 3
Brazil Interlagos
22 - Nov 24
United States of America Las Vegas Street Circuit
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6 - Dec 8
United Arab Emirates Yas Marina Circuit
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