New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS): Formula 1 and FIA, the world governing body of motorsport, have announced that the Bahrain International Circuit will host three days of pre-season testing in 2025 on February 26, 27 and 28.

The track has hosted pre-season testing on six separate occasions since 2009, with its consistent weather conditions, mixture of high and low-speed corners, and two long straights enabling F1 teams to gather maximum data for the campaign ahead, the Formula 1 said.

Arriving on the calendar back in 2004, Bahrain was the first Middle Eastern venue to host an F1 race and celebrated its 20th anniversary with the 2024 edition of the event.

In the 20 years since the first Grand Prix, the 5.41km circuit has delivered nine winners from five different teams, with Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc all claiming victory from the current grid.

The 24-round 2025 F1 season – which will mark the sport’s 75th year – is set to kick off with the Australian Grand Prix from March 14-16 and conclude with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on the weekend of December 5-7, taking in trips to five of the world’s seven continents.

As part of the continued drive for sustainability, with the sport on track to become Net Zero by 2030, a significant percentage of freight will remain in Sakhir for F1’s return ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix from April 11-13.