F1 Testing 2026 weather forecast - Latest from Bahrain

All 11 F1 teams are expected to return to the track this week for the first official round of pre-season testing ahead of the 2026 F1 championship.

Every 2026 constructor aside from Williams has already taken their new machinery out for a spin thanks to last month's shakedown in Barcelona, which took place behind closed doors.

Thanks to the new regulations, the teams and drivers on the 2026 grid get triple the amount of testing time they were allocated last year in order to provide an appropriate opportunity to seek out all the teething problems often expected when such a major overhaul of the rules comes into play.

There will be two stints of pre-season testing in Bahrain, the first taking place between Wednesday, February 11 and Friday, February 13, before the final testing days commence on Wednesday, February 18, and end on Friday, February 20.

The 2026 F1 championship will then kick off with the season-opening Australian Grand Prix between March 6 and March 8.

READ MORE: Sky Sports F1 announce Bahrain testing schedule: Dates, times and how to watch

F1 Testing 2026: Bahrain weather

Day One - Wednesday, February 11

The first day of testing will get underway at 10am local time (AST) which translates to 7am GMT.

After a clear start to the week where the weather is concerned, the drivers and teams can expect pure sunshine as they hit the track on Wednesday, with temperatures reaching highs of 30 degrees Celsius at 3pm AST (a convenient time to break for lunch to avoid some seriously sweaty drivers)!

Temperatures of a much cooler 24 degrees Celsius are currently forecast at the start of the first testing day and the chance of rain remains less than five per cent across Wednesday's forecast in the Sakhir desert.

Day Two - Thursday, February 12

The second day of testing is set to follow the same timetable of 10am-7pm AST (7am-4pm GMT).

At the very beginning of Thursday's running, temperatures of the slightly cooler 23 degrees Celsius are forecast and a moderate breeze is to be expected from the south-south-east at the often breezy track.

Drivers will have to contend with between 68 and 70 per cent humidity in the final hour of testing on Thursday as well.

Day Three - Friday, February 13

Friday is currently forecast to bring more dry, warm conditions at the Bahrain International Circuit, with highs of 30 degrees Celsius once again.

There is a zero per cent chance of rain across the entire final day of testing and humidity is once again expected to be highest in the final hour of the day, at 66 per cent.

Sky Sports F1 will be on hand to guide viewers through the final hour of testing between Wednesday and Friday. For the full broadcast schedule click here.

F1 TESTING 2026: Key dates, times and how to watch live

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