F2 testing at Bahrain International Circuit

Manama : Bahrain’s race fans will get a small taste of world-class motorsport two weeks ahead of this year’s Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, when it hosts official pre-season testing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship.

Newly rebranded as F2 after being known as the GP2 Series since 2005, the single-seater championship will be taking to the track in Sakhir from March 29 to 31 in preparation for its 2017 season and will be the first time the series will be racing at BIC since 2015.

The tests will be open to the public on the final two days and is a part of the “Race Fever” campaign, organised by BIC to help build up excitement ahead of this year’s Formula 1 extravaganza.

Drivers in the F2 field will then return a fortnight later after testing to support Formula 1 in the Bahrain Grand Prix from April 14 to 16. It will be the first round of the 2017 F2 campaign.

The end-of-March tests are the second of the pre-season. Three other days were previously held in Barcelona from March 13 to 15 with this year’s grid featuring 20 drivers representing 10 teams.

This year marks the 13th season of the championship following the season-opener in Bahrain with action returning to Europe with the second round in Barcelona from May 12 to 14, before moving to Monte Carlo on for May 25 to 27 and going on to Baku in Azerbaijan four weeks later with the 11th and final event at Yas Marina on November 24 to 26 alongside the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix.