Formula 1 has scrapped plans to hold a single, five-day pre-season test in Bahrain next year.

RaceFans has learned the 2019 F1 season will begin with two four-day tests, as it did this year. The tests are expected to take place from February 18th to 21st and February 26th to March 1st.

The tests will take place a week earlier than last year because the first race of next season, the Australian Grand Prix, has also been brought forward by a week on the 2019 F1 calendar

Williams chief technical officer Paddy Lowe said “it’s become clear there isn’t enough support” to move testing from Spain to Bahrain.

While the Circuit de Catalunya is considered the likely venue for both tests, the possibility of holding one test at Jerez has been mooted. However, Lowe said, “there’s a reluctance to split because then there’s a lot of cost around moving.”

Renault technical director Nick Chester is among those who prefers the Circuit de Catalunya as a pre-season test venue. “Just because it’s easier and it’s still a good baseline track for us,” he said.

Moves to change the testing venue to Bahrain came about after this year’s pre-season test at the track was disrupted by snow. “We don’t tend to lose much with weather,” said Chester. “We can lose a day or two.”

“The only difficulty with Bahrain is it’s a bit harder to get parts out there,” Chester added. “So if you’re pushing everything late getting your updates there, getting your spares there, is a bit more of a hassle.”

Chester said he also preferred sticking with the current test format. “Going from two four-day tests to one four-day test would be a little bit painful because people would only really be able to do mileage. You’d have to try to get as much reliability mileage as possible in those four days, so you’d do very little set-up work.

“So from our point of view we’d rather do two four-day tests.

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2019 F1 season