Plans for next year’s Formula 1 winter testing to take place in Bahrain have been scrapped. Teams will now choose between Barcelona and Jerez.
Bahrain was a top choice for teams, as the stable good weather would guarantee unlimited running. The teams were abruptly told that the discussions to hold the testing in Bahrain have been abandoned, instead the pre-season is now committed to a European venue.
It’s understood that Barcelona was not happy to learn of the Bahrain plans, because it sees the winter testing as a useful revenue generator, which helps to top up the funds it earns from the Spanish Grand Prix.