Red Bull’s bold design and secret ‘sandbagging’: what can we expect from F1 testing?

After one of the most frenetic off-seasons in recent Formula 1 history, teams and fans will see the 2024 crop of cars out on track for the first time in Bahrain this week.

Pre-season testing is often peculiar: plenty of flow-vis paint and aero-rakes appear on cars to measure initial performance. Varied lap times, fuel load and set-ups mean the leaderboard at the end of each day should be taken with a pinch of salt.

But for the drivers and teams, it’s invaluable. With 24 hours of running over three days, each driver should receive 12 hours of time in the car, with the focus fully