F1 Bahrain testing extended after strange problem

F1 has opted to extend the opening day of pre-season testing from Bahrain following a power outage at the track in the afternoon.

The second session of the day was disrupted for 68 minutes as race control was forced to deploy a red flag when the track was thrown into darkness.

The circuit confirmed the reason was due to an external substation failure.

“At approximately 5PM today, a power outage caused by an external substation failure led to the afternoon session on track to be paused,” read a statement.

“Power has since been restored and the afternoon session has resumed. We appreciate everyone’s patience.”

F1 testing opportunities are limited during the year with the three days of running in Bahrain marking the only time teams can gather data on their new challengers before the opening round.

In a bid to make up for the lost time on Wednesday, F1 and the FIA have agreed to add an extra hour of on-track time.

“Following the power outage during Bahrain Pre-Season Testing, the FIA, Formula 1, and the teams have agreed to extend this afternoon's session by one hour to compensate for the time lost under the red flag,” the joint release said.

“The session will now conclude at 20:00 local time.”