The start of the 2021 Formula 1 season is on the horizon with March 28 the day that everyone is waiting for when the five red lights go out at the season-opening event in Bahrain. But there is a lot to look forward to before then.
Bahrain will also host pre-season testing on March 12-14, a crucial three days for the teams and drivers to get up to speed and through their programmes in a short amount of time.
Each day will consist of two four hour sessions, so each driver should get 12 hours of running if things run smoothly. RacingNews365.com will be covering the event as well as brining you exclusive news and interviews from Sakhir.
This week, attention turns to the most exciting car launches yet. Mercedes and Alpine will launch their 2021 challengers tomorrow (March 2) with the French manufacturer expected to unveil a new livery.
Mercedes made the headlines over the winter period as Lewis Hamilton only signed a contract in February but now the focus is on defending their world titles.
The world champions will reveal the W12 at 12:00 CET with Alpine launching their car at 16:00 CET.
On Wednesday (March 3) the newly rebranded Aston Martin squad will unveil their first car at 16:00 CET which is expected to be green although the team have hinted at 'pink accents' after its contract with sponsor BWT was extended.
Haas will showcase their livery on Thursday morning (March 4) but not their 2021 machine, that will have to wait until pre-season testing.
Williams will unveil their FW43B on Friday (March 5), a week before pre-season testing. It's a new era for the team as they enter their first full-season without Williams family involvement after they were purchased by Dorilton capital in 2020.
Ferrari are set to be the last team to reveal its livery with a pre-recorded car launch next week on March 10 since the car will be on its way to Bahrain for 'winter testing'.
To top things off, Netflix's highly successful Drive To Survive will be released on March 19, seven days prior to practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
It's the perfect way for F1 fans to get ready for the new 2021 season.
F1 dates to remember in March
| Date (CET) | Event |
|---|---|
| Tuesday March 2 (12:00) | Mercedes launch |
| Tuesday March 2 (16:00) | Alpine launch |
| Wednesday March 3 (16:00) | Aston Martin launch |
| Thursday March 4 | Haas livery launch |
| Friday March 5 | Williams launch |
| Wednesday March 10 | Ferrari launch |
| Friday March 12 - Sunday March 14 | Pre-season testing |
| Friday March 19 | Drive To Survive Season 3 |
| Friday March 26 | Bahrain Grand Prix Practice 1 and 2 |
| Saturday March 27 | Bahrain Grand Prix Practice 3 and Qualifying |
| Sunday March 28 | Bahrain Grand Prix Race Day |
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and don't miss a thing of Formula 1
Subscribe to our Youtube channelMost read
In this article
Presenting the new F1 cars of 2021 RN365 News dossier
Join the conversation!