An unexpected power outage brought Formula 1’s pre-season testing to a sudden halt on the inaugural day of the 2025 F1 three-day Bahrain test. The interruption came halfway through the afternoon session, casting an unexpected shadow over an otherwise smoothly running event.
Prior to the power cut, the day had been largely uneventful. The closest it had come to unforeseen disruptions was when Liam Lawson’s car spun out of control, only to regain its composure swiftly. However, the peace was shattered two hours into the afternoon session when an unforeseen power cut hit the Bahrain International Circuit.
The sudden blackout left sections of the garages and several paddock buildings, including the media centre, cloaked in darkness. The unexpected turn of events resulted in a peculiar situation where the mechanics were left scurrying around, using torches to examine the cars in the dimly lit garages.
This unusual interruption was quickly flagged on social media by The Race, who tweeted, “Red flag… for a possible power cut? That’s a new one. Red Bull having to work in the dark!” This tweet was shared on February 26, 2025, the day of the event.
The session, which was being dominated by racing star Charles Leclerc at the time, was put on hold until the power issue could be resolved. George Russell, another F1 driver, shared his experience of the sudden darkness, saying, “I came out of the pits and I was like ‘it’s suddenly quite dark out here’. I radioed saying I need to change my visor, then I realised there were no floodlights around. Would have been a bit hectic if this was an hour later when the sun had set.”
The power cut incident is a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of live sports events and the challenges that can arise, even off the tracks. As we await further updates on the situation, the F1 teams, drivers, and fans are surely hoping for a swift resolution to continue the pre-season test.