The final day of Formula 1 testing at Bahrain International Circuit today was red-flagged after a bus inexplicably appeared within the circuit confines.
The incident occured eight minutes after the resumption of today’s test following the lunch break, when a shuttle bus drove onto the run-off area on the outside of turns nine and 10. Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon and Yuki Tsunoda were lapping when the red flags were shown.An FIA spokesperson confirmed to RaceFans the session was red-flagged because an unauthorised vehicle appeared in the service road alongside the track. It was not protected by barriers and race control was unaware where it was going.
The appearance of a vehicle on the track has obvious safety implications which is likely to raise concern among drivers.
Three years ago, Gasly was outraged to encounter a recovery vehicle on the circuit during the Japanese Grand Prix. As he pointed out, Jules Bianchi suffered serious injuries, from which he later died, when he hit a crane at the same race in 2014. In 2013 a rescue vehicle appeared on the track during the Korean Grand Prix as a result of a miscommunication at race control.
The incident was the latest in a series of strange disruptions to this week’s three-day event, which is the teams’ only opportunity to test their cars before the season-opening grand prix in Australia next month.
The red flags were shown twice during the morning session, first after a glass pane fell from a trackside gantry onto the pit straight and shattered. The session briefly resumed, during which time Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Fernando Alonso drove onto the circuit. Then the red flags were shown again when race control discovered one marshal had not yet returned to their post.
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The FIA spokesperson told RaceFans all track incidents will be thoroughly examined. F1 is due to return to the circuit for the Bahrain Grand Prix in April.
On Wednesday testing stopped for over an hour due to a power cut at the track. The circuit owners later said this was caused by a failure at an external substation.
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Adrian Hancox (@ahxshades)
28th February 2025, 13:07
Are drivers allowed to criticize this or will they be fined?
Dex
28th February 2025, 16:49
When they criticized Saudi Arabian race (because there were rockets flying over their heads), they practically got kidnapped by the government until things “resolved”; the race had to go on and no one was to leave the country before that. Knowing where they are, and who’s the FIA president…
MichaelN
28th February 2025, 17:15
Why wouldn’t they be?
El Pollo Loco
28th February 2025, 20:03
The bus full of condemned prisoners was a warning.
Tony Mansell (@tonymansell)
28th February 2025, 13:14
More concerning for Haas was that it actually beat Bearman’s time
Sonny Crockett (@sonnycrockett)
28th February 2025, 13:39
LOL!
An Sionnach
28th February 2025, 14:45
“Let them race!”
Alonslow
28th February 2025, 13:32
Multiclass racing
El Pollo Loco
28th February 2025, 20:02
Always an exciting spectacle.
Fred Fedurch
28th February 2025, 22:45
GP2 engine.
BasCB (@bascb)
28th February 2025, 13:38
Well, they do find things to make testing in Bahrain more varied … This reminded me of the car on track during one of the Korean races. What changed in Bahrain, they were hailed as one of the best trained crews of marshals a few years back training other crews and helping out at newer races (Hm, maybe the likes of Jeddah and Qatar poached some critical people away?)
RandomMallard
28th February 2025, 17:04
@bascb Based on how the marshals in Qatar reacted (or rather, didn’t react) to a GT3 that was actively on fire in the WEC race a few mins ago, I’m not convinced that’s where they’ve gone…
Sonny Crockett (@sonnycrockett)
28th February 2025, 13:41
Maybe the Circuit de Catalunya should start criticising them on social media?
That’s what Bahrain did when Barcelona was the home of testing duties and weather conditions stopped the action.
An Sionnach
28th February 2025, 15:06
Maybe that’s the Barcelona bus coming to pick up the drivers?
Not sure about its suitability, but the weather should be even better at the Circuito de Almería.
jpvalverde85 (@jpvalverde85)
28th February 2025, 13:48
Ben S pushing for expression bans but the most elemental track security can’t be enforced yet…
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
28th February 2025, 13:50
I like that it has those extended wing mirrors, they’re going to need see what’s approaching from behind.
In all serious though, how does this stuff happen? It’s not like there’s even any spectators there to ferry about. If I was trackside and said ‘Dave, I’m just going to drive my bus over here’, I like to think someone would stop and say ‘nope’.
I think someone got a VW Polo onto Brans Hatch once during a race.
Race Director, Air Traffic Control, Syria. Jobs I wouldn’t be bothered to do. Too much daft / dangerous stuff.
SteveR (@stever)
28th February 2025, 14:38
Well, possibly it was used to ferry marshals around…..
rprp
28th February 2025, 15:59
There are spectators. £20 for grandstand seats.
MichaelN
28th February 2025, 17:18
It was just after lunch according to the article. A small delay can be enough to misalign the various steps needed to resume the action.
Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
28th February 2025, 14:28
I am not sure Red Bull’s surprise late entry to stay ahead of the field is going to work. That aero looks a bit clumsy.
An Sionnach
28th February 2025, 15:11
Max goes from driving a Newey “rocketship” to driving the 46A bus.
Tony Mansell (@tonymansell)
28th February 2025, 15:30
Even worse, there was another 2 buses just behind that one. Typical
An Sionnach
28th February 2025, 15:34
Needs to be made into a film about a bus driver who doesn’t take any nonsense from anyone:
Maxi Driver
SteveP
28th February 2025, 16:33
After instructions from the FIA to keep the catering and incidental travelling expenses within normal limits, Red Bull offered pre-made Ham & Cheese Baguette or a free bus to the local greasy spoon café.
Some teething problems with the bus service have led them to revert to just the Ham & Cheese option, upgrades will be available later in the season after safety testing.
I luv chicken
1st March 2025, 13:00
What you get when Newey leaves.
Chris Horton
28th February 2025, 15:30
Two tier championship
Esmiz (@esmiz)
28th February 2025, 15:42
F1 should take into account that in Bahrain there have always been protests about Grand Prix hosting and F1 visits in general. In 2012 a protester at these protests died allegedly due to the brutality in the crackdown against those protests. Also, it seems that every test day has a new surprise and they are never surprises that help either the show or the normal work of the teams.
But F1 is not going to change anything because we all know that the reason why the tests are held here and not in Europe is not exactly the climate or the comfort of the teams and fans.
An Sionnach
28th February 2025, 16:20
There will be testing in Barcelona next year, although the other two tests will be in Bahrain.
Jere (@jerejj)
28th February 2025, 16:32
Such a situation shouldn’t have arisen, but I’m sure the same thing won’t happen again in Bahrain.
Additionally, a less risky scenario than the Japanese & Korean GP ones, which happened in competitive rather than non-competitive conditions.
MichaelN
1st March 2025, 14:58
Important to add that Gasly himself was heavily penalised for failing to observe the safety rules. Rules meant to make the use of recovery vehicles safe for both drivers and marshals.
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
28th February 2025, 17:22
Not the first driver to go wide at turn 10.
If these things had happened at a European circuit, it would be straight off the calendar.
Margus P
28th February 2025, 18:09
Maybe it was a Top Gear bus like in Australia where they destroyed a local pride :D
dutchtreat (@dutchtreat)
28th February 2025, 19:52
Simple, they moved the bus stop from Spa to Bahrein
Billys (@bilarxos)
28th February 2025, 20:12
New Bus stop section.
Dale
28th February 2025, 20:31
F1 Safari. Awesome.
El Pollo Loco
28th February 2025, 22:09
Can the FIA investigate POTUS. Even MBS is a beacon of hope and freedom compared to what we’ve got here.
El Pollo Loco
1st March 2025, 4:46
Their aim is off.
Red Andy (@red-andy)
28th February 2025, 22:19
It was a Hitech bus, they’re determined to join the championship and have decided to adopt the Hans Heyer approach.
David BR (@david-br)
1st March 2025, 2:35
Best inadvertent caption competition ever :)
Jungle
1st March 2025, 5:42
My name is Otto….I love to get blotto!
I luv chicken
1st March 2025, 14:49
An obscure american reference. – EXCELLENT!
Jungle
2nd March 2025, 5:19
In reference to a caption competition only bus driver I could think of….
Witt
1st March 2025, 21:07
GP2 engine!