The two-day pre-season test will now run on 26-27 February at the Losail International Circuit located north of capital Doha, having originally been scheduled for the weekend of 24-25 February.
A total of three test sessions have been scheduled on Monday, beginning at 0830 local time and going all the way till 2200 at night. A further four hours of running will follow on Tuesday between 0900-1300.
This would leave just a day’s gap between the end of Prologue and the first two practice sessions for the Qatar 1812km, the opening round of the 2024 WEC season, on Thursday, 29 February.
“The schedule change is a result of the ongoing geopolitical situation where regular shipping lines have experienced significant delays through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea,” read a statement issued on Friday morning.
“Consequently, part of the sea freight has been delayed arriving at the Lusail International Circuit in Doha, Qatar.
“To allow the WEC teams enough time to prepare for testing, the decision was made to delay the start of the Prologue.
“There will be no change to the schedule for the season-opening Qatar 1812km the following weekend with the race set to begin at 11am local time on Saturday 2 March.”
Source: Autosport