Having initially invited all eleven teams to participate in the session, Pirelli recently confirmed that Williams, Lotus, Sauber, Marussia and Caterham decided to skip the test. A spokesperson of the sports' sole tyre supplier then confirmed only four teams for the upcoming test, explaining that McLaren and Force India had also opted to miss the event at Sakhir.
Pirelli was given the go-ahead for the test after the Formula 1 Commision agreed to change the 2013 Sporting Regulations. Initially, Pirelli had planned to trial the 2014 rubber during practice at the final Grand Prix at Interlagos, but the drivers did not get the chance to use the tyres due to bad weather conditions.
With regular testing being banned under current regulations until next season, the Italian tyre manufacturer had called for a dispensation so they could collect more data for its new 2014 compounds with representative machinery.
The four teams attending the final test of the year will run their 2013-spec cars at the Bahrain International Circuit, which will host its first night race in 2014 to mark the track's tenth anniversary in Formula 1.
Driver line-up for Pirelli's three-day test in Bahrain:
Infiniti Red Bull Racing: Sebastien Buemi
Mercedes AMG F1: Nico Rosberg
Scuderia Ferrari: Pedro de la Rosa (Tuesday and Wednesday), Jules Bianchi (Thursday)
Scuderia Toro Rosso: Jean-Eric Vergne (Tuesday, Wednesday ½), Daniil Kvyat, Wednesday ½, Thursday)
