Formula One is planning to bring forward its pre-season testing programme next year which could see cars on track as early as January.

Current sporting regulations prevent teams from running in January, but with F1 due to undergo its most pivotal change for many years, motor sport’s world governing body, the FIA, is looking at providing special dispensation for 2014.

With the new 1.6-litre V6 turbo-charged power plants due to replace the 2.4-litre V8s from next year, the desire among the engine manufacturers is to test as early as possible.

At this stage it appears likely that F1 teams will bring forward the launch of their cars to late January, rather than early February as has been the case in recent years.

“We will have to anticipate the pre-season programme by two or three weeks,” Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn told motor sport magazine Autosport.

“If we leave it late, for our car that is okay. But, if it has an engine that carries over some problems into the start of the season, that is no good. You have to find the right balance.

“I think every team is going to want to be out early with the new engine and understand it.

“I am sure everybody will build their proper race car, even if it is with launch specifications of bodywork, to do that work.”

Brawn is also advocating at least one of the three tests taking place in the Middle East – Bahrain, Abu Dhabi or Qatar – to ensure the new engine can cope with high temperatures.

Bahrain International Circuit chiefs are known to be pushing for a test, as almost occurred in 2011 prior to anti-government protests that also forced the withdrawal from the calendar of that year’s race.

Brawn added: “The main thing is to give the engines and power trains a good work out at high temperature.

“If the first time we get to try the new powertrain is Bahrain, or wherever the first race is next year, it could get very messy.

“And we don’t want that – we want to avoid it.”