2023 Formula 1 Preview & Review.

F1 2023 Testing Results – Day 1 (Bahrain).
Here are the testing results from the ongoing testing session in Bahrain, during a very busy first day of track action.
23 Feb 2023 10:25 AM
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com

The first day of action for Formula 1 2023 is underway, with pre-season testing beginning at the Bahrain International Circuit on Thursday. As the venue for the first Grand Prix of the season next weekend, the Sakhir circuit’s lights turned green at 10am local time to kick off proceedings.

It’s been a remarkably steady morning, with the only red flag coming courtesy of Aston Martin’s Felipe Drugovich – the Brazilian driver is standing in for the injured Lance Stroll for testing duties. Max Verstappen and Alex Albon both had brief stints at the top of the times, but it’s Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz who has set the quickest time with just over an hour to go until the official lunch break.

Most of the teams are set to hand over to a different driver for the second half of the day, including the return of seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton as he takes over the Mercedes W14 from George Russell’s morning duties.

‘Testing Results’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-202...day-1-bahrain/


Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas spying on Red Bull RB19 at F1 testing in Bahrain
10:30, Thu, Feb 23, 2023
By Luke Chillingsworth
Daily and Sunday Express

Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas have been caught spying on Max Verstappen’s car ahead of pre-season testing in Bahrain. The former team-mates were caught having a glimpse at Red Bull’s new RB19 ahead of the first session in Sakhir.

Hamilton was seen peeping over the halo and into the cockpit where Verstappen took to the wheel just hours later. Meanwhile, Alfa Romeo star Bottas appeared to be looking at the car’s sidepods and front nose cone.

It was Hamilton’s second look at his former title rivals' machine after he was seen peering into the Red Bull garage earlier in the day. The seven-time champion was walking down the pitlane before stopping outside the Red Bull garage and staring in as mechanics worked on the car.

‘Hamilton was seen peeping’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...max-verstappen


F1 2023 Bahrain Test: Max Verstappen tops morning session as Aston Martin hit early trouble on opening day
23 Feb 2023
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen set the pace on the opening morning of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain, while Aston Martin hit early trouble.

The reigning world champion continued where he left off in 2022 by topping the timesheets in the first on-track session of the year as pre-season testing got underway at Sakhir.

After trading fastest laps with Carlos Sainz for much of the morning, Verstappen produced the benchmark time of a 1m32.959s in the final hour of running to put his brand-new RB19 on top at the lunch break.

‘Max Verstappen tops morning session’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/102067...f1-test-begins


Verstappen and Red Bull ominously top as F1 testing underway
Thursday 23 February 2023 11:27
Ewan Gale
GPFans

Max Verstappen has started the new F1 season how he finished the last by finishing fastest at the end of the opening session of testing in Bahrain.

The Dutchman finished top of the leaderboard at the Bahrain International Circuit with Red Bull enjoying a smooth morning, finishing ahead of Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon.

Times at this stage of proceedings are, however, irrelevant as teams aim to ensure systems are working as desired ahead of the season.

‘Red Bull ominously top’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...ominously-top/


Bahrain F1 testing 2023 - Day 1 results (Morning times)
23 February 12:15PM
Author RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365

Max Verstappen topped the timesheets as the first session of F1 2023 pre-season testing got underway in Bahrain.

The Red Bull driver set the pace with a lap of 1:32.959, as well as completing 71 laps during the morning.

Carlos Sainz was 0.294 seconds behind in P2, while Alex Albon posted the third fastest time. A second session will take place in Bahrain at 12:15 GMT as part of the three-day test.

‘Day 1 results (Morning times)’;

https://racingnews365.com/bahrain-f1...-morning-times


De Vries’ complaints after first AlphaTauri test were a “wake-up call” – Tost
2023 F1 season
Posted on 23rd February 2023, 10:27
Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham
RaceFans

AlphaTauri were emboldened to pursue drastic changes to their new car for 2023 after new driver Nyck de Vries “complained a lot” about their previous chassis.

“Always with a new driver coming, if it’s not a young driver coming from a lower series, he brings in some input, some technical ideas,” AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost said in response to a question from RaceFans during today’s test in Bahrain. “With Nyck, we were lucky that he last year was in contact with many teams and many cars.

“I think that our engineers get a good technical feedback from his side, especially after the Abu Dhabi test, where he did a lot of laps and he fortunately complained a lot about the car because this was a wake-up call for the engineers. And I hope that we can provide him with a car which performs in the way he likes it.” AlphaTauri came away from the test with “a long to-do list”, said Tost. “I liked it.”

“wake-up call” – Tost;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/02/23/...-up-call-tost/

Verstappen and Alonso fastest on first F1 test day.
Defending Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen was fastest on the opening day of the sole pre-season test ahead of the 2023 season in Bahrain but was only 0.029s quicker than Aston Martin’s new recruit Fernando Alonso.
Feb 23 2023
By Josh Suttill
The Race

Red Bull was the only team to keep one driver in its car for the entire day and Verstappen spent the majority of that day at the top of the leaderboard. He also completed 157 laps with no obvious issues. Verstappen led the morning session on a 1m32.959s on the yellow-side-walled C3 compound tyres and went a tenth quicker in the afternoon to top day one of the test on a 1m32.837s despite a wide moment at the final corner on his fastest lap.

Verstappen remained unchallenged until Fernando Alonso completed a series of short runs in the final hour of the session in the AMR23. The fastest of those flying laps was just 0.029s adrift of Verstappen and on the same C3 tyres as his fellow two-time F1 world champion.

Alonso and Aston Martin had to recover ground after a slow start to testing. The 2022 Formula 2 champion Felipe Drugovich – standing in for the injured Lance Stroll – had to pull the AMR23 off to the side of the track during the car’s first installation lap of the day.

‘Verstappen and Alonso fastest’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/verst...t-f1-test-day/


RESULTS: F1 pre-season testing times, Day 1
Friday 24th February, 2023 - 3:33am
By Speedcafe.com
Speedcafe

Get the raw facts on how each team went on the opening day of Formula 1’s three-day pre-season test in Bahrain.

Result: Formula 1 pre-season testing, Bahrain, Day 1
Pos Num Driver Team Laps Time Diff
1 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull 157 1:32.837
2 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 60 1:32.866 0:00.029
3 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 72 1:33.253 0:00.416
4 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 64 1:33.267 0:00.430
5 4 Lando Norris McLaren 40 1:33.462 0:00.625
6 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 83 1:33.508 0:00.671
7 23 Alex Albon Williams 74 1:33.671 0:00.834
8 24 Guanyu Zhou Alfa Romeo Sauber 67 1:33.723 0:00.886
9 63 George Russell Mercedes 69 1:34.174 0:01.337
10 2 Logan Sargeant Williams 75 1:34.324 0:01.487

‘Raw facts’;

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/02/24...g-times-day-1/


Ferrari worry as issue arises in F1 testing that Lewis Hamilton is all too familiar with.
Those keeping an eye on the first day of Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain on Thursday were on porpoising watch after the phenomenon reared its head this time last year
16:18, 23 Feb 2023
By Daniel Moxon F1 Writer
The Mirror

Ferrari sparked porpoising concerns on the first morning of pre-season testing as Carlos Sainz had a bit of a bumpy ride around the Bahrain International Circuit. Speaking over TV footage of the Spaniard as he oscillated in his seat, Sky Sports pundit Anthony Davidson said: "There was an awful lot of porpoising from the car just then on the run down to the final corner.”

“It is [a bumpy track here] but I've not seen anyone's head bouncing around quite as much as Sainz. Maybe they are just trying to sneak the car down and test the limits of it. There was bouncing through Turn 12 and sparking at the rear. They are starting to test things by dropping the car lower and lower. Porpoising and bouncing hasn’t gone away this year."

Team boss Frederic Vasseur was quick to ease worries, telling reporters: "It's not at all as it was one year ago with the car bouncing like a kangaroo. Today we have on some part of the track before turn one, turn 12, it's a bit more bumpy than it was before, but it's a different issue."

‘Frederic Vasseur was quick to ease worries’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...ilton-29295553


Three days’ testing is “ample” and could be cut to two – Horner
2023 F1 season
Posted on 23rd February 2023, 13:3723rd February 2023, 14:11
Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham
RaceFans

Formula 1 team principals see no need to increase the amount of pre-season testing despite complaints from some drivers that three days of running is insufficient. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said “three days is ample” under the current regulations.

“Look at the reliability we’ve had this morning,” he told media including RaceFans during the FIA press conference in Bahrain today. “I think we had one red flag very early on that was rectified pretty quickly.” Horner said limiting the amount of testing further could create more unpredictability. “These regulations are pretty stable,” he said. “I mean, one could even argue the opposite.”

“When you look at the reliability and so on you could almost say with the amount of races that the promoters are looking to cram in now, why not go two days of testing and go racing? If that does create a little bit of a more mixed field at the beginning of the season, is that such a bad thing? And you’ve got enough of the year then to sort it out.”

‘Three days testing is ample’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/02/23/...to-two-horner/


Defiant Toto Wolff claims the new Mercedes car IS good enough to carry Lewis Hamilton to an eighth world title after the Silver Arrows enjoyed a promising first day of pre-season testing in Bahrain
• Toto Wolff believes the new Mercedes car is good enough to win the world title
• The Silver Arrows enjoyed a positive first day of pre-season testing in Bahrain
• Lewis Hamilton is hoping to win his eighth world title this campaign
Published: 15:42, 23 February 2023 |
By Jonathan McEvoy For Mailonine
Mail Online

Toto Wolff proclaimed the new Mercedes potentially good enough to carry Lewis Hamilton to an eighth world title after a promising first day of pre-season testing. A year after jaws fell to the garage floor, there was a more positive air about the initial mileage in Bahrain, scene of the opening race a week on Sunday. For one, the car was not bouncing along the track like a kangaroo.

It wasn’t that the Silver Arrows led the timesheets – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen set the fastest times in both sessions – but the fact they have a car they can work with. ‘You need to provide a good car for a driver who has the ambition to win races and championships, and we have that,’ said Wolff, saying the mood was ‘very different today’ from 12 months ago.”

‘We have a solid base and will try to optimise the car, which we have not done yet. Today has been about finding if there are any areas that could be a real hindrance, such as bouncing.’

‘Defiant Toto Wolff claims the new Mercedes car IS good enough to carry Lewis Hamilton to an eighth world title’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...hth-title.html

Ferrari porpoising? Fans react as SF-23 bounces in Bahrain.
It's that word again: porpoising. The Porpoising Horse. Due to copyright restrictions, we cannot show video of the bouncing Ferrari, but videos of Sainz's bumping car are circulating on social media.
Thursday 23 February 2023 14:58
Stuart Hodge
GPFans

It was hoped that we'd seen the last of it, as F1 fans, but unfortunately it may be making a very unwelcome return for 2023. Whilst most cars look more settled compared to last year's challengers, Ferrari in particular has shown the issues look set to play a part this year.

The SF-23 was visibly bouncing in a straight line, although it is as yet unclear whether this was aero or mechanical bouncing. Obviously this is the very first run of the new cars around competitors so there is still some time to tackle problems early before the new season starts next week.

For Ferrari, though, the porpoising seems to have returned and the Italian team looks to have a lot of work to have a hope of resolving it before the start of the first race.

‘The Porpoising Horse’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...tter-reaction/


Ferrari nose develops dent in first F1 testing session
Thursday 23 February 2023 11:50
Stuart Hodge
GPFans

Carlos Sainz got behind the wheel of Ferrari's new SF-23 this morning and very quickly all eyes turned to the Prancing Horse. When the car hit the Sakhir straight, a dent suddenly appeared in the nose of the Ferrari car. Then, under braking for the corner, the bodywork 'popped' back and the nose was back to normal.

It was a remarkable sight in the early stages of the first day of testing at the Bahrain International Circuit. Sainz hit the accelerator down the straight and everyone – including, Fred Vasseur, surely – was surprised to see a dent in the bodywork at the front of his nose.

How the dent happened. The dimple in the bodywork was created by air pressure at maximum velocity applied to the nose's crash structure, with Ferrari suggesting supports within the structure had failed. Sainz finished his run just under three-tenths of a second behind Max Verstappen in the standings from the morning and a bloody (or dented) nose on the first day of testing will not be what the Scuderia will have wanted in the opening session.

‘The dimple in nose's crash structure’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...in-first-test/


Fernando Alonso in a winning F1 car would be a sensational story — MPH
February 24th 2023
Author Mark Hughes
Motor Sport Magazine

As you read this, the second day of pre-season testing will be underway in Bahrain and doubtless new headlines will be created as the anticipation for the new F1 season ramps up. But the sensation of the first day was definitely that of Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin, second-fastest on the timesheets just a few hundredths slower than Max Verstappen’s Red Bull.

Sure, we need to take that with a pinch of salt, as always with pre-season test times. But the jungle drums were already very active about the Aston Martin AMR23 before any car had turned a wheel. Team personnel talk to each other, wind tunnel numbers get quoted and sometimes these are nothing more than hot air. But sometimes, like pre-season 2009 with the Brawn, they are real. A senior team member of a top team heard the claimed Aston numbers a couple of weeks ago. “If they are real,” he said, “that car is going to be very, very quick.”

Lo and behold Fernando Alonso delivers a very big lap on the first day of testing. There is a caveat here in addition to the usual ones about fuel loads and run programmes and how they vary and how no team knows exactly what the others teams are running. Which is that Alonso set the time in the cool of the evening when the track was at its fastest at a time when Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were all doing higher-fuelled long runs. They’d set their best times in the heat of the day when the track was at least 15C hotter and less grippy.

‘Lo and behold Fernando Alonso delivers’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...3&nowprocket=1


Hamilton seizes chance to take a closer look at Verstappen's RB19
Thursday 23 February 2023 10:42
Stuart Hodge
GPFans

Red Bull Racing managed to keep the real RB19 a secret until just before the start of the first day of testing in Bahrain. But when the car was seen in person for the first time this morning, Lewis Hamilton quickly seized the opportunity to thoroughly inspect Max Verstappen's new challenger.

During the official car launch, Red Bull only revealed the new livery for next season and, when the team then organised a shakedown at Silverstone, it did so behind closed doors. Everything possible was done to keep the RB19 a secret from the competition for as long as the team could.

It was only this morning, right before the start of the first day of testing, that the real car could be seen in all its glory. Of course, a lot of outside interest was generated, including from the men who will be trying to beat it and it is customary for all drivers to look at all the cars. But Hamilton really took his time to subject the car, which Verstappen will be aiming to claim a third straight title in, to a thorough inspection.

‘Seized the opportunity to thoroughly inspect’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...ose-look-rb19/


Bahrain pre-season F1 test: Day 2 driver line-ups
24/02/2023 at 06:15
Andrew Lewin
F1i.com

One day down, two to go! Teams will resume their test programmes in Bahrain this morning, with those who made good progress on Thursday ready to begin fine-tuning their set-ups.
Everyone will be hoping for the same drama-free consistency today when the track goes green at 7:00 GMT (8:00 CET) for four hours of action, before a one-jour lunch break ensues and the running resumes at 12:00 GMT (13:00 CET) for an addition four hours of testing.

Provisional Day 2 driver line-ups for Bahrain F1 pre-season test:
Friday February 24
Red Bull
AM Sergio Perez PM Max Verstappen
Ferrari
AM Carlos Sainz PM Charles Leclerc
Mercedes
AM Lewis Hamilton PM George Russell
Alpine
AM Esteban Ocon PM Pierre Gasly
McLaren
AM Lando Norris PM Oscar Piastri
Alfa Romeo F1
AM Zhou Guanyu PM Zhou Guanyu
Aston Martin F1
AM Fernando Alonso PM Fernando Alonso
Haas
AM Kevin Magnussen PM Nico Hulkenberg
AlphaTauri
AM Yuki Tsunoda PM Nyck de Vries
Williams
AM Logan Sargeant PM Logan Sargeant

‘Provisional Day 2 driver line-ups’;

https://f1i.com/news/466430-bahrain-...r-line-up.html


F1 pre-season testing 2023 live: latest updates from day two in Bahrain
24/02/2023, 06:58
By Luke Slater
The Telegraph

‘Live Reporting’;

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/formula-...hrain-day-two/


F1 2023 pre-season testing in Bahrain - Day 2: LIVE UPDATES!
24/02/2023, 06:50
Crash.Net

Day Two of F1 pre-season testing 2023 in Bahrain is on Friday and you can follow it here with Crash.net.

https://www.crash.net/f1/live/f1-202...2-live-updates


Live: Day 2 of F1 2023 pre-season testing
February 24th 2023
Author Motor Sport
Motor Sport Magazine

Live updates from pre-season testing ahead of the 2023 F1 season, including full testing schedule, driver lineups and the latest updates from the pitwall

‘Live: Day 2;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...3&nowprocket=1

Sainz puts Ferrari quickest, 0.063s ahead of Sargeant halfway through test.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jnr put up the quickest time of pre-season testing so far in the early session on day two, but Logan Sargeant was less than a tenth of a second behind.
2023 F1 season
Posted on 24th February 2023, 11:35
Written by Will Wood

In an uneventful early session with no major dramas for any of the ten cars running, Sainz comfortably beat Max Verstappen’s best time of Thursday’s first day to go quickest overall. Sargeant was just 0.063s behind in second, with Fernando Alonso third fastest for Aston Martin.

Air temperature was a relatively comfortable 24C as cars began lining up at the end of the pitlane for the start of the second day of running. After Aston Martin announced Alonso would run the entire day for them, he was the first car out as the green light appeared to signal the beginning of the session.

Sergio Perez had sat out all of Thursday while team mate Verstappen enjoyed a full day in the Red Bull RB19, but he finally got his first real experience of the car during the early Friday session. Carlos Sainz Jnr set the first time of the day, but none of the ten teams were pushing anywhere near the limits during the opening minutes.

‘Sainz puts Ferrari quickest’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/02/24/...-through-test/


Ferrari leads as 2023 F1 testing hits halfway point
24/02/2023, 11:29
By Jack Cozens
The Race

Ferrari hit the front at the midway point in 2023 Formula 1 testing as Carlos Sainz pipped the soft tyre-shod Williams of Logan Sargeant to the fastest time in the day two morning session in Bahrain.

Sainz was a near-permanent feature at the head of the leaderboard and just past the end of the first hour had already eclipsed his best time from a day earlier, setting a 1m32.653s.

He went better still on his next new set of mid-range C3 tyres, with the 1m32.486s he achieved on that run standing unbeaten come the end of the session.

‘Ferrari leads’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/ferra...halfway-point/


F1 2023 testing: Carlos Sainz lowers pace on second morning as Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes loses bodywork
24 Feb 2023
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

Carlos Sainz set the fastest time of F1 pre-season testing so far in Bahrain, while Lewis Hamilton suffered damage to his Mercedes.

The Ferrari driver clocked a 1m32.486s - a new benchmark time of testing - on the second morning of running at Sakhir to edge Williams’ F1 rookie Logan Sargeant to the quickest time.

Sargeant bolted on a set of Pirelli’s softest tyre to post a succession of fast laps during the final hour of Friday’s opening session, but the American fell 0.063s short of Sainz’s effort from earlier in the morning.

‘Mercedes loses bodywork’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/102084...loses-bodywork


Fighting Red Bull for Bahrain GP win “will be a stretch” for Mercedes – Russell
2023 F1 season
Posted on 24th February 2023, 12:14
Written by Will Wood and Claire Cottingham
RaceFans

George Russell says Mercedes are happy with where they are in pre-season testing but is cautious about their chances of fighting Red Bull in next weekend’s season opener. “In terms of feeling, it feels a step in the right direction,” Russell said. “But as we know in the sport, it’s not all about feeling – it is ultimately about lap time.”

“I think comparing to this time 12 months ago, things are running a lot smoother. Obviously when we were here last year, there were a lot of alarm bells ringing with the porpoising, unsure how to solve it. We were a bit lost – the car characteristics were not good. So I think things have been running much smoother.”

“Reliability has been been strong so far to allow us to do the test programme. For sure, we’ve got things we need to improve with the car, but I would say, generally speaking, we’re roughly where we would have expected to be at this time of year.”

“Will be a stretch”;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/02/24/...cedes-russell/


Pictures: 2023 F1 pre-season testing day two: Bahrain
F1 pictures
Posted on 24th February 2023, 8:12
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Pictures from the second day of testing for the 2023 F1 season at the Bahrain International Circuit.

‘More images will be added here’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/02/24/...y-two-bahrain/

F1 pre-season testing: Four things learned on day two as Mercedes dealt embarrassing blow.
Mercedes were given some unwanted food for thought on the second day of pre-season testing in Bahrain.
17:22, Fri, Feb 24, 2023
By Archie Griggs
Daily and Sunday Express

Zhou Guanyu topped the standings at the end of an eventful second day of Formula One pre-season testing in Bahrain, which saw Mercedes suffer a worrying blow as George Russell was forced to stop with a hydraulic failure in the afternoon. There were also whispers of some teething issues at Red Bull, while McLaren boss Zak Brown gave a brutally honest update on his team's development progress ahead of next weekend's season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

Express Sport looks at four takeaways from Friday's action at the Bahrain International Circuit... Mercedes suffer worrying failure - Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was given some unwanted food for thought ahead of Saturday's final day of pre-season testing… Ferrari lay down early marker - Carlos Sainz topped the morning session on Friday to give Ferrari hope of improving on last year's pace…

Not all plain sailing for Red Bull - Red Bull ran into some problems on Friday despite topping the standings on Thursday, with an oil leak reportedly hampering Verstappen's progress in the afternoon session. McLaren set to struggle again? - It seems as though McLaren could be in for a difficult start to the new season if Zak Brown's latest comments are anything to go by, with the mood at the Woking-based outfit not entirely positive with just nine days until the first Grand Prix of the year.

‘Express Sport looks at four takeaways’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...d-Bull-Ferrari


Mercedes F1 testing pace loss prompts ‘investigations’
19:16 Fri, 24 Feb 2023.
By Josh Suttill
The Race

Mercedes has begun “some investigations” to work out what went wrong during a challenging second day of Formula 1’s Bahrain 2023 pre-season test. Mercedes enjoyed a positive opening day on Thursday with no sign of the bouncing issues that haunted its W13 last year.

Trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin called the W14 a “much calmer and more stable” platform with “faultless” reliability on day one. However, the team lost the final hour and a half of day two when Russell ground to a halt with a hydraulics issue and didn’t return to the track.

“We’ve not had a strong second day,” Shovlin admitted at the end of Friday. But it wasn’t just Russell’s reliability drama – one which limited his running to 26 laps – that contributed to Mercedes’ Friday plight as it struggled to find the right car balance.

‘Investigations’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/merce...nvestigations/


Wolff admits Mercedes hiding full performance in F1 2023 testing
Do Mercedes have a trick up their sleeve as we approach the start of the 2023 Formula 1 season?
February 24, 2023
By Andrew Wright
Total Motorsport

Toto Wolff has said Mercedes have been holding back performance in the W14 during the first two days of Formula 1 pre-season testing ahead of the 2023 F1 campaign, which kicks off on March 3 with the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The eight-time world champions are looking to recover from a relatively dismal 2022, in which they won just one race and finished third in the constructors’ championship, but have so far failed to make much of an impression on the timesheets.

“We’re still hiding a little bit,” Wolff told Sky F1’s Rachel Brookes. “Very difficult to judge at this stage. Everybody is playing around with fuel loads and hiding on engine modes, so you can’t really judge. I think you have to wait for the three days’ running and wait for the soft tyres to come on in the afternoon, which is more representative of the conditions in Bahrain.”

‘Mercedes hiding full performance’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/wol...-2023-testing/


Mercedes confirm Russell hydraulic failure after red flag
Friday 24 February 2023 15:39
Ewan Gale
GPFans

Mercedes has confirmed George Russell suffered a hydraulic failure during the second session of the second day of the Bahrain pre-season test.

The British driver ground to a halt at the exit of turn 10 with just over 90 minutes remaining having been stuck in fourth gear throughout the middle sector, with a dashboard message reading 'hydraulic failure'.

‘Hydraulic failure’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...fter-red-flag/


Hamilton struggling with Mercedes W14 – Wolff reveals 'issues'
Friday 24 February 2023 15:02
Ewan Gale
GPFans

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has conceded Lewis Hamilton was faced with balance issues during the second day of running at F1's Bahrain pre-season test.

The seven-time world champion finished the morning session eighth fastest with 72 laps to his name before handing over the W14 to George Russell for the second session. Hamilton was confined to the garage for repairs after shedding bodywork but was able to recover to complete his run plan.

But it seems that whilst Mercedes' porpoising issues have vanished with the new machinery, there are other issues at hand that have hampered the team's progress on the second day of testing.

‘Wolff reveals 'issues'!’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...ms-toto-wolff/


Verstappen's Red Bull verdict after final F1 test outing
24 February 6:55PM
Author Jake Nichol

Max Verstappen's F1 pre-season test is at an end, and he is impressed with the work Red Bull have done thus far. Max Verstappen says he is "very satisfied" with the state of Red Bull and the RB19 as his pre-season testing came to an end on Friday.

"The test days [have gone] well, especially on Thursday when we drove a lot of laps [157], and were able to test a lot," explained Verstappen. "Today we focused a bit more on the details and made small steps. The car responds very well to everything we change, and we learned a lot for next weekend and also for the races after that.”

"I'm very satisfied. Every time I drove the car, I felt comfortable and we were able to go for it right away, that's also important. For me, these have been positive test days, it remains to be seen how fast we will be here at the Grand Prix, but I am positive."

‘Impressed with the work Red Bull have done thus far’;

https://racingnews365.com/verstappen...s-f1-test-ends


McLaren's 2023 F1 car hampered by being too draggy
18:16 Fri, 24 Feb 2023.
Motorsport.com

Team Principal Andrea Stella "Last year, we had some clear objectives in terms of development, they had to do with aerodynamic efficiency, some development related to the exploitation of the tyres, and also some other objectives to improve the balance," explained Stella.
"The reality is that most of these objectives have actually been met. But the objective in terms of aerodynamic efficiency of the car, that's the one where we are still shy of what was our target.”

"So some of the objectives have been met. Aerodynamic efficiency is still not where we would like it to be, or where we would like it to be a top-four contender. So I would say that's the one in which we are still short."

‘Too draggy’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/m...ggy-/10436133/


Podcast: Who’s in trouble in F1 testing?
22:29 Fri, 24 Feb 2023.
The Race

McLaren’s struggle was one of the big talking points of the second day of 2023 Formula 1 pre-season testing, and it’s among the topics we delve into in the second of our daily podcasts from Bahrain.

But we also talk about the other nine teams, from Zhou Guanyu’s fastest time for Alfa Romeo and Red Bull’s serene progress through to the impressive form of Aston Martin and Mercedes’ struggles.

There’s also a look at where Williams is at in the first week of new team principal James Vowles’s time with the team.

‘Who’s in trouble’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/podca...in-f1-testing/


F1 pre-season testing 2023: Day 2 Highlights
24 Feb 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Highlights of the second day of F1 pre-season testing from the Bahrain International Circuit.

‘Highlights’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...867306425.html

Bahrain pre-season F1 test: Day 3 driver line-up.
The third day of pre-season testing in Bahrain is upon us, and with it comes the final opportunity for teams to fine-tune and improve their challengers ahead of next week's round of racing at Sakhir.
25/02/2023 at 06:15
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

The third day of pre-season testing in Bahrain is upon us, and with it comes the final opportunity for teams to fine-tune and improve their challengers ahead of next week's round of racing at Sakhir.

Red Bull is seemingly cruising ahead of its rivals, with Max Verstappen already the grand favourite to take the checkered flag come race day next weekend.

The Dutchman won't be in action on Saturday however, as Sergio Perez will have the day to himself as Red Bull's sole runner.

‘Driver line-up’;

https://f1i.com/news/466899-bahrain-...-line-ups.html


F1 2023 Testing Results – Day 3 (Bahrain)
25 Feb 2023 8:38 AM
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com

Bahrain F1 2023 Testing Results – Day 3 (11:30am local time)
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:31.164 17 Laps
2 George Russell Mercedes 1:31.442 21 Laps
3 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:32.762 17 Laps
4 Sergio Perez Red Bull 1:33.167 21 Laps
5 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 1:33.329 24 Laps
6 Felipe Drugovich Aston Martin 1:33.575 16 Laps
7 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:33.655 25 Laps
8 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 1:38.609 21 Laps
9 Nyck De Vries AlphaTauri 1:39.218 20 Laps
10 Alex Albon Williams 1:40.908 17 Laps

‘Testing Results’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-202...day-3-bahrain/


Red Bull latest cause of F1 testing red flags
Saturday 25 February 2023 07:18
Ewan Gale
GPFans

The first red flag of the third day of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain was triggered by Red Bull less than 10 minutes into the morning session. Sergio Perez was beginning his run plan with aero rakes fitted to harvest data for Red Bull's engineers when a sensor array taped to the rear of the RB19 came loose and fell off.

Whilst the loss of the sensor bore no issue for the Mexican, who continued to the pits, race control triggered a short red flag period in order to remove the sizeable debris from the racing line. The red flag was the third of the week so far, after Aston Martin and Mercedes suffered issues across the first two days.

Felipe Drugovich came to a halt after just nine minutes of the test with an electrical issue in the AMR23, whilst George Russell lost just over 90 minutes of running time when the W14 stopped with a hydraulic failure during the fourth session.

‘Red flags’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...ing-red-flags/


Rivals single out Aston Martin as F1 midfield team to watch
25/02/2023, 09:01.
By: Filip Cleeren
Co-author: Oleg Karpov
Motorsport.com

Even before pre-season testing started in Bahrain there were positive rumours about Aston's aero numbers. While it is still hard to draw conclusions from the timesheets as testing rolls into the third and final day, rival drivers and teams have seen enough from Alonso's long runs and his AMR23's compliant behaviour to single Aston out as one of the teams to watch this season.

"It's clear Aston Martin did a step," said Alfa Romeo's Zhou, who shared the track with the two-time world champion for all of Friday. "Alonso seems to be very competitive over the two days, both conditions. I think he will be one of the top guys in midfield battle."

Zhou topped Friday's timetable, albeit on Pirelli's softest C5 tyres, but thinks Alfa won't be too far off either after it enjoyed a productive and trouble-free pre-season. "It seems like we both made a step and over the two days they seem to be a little bit faster, but we're close. I feel like there's still areas I can improve and there will be another tight battle."

‘Aston Martin, F1 midfield team to watch’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/r...atch/10436280/


Interactive: Compare all 10 F1 cars of 2023 side-by-side
2023 F1 season
Posted on 25th February 2023, 7:3825th February 2023, 8:24
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Have Formula 1 teams converged on a single design philosophy in the second year since the series’ shake-up of its technical regulations? Far from it.

Satisfyingly, in a year when the cars’ geometries were expected to converge under technical regulations which limited the freedom of the designers, there are many other conspicuous differences noticeable on the cars, such as the slim airbox of Ferrari and the upswept front wing of Alpine. Over the races to come we will keep a keen eye on whether more of these differences are ironed out in year two of the current rules set, or teams produce new solutions to the same challenges.

‘Conspicuous differences noticeable on the cars’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/02/25/...-side-by-side/

Leclerc and Russell lead final morning of F1 testing
Charles Leclerc led George Russell at the halfway point of the final day of Formula 1’s sole 2023 pre-season test in Bahrain as McLaren and Alfa Romeo hit trouble.
Feb 25 2023
By Josh Suttill
The Race

The hot daytime conditions didn’t deter Mercedes and Ferrari from performing soft tyre runs in the first couple of hours of day three of the test. Leclerc ended up fastest on a 1m31.024s on the C4 tyres, a time that was within half a second of his 2022 pole position time on the C3s set in cooler night-time conditions.

Russell was 0.418s slower than Leclerc and he used the softer C5 tyres for his fastest lap. The top three was completed by Aston Martin’s reserve driver Felipe Drugovich, who still might make his F1 debut next weekend in place of the injured Lance Stroll. Drugovich was 1.051s adrift of Leclerc in third place ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez who set his fastest lap on the C3 tyres.

DAY THREE MORNING TEST TIMES
1. Leclerc (Ferrari) 1m31.024s, C4, 67 laps
2. Russell (Mercedes) 1m31.442s, C5, 83 laps
3. Drugovich (Aston Martin) 1m32.075s, C5, 77 laps
4. Perez (Red Bull) 1m32.459s, C3, 69 laps
5. Gasly (Alpine) 1m32.762s, C3, 56 laps
6. Albon (Williams) 1m32.793s, C4, 53 laps
7. Hulkenberg (Haas) 1m33.329s, C3, 77 laps
8. Piastri (McLaren) 1m33.655s, C3, 44 laps
9. Bottas (Alfa Romeo) 1m36.854s, C3, 72 laps
10. De Vries (AlphaTauri) 1m38.244s, C3, 87 laps

‘Leclerc and Russell lead’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/lecle...of-f1-testing/


Mercedes still have some of last year’s “balance limitations” – Hamilton
2023 F1 SEASON
Posted on 25th February 2023, 12:12
Written by Will Wood and Claire Cottingham
RaceFans

Lewis Hamilton says that the Mercedes W14 retains some of the “balance limitations” of last year’s car. The Mercedes driver visibly struggled with the rear of his W14 during his running in the early session yesterday. Speaking at a press conference before he took over the car for the last time in the final session of testing, Hamilton said that the team were trying to iron out some of the balance problems that had also afflicted the team’s 2022 machine.

“They’re just things that we’re working through,” Hamilton told media including RaceFans. “Some of the balance limitations that we had last year are just present. So we’re working through them.” Hamilton’s team mate George Russell covered 83 laps in today’s early session, making up in some way for the track time lost in Friday’s evening session when he suffered a hydraulic failure in the final hours. Hamilton admitted Mercedes had not enjoyed an easy test so far.

“I think it’s difficult to sum it up,” he said. “I think we’ve had a couple of difficult days. Yesterday, particularly, was difficult. The first day didn’t feel too bad, yesterday was a little bit more of a struggle. I think George has had a much better morning today, a bit like the first day. I get to go in half an hour, so hopefully we’ve got the set up in a bit of a better place.”

‘W14 retains some of the “balance limitations” of last year’s car’!’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/02/25/...ions-hamilton/


Ferrari’s Leclerc leads 1st session of last day of F1 tests
February 25, 2023 GMT
Associated Press

SAKHIR, Bahrain (AP) — Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc clocked the fastest time ahead of Mercedes driver George Russell in the first session of Saturday’s third and final day of Formula One testing.

Leclerc completed 67 laps and was .42 seconds quicker on soft tires than Russell, who did 83 laps on mediums. Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton will replace Russell in the W14 for the afternoon run. With Lance Stroll still sidelined because of a wrist injury sustained in a bicycle accident, Aston Martin again used F2 champion Felipe Drugovich and he was third fastest — about 1 second behind Leclerc.

It is unsure whether Stroll will recover in time to race next weekend in the season-opener in Bahrain, and teammate Fernando Alonso offered no indication. “No news,” the two-time F1 champion said. “It’s a private matter so I have nothing to comment.” Sergio Perez took over from two-time defending world champion Max Verstappen at Red Bull and was fourth quickest on mediums.

‘Leclerc leads 1st session of last day’;

https://apnews.com/article/sports-au...276c04c57024d6


Mini F1 pitwall gives Haas $500k more to spend on car development
February 25th 2023
Author Chris Medland
Motor Sport Magazine

Haas could save as much as $500,000 (£420,000) to redirect to its car development this season, simply by reducing the size of and construction of its pitwall. All teams have differing pitwall designs, ranging from eight seats on the AlphaTauri offering to four on the Mercedes at the Bahrain test, but all have tended to be of similar size.

However, Haas appeared on the opening day with a much smaller, lighter pitwall, featuring just three seating positions as it had amended half of its existing set-up. Those three seats — known as prat perches — are to be used by team principal Guenther Steiner, team manager Pete Crolla and chief race engineer Ayao Komatsu, with the rest of the team members who used to sit on the pitwall taking up positions in the garage or in remote locations.

The initial transportation saving is estimated by Haas to be $250,000, and it isn’t stopping there. By amending the way the pit wall is produced and can be packed, it intends to purchase six versions that can then be sent via sea freight, saving it another $250,000 compared to using air freight for transport. Steiner himself says the decision to make the change was to be able to reallocate resources to try and improve car performance.

‘Haas Mini F1 pitwall’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...3&nowprocket=1


Sky Sports F1 legend Ted Kravitz uses pieces of cheese to show key rule change
The FIA have made a key rule change ahead of the 2023 season and Sky Sports commentator Ted Kravitz demonstrated how it will affect cars ahead of the season opener in Bahrain next weekend
11:12, 25 FEB 2023
BY Benjamin Goddard
Daily Star

Sky Sports F1 legend Ted Kravitz has used a piece of Dutch cheese to demonstrate how a key rule change will impact cars ahead of the new season. Speaking to AlphaTauri technical director Jody Eggington the commentator describes the change as the 'biggest' of this year.

The floor edges of F1 cars have been raised by 15 millimetres this season. After being refused a detailed look at the floor of the AlphaTauri car in a Sky Sports interview, Kravitz instead pulled out a block of cheese to describe the change. To demonstrate the changes, Kravitz says he needed a material that was "firm yet pliable, something that will retain its shape yet manage to be manipulated".

Kravitz said in honour of AlphaTauri's Dutch driver Nyck de Vries they would use Gouda cheese for the demonstration. The Sky Sports commentator then cut the bottom of the cheese to demonstrate the difference in floor height that the new restrictions would have on F1 cars. "We should call this section cheese and Egg-ington," joked Kravitz. Despite the new regulations Eggington said that the aim to reduce the air flow under the car was the same.

‘Cheese Analysis’;

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1...avitz-29310330

Perez ends F1 testing how Verstappen started as Red Bull underline favourite tag.
Sergio Perez ended the Bahrain pre-season test how Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen started by finishing top of the timesheets.
Saturday 25 February 2023 16:30
Ewan Gale
GPFans

The Mexican set a fastest time of one minute, 30.305secs to finish three-tenths quicker than Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion enjoyed a more promising afternoon in the W14 after a similar experience for George Russell in the morning, working past issues from the second day.

Valtteri Bottas overcame a gearbox issue in the morning to return to the track and pump in the third fastest time of the day, though times are difficult to read into. One thing that we can be sure of is the strength of the Red Bull RB19 with signs looking positive in both qualifying and race trim.

Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz seem to be the closest challengers, though race pace leaves a lot to be desired. Leclerc morning time was good enough to stay ahead of his Spanish team-mate in fourth. Yuki Tsunoda jumped to sixth with his best effort ahead of Kevin Magnussen, with the Haas looking to be competitive in the midfield picture.

F1 Bahrain pre-season test, final day complete standings
1. Sergio Perez [Red Bull] - 1:30.305 - 133 laps
2. Lewis Hamilton [Mercedes] - +0.359s - 65 laps
3. Valtteri Bottas [Alfa Romeo] - +0.522s - 131 laps
4. Charles Leclerc [Ferrari] - +0.719s - 67 laps
5. Carlos Sainz [Ferrari] - +0.731s - 76 laps
6. Yuki Tsunoda [AlphaTauri] - +0.956s - 79 laps
7. Kevin Magnussen [Haas] - +1.076s - 95 laps
8. George Russell [Mercedes] - +1.137secs - 83 laps
9. Fernando Alonso [Aston Martin] - +1.145s - 80 laps
10. Felipe Drugovich [Aston Martin] - +1.051s - 77 laps

‘Red Bull underline favourite tag’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...favourite-tag/


Red Bull ‘very strong’, Ferrari ‘struggling in corners’ with lower-drag car says Leclerc
2023 F1 season
Posted on 25th February 2023, 13:19
Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham
RaceFans

Charles Leclerc says Ferrari have “got some work to do” and rivals Red Bull look “very strong” ahead of next week’s season-opening race. Ferrari have attempted to improve the straight-line performance of their car compared to last year. Leclerc believes they have been successful, but it has compromised other areas of their performance which they now need to improve.

“I think it was done in the right way and I think we have a less draggy car, so that should be better this year,” Leclerc told media including RaceFans in Bahrain today. “But it changed all the characteristics – all in line with what we expected – but we still need to find the right set-up for these new characteristics.”

“I expect us to be a bit quicker in the straights, maybe struggling a little bit more in the corners,” he added. “With this three days test, I can say that we are still working quite a bit on trying to find the sweet spot of the car in terms of set-up. So there’s, I hope, some margin on that still that we haven’t found the sweet spot yet.”

‘Ferrari have got some work to do’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/02/25/...-says-leclerc/


Perez beats Hamilton to top final day of F1 testing
25/02/2023, 16:46
by Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week

Sergio Perez achieved the fastest lap time as Red Bull set the pace in Bahrain on the final day of Formula 1 pre-season testing ahead of the 2023 season. Perez traded times with Lewis Hamilton late in the day, with the Mexican’s best effort of a 1:30.305 on the C4 compound enough for him to prevail by 0.3s over the lead Mercedes driver.

Charles Leclerc had led the morning session and his previous benchmark time kept him marginally ahead of Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz, as both remained inside the top five. The Ferrari duo were beaten by an impressive lap from Valtteri Bottas in the Alfa Romeo, recovering from his earlier stoppage to wound up third.

Yuki Tsunoda and Kevin Magnussen also took advantage of the cooler track conditions and grippier rubber to post quick enough times to be classified sixth and seventh respectively. The top 10 was completed by George Russell and the Aston Martin pair of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Drugovich, continuing to stand in for the injured Lance Stroll.

‘Perez beats Hamilton’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...of-f1-testing/


Perez and Red Bull end 2023 pre-season F1 testing on top
25/02/2023, 16:37
By Valentin Khorounzhiy
The Race

Red Bull ended the three-day Formula 1 pre-season test in Bahrain with the fastest time courtesy of Sergio Perez. The Mexican had the RB19 all to himself for the day, after reigning champion Max Verstappen concluded his testing programme on Friday, and gradually whittled down the benchmark late on while running on the C4 compound – the second-softest tyre available.

Perez’s 1m30.305s was not just an improvement on last year’s Bahrain test but on the pole time set by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in last year’s season opener at the same venue – albeit on a softer compound. The C4 will again not be available in the Bahrain GP this year, with C1, C2 and C3 on offer instead.

An improved-seeming day from Mercedes ended with Lewis Hamilton in second place, three and a half tenths down from Perez but having set his fastest time on the softest C5 tyre. Hamilton’s former team-mate Valtteri Bottas, who like Perez had the car – in this case, the Alfa Romeo C43 – all to himself on the day, completed the top three thanks to a C5 lap half a second off Perez.

‘Perez and Red Bull on top’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/perez...esting-on-top/


Perez drives home Red Bull F1 testing advantage
Sunday 26th February, 2023 - 3:27am
By Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Red Bull driver Sergio Perez ended F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain with the fastest time across the three days of running. Perez’s time came with 50 minutes to run, laying down a 1:30.305s to move more than three-tenths clear of next-best Lewis Hamilton.

The Mexican had been just 0.048s quicker than Hamilton before setting three purple sectors just inside the final hour – a time that would have been good enough for pole at last year’s Bahrain Grand Prix by more than 0.2s. Perez used a set of C4 tyres on his best lap, versus the C5 – one step softer in Pirelli’s range – for Hamilton.

Perez was prolific in the final four hours in Bahrain, wracking up well over 100 laps as his personal mileage across the three days surpassed 1000km.

‘Sergio Perez was prolific’;

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/02/26...ing-advantage/


Red Bull boss wants Perez to build on 2022 F1 season
Sunday 26th February, 2023 - 1:53am
By Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner wants Sergio Perez to build on a positive 2022 campaign when the new F1 season gets underway next weekend. Perez was today in action for Red Bull in Bahrain in the last of three days of pre-season running.

“Checo had a very strong year last year, winning two grands prix and obviously all the podiums and points that he scored,” Horner said in Bahrain. “I think he’s continuing to evolve and grow within the team. He just needs to build on that and the confidence that he had last year, so an important year for Checo and the team.”

“I want to improve what I had or what I had last year,” per said of his 2023 goals. “I want to do another step and become a more complete driver in all regards in order to make the next two steps in my championship. If you want to be able to fight for the title, you’ve got to be very consistent throughout the 23 races, so that would be key.”

‘Red Bull boss wants Perez to build’;

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/02/26...022-f1-season/

Conclusions from F1 2023 Testing: Red Bull favourites, Alonso’s masterstroke.
With Red Bull and Max Verstappen looking strong and Fernando Alonso shining in a much-improved Aston Martin, there are already clear clues to how the new season could develop.
26 Feb 2023 7:00 AM
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

The standard, for better of worse, has never been higher. Pre-season testing, we are reminded every year, is not the time to chase fast laps. It is for reliability, systems/aero checks and establishing a solid foundation for the campaign ahead.

As testing stories go, nothing will ever beat the sense of dread that swallowed McLaren-Honda whole twice in three years in 2015 and ’17. Mercedes’ discovery of the bouncing monster last year came close, as did Red Bull’s power unit pain in the first winter of the hybrid era in 2014, but on each occasion the fall of the empire was cushioned by the fact that the car was still comfortably third in the competitive order.

These tales of impending doom make for the most compelling testing talking points – but this year? The tremors were few and far between, no team has been totally consumed by crisis and over three long days of testing nothing much at all happened.

‘Red Bull will start 2023 as the overwhelming favourites’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-202...g-conclusions/


Bad news for Verstappen’s F1 rivals as Red Bull looks better
February 26, 2023 12:06 AM
By JEROME PUGMIRE AP Auto Racing Writer
The Kansas City Star

“The car is working really well, just going through a lot of things we wanted to try. It's very interesting what we've been trying, so very positive days for me,” Verstappen said. “Overall I think it’s definitely an improvement to last year."

Perez echoed that, saying Red Bull will start "much stronger than we did last year.” Charles Leclerc won two of the first three races last season before Ferrari faded badly. He says the car feels good yet modifications are still needed. “I expect us to be a bit quicker on the straights, maybe struggling a bit more in the corners,” the 25-year-old from Monaco said. “I can say we are still working quite a bit on finding the sweet spot in terms of set up.”

“We’ve had a very intense three days of testing," Leclerc said. "We still have some work to do. Red Bull seems to be very strong.” Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton finished second Saturday, but there's room to improve. At least the ground effect — known as porpoising — which hindered the team so much in 2022 seems to have been eradicated. “It's nice to drive without the bouncing for once," Hamilton said. "But there are still some underlying things we're working through.”

‘Red Bull looks better’;

https://www.kansascity.com/sports/ar...mainstage_card


Red Bull on a charge as huge dark horse emerges; McLaren outlook downgraded again: F1 testing analysis. Perez and Red Bull set fastest time.
February 26th, 2023 5:46 pm
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports
Fox Sports (Australia)

There’s only one time the vibe is really relevant in Formula 1, and it’s the days between pre-season testing and the first race. Despite having three days of numbers to crunch and analyse from thousands of laps, the different climatic conditions, track states, fuel loads, engine modes, run plans and experimental parts mean that making meaningful comparisons and conclusions is always a mug’s game.

Teams have access to far more powerful analytical tools than us mere mortals, which is where the vibe comes in. After three days the 10 teams have a reasonable understanding of roughly where they’re each placed in the pack. Reading the mood in combination with the data is the best way to form conclusions from pre-season testing.

RED BULL RACING IS THE UNDISPUTED FAVOURITE
FERRARI CLOSE BUT HAS WORK TO DO
MERCEDES IS ROUGHLY WHERE IT EXPECTED
IS ASTON MARTIN A TOP-THREE CHALLENGER?
GRIM OUTLOOK FOR McLAREN — BUT WITH A FAINT GLIMMER OF HOPE
BUT THE MIDFIELD IS A MORASS

‘F1 testing analysis’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...57c760d1168872


Our trackside verdict on every 2023 F1 car in testing
26/02/2023, 07:52
By Scott Mitchell-Malm and Edd Straw
The Race

Laptimes can mislead you in Formula 1 pre-season testing so one thing we like to trust is the behaviour of the car on track. That’s why The Race always makes an effort to spend time watching the cars trackside to get to know their traits and characteristics better.

ALPINE – HIDING ITS SPEED
WILLIAMS – BETTER BUT STILL WEAK
McLAREN – UNCONVINCING
ASTON MARTIN – AGGRESSIVE
HAAS – NO OBVIOUS VICES

ALPHATAURI – FOUND ITS FEET
FERRARI – VERY WELL-BALANCED
ALFA ROMEO – CONFIDENCE INSPIRING
MERCEDES – THREE VERY DIFFERENT DAYS
RED BULL – LOOKS A JOY TO DRIVE

‘The Race always makes an effort to spend time watching the cars trackside’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/our-t...ar-in-testing/


The five winners from 2023 pre-season F1 testing
26 February 8:00AM
Author Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

Pre-season testing is in the books for 2023, and RacingNews365.com has been taking a look at five of the big winners from the action in Bahrain. Max Verstappen. Verstappen is the only driver on this list, and for good reason. It was a crushing display from the two-time champion, who hardly broke sweat throughout, save for a minor oil leak costing some time on the second day.

Red Bull - It might not be as dominant as in 2022 – as seasons like that generally come about once and only once – but something catastrophic will need to happen if a sixth Red Bull logo is not added to the Constructors' trophy come December. Aston Martin - Claims that the Aston Martin is just a 'Green Red Bull' are wide of the mark.

Ferrari - What the team needed was a quiet, sensible test without either driver throwing the car at the barrier or any failures. Between them, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz got through 416 laps, third of any team without any headline hitting. Haas - The VF-23 proved a stable platform for shrewd midfield operators Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg. The team appear to have broken free of the clutches of the so-called 'Class C' stragglers at the very back and hauled themselves up. That, whichever way you look at it, s a success.

‘Five winners from 2023 pre-season F1 testing’;

https://racingnews365.com/the-five-w...son-f1-testing


F1 testing podcast: Is Red Bull really unbeatable
Feb 26 2023
The Race

Is Red Bull really unbeatable? How close is Ferrari? Could Aston Martin really challenge Mercedes? Why was Alpine so slow?

‘These questions and many more are answered, with all 10 teams covered in detail.’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/f1-te...ly-unbeatable/


Sebastian Vettel may make F1 return at season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix
Sebastian Vettel retired from Formula 1 following the end of the 2022 season last November
By Joshua Lees
21:45, Sat, Feb 25, 2023
Daily and Sunday Express

Sebastain Vettel could be set to make a shock Formula 1 return at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix just three months after retiring from the sport. Vettel announced himself as a legend of F1 throughout his career, winning four world championships in the process.

This comes following the injury of former Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll. Stroll missed pre-season testing earlier this week after picking up injuries after being involved in a cycling accident. It remains unknown as to whether he will be fit enough to drive in the 2023 campaign opener in Bahrain next week, but Aston Martin boss Mike Krack is no doubt keen to have his man behind the wheel come race day. If he fails a fitness test though, Krack will need to find a last-minute replacement.

‘Sebastian Vettel may make F1 return’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...d-Prix-F1-news


Vettel could be ‘Plan B’ for Aston Martin if Stroll can’t race in Bahrain
2023 F1 season
Posted on 25th February 2023, 20:10
Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham
RaceFans

Sebastian Vettel could make a shock return to Formula 1 following his retirement last year if Aston Martin require a replacement for Lance Stroll. Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack said they still hope Stroll will be able to return in time for next weekend’s race. “It’s our Plan A,” he told media including RaceFans in Bahrain today.

Reserve driver Felipe Drugovich has done two half-days in the team’s AMR23 and is one option for the team should Stroll be unavailable. The team’s other reserve driver is Stoffel Vandoorne, who was unable to participate in testing as he was competing in a Formula E round in South Africa. Krack said either of those drivers could be the “Plan B” for Aston Martin. “We have some plan Bs, but we have to decide the plan B when the plan A is not possible.”

“It is something that we will have to discuss in the next days,” he added. Asked whether recalling Vettel, who spent two seasons with Aston Martin before his retirement, was an option for the team, Krack said: “The plan B, we said already, that we will speak about next week.”

‘Vettel could be Plan B’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/02/25/...ce-in-bahrain/

ANALYSIS: The 2023 F1 pecking order after testing.
One very clear picture emerged: Red Bull looks very, very good.
Sunday 26th February, 2023 - 10:20pm
By Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Red Bull the class of F1 testing. Last year’s world championship winners ran faultlessly across all days, chalking up laps at will. More than that, the car was fast and, on track, it looked composed and balanced, giving the drivers confidence. Neither Max Verstappen nor Sergio Perez were shouting from the rooftops, but there is a confidence about the team that comes from the knowledge its package is good.

Rivals at the front. On the surface, the SF-23 should be there or thereabouts with the RB19, but paddock consensus is it has a bit to go to catch the Red Bull. There are questions over its tyre degradation while Charles Leclerc admitted the team has “work to do” when Speedcafe asked if the car was a potential world championship winner.

Completing the leading group is Mercedes. It was something of a Jekyll and Hyde test for the squad which looked strong on Thursday only to lose its way on Friday. However, it recovered well for Saturday which suggests it identified and understood whatever hindered it the day before. There was a blemish to its record though with a hydraulics failure for George Russell on Friday evening which cost about two hours worth of running.

‘Red Bull looks very, very good, SF-23 should be there or thereabouts, Jekyll and Hyde W14’;

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/02/26...after-testing/


The five losers from 2023 pre-season F1 testing
26 February 12:50PM
Author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365

With pre-season testing over, the teams now have a better idea of where they stand against their rivals. Some, however, might be having to play catch-up. McLaren - It's never a vote of confidence when a team admits they are "not entirely happy" with the car they plan to use in testing.

Alpine - It was a very low-key start for a team that were boasting about their ambitions during their car launch. Mercedes - It's not been the worst test from Mercedes. Comparatively from last year they are looking in much better shape, but it's clear their early optimism about the W14 was masking some underlying issues that are persistent in the car.

AlphaTauri - Although AlphaTauri completed the most amount of laps out of any team – 456! – during pre-season testing, the car was not the step forward they hoped it would bring. Williams - The Williams looked similar to their 2022 car out on track, with the lack of downforce evident as Alex Albon fought to get lap time out of the FW45 during his timed runs.

‘The five losers’;

https://racingnews365.com/the-five-l...son-f1-testing


F1 2023 driver title odds: Huge move for ‘dark horse’ Alonso as Aston Martin hype hots up
26 Feb 2023 1:15 PM
Editor
PlanetF1.com

The new season is looming large on the horizon! Let’s take a closer look at the latest F1 2023 odds to see where the early money has been heading in the driver market.

The beauty of a new F1 season is every driver and every team go back to zero points in their respective standings, sparking fresh hope of new contenders for the title – even more so after Max Verstappen and Red Bull won both at an absolute canter in 2022.

However, after an exemplary performance during pre-season testing in Bahrain, Verstappen and Red Bull still look to be the absolute class of the field and that is reflected in the current markets. But, after catching the eye of many in the paddock, Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin this year’s clear dark horses.

‘F1 2023 driver title odds’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-202...-driver-title/


F1 preseason testing takeaways: Red Bull remains team to beat
26 Feb 2023, 10:07
By Luke Smith
The Athletic

Over three intense days of testing, Formula One teams had their first proper chance to understand their new cars and size up the opposition going into the 2023 season.

The testing picture is often difficult to read. Teams may deliberately look to hide or exaggerate their true level of performance by adjusting engine modes and fuel loads, while factors such as track conditions and tires make it tricky to say for certain what the pecking order looks like.

But there are still enough signs for teams to get an idea of where they stack up. “By Saturday, we know pretty well,” Haas team principal Guenther Steiner said. “Three days will give you a good picture.” So, here’s how things are looking ahead of the season-opening Bahrain GP next weekend.

‘F1 preseason testing takeaways’;

https://theathletic.com/4251908/2023...l-formula-one/


F1 Testing: 5 key talking points as pre-season comes to an end for 2023
26th Feb 2023, 08:41
By George Dagless
Give Me Sport

The teams have been running their 2023 cars for three days in Bahrain. It's everyone's favourite game after pre-season testing to work out just who is where at the moment ahead of the first race of the year. The general consensus seems to be that reigning champions Red Bull are still on top, with Ferrari and Mercedes in behind them.

Aston Martin are being tipped to potentially be best of the rest, however, whilst Alpine could be edging out Alfa Romeo and Haas for a spot inside the top five. McLaren had a bit of a trying test and may be starting 2023 a little on the backfoot - though not as much as in 2022 - whilst both AlphaTauri and Williams look to have made strides, it's just hard to place how big they are in terms of closing up to those in front of them.

Aston Martin came into pre-season feeling relatively optimistic about making progress in 2023 and it appears that that positivity is well-placed, with them showing some decent one-lap pace and also some very strong race pace.

‘Aston Martin tipped to potentially be best of the rest’;

https://www.givemesport.com/f1-testi...-end-for-2023/