2023 Formula 1 Preview & Review.

[Fortitude]

Ferrari crisis deepens with boss Fred Vasseur 'fed up' already after just one F1 race.
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur is already ‘fed up’ after a dismal start to the Formula One season, according to reports. The Italian media claims that Vasseur is struggling for influence just months after replacing Mattia Binotto as team principal.
13:12, Sun, Mar 12, 2023
By Sam Smith
Daily and Sunday Express

The Frenchman is allegedly not the individual ‘pulling the strings’ at Ferrari. Instead, CEO Benedetto Vigna has enjoyed more power over the last few months.

Vasseur has apparently been given ‘little freedom’ in his role and is reporting to Vigna. Reports in Italy claim that the pair’s relationship has soured and that there is plenty of unrest within the team.

Compared with the nine other team principals, Vasseur is said to enjoy far less power over his team. There are also apparent fears that several key figures within Ferrari could depart, reportedly following their head of aerodynamics, David Sanchez, out of the door.

‘Ferrari crisis deepens’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...rmula-One-news


F1 rumours: Laurent Mekies part of Ferrari mass exodus? Leclerc meets Ferrari president
12 Mar 2023 10:30 AM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Charles Leclerc reportedly met with Ferrari president John Elkann following a troublesome F1 2023 season-opener in Bahrain, while a host of staff, including Laurent Mekies, appear to be heading for the exit door.

After last season’s title challenge did not go to plan for Ferrari, the team returned to the drawing board for F1 2023 and came up with the SF-23 as they looked to take a fresh crack at reaching the Formula 1 summit for the first time since 2008.

The Scuderia then were hoping to be within range of Red Bull at the first round of F1 2023, even if they did expect Red Bull to have the edge over a race distance. As it turned out though, it was more than an edge.

‘Ferrari mass exodus’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-rum...f-mass-exodus/


F1 Podcast: Is there any hope for Ferrari’s 2023 title bid?
Mar 13 2023
The Race

Ferrari never claimed it would instantly topple Red Bull going into the 2023 Formula 1 season, but it was at least very optimistic that it had solved its 2022 problems and would be a stronger challenger.

Yet it’s started this year weaker than it began 2022. Edd Straw, Scott Mitchell-Malm and Ben Anderson look at why that’s the case on The Race F1 Podcast, plus what it means for new team boss Fred Vasseur, whether the Bahrain Grand Prix might’ve been deceptive, and if Ferrari’s title bid is already over.

‘Is there any hope?’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/f1-po...023-title-bid/


More Ferrari staff to quit and join rival teams
Ferrari started the 2023 season poorly, missing out on a podium finish to Aston Martin.
12 March 2023
by Jack Devonport
Formula1News

New team principal Fred Vasseur would not have wanted to start his rein in such a disappointing manner and is now reportedly eyeing a number of changes behind the scenes.

It has been reported that Enrico Cardile’s future is currently uncertain, with the head of chassis potentially on the verge of leaving the Scuderia.

Assistant team principal Laurent Mekies is also eyeing an exit from Ferrari according to reports, with Vasseur looking to completely change the team from last season.

‘More Ferrari staff to quit’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/more-ferr...n-rival-teams/


Charles Leclerc ‘requests meeting’ with president as he mulls Ferrari exit
Charles Leclerc retired from third at the Bahrain GP following a power unit-related failure.
12 March 2023
by Nick Golding
Formula1News

Following Ferrari’s disastrous start to the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix, it has been reported by gazzetta.it that Charles Leclerc asked for a meeting with Ferrari president John Elkann to “receive reassurance”.

“After the nightmare Bahrain GP, Charles Leclerc requested a meeting with Ferrari President John Elkann in Maranello to discuss the situation, seeking to share his point of view and receive reassurance,” wrote Ferrari News on Twitter, as per gazzetta.it.

“Charles wants to win with Ferrari, but feels that time is running out.” Whilst the engine failure was clearly less than ideal for Leclerc and Ferrari, the biggest issue is arguably the fact that they never looked like beating Max Verstappen or Red Bull. Even before Leclerc’s retirement, the Monegasque wasn’t anywhere near Verstappen, and was even overtaken somewhat easily by Sergio Pérez for second.

‘Mulls Ferrari exit’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/charles-l...-ferrari-exit/


The problems facing Ferrari and Mercedes that will be music to Red Bull’s ears
12 Mar 2023 7:45 AM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

While ex-F1 driver Karun Chandhok believes Ferrari will grow stronger in the coming races, both they and Mercedes still have issues to address.

Ferrari were looking a strong bet to join Red Bull on the podium, but an engine failure dropped Charles Leclerc out of the race when he was running P3, but not a threat to Red Bull ahead. Carlos Sainz crossed the line in P4.

“My concern for Ferrari is the fact that their reliability is already looking pretty shaky. Before the first race they had to change the control electronic unit on Leclerc’s car, then the engine went pop for a reason I don’t think has been publicly confirmed yet. So yeah, big concerns there.” Karun Chandhok.

‘The problems’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/karun-...2023-problems/

[Fortitude]

Gary Anderson on F1 2023’s big-name early underachiever trio.
Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren have all dropped the ball to a certain extent with their cars at the start of the 2023 season.
11:37 Fri, 10 Mar 2023
By Gary Anderson
The Race

We only have Bahrain to judge performance by, but it means we can take a look at the three of them and explain the possible reasons why. Even if the regulations are relatively stable, as they were from 2022 to 2023, coming up with a detailed specification and set of objectives for a new car design is never easy.

Not only has Mercedes lost a bit of pace in relative terms since the end of last year, but it has also been leapfrogged by customer team Aston Martin. In Bahrain, it was 0.145% further off than it was on average across the last four races of 2022. Ferrari is better-placed than Mercedes on track but its problems are even worse than Mercedes. It has also lost a bit of ground to Red Bull, but the biggest hangover of last year’s troubles is the reliability that’s meant to have been fixed.

McLaren was the biggest under-performer in Bahrain – or perhaps I should say ‘non-performer’. The pre-season test at the same circuit hadn’t gone well for it either as there were continual problems with the front wheel brows that restricted the car’s running on various occasions. But even taking all that into account, we all know that Lando Norris will wring a car’s neck when he gets a chance, especially in qualifying and even that wasn’t enough to make Q3 in Bahrain.

‘Dropped the ball’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/gary-...achiever-trio/


Mercedes bringing back James Allison after poor start to 2023 F1 season
Pressure is building on Mike Elliott and James Allison could be called upon to save the day.
March 8, 2023
By Joe Ellis
Total Motorsport

Mercedes are reportedly to call upon James Allison to take the lead in their 2024 Formula 1 car design after their 2023 campaigner had a difficult debut.
Allison previously worked with Mercedes from 2017 to 2021 and helped them to both drivers and constructors titles in multiple years before choosing to leave prior to the new regulations taking effect.

But Elliott has not lived up to the task and Toto Wolff is ready to bring Allison back with an SOS call for the 2024 campaign, according to the Italian version of Motorsport.com. “We know we don’t have a mechanical problem, otherwise Aston Martin would suffer too, the point is that we go well on the straight but we lose a lot of time in the fast corners,” Wolff said.

‘Bringing back James Allison’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...t-2023-season/


How a 2023 F1 rule change caught McLaren out so badly
Mar 10 2023
By Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

McLaren is playing catch-up with its 2023 Formula 1 car because it realised too late that its intended design was badly impacted by the rule change that increased the height of the floor edge by 15mm. As early as September last year, McLaren realised it was in trouble and had to make drastic changes that ultimately led to its preferred version MCL60 not being ready for the start of the season.

As McLaren went down this new route it quickly found gains relative to its original design. By the time it came to signing off the launch/race one specification, the revised floor was not considered “mature enough”. It was already performing better in simulations but McLaren felt its understanding of everything was not quite as robust as it needed to be.

“We tried to get it for race one, it wasn’t mature enough,” said Key. “It performed a bit better but with these floors you’ve got to maintain stability, good correlation, everything else, to guarantee it’s going to work. It was a little bit risky for race one.”

‘McLaren caught out so badly’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/how-a...-out-so-badly/


What’s behind the hints of Ferrari dysfunction already?
13/03/2023, 14:43.
By Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

One race into the new era of Ferrari’s Formula 1 leadership, the biggest source of pressure in Italy is portraying an image of dysfunction and borderline chaos. The Bahrain Grand Prix was a chastening season opener for Ferrari, comfortably beaten by Red Bull on pace and with a reliability problem condemning Charles Leclerc to a race-one retirement.

Many of the high-profile changes over the winter seem a surprise. Whispers of disagreement with management – which must be code for ‘Vigna’ – suggest some departed, or want to depart, because of an internal schism. This team has always theoretically had the requisite components to conquer F1 again. But too often, Ferrari is less than the sum of its parts. That has happened again in 2023, certainly based on the start of the season.

The suggestion that some parts are actually being stripped further away, and that there is a serious undercurrent of concern throughout the organisation, creates the impression things could get worse before they get better. The press pile-on is not a dagger in Vasseur’s back so much as a serious interrogation of Vigna’s management. The portrayal across various factions of Italian media is that of an organisation that is fraying at the edges and creaking under its unique mass – or at the very least is at risk of that happening.

‘Hints of Ferrari dysfunction’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/whats...ction-already/


F1’s new power: Can Aston Martin turn a ‘good baseline’ into a Red Bull-beater?
2023 Bahrain Grand Prix
Posted on 9th March 2023, 12:599th March 2023, 12:59
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Red Bull’s demolition of the opposition in the first race of the 2023 Formula 1 season left many wondering whether anyone will stop them this year. But the first race of the year also confirmed the remarkable progress made by Aston Martin. The team’s new hiring Fernando Alonso delivered on their pre-season promise by following the Red Bull pair home in third place.

Before the weekend began Alonso said his team believed its new AMR23 already offered superior performance to its predecessor and should have greater potential for further development during the year. However three days later, after overcoming the Mercedes and Ferraris to third place, Alonso sounded more confident, admitting the team were in an even better position than they predicted.

Aston Martin have surprised themselves already with the performance they have shown this year. Could they end up strong enough to rival Red Bull? And what potential for improvement is there in the new combination of the rapidly expanding Aston Martin team and the ferociously competitive, success-starved Alonso?

‘Can Aston Martin turn a ‘good baseline’ into a Red Bull-beater?’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/03/09/...d-bull-beater/


Palmer backs Alonso to break F1 win drought in 2023
12:52 Thu, 09 Mar 2023.
by Fergal Walsh
Motorsport Week

Ex-Formula 1 driver Jolyon Palmer believes that Fernando Alonso could take his first race win in 10 years this season with Aston Martin. Writing in his post-Bahrain column for Formula1.com, Palmer hailed Alonso’s performance.

“Fernando Alonso has been waiting a decade for a car that he can compete with at the sharp end of Formula 1, and finally in 2023 it seems he has one,” he said. “The Aston Martin looked hooked up from the word go in pre-season.”

“It took a while for Fernando to emerge in the car, but from the very first lap I saw, he looked comfortable and was hustling on, visibly more than most others out there. By the time we got to the race weekend, there was a palpable air of excitement for Aston Martin from the neutrals in the paddock, and a fear of them from their competitors, exaggerated by their practice-topping times.”

‘Alonso to break F1 win drought in 2023’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...ought-in-2023/

[Fortitude]

Marko lauds Perez for 'surviving alongside Verstappen'.
Sergio Perez's greatest achievement at Red Bull has been to merely "survive" alongside Max Verstappen for the past two years, says Helmut Marko.
11/03/2023 at 16:03
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Perez was handed the plum seat at Red Bull Racing at the end of the 2020 season, the Mexican replacing Alex Albon who had failed to make much of an impression against Verstappen during his year and a half with the team. And Albon's predecessor Pierre Gasly lasted only half a season alongside Red Bull's blindingly fast two-time world champion.

"Sergio has survived two years alongside Max without being broken like most drivers," the Austrian told German website sport.de. "That is a great achievement." Ahead of this season, Perez outlined his main target for 2023: fighting for race wins at every race.

"I want to maximise the car potential, and I want to be fighting for the win every weekend," he explained last month. I'm really working hard for it, and that's my main target."

'Surviving alongside Verstappen';

https://f1i.com/news/468464-marko-la...erstappen.html


Helmut Marko's bizarre "broken" compliment to Sergio Perez in Max Verstappen comparison
Sergio Perez is now in his third season as a Red Bull driver, and has been praised by Helmut Marko for lasting so long alongside two-time world champion Max Verstappen
11:34, 11 Mar 2023
By Joshua Lees Sports Trends Writer
The Mirror

Now into his third term, the Mexican is the world champion's longest serving Red Bull teammate, after Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly lasted just two years - two drivers Marko described as being broken by being left in the shadow of Verstappen. The Red Bull advisor did however praise his current driver.

He added: "Overall, the goal is that we want to win first and second place in the World Championship. From our point of view, it is not predetermined that that is Max." One man who is also confident the Mexican can become world champion is Perez's father Antonio.

‘Ccompliment to Sergio Perez’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...appen-29430208


Perez could beat Verstappen to 2023 title – Marko
14th March 2023, 06:12
Grandpx.news

Sergio Perez could “challenge” teammate Max Verstappen for the 2023 world championship. That is the wild claim of Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko, even though reigning back-to-back title winner Verstappen got his new campaign off to a dominant start recently in Bahrain.

There were clear signs of tension between Verstappen and Perez last year, but Marko actually thinks he has been one of the Dutchman’s best ever teammates. “Sergio survived two years alongside Max without being broken like most others,” he said. “That’s a great achievement.”

However, the Austrian admits that 33-year-old Perez has to acknowledge that his “teammate has no weaknesses”. Nevertheless, Perez “does not give up”, Marko added. “Overall, our goal is that we want to win first and second place in the world championship. We don’t specify that first place is for Max.”

‘Perez “does not give up”, Marko added’;

https://grandpx.news/perez-could-bea...3-title-marko/


‘He’s got to be on his A-game’ – Horner urges Perez to keep pushing to match ‘highest benchmark’ Verstappen
13 March 2023
Formula One - Official Site

Christian Horner has admitted that Sergio Perez needs to bring his “A-game” weekend in, weekend out if he hopes to challenge Max Verstappen during the 2023 campaign, describing the Dutchman as “the highest benchmark” on the F1 grid.

However, despite taking sporadic wins and regular podiums with his new outfit, Perez has often struggled to live with the raw pace displayed by Verstappen – underlined by significant differences in their pole position, victory and points tallies across the two seasons they have spent together. With 2023 marking another fresh opportunity for Perez, Horner was asked what the Mexican has got to change to challenge Verstappen at every Grand Prix weekend, to which the Red Bull team boss initially said with a smile: “His lap time.”

Horner then expanded: “Look, Max is a hell of a competitor and he’s a tough… probably the highest benchmark in F1. But Checo is now in his third year in the team, he’s confident, he’s comfortable and he’s got to be on his A-game – not just with Max. “I think the key thing in the appointment of Checo was his experience. And it had been unfair, perhaps, on the previous two guys [Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon] to bring them in so soon,” said Horner, referring to Red Bull’s previous driver line-up movements.

‘He’s got to be on his A-game’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...wFN6X83hJ.html


Antonio Perez adamant son Sergio will deliver World Championship for Mexico
11 Mar 2023 2:45 PM
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com

Sergio Perez’s father has claimed his son has vowed to not leave Formula 1 until he brings the World Championship back to Mexico. The sight of Antonio Perez celebrating wildly at his son’s achievements has become a familiar one with Perez Snr able to watch his son battle for wins and podiums following his move to Red Bull in 2021.

Despite this, Antonio Perez revealed his son made a vow as a child to bring a Formula 1 World Championship back to Mexico before he retires. “We will have a Formula 1 champion in Mexico,” Antonio Perez told the Mexican newspaper Esto. “He said it since he was a child: ‘I will not return to Mexico until I am world champion.’

“From now until his career ends, we have to erase all these years that have passed because he never had the opportunity to fight like he is going to fight today. We are going to start to see the best of Checo Pérez, he still has a lot to give.”

‘World Championship for Mexico’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/sergio...onship-mexico/


Sergio Perez will be F1 champion says father
MARCH 10, 2023
Grandpx.news

Sergio Perez has no intention of settling for second best in Formula 1, his father Antonio insists.

Faced with the image of Perez as a solid and mature supporting teammate for Verstappen, his father Antonio insists: "From now on, his career begins.”

"We have to erase all these years that have passed because he never had the opportunity to fight like he is going to fight now. We are going to start to see the best of Checo Perez. He still has a lot to give," he said.

"From now on, his career begins”;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/sergi...ys-father.html

[Fortitude]

‘Snappy comments from Lewis Hamilton, Toto Wolff risk Mercedes civil war’.
Craig Scarborough believes Mercedes are at a critical point. “And you have to guess, given their success over the past decade, that they know how to do that. So there’s almost like a civil war going on.”
14 Mar 2023 7:00 AM
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff’s questioning of Mercedes’ Formula 1 car concept over the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend has been likened to a “civil war” by a respected Formula 1 technical expert.

With both drivers six tenths slower than Max Verstappen’s lap for pole position at the Sakhir circuit, team boss Wolff admitted that the team had began 2023 with the wrong concept and vowed significant changes would be coming to the W14 car. That comment came as Hamilton, the seven-time World Champion, claimed that the technical team had ignored his guidance to help Mercedes out of their issues.

He said: “Mercedes have got a really tricky choice now because they already have a development programme in hand. So we know that there’s a new floor coming for the next race. We don’t know how big a step that is, but if you were to change anything on the car the floor would be the thing that you would change first. So we’ve got that in the pipeline already and now you’ve got Toto and Lewis saying that we’re going to develop a completely new concept for this car to make it win races.”

‘Mercedes civil war’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-...des-civil-war/


Mercedes 'civil war going on' after 'snappy' Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff comments
Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff have both separately given an honest verdict on Mercedes' car.
16:15, Tue, Mar 14, 2023
By Lewis Winter
Daily and Sunday Express

Mercedes have a "civil war going on" following comments made by Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff about the concept of the team's car this season, it has been claimed. Both individuals have separately stated that significant changes are needed to the W14 car.

But F1 technological expert Craig Scarborough believes the comments made by the two high-profile team members suggest there is a civil war happening at Mercedes. Scarborough reckons the comments are aimed at the engineers back at their Brackley base, despite their history of success in the past.

‘Civil war’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...14-car-F1-news


Eddie Jordan: Toto Wolff criticism of Mercedes F1 direction ‘disingenuous and crass’
14 Mar 2023 1:00 PM
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

Former Formula 1 team owner Eddie Jordan has blasted Toto Wolff for his “disingenuous and crass” criticism of the decisions of Mercedes’ technical staff over the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend.

Jordan said of Wolff: “He’s the CEO, he’s the boss. The buck stops with him. This is happening under his watch. To blame or criticise anybody in his design team is actually disingenuous. It’s really crass.”

‘Disingenuous and crass’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/eddie-...genuous-crass/


Mercedes boss Toto Wolff stung by Eddie Jordan after Bahrain GP comments - 'Be a man'
Toto Wolff gave his Mercedes team a reality check after a disappointing weekend in Bahrain.
14:38, Tue, Mar 14, 2023
By Charlie Gordon
Daily and Sunday Express

Former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan has laid into Mercedes boss Toto Wolff for his striking comments before the Bahrain Grand Prix. Wolff ordered sweeping changes to this year's design after several months of hard work failed to see the Silver Arrows close the gap on their rivals in Sakhir.

Jordan, who has embarked on a media career following his F1 ownership stint, did not take kindly to the comments. "He’s the CEO, he’s the boss," he told the Formula For Success podcast, via PlanetF1. "The buck stops with him. This is happening under his watch.

"To blame or criticise anybody in his design team is actually disingenuous. It’s really crass. I hate to hear that, because he must be a man.

'Be a man';

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


Mercedes to make one-car development call
Saturday 11th March, 2023 - 2:45am
By Ian Parkes
Speedcafe

Toto Wolff has revealed Mercedes is to make a call on whether to develop the car of Lewis Hamilton or George Russell going forward this F1 season.

But in terms of adopting an altogether different philosophy from the design that underwhelmed in the season-opening race in Bahrain last weekend, Wolff has indicated Mercedes’ eggs will have to be placed in one basket.

Asked as to whether it was now pretty clear which development route Mercedes should take, Wolff replied: “It is pretty clear where we should be going. We just need to make the data work. The most important is really establishing a solid baseline, saying this is where we are and there are no surprises in the direction.”

‘One-car development call’;

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/03/11...eorge-russell/

[Fortitude]

Alpine hoping to unlock A523’s potential at ‘unforgiving’ Saudi Arabian GP.
Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal of the BWT Alpine F1 Team is hoping that his side can further unlock the A523’s potential this weekend at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, after enduring a mixed start to the season in Bahrain.
March 14, 2023
By Nick Golding
The Checkered Flag

Reflecting on the season-opener, Szafnauer believes his side certainly have “work ahead of us”, in a bid to discover what the A523’s “maximum” is.

“We left Bahrain with mixed feelings. On one side, we were satisfied to come away with points given Pierre raced from the back of the grid to ninth place and his drive required good decisions, a well-executed strategy and strong race pace; all of which we showed. On the other side, we made too many mistakes across the weekend, and we can all do a better job to improve on those.

Heading into this weekend’s Saudi Arabian GP, Szafnauer is aware that the Jeddah Corniche Circuit can be very “unforgiving”, given that it is the fastest street circuit on the calendar. Despite how challenging the venue is, Alpine do boast a strong track record, with Ocon having never finished lower than sixth. Gasly, too, has gone very well in Saudi Arabia in the past for Scuderia AlphaTauri, suggesting that this weekend could be a strong one for the French duo.

‘Unlock A523’s potential’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...di-arabian-gp/


Alpine targets one-lap pace gains in Jeddah
12:50 Tue, 14 Mar 2023.
by Phillip Horton
Motorsport Week

Alpine says it needs to improve the one-lap pace of its A523 if it is to extract the full potential from its 2023 Formula 1 challenger.

“It’s important that we remember that we are one race into the season and we have 22 to go,” said Alpine Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer. “We’ve only been to one circuit with the car in full capacity so there’s much more to come and much more to learn and develop.”

“Our race pace looks better than single-lap pace, so we know low fuel is a key area for us to improve. Esteban did a good job to reach Q3, while Pierre has more to learn to get the tyres into the right window to maximise everything over one lap.”

‘One-lap pace gains target’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...ins-in-jeddah/


ALPINE IS READY TO ‘BOUNCE BACK’ IN JEDDAH
Alpine is set for a good weekend in Jeddah after starting poorly in Bahrain
March 14, 2023
Grace Robinson
FormulaNerds

Alpine is wanting to “bounce back” in Jeddah after a season opener which saw the team beaten down with penalties.

Otmar Szafnauer, after an eventful Bahrain Grand Prix weekend, has made his hopes for Jeddah clear. After Bahrain, the team have only two points thanks to Pierre Gasly who battled his way through from 20th to ninth. On the other side of the garage, Ocon got penalty after penalty and ended up retiring from the race.

Both drivers, especially Ocon, wanted to start the season much better and Jeddah has the potential to be more fruitful for the team. The Alpine team has great belief in their 2023 challenger and they wanted a chance to extract everything out of it.

‘BOUNCE BACK’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/al.../?nowprocket=1


Gasly sees much more to come at Alpine after “disappointment” of opening race
RaceFans Round-up
Posted on 15th March 2023, 0:0114th March 2023, 23:47
Written by Ida Wood
RaceFans

Gasly: Alpine had “not everything clicked together” for Bahrain. Gasly qualified last at Bahrain, while team mate Esteban Ocon made it to Q3 and started ninth on the grid. However their fortunes switched during the race, as Gasly charged up to ninth while Ocon retired following several penalties and errors by driver and team.

Nonetheless the team’s new driver believes “there’s so much more to come from myself and from the team as we have not reached 100% yet. That is why we also left Bahrain with some disappointment as not everything clicked together and it’s important we piece everything together to make sure we extract the maximum performance,” said Gasly.

‘More to come’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/03/15/...nd-up-15-03-5/


Ocon expected to bounce back in Jeddah after Bahrain bust
14/03/2023 at 17:12
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer expects Esteban Ocon to bounce back in Jeddah next weekend after "a string or errors" by team and driver undermined his race in Bahrain.

"Pierre raced from the back of the grid to ninth place and his drive required good decisions, a well-executed strategy and strong race pace; all of which we showed," commented Szafnauer in his team's Saudi Arabian GP preview.

"On the other side, we made too many mistakes across the weekend, and we can all do a better job to improve on those. I believe Esteban’s race was a one-off, a culmination of a string of errors, some on his side, some operationally, and his side of the garage will undoubtedly bounce back in Saudi Arabia.”

"A string or errors";

https://f1i.com/news/468594-ocon-exp...rain-bust.html


Pierre Gasly viewing Saudi Arabian GP as ‘opportunity for redemption’
March 14, 2023
By Nick Golding
The Checkered Flag

Pierre Gasly sees this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as “an opportunity for redemption”, after enduring a woeful qualifying at the season-opening race in Bahrain.

“I enjoy racing in Jeddah. It’s one of the best street circuits as it’s so quick with no real slow corners and it’s a great challenge, physically, for us drivers. Qualifying there is usually very exciting, and I’m determined to do better than I did in Bahrain, and I see this as an opportunity for redemption on Saturday.”

“I’ve scored solid points in Saudi Arabia in 2021 and 2022, so it would be good to keep that trend going this year. I had a great day at Enstone last week in preparation on the simulator and I look forward to showing our potential.”

‘Opportunity for redemption’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...or-redemption/


F1 rumours: Ferrari’s Laurent Mekies mulling over Alpine, Liberty Media and FIA offers
13 Mar 2023 3:14 PM
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com

Alpine are reportedly attempting to take Laurent Mekies away from Ferrari with the long-time employee said to want out of Maranello. Mekies began his career in Formula 3 before joining Arrows and moving to F1. He was at Minardi when the team was taken over by Red Bull and stayed on as chief engineer at Toro Rosso.

Should Mekies decide to leave then there is no shortage of suitors. Formu1a.uno reports that Alpine, Liberty Media and his former employers the FIA have all made offers to the French engineer. However, it is likely Mekies would have to serve some form of gardening leave before taking up a new role.

‘Mulling over Alp’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/lauren...lpine-ferrari/

[Fortitude]

Is McLaren’s rotten start to the F1 season cause for panic?
The car has issues beyond reliability. The team appeared to be caught on the backfoot with the regulation changes when the floor edge was raised to address porpoising.
12:49 Mon, 13 Mar 2023.
The Athletic

During preseason testing, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown lowered expectations for the team that was in the hunt for fourth last year and finished fifth, revealing it had missed some development targets during the winter. Indeed, its drivers fared poorly in qualifying: Norris barely got out of the first round and wound up starting P11; Piastri started P18.

McLaren has reason for optimism, however. “This car will evolve pretty much race by race with some major upgrades that will come,” team principal Andrea Stella said in Bahrain. The first set of those “major upgrades” should reach the car ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, the fourth race on the calendar, at the end of April.

‘Reason for optimism’;

https://theathletic.com/4296731/2023...use-for-panic/


McLaren confirm early-season F1 upgrade plan
Monday 13 March 2023 10:30
Sam Hall
GPFans

Andrea Stella has confirmed McLaren's upgrade plans for the coming races after a difficult start to the season in Bahrain. sked if the team had any immediate plans to bring developments to the track, Stella said: “There are some minor upgrades that will come already in Saudi and in Australia.

"There are little things that are coming for the next couple of races – not necessarily very noticeable but they should add some performance here and there. Then, there will be the first of the major upgrades in Baku.” The Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku comes after a three-week spring break, a period that opened up after the cancellation of the Chinese Grand Prix.

‘McLaren's upgrade plans’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...aren-upgrades/


Why McLaren still has high hopes for F1 2023
12:52 Mon, 13 Mar 2023.
Motorsport.com

The danger of relying on an upgrade package is that when the new bits do come they don’t make a dramatic difference relative to rivals who are also making progress. However, for the time being McLaren is prepared to take the heat of a sub-par performance.
“I think we’re where we thought we’d probably be,” says technical director James Key. “I mean, it’s really tight, to be honest with you, with a slightly better or worse lap it could have gone one way or the other in quali.
“We knew we were several tenths off where we needed to be, and there is good reason for that. It’s not just sitting back and taking it easy over the winter, everyone’s worked incredibly hard.”

‘High hopes’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/w...2023/10443035/


Why Norris says McLaren is not yet a top F1 team
13:05 Fri, 10 Mar 2023.
by Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week

Pressed on whether the Baku updates could be determined as the real dawn of McLaren’s season after a difficult start Norris responded: “I hope so. But at the same time, the season will start now, it’s as simple as that.”

“As much as we want to believe that it’s starting later, it’s starting now. We’re behind where we should be and where we want to be. What we’re going to be having in Baku should be what are starting the season with if we want to be a top team, it’s where we should’ve started the season with those kind of parts that are coming.”

‘The season will start now’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...a-top-f1-team/


McLaren sets June date for using new F1 wind tunnel
09:56 Fri, 10 Mar 2023.
by Phillip Horton
Motorsport.com

“We are hopeful to have the car in the wind tunnel – the new car – in June,” said McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella.

“The wind tunnel is already online for calibration [checks], it’s already commissioned, but there’s a process of calibration, installation of the methodologies, to measure the pressure and velocity field, the forces – this takes some weeks, that’s where we are.”

‘June date’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/m...nnel/10441984/


Departing Ferrari F1 figure tipped to join McLaren
Mar 13 2023
By Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

Ex-Ferrari head of vehicle concept David Sanchez will join a rival Formula 1 team, tipped to be McLaren, after serving a period of gardening leave. Sanchez worked at Ferrari in senior technical roles for a decade but resigned recently in a decision he has said was considered “for quite some time”.

It was revealed last week by Italian media that Sanchez had resigned and been placed on an extensive period of gardening leave. Sanchez has now confirmed he has decided to leave to join “another F1 project”.

‘Gardening leave’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/depar...-join-mclaren/


McLaren: Piastri destined to become 'one of the best drivers in F1'
13/03/2023 at 14:47
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

McLaren team boss Andrea Stella has been impressed with what he's seen so far from rookie Oscar Piastri, believing that the Aussie will develop into "one of the best drivers on the grid".

"Oscar is new to F1 but he is proven winning material in junior categories. He has been doing very well so far – we are very pleased," said Stella in Bahrain.

"The level of talent, the level of progress we have seen day by day, during testing, is very encouraging, and kind of confirms that he is a strong prospect for the future."

‘Impressed’;

https://f1i.com/news/468536-mclaren-...ers-in-f1.html

[Fortitude]

Vasseur ‘not worried’ about Ferrari exodus.
"I'm having a hard time understanding why the team became a target after just one race," said the Frenchman.
06:08 Wed, 15 Mar 2023.
Grandpx.news

Frederic Vasseur says he's "not worried" about some high profile departures at Ferrari.

In the days between the opening Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs, Italian sources have reported about disarray behind the scenes in the wake of Mattia Binotto's departure as team boss.

What he is more concerned about is the negative media coverage of his reign so far.

‘Ferrari exodus, ‘not worried’!’

https://grandpx.news/vasseur-not-wor...errari-exodus/


Ferrari boss hits back at criticism as team becomes “target” after just one grand prix
Ferrari have endured a nightmare start to the 2023 F1 season, with Charles Leclerc having now been handed a 10-place penalty for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
22:53, 15 Mar 2023
By Fraser Watson Sports Trends Writer
Mirror.co.uk.
Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur has hit back at the criticism of his team and claimed they have become a "target" for the media.

“I’m having a hard time understanding how it is possible for the team to become a target to hit after just one race,” he told AutoHebdo. "We know what went wrong in Bahrain, but there’s nothing that can’t be improved. The correlation between the track and the simulator is good, we are aligned.”

“I’d be tempted to smile if these statements had no impact on the team,” he added. “Personally I have no problems, I know what I want to achieve and I will do it. I hear from John Elkann and Benedetto Vigna every day, I know what they expect from me.”

‘Tempted to smile’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...-prix-29470335


‘Doesn’t bother me’: Frederic Vasseur finally breaks silence on Ferrari meltdown.
Multiple members of Ferrari staff are looking to depart the team after a poor start to the season.
14 March 2023
by Jack Devonport
Formula1News

With regards to staff departures, Vasseur has admitted that this was always likely to happen after he replaced former team principal Mattia Binotto. “It’s inevitable,” he said.

“There are people who were very close to Mattia and who prefer to leave, which doesn’t bother me. And there are others who have feared for a moment for their future.”

‘Inevitable’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/doesnt-bo...rari-meltdown/


'Welcome to the new Ferrari, same as the old one' - Charles Leclerc handed Saudi GP penalty
Ferrari's reliability issues appear to have continued into 2023 and could impact their hopes of challenging Red Bull
15 March 2023 • 6:25pm
By Tom Cary, SENIOR SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
The Telegraph

Leclerc will serve the penalty due to an electrical issue with his car’s power unit. The Monegasque driver also retired from the season opener in Bahrain two weekends ago while running third, because of what Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur described as an issue with the control electronics although Ferrari are adamant the issues are separate.
“It’s something that we never experienced in the past,” Vasseur insisted of the latest problem. “I hope now it’s under control, that we have a deep analysis on this. But unfortunately, we have to take the penalty in Jeddah.”

‘Same as the old one';

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/formula-...eclerc-handed/


Vasseur confirms penalty for Leclerc
15/03/2023
NEWS STORY
Pitpass

Charles Leclerc faces a grid penalty of at least 10-places for this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix following his issues in Bahrain.

In the hours ahead of the season opener, Ferrari replaced the Energy Store and Control Electronics on the Monegasque's car, only to see him retire from the race with an electrics-related issue.

"Unfortunately, we'll have to take the penalty in Jeddah, because we have only a pool of two control units for the season." confirmed Fred Vasseur.

‘Penalty confirmed’;

https://www.pitpass.com/74674/Vasseu...ty-for-Leclerc

[Fortitude]

Verstappen to overcome illness as Alonso out to dismiss FLUKE claims - What to expect at the Saudi Arabian GP.
F1 returns to Saudi Arabia for the second round of the championship with fears Max Verstappen and Red Bull are set to run away with both titles.
Thursday 16 March 2023 11:01.
Ewan Gale
GPFans

Red Bull domination to continue - With Verstappen ill entering the weekend, there could be a weakness to exploit but for the RB19, while the track surface and characteristics do offer a new proposition, it is hard to look at the gap to rivals in Bahrain and bet against this car winning again on Sunday.

Aston Martin out to prove Bahrain no fluke - The aforementioned differences between Bahrain and Jeddah could catch Aston Martin out in the pecking order and a battle with Ferrari is likely needed to confirm the hype around the Silverstone-based outfit.

Ferrari and Mercedes in a lurch - Leclerc's engine penalty will add 10 places to his qualifying position on Sunday, but concerns over the fragility of the SF-23 and its integral components will continue given last year's difficulties. Team principal Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton have both been abnormally outward with criticism of either the team or the car, suggesting cracks are beginning to show with the lack of progress from last year.

‘What to expect’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...di-arabian-gp/


Ferrari warn rivals they have ‘mega room for improvements’ ahead of Saudi GP
16 Mar 2023 10:45 AM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

With Ferrari having not got the best out of the their SF-23 in Bahrain, and updates arriving for Saudi Arabia, team boss Fred Vasseur warns there is a lot more to come.

Vasseur warned that the Scuderia still have a lot more performance to unlock in their challenger, having not been able to get the balance of the SF-23 right in Bahrain, and he hopes that upgrades brought to Jeddah will make the SF-23 stronger still.

“We struggled a bit with the balance over the weekend, it means that we have mega room for improvements on this path with our package,” said Vasseur, as per Motorsport.com.

‘Ferrari warning: ‘Mega room for improvements’!’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrar...r-improvement/


Formula One: Verstappen favourite again in Saudi Arabia, but all eyes on Alonso
16th March 2023, 03:57
The Straits Times

JEDDAH – Max Verstappen may start as favourite, but Fernando Alonso will have widespread support this weekend when the Formula One season resumes at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
“I think that we found, in Bahrain, that we were strong in things that maybe we won’t have in Jeddah, or in Melbourne,” Alonso explained.

“So, if we are strong again, in these two races, I think we are going to have a very good year. I am curious about these races – very different circuits, with high-speed corners and very low degradation. It’s going to be very different.”

‘All eyes on Alonso’;

https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...eyes-on-alonso


How to watch the F1 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix online: stream from around the world
Published 16 March 2023
By Tom Bedford
whattowatch.com

The second F1 race of 2023 is here, with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix taking place on March 19. This guide will help you figure out where to stream it.

‘How to watch’;

https://www.whattowatch.com/news/how...ound-the-world


New TecPro barrier added at scene of Mick Schumacher’s 270kph crash
2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Posted on 16th March 2023, 13:0416th March 2023, 13:07
Written by Will Wood

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix organisers have added a TecPro energy-absorbing barrier to the wall at the scene of Mick Schumacher’s huge crash in qualifying last year.

The installation of the barriers is one of a series of changes made to the Jeddah street circuit for 2023, the third race to be held at the venue in the last 15 months, after drivers raised concerns about the safety of the track. Among the many modifications includes moving barriers back by several metres at turns eight, 10, 14 and 20 to improve sight lines as drivers navigate the high-speed sweeping corners. The last left-hander of turn 22 at the start of the final sector has been sharpened significantly, slowing cars for the following corners of 23 and 24.

‘New TecPro barrier’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/03/16/...-270kph-crash/

[Fortitude]

Perez expects Ferrari will give Red Bull a “very strong” challenge in Jeddah.
Sergio Perez expects Red Bull will face much stronger competition from Ferrari in Saudi Arabia this weekend compared to the season-opening race.
2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Posted on 16th March 2023, 17:50
Written by Will Wood and Claire Cottingham
RaceFans

“I think it’s a very different circuit here,” said Perez. “The requirements are very different, the degradation is not as severe as Bahrain. We certainly believe that Ferrari is going to be very strong around this place. Certainly the Astons, Mercedes are going to be a lot closer to us because the requirements are very different here.”

“Looking after the tyres, I think we got it right in Bahrain,” he said. “A few teams probably didn’t optimise their cars or their strategy with the tyres as much as we were able to. But here is just very different, because here the requirements are extremely different.”

‘Ferrari will give Red Bull a “very strong” challenge’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/03/16/...nge-in-jeddah/


Perez aiming for Saudi pole and win
17 March 8:55AM
Author Michael Butterworth
Co-author Dieter Rencken
RacingNews365

Sergio Perez says he is aiming to take pole position and convert that into a win in this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

"That's certainly my target; to try to be on pole position and try to win the race," Perez told media, including RacingNews365.com.

‘Be on pole position and try to win’;

https://racingnews365.com/perez-aimi...i-pole-and-win


Leclerc remains confident that 'something special is definitely possible' in Jeddah despite 10-place grid penalty
16 March 2023
Formula One - Official Site

Charles Leclerc is set to take a 10-place grid penalty at this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. And while he knows it's not been an ideal start to the season, following his DNF in Bahrain, the Ferrari driver is still confident that a special result in Jeddah is very much possible.

“It’s the way it is. It’s the beginning of the season. Of course it’s not the ideal start that I wish I had at the beginning, starting in Bahrain, but what can I do about it? Now we need to focus on what is ahead, what we can do to be a better team, to do better,” said five-time race winner Leclerc.

'Something special is definitely possible';

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...q54IPePbx.html


Future penalties likely for Leclerc as he believes old parts are “not re-useable”
2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Posted on 16th March 2023, 17:32
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans

“We had two control unit problems in Bahrain, which means that we need to take a penalty,” he told Sky. “We understand these problems but as a result I obviously need to take a penalty because I don’t think they are reusable. We don’t have the confirmation yet, but I don’t think so.”

“I think it might fit our car a little bit better on paper,” he said. “But we never know because Red Bull also have a very flexible car and they can change the car quite a lot from Bahrain to here and be extremely competitive here too.”

‘Old parts are “not re-useable”!’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/03/16/...ot-re-useable/


I knew Mercedes’ latest car wasn’t right the first time I saw it – Hamilton
2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Posted on 16th March 2023, 16:0316th March 2023, 17:55
Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham
RaceFans

The seven-times world champion admitted he was immediately struck by the team’s decision to persist with a different concept to the rest of the grid. While rival teams have largely converged on two different approaches to the latest F1 regulations, Mercedes continue to pursue a unique arrangement featuring extremely narrow sidepods.

“I knew that we weren’t in the right place when you saw the car for the first time, it looked still so much different to those of our competitors,” he said. “It’s always nerve-wracking in that moment, but it looked nice – obviously the colour looks nice but I honestly don’t care what colour it is as long as it’s quick. But we will hopefully mould it into a winning car at some stage.”

‘The first time I saw it…’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/03/16/...time-i-saw-it/


George Russell offers Mercedes hope for Saudi Arabian GP despite ominous Red Bull belief
George Russell and Lewis Hamilton will be up against it at the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix as Mercedes look to compete at the front of the grid with pace setters Red Bull
21:24, 16 Mar 2023
By Fraser Watson Sports Trends Writer

George Russell has given Mercedes fans a glimmer of hope for Saudi Arabia by tipping his team to fight for a podium placed in Jeddah. But he was also optimistic that the nature of the Jeddah track could see him or Hamilton finish in the top three with the Red Bull duo: "It's a very different weekend in Saudi," he said. "The track is very different and the tarmac is really different which has a much bigger effect than some people may think.

"Realistically, the performances are going to swing more than two tenths – plus or minus – for any team, so if you go with that approach then the fight could well and truly be on for the last step of the podium with Ferrari and Aston. It may not but, clearly, Red Bull had a lot of pace in hand and I see them on for another one-two finish this weekend."

‘Mercedes hope’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...rabia-29479829


Alonso hits back at Red Bull ‘copy’ theories
17/03/2023, 06:10
Grandpx.news

Fernando Alonso has lashed back at suggestions Aston Martin is racing a 'copy' of Red Bull's title-winning Formula 1 car. "I don't care about the comments at all," two-time champion Alonso, third in Bahrain, told Spanish media in Jeddah.

"All the teams struggle with the budget limit now, trying to improve here and there," he explained. "So when they see another that improves two seconds or a second, they have to look for how it is possible. But in a way it's good, because it is praise for the work we have done."

‘How is it possible?’;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/alons...-theories.html


Alonso: Friday running in Jeddah 'like a test day' for teams
16/03/2023 at 17:58
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Fernando Alonso says Friday's running in Jeddah will be like a "test day" for teams as everyone experiences for the first time with their new car a different track than Bahrain.

"There is a challenge in front of us, here in Jeddah and in Australia to see how the car operates," Alonso explained Thursday in Jeddah.

'Like a test day';

https://f1i.com/news/468740-alonso-f...for-teams.html

[Fortitude]

Verstappen delivers devastating marker in Saudi Arabian GP first practice.
F1's return to the Jeddah Corniche Circuit saw the two-time champion lead team-mate Sergio Perez and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso with a lap time of one minute, 29.617secs - an effort 1.4s down on Perez's pole position lap last year.
Friday 17 March 2023 14:34
Ewan Gale
GPFans

Verstappen struggled with understeer in his RB19 when he took to the track for the first time 22 minutes into the session, yet despite recovering from a stomach bug and his difficulties behind the wheel, the Dutchman set the benchmark.

Alonso continued Aston Martin's strong start to the year with what seemed an easy ride into third, behind Perez, who complained of having 'no front end' in his Red Bull.

Lance Stroll is still on the road to recovery after breaking his wrists during pre-season but was only two-and-a-half-tenths slower than Alonso in fourth.

‘Devastating marker’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...ctice-results/


(FP1) First Practice Results – 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
17th March 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:29.617
2. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.483
3. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.698
4. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +0.960
5. George Russell Mercedes +1.154
6. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +1.170
7. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +1.307
8. Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.332
9. Alex Albon Williams Racing +1.413
10. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +1.493

‘Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the first free practice ahead of this weekend’s 2023 F1 World Championship race in Jeddah’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp1-first-...and-prix-81631


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from first practice for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
17 March 2023
Becky Hart.
Special Contributor.
Formula One - Official Site13:23

‘AS IT HAPPENED’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...kdCbhc4ys.html


Everything that happened in Saudi Arabian GP FP1
17th March 2023, 14:48
By Josh Suttill
The Race

The two Red Bull drivers led the Aston Martins in the opening Formula 1 practice session at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Key moments:
> Verstappen fastest in his first session of the weekend
> Perez beats Alonso to second with late improvement
> Ferrari drivers take new engines

‘Everything that happened’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/every...rabian-gp-fp1/


Verstappen leads Red Bull 1-2 in opening Jeddah session
17th March 2023, 14:41
by Phillip Horton
Motorsport Week

World Champion Max Verstappen opened Formula 1’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend comfortably clear at the top of the timesheets.

Verstappen missed Thursday’s activities due to a stomach complaint but fronted proceedings during the opening one-hour practice session on Friday afternoon.

In the daytime session Verstappen clocked several times quick enough for top spot, the fastest being a 1:29.617s, ensuring he held a margin of almost half a second to Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez.

‘Red Bull 1-2’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...eddah-session/


Verstappen leads Red Bull 1-2 in Saudi Arabian GP FP1
Max Verstappen dominated FP1 for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as he led a Red Bull 1-2 from teammate Sergio Perez
March 17, 2023
By Nigel Chiu

Max Verstappen was fastest in the opening practice session for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from teammate Sergio Perez. Verstappen, who arrived late in Jeddah due to a stomach bug, showed no signs of slowing down as set a 1:29.790 with 25 minutes remaining on the C4 soft tyres.

Then, the Dutchman went even quicker at the end of the session with a 1:29.617 on a set of soft tyres that had done multiple laps. Perez was 0.83 seconds off the pace, with Fernando Alonso a further 0.215 seconds behind in a session that was ran in the daylight, whereas qualifying and the race will be at night.

Lance Stroll left it late to move up to fourth, but was 0.960 down on championship leader Verstappen. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were both over one second slower than Verstappen in fifth and sixth for Mercedes.

‘Red Bull 1-2’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...rabian-gp-fp1/