1677316372Drive to Survive: Season 5 REVIEW – OUT NOW!Time to find your helmet, don your fireproof gloves and pack your bags. Because 95 days after we said goodbye to Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel in Abu Dhabi, Formula 1 chugs back into life this weekend as the start of the 2023 season dawns. The car launch season, from the tempered-down to the over-the-top, has concluded and finally we will see cars on track with the first – and much-maligned only – official pre-season test of the season. Where? Bahrain. Also the location where, 11 days from now, motorsport’s greatest show goes racing once more.
Yet while an undertone of eager excitement will immerse fans the world over at the sight of fresh – or perhaps not so fresh – liveries at the Bahrain International Circuit, such delirium won’t be mirrored in the paddock. Rather, it’s back down to business. Tick off your checklist. Screw your nuts and bolts. Contrary to the zing in the air, a wave of apprehension will blow over the paddock and its personnel.
Testing is a strange phenomenon. On the whole, the timesheets are not said to be the priority. Instead, its tweaking set-ups. Trialling different parts. Attaching aero-rakes and dashes of green paint to analyse airflow. Some teams even swing the other way; sandbagging the car’s true performance to disguise their potential from their competitors.
That all being said, this three-day testing window does take on more significance than years gone by. Usually, the teams also come together in Barcelona for at minimum a shakedown. Or perhaps Jerez on the southern Spanish coast. This year though, with 2022’s drastic regulation changes only moderately tinkered with in the off-season – a slightly raised ride-height the most noteworthy change – drivers will only have a day-and-a-half of running to tune their cars appropriately and iron out any issues.
Three days in total and bang: we’re into the first Grand Prix weekend of 23. That’s the number of races, it should be said, not just the year.
Kieran Jackson25 February 2023 09:12
1677315504F1 testing LIVE: Who’s in action this morning?Here are those driving in this morning’s session on day three!
Red Bull
Sergio Perez
Ferrari
Charles Leclerc
Mercedes
George Russell
Alpine
Pierre Gasly
McLaren
Oscar Piastri
Alfa Romeo
Valtteri Bottas
Aston Martin
Felipe Drugovich
Haas
Nico Hulkenberg
AlphaTauri
Nyck de Vries
Williams
Alex Albon
Kieran Jackson25 February 2023 08:58
1677315070F1 testing LIVE: UPDATECharles Leclerc has gone quickest, 0.418 seconds clear of George Russell, and that’s on a slower C4 tyre! Not a good sign for Mercedes…
Sergio Perez, on the C3 medium tyre, is up to P3 in his Red Bull.
4-10: Gasly, Hulkenberg, Drugovich, Piastri, Albon, Bottas, De Vries
(Getty Images)
Kieran Jackson25 February 2023 08:51
1677314184F1 testing LIVE: Day two reportThe reigning world champion was the quickest driver on Thursday and was 0.040 seconds away from repeating the feat on Friday, before being pipped to top spot by Zhou Guanyu late on, though the Chinese driver was driving on the softest tyre.
However it was a torrid day for Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton struggling with the balance of the W14 this morning before George Russell was forced to stop out on track this evening due to a hydraulics issue.
Saturday sees the final day of testing at the Bahrain International Circuit before all eyes turn to the first race of the season – also in the Gulf kingdom – next weekend.
Here’s what we learned from day two of F1 testing:
Kieran Jackson25 February 2023 08:36
1677313514F1 testing LIVE: Russell goes quicker…George Russell has gone quicker, this time on the very quickest C5 tyre, with a 1:31:442.
Charles Leclerc is seven-tenths off in second, with Pierre Gasly in third.
Kieran Jackson25 February 2023 08:25
1677312712F1 testing LIVE: Piastri’s spin…Here’s some images of Piastri’s spin at turn 10!
Kieran Jackson25 February 2023 08:11
1677312053F1 testing LIVE: UPDATE!We’ve had an hour of running in Bahrain – and George Russell is top of the laderboard! The Mercedes is 1.3 seconds ahead of second-placed Pierre Gasly, but is on the softer C4 tyre compared to the rest of the field on C3.
Gasly is second, with Sergio Perez third. 4-10: Hulkenberg, Piastri, Leclerc, Drugovich, Bottas, De Vries, Albon
Oscar Piastri, meanwhile, completely loses his McLaren approaching turn 10! A big run-off area avoids any collision…
Alex Albon, meanwhile, hasn’t set a lap time for Williams in 10th but has done 15 laps. Interesting approach!
Kieran Jackson25 February 2023 08:00
1677310412F1 testing LIVE: Who’s in action this morning? Here are those driving in this morning’s session on day three!
Red Bull
Sergio Perez
Ferrari
Charles Leclerc
Mercedes
George Russell
Alpine
Pierre Gasly
McLaren
Oscar Piastri
Alfa Romeo
Valtteri Bottas
Aston Martin
Felipe Drugovich
Haas
Nico Hulkenberg
AlphaTauri
Nyck de Vries
Williams
Alex Albon
Kieran Jackson25 February 2023 07:33
1677309925F1 testing LIVE: Good morning! Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the final day of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain!
Can Mercedes bounce back after a terrible day two? How will Sergio Perez perform in the Red Bull all day? And how about Felipe Drugovich for Aston Martin, replacing the injured Lance Stroll?
We’re underway with the morning session at the Bahrain International Circuit!
(Getty Images)
Kieran Jackson25 February 2023 07:25
