F1 testing

Lap times at 2:15pm local (11:15 am UK) on the opening day of F1 2023 pre-season testing in Bahrain.

[Fernando Alonso ](/f1/racer/1/fernando-alonso)has joined Aston Martin, with [Pierre Gasly ](/f1/racer/1428/pierre-gasly)replacing the Spaniard at Alpine. McLaren F1 Team BWT Alpine F1 Team MoneyGram Haas F1 Team Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake

Max Verstappen set the pace during the opening morning of pre-season testing in Bahrain.

Ahead of the 2023 F1 season, RacingNews365.com journalists Dieter Rencken and Michael Butterworth look back on a winter break laden with intrigue and controversy. [Red Bull](/formula-1-teams/red-bull) driver set the pace with a lap of 1:32.959, as well as completing 71 laps during the morning. Max Verstappen topped the timesheets as the first session of F1 2023 pre-season testing got underway in Bahrain.

Max Verstappen ensured a familiar-looking timesheet to kick off Formula 1 2023's pre-season test by out-pacing Carlos Sainz in the opening morning session ...

Immediately, they've got a few tenths, maybe even half a second, out of a lighter chassis itself. "Nine, 10 months of development after last year's car didn't work out. Next, will be a focus on performance. "It's just a stiff ride. "They've got their car in a bit of a different place at the moment to the likes of Ferrari." Verstappen set the pace with a 1:32.959, a time that was three-tenths quicker than Sainz and significantly faster than the laps this time last year as these F1 cars enter the second season of a much-changed generation.

Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen topped the timesheet in Bahrain at the end of the opening day's morning session.

C3

Australian rookie Oscar Piastri made a slow but steady start to F1 testing in Bahrain as the new McLaren driver took part in the first of six sessions ahead ...

Buxton replied: “But it was to a relatively junior team. “I know things have changed in their approach. The behaviour is a bit different because of the tyres but otherwise, we are happy.” It’s pressure for a reason. He hasn’t raced in anything and not won the championship since 2018, he finished 8th.” “Perhaps there’s a bit of going in the wrong direction of last year but lessons were learnt and just because the sidepods are the same and the car looks similar, it doesn’t mean it fundamentally has the same philosophy. Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer responded: “I would put in the category (Max) Verstappen, coming in as a 17-year-old, because he was promoted so quickly.” To McLaren, a team that’s hoping to punch for podiums and as we’ve seen in the last few years, race wins?” “If you’re expecting to the see the RB19 as completely different with heaps of differences to the RB18, you’re going to be disappointed,” Ted Kravitz said on Sky Sports F1. Sergeant, Williams, 1:34.324 (75) The 2021 Formula 2 champion was the slowest of 10 drivers on Thursday night (AEDT) after it took nearly two hours for him to record a full lap time. Albon, Williams, 1:33.671 (74)

Max Verstappen set the fastest time for Red Bull on the first morning of 2023 pre-season testing with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz in second – while Aston Martin ...

[ESSENTIAL GUIDE: How to read Bahrain pre-season testing – with F1 strategy expert Bernie Collins](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.essential-guide-how-to-read-bahrain-pre-season-testing-with-f1-strategy.2CkqwrzR0PSA013BRRnOQR.html) [Haas unveil their VF-23](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.haas-officially-show-off-vf-23-ahead-of-pre-season-testing-as-hulkenberg.1nHpPfVR4JvTQ8GticOxnP.html) in the pit lane before Nico Hulkenberg took the wheel. [READ MORE: Who's driving on Day 1 of pre-season testing in Bahrain](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.whos-driving-on-day-1-of-pre-season-testing-in-bahrain.6zQnWtoXXf6UcoIaXPwWZO.html) [absence of regular driver Lance Stroll](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.breaking-stroll-to-miss-pre-season-testing-in-bahrain-after-training.5LEjhsalspXJ3QpCBwbieJ.html) – ground to a halt [with an electrical issue](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.watch-aston-martin-and-felipe-drugovich-cause-an-early-red-flag-as-pre.1SC1XJqUGtz0R3SKn8azwU.html) in his Aston Martin AMR23. Rookie Oscar Piastri rounded out the standings for McLaren. Verstappen continues in the afternoon for Red Bull but the other nine teams are set to swap drivers.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen continued where he left off in 2022 by topping the timesheets as pre-season testing got under way at the Bahrain International ...

[READ MORE: Verstappen leads Sainz on opening morning of Bahrain pre-season test](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.verstappen-leads-sainz-on-opening-morning-of-bahrain-pre-season-test.25N8iaocvGaz4TxzXdXR9N.html) [the injured Lance Stroll](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.breaking-stroll-to-miss-pre-season-testing-in-bahrain-after-training.5LEjhsalspXJ3QpCBwbieJ.html). [READ MORE: From aero rakes to flow-vis – 5 key terms you need to know for F1 pre-season testing](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.from-aero-rakes-to-flow-vis-5-key-terms-you-need-to-know-for-f1-pre-season.10Cdt2TOEZ1rR7pgQhnMux.html) [GALLERY: Check out the 2023 F1 cars in action as they hit the track for pre-season testing in Bahrain](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.gallery-check-out-the-2023-f1-cars-in-action-as-they-hit-the-track-for-pre.7ahhHpLrehhIsIG9Cdv9x2.html) [hailed the squad’s driver line-up](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.new-ferrari-boss-vasseur-admits-he-approached-sainz-for-sauber-drive-as-he.1KNs1qEbWBOWNmfmz0g1Lj.html) and spoke of a positive start for the SF-23. [for reserve driver Felipe Drugovich](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.drugovich-explains-cause-of-testing-stoppage-as-aston-martin-provide-update.7GF9zerk7C1e2E4gHmyIiC.html).

Red Bull's Max Verstappen ended the first day of 2023 pre-season testing in Bahrain on top of the timesheets ahead of Fernando Alonso.

Rookie driver Logan Sargeant was tenth quickest just ahead of Nico Hulkenberg, returning to the sport this year with Haas. We were able to do the run plan and everything is going well." The most important thing was to do mileage, and we had no issues. After the break he managed to reduce his time by just over a tenth. C3 Verstappen was the only driver to stay in the cockpit all day, meaning that none of the others taking part managed to follow him past the 100 lap milestone.

While Max Verstappen topping the timesheets on day one of Formula 1 testing will have been a turn off for some, few definitive conclusions can be drawn from ...

But that is not a conclusion that can be drawn solely and securely from events at the Sakhir circuit on Thursday. Red Bull has once again built the fastest ground-effects car and the double world champion has lost nothing of his edge. [ topping the first day of 2023 testing in Bahrain](https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/2023-f1-bahrain-test-verstappen-shades-alonso-to-top-opening-day-of-testing/10435581/) is the headline that Formula 1 probably didn’t want the media to be writing.

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen topped the timesheet on the opening day of Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain as Red Bull received "positive ...

"A lot of laps, which is of course what we wanted. 18) Oscar Piastri 15) Yuki Tsunoda 14) Felipe Drugovich 10) Logan Sargeant 9) George Russell 7) Alex Albon 6) Lewis Hamilton 5) Lando Norris 4) Charles Leclerc 2) Fernando Alonso 1) Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen has logged 157 laps as he headed Fernando Alonso at the end of the opening day of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain.

1 With 157 laps to his name and the fastest time of the day, Red Bull and Max Verstappen look in a good place ahead of the second day of testing, which kicks off at 10:00 local time on Friday. Once that was withdrawn a flurry of activity promptly followed with eight of the 10 cars in the session on track. Alonso seemed unperturbed and duly logged the second fastest time of the day in the last 30 minutes at 1:32.866s. That followed on from the morning’s running which saw Oscar Piastri log just 52 laps for a total of 92 for the team. A damaged wheel brow delayed Lando Norris, the McLaren driver managing just five laps in two hours during the session before ending the day with 40 laps to his name. It was a delayed start to the session for Valtteri Bottas, who’d climbed aboard the Alfa Romeo Sauber occupied by Zhou Guanyu in the morning. Leclerc was fourth fastest for the day, however, though he managed a nearly identical time to Carlos Sainz who was at the wheel of the Ferrari SF-23 earlier on. Alonso managed his best late in proceedings, coming within half a tenth of Verstappen, while Charles Leclerc was third fastest of the evening runners. While some way off the time that claimed pole position for last year’s Bahrain Grand Prix, it compared favourably to the opening day of pre-season testing in 2022. Max Verstappen has logged 157 laps as he headed Fernando Alonso at the end of the opening day of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain. The Dutchman logged a 1:32.837s in the afternoon session, just over a tenth quicker than he’d gone in the morning.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen set the fastest time on the opening day of Formula 1's 2023 pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit on Thursday.

In total McLaren completed 92 laps. Logan Sergeant continued in the afternoon, finishing the day 10th fastest. He finished the day with the fastest time of 1:32.837 and completed 157 laps. Whereas McLaren seemed to struggle somewhat, on paper at least. Ferrari had a consistent day in both lap times and laps completed. As the teams started to focus on performance runs, Alonso was 0.029s off Verstappen.

After what has felt like an eternity, the roar of Formula 1 cars reverberated around a track once more as pre-season testing got under way for the 2023 ...

However, their tally of 92 laps was the lowest of all, and more than a Grand Prix’ distance short of what table-toppers Red Bull managed. It remains unclear how the driving duties will be split on day two, with the team still evaluating whether Stroll can return for next week’s season-opener in Bahrain. But things went sideways when Lando Norris got his turn in the afternoon, an issue with the wheel brow requiring a lengthy stint in the garage. Verstappen completed more than two Grand Prix distances without any problems on his way to the fastest time of the day. Alonso got 60 on the board, but his running was hampered by a stint in the garage while the team repaired floor damage, and the team ended the day ninth of 10 in the mileage charts. However, his day got off to a bad start when he ground to a halt courtesy of an electrical issue just 10 minutes after running got under way to bring out the one and only red flag of the day. “It’s a good starting point.” [AS IT HAPPENED: Day 1 of Pre-Season Testing in Bahrain](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-formula-1-aramco-pre-season-testing-2023-day-1.4uTD5q366AeomtJtuSDBsh.html) Chatting to him at the end of Thursday, it was clear from his body language and the way he answered my questions that he is feeling very good with the package he has underneath him. They opted to run Max Verstappen for the whole day (the rest of the field split driving duties between their two drivers) and the first half of tomorrow, leaving the final 1.5 days – where teams go in search of performance – to the Dutchman’s team mate Sergio Perez. So, it will perhaps be a relief to all at the Silver Arrows that after the first day of on-track running, it appears they’ve eradicated the irritating trait with their 2023 car – the W14. [READ MORE: Verstappen edges out Alonso on first day of 2023 pre-season testing in Bahrain](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.verstappen-edges-out-alonso-on-first-day-of-2023-pre-season-testing-in.1GWXn0pqa44mvbZEfwz0ls.html)

Everything you need to know about day one of 2023 pre-season Formula 1 testing, as Red Bull and Max Verstappen start strongly.

We bring you everything you need to know about the opening day of Formula 1 testing in Bahrain in the first of our daily editions of The Race F1 Podcast. Using trackside observations, laptime analysis and chats with the key players in the paddock, we finish off by running through the other seven teams to ask who is looking good in F1’s midfield. We also hear from Mark Hughes, who spent the day crunching the numbers to bring you his laptime analysis, and Gary Anderson, who takes a close look at the new Red Bull RB19.

Follow live as Formula 1 pre-season testing continues in Bahrain ahead of the 2023 season with the second day of the single test.

[Formula 1 ](/f1/news/live-f1-bahrain-pre-season-test-day-2-10435694/10435694/) [Formula 1 ](/f1/news/the-250000-saving-behind-haas-f1-teams-mini-prat-perch/10435811/) [5Formula 1 ](/f1/news/2023-f1-bahrain-test-verstappen-shades-alonso-to-top-opening-day-of-testing/10435581/)

Aussie Oscar Piastri's team will hope to resume normal transmission on day two with Lando Norris getting the first run in the papaya machine (from 6pm AEDT).

Looking at what appeared to be a climb up the leaderboard, either to the top of the midfield or potentially close to the front-runners, former F1 driver Anthony Davidson proclaimed: “Is that genuine? Norris, McLaren, 1m35.522s - 52 laps Ocon, Alpine, 1m33.490s - 38 laps Magnussen, Haas, 1m33.442s - 52 laps Sargeant, Williams, 1m33.368s - 58 laps Sainz, Ferrari, 1m32.486s - 50 laps

Nat. Team, Time, Laps. 1, Carlos Sainz, ESP, Scuderia Ferrari, 1m32.486s, 24. 2, Zhou Guanyu, CHN, Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake ...

[Fernando Alonso](/f1/racer/1/fernando-alonso) has joined Aston Martin, with [Pierre Gasly](/f1/racer/1428/pierre-gasly) replacing the Spaniard at Alpine. McLaren F1 Team MoneyGram Haas F1 Team

Keep up to date with all the action - both on track and off it - as the F1 teams work on preparations for the 2023 season. Live coverage of Day 2 in Bahrain ...

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen topped the timesheet on the opening day of Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain as Red Bull received "positive ...

"A lot of laps, which is of course what we wanted. 18) Oscar Piastri 15) Yuki Tsunoda 14) Felipe Drugovich 10) Logan Sargeant 9) George Russell 7) Alex Albon 6) Lewis Hamilton 5) Lando Norris 4) Charles Leclerc 2) Fernando Alonso 1) Max Verstappen

Results from F1 preseason testing: The Sporting News will be keeping track of how Mercedes, Red Bull and the other teams get on in Bahrain.

06:50 - 11:30 ET 01:50 - 6:00 ET 06:50 - 11:00 GMT 1:37.687 (+3.036) 1:35.522 (+3.036) 1:33.671 (+0.834) 1:33.508 (+0.671) 1:33.462 (+0.625) 1:33.267 (+0.430) 1:33.253 (+0.416) 1:32.886 (+0.029) With just five minutes on the clock, Felipe Drugovich — who is testing for the British team this week after contracted driver Lance Stroll suffered injuries in a bike accident — pulled his car to the side of the track due to a failure.

Carlos Sainz continued the strong Ferrari showing in strong F1 pre-season testing form in Bahrain by topping proceedings on Friday morning.

2 The latter stages of the session saw a systems check for the FIA, with a Virtual Safety Car and then the red flag being shown. The Chinese driver had logged the fewest laps of all of those on track while only marginally better in terms of lap count was Esteban Ocon for Alpine. Mirroring that reliability was Yuki Tsunoda for Scuderia AlphaTauri, who was the busiest driver on track with 85 laps, the most of anyone in the session. The Dutchman was an observer in the morning with Sergio Perez getting his first taste of the Red Bull RB19. The Spaniard managed a best of 1:32.486s in the session with Logan Sargeant second fastest for Williams.

Carlos Sainz set the pace as the second day of F1 2023 pre-season testing got underway in Bahrain. The Ferrari driver topped the timesheets with a lap of ...

[Yuki Tsunoda](/formula-1-drivers/yuki-tsunoda) was the driver to complete the most laps during the morning, with a lap count of 85. Ahead of the 2023 F1 season, RacingNews365.com journalists Dieter Rencken and Michael Butterworth look back on a winter break laden with intrigue and controversy. [Ferrari](/formula-1-teams/ferrari) driver topped the timesheets with a lap of 1:32.486, while [Williams](/formula-1-teams/williams) rookie Logan Sargeant was 0.063 seconds behind in P2.

Mercedes' preparations for the new Formula 1 season took a major hit on the second day of pre-season testing after breaking down on track in Bahrain, ...

"We have some good developments coming - but so does every other single team in Formula 1. "It was a difficult morning," said Hamilton. Day Two "Reliability was again very good and we've been able to explore all the set-ups we targeted to test. Haas and Williams have also been quicker than predicted. Day One Test Day Bahrain pre-season test: Day Two timesheet

Zhou Guanyu shot to the top of the timesheets on Friday evening in Bahrain, where Mercedes brought out a red flag as George Russell's W14 ground to a halt.

The rookie driver finished seventh and led the mileage stakes – more than 150 laps under his belt. The reigning champion shot to second with his first flying effort and 30 minutes into the afternoon he was at the top. The seven-time champion's morning was briefly interrupted by some floor damage and the resulting repairs. Between the Ferraris was Williams' Logan Sargeant, who like Alonso and Zhou drove for the whole day. Mercedes hit trouble just before the sun set, with George Russell (P13) coming to a stop with a hydraulic issue. Sainz's morning stint saw him end up sixth on the board with 70 laps in the Ferrari, with team mate Charles Leclerc taking over to clock more than 60 laps and finish eighth overall.

Drivers and teams report from a second interesting day of preseason F1 testing with surprise performances from some and troubles for Mercedes.

He was able to use a lot of new tyre sets and therefore had the opportunity to experiment with setup and tyre management. We got through so much running which is a testament to the team and the hard work they’ve put in. We haven’t unlocked everything yet in the W14 and everyone is working hard to do so and maximise our final day of F1 testing tomorrow.” The car has been reliable, and we have recovered some of the mileage we were short of yesterday. I am happy in the car and I think we are in a good place. For our third and final testing day, we are pleased to have Felipe returning to the AMR23 during the morning session, with Fernando taking over in the afternoon.” It is very difficult to make predictions on competitiveness based on a few days of testing because we have the full range of tyres available, different fuel levels and so many other variables to consider. It’s been a positive day overall, we got more mileage in and went through all the targets and tasks we had set for ourselves. The car feels good, we have a good pace and hopefully we can get some good fine tuning in on Saturday. Also for myself I’m building more of a connection with the car and trying it in different conditions, as you do in testing. Yuki Tsunoda: “This morning we achieved the most laps compared to the rest of the field, so it was a good session. “We completed a two-stop strategy and tested the new Pirelli C1 compound as part of that, to gather important data ahead of next week.