F1 2023

[Ax^]

Mercedes new W14

black zero pods

 

[1%er]

Shocking punishment Lewis Hamilton will face for breaking new rule​

The relationship between Formula 1 and the FIA is growing increasingly tense at the moment, with a large portion of the grid now having spoken out about their FIA’s new rule. Drivers such as Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel have been using their global F1 platform to campaign against injustices in the world in recent seasons, recognising that they can make a difference and spread awareness. Both drivers have worn rainbow t-shirts or helmets to races in the Middle East to show their support for the LGBT community, with homosexuality being illegal in many regions of the Middle East.

In a reported bid to keep these host nations happy, the FIA have now officially released a detailed clarification for their regulations ahead of the upcoming season, with drivers now forbidden form expressing a range of political and religious views at many stages during events, including pre and post-race ceremonies, track activities and FIA press conferences.

Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen and Alex Albon have all expressed their concerns about this new rule, claiming that they do not wish to be silenced by their sport’s governing body. The potential punishments have now been revealed that could be issued to a driver, should they disobey the FIA and make a political, religious or personal gesture this season. With regards to non-sporting penalties, the drivers could be issued a warning, a reprimand, a fine or an obligation to accomplish some work of public interest.

Some of the drivers have admitted that they would not hessite to breach the new rule if the punishment was only a fine, however there are a plethora of sporting penalties that could be handed out. The drivers could see their race or qualifying lap times deleted, be given a grid-drop or have to start a race from the pit lane as a punishment for making a gesture. They could also be given a time penalty or penalty laps that will be added to their race time or distance. The punishment could also be served during the race, with stop-and-go, driver through and place drop penalties all listed as possible consequences for drivers who breach the new regulation.

With the drivers already discontent about the new rule before the punishments were announced, the F1 world waits to hear the reaction to the recent announcement, which is sure to cause much more friction between the FIA and the drivers.

 

[1%er]

Alfa Romeo CEO: "Not sure yet if we will leave Formula 1"​

During an exclusive tour of the Alfa Romeo Sauber team's Formula 1 factory, RacingNews365 spoke with Alfa Romeo CEO Jean Philippe Imparato and Alfa Romeo chief strategy officer Cristiano Fiorio. Both were very relaxed about the possible final season for Alfa Romeo in Formula 1, after the sponsorship deal concludes at the end of 2023. "That's life," Imparato replied when asked about Alfa's impending farewell. "Although I must say right away, that we are not yet sure if we will leave Formula 1 after this season. We will make a decision on that only at the end of June. Now we are actually still talking about a white paper, in terms of the future that can still be filled in completely. We are looking at all the options in motorsport. At the end of June, our desire is to also communicate to the outside world what we can do. Based on our DNA, it is very interesting for us to continue to have a presence in motorsport and so we have to weigh where we want to be present in motorsport. Everything is on the table right now for 2024 and of course everybody knows that we don't live in an easy world right now. There is a lot going on, inflation, war, regulations. That's why we have to make the best decision. In my view, that does show how strong the spirit is within this team," Imparato said of his drivers Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou.

"The Frenchman wants to use the opportunity to thank his drivers for how they helped the brand in 2022. "Zhou directly wanted to help motivate the Alfa Romeo salesmen in China by talking to them and Bottas is attending an event of ours in Dubai just before the race weekend. All this shows a lot of professionalism and dedication. That's why I very much enjoy working with them. In addition, on the business side, we have to start looking at what is best for our future."

Alfa sponsorship
Alfa Romeo has invested a lot in activating its sponsorship with Sauber in recent years and some big plans are also in the pipeline for this year, according to Alfa Romeo's head of strategy, Fiorio. "Last year we made a nice video series about the team, showing a lot of us. We are currently thinking about a sequel to this series, because even Netflix enjoyed our series," the Italian says. "They indicated that they found it interesting, and of course we told them that we will not be competition for them. On the contrary, we are doing everything we can to make the sport even bigger, just as they are. Above all, we also want to stay close to our roots, which is why Monza is an important venue for us, since our roots are in Italy. There we will also come up with an important announcement. In addition, every GP is important for us, precisely because we operate in all countries. Every market is important and therefore in every country where a GP is run, our department has to organize an activation in that specific country. Jean Philippe himself just gave that example very well with the example of Zhou doing the activation of us on location in China."

"That fits into the strategy Jean Philippe has in mind with Formula 1. He indicated to us when we started in F1 that we needed to do the most effective marketing around the partnership in Formula 1. For us, F1 is the most important activation of our marketing strategy."

Resources are not unlimited
"For us, Formula 1 is the goal and that's why we are totally focused on F1 and the marketing strategy is designed accordingly," adds Imparato. "After all, we cannot invest unlimited money and so we have to be as effective as possible and we have to focus." "America is a great example of that," Fiorio jumps in. "We have three races there, in three different cities and states. As a result, you have to be specific in that market as well. Miami, for example, is a very important GP for us, because almost 20% of our sales in America are in Florida - the state where Miami is located. Given Alfa Romeo's big sales in the United States, Formula 1 seems to remain an interesting option for the Italian brand to have a presence in. Indeed, the series is enjoying "explosive" growth in America, Impatato keen to "continue to work on scenarios. "But for the second quarter we are not making a decision yet. Let's focus on this year, try to finish higher than last year, but I would also be satisfied if we finish in the same position as last year," he said, describing the sixth place the team secured in the 2022 Constructors. "That's because we always want to win, but we don't want to put too much pressure on our drivers. They are already under enough pressure so I don't put extra pressure on them," he adds. "I think it's especially important that the people on the team also have fun, that's important in my eyes because with the amounts of money going around in this world, it's at least important to have fun. So let's say as a goal [for 2023] P6 [in the Constructors'] and have fun."

 

[1%er]

Anyone heard from Limejuice I haven't seen him around for awhile? I hope he is OK

 

[Limejuice]

Anyone heard from Limejuice I haven't seen him around for awhile? I hope he is OK

I live!

I'm looking forward to the new season, and am learning new incantations to scupper Red Bull this season.

(It's been a busy time of late.)

 

[1%er]

Albert Park set to feature four DRS zones​

The Albert Park Circuit, home of the Australian Grand Prix, is set to feature four DRS zones for the 2023 edition of the race. F1 attempted to install four DRS zones at the track last year, which was the first time the sport had ventured to Australia since the Covid-19 pandemic struck worldwide. A number of changes had been made to the track layout in its break from the schedule, with the most notable alteration being the removal of the old Turn 9/10 chicane.

It saw a new DRS zone be implemented through that section, but it was scrapped following the opening day of practice with safety reasons being cited. However, the additional zone is set to make a return for the 2023 grand prix. Speaking on Monday, Australian Grand Prix chief Andrew Westacott told Melbourne’s Herald Sun that he had “positive feedback from the FIA and Formula 1 that technically speaking a fourth DRS zone will be implemented”. The 2023 Australian Grand Prix is currently scheduled to take place on April 2, making up the third round of the season. Melbourne used to host the opening race of the season, but it has been replaced in the last handful of years by Bahrain.


With teams gaining knowledge on the new technical regulations that were implemented last year and the injection of the fourth DRS zone, Westacott believes that the upcoming race will be the fastest-ever grand prix in the southeastern Australian city. “It will be the fastest race in Melbourne ever,” Westacott said. “You’ve got the evolution of the cars from last year, and they’ve obviously got better, and the fourth DRS zone means the cars will be quicker around the back of the circuit. Which will obviously increase speed and therefore reduce lap time and make it the quickest Grand Prix and the highest average speed ever in Melbourne.”

 

[1%er]

Stroll to miss pre season testing this week​

Just days before the 2023 crop of cars are set to hit the Bahrain International Circuit, Aston Martin have revealed that one driver will miss out. The update the team posted didn’t specify what exactly Stroll’s injuries were, just that they were minor and had been sustained in a bicycle accident during his training in Spain. The Silverstone based team say that the Canadian is expected to be fit for the opening race next weekend but that he will be assessed daily and the final decision on his participation in the Bahrain Grand Prix made closer to the time.

“I’ve had an unfortunate accident whilst training on my bike in preparation for the season,” Stroll said. “I am determined to get back in the car and I am excited about the season ahead with the team. I am motivated to bounce back from this setback as quickly as possible.” Aston Martin haven’t revealed at this time whether that now means Fernando Alonso will get to test the whole time or whether one of the team’s reserve drivers, Stoffel Vandoorne or Felipe Drugovitch, will get some track time instead. There’s no mention of whether Stroll will be in Bahrain while testing is happening but if he’s not, that’ll mean he’d miss out on the pre-season photoshoots like Daniel Ricciardo did last year after feeling unwell and then testing positive for Covid.

 

[Limejuice]

F1 testing today. Bahrain.

 

[Limejuice]

And the first red flag of the season goes to...

Aston Martin.

About 10 minutes in.

 

[1%er]

F1 2023 Bahrain pre-season testing - Day 1 Lap Times​

Three days of pre-season testing is taking place in Bahrain ahead of the 2023 F1 campaign. It marks an opportunity for the teams to run their new cars in anger for the first time as well as the first collective running of the year. The three days will be key for teams to get a proper understanding of their new challengers and iron out any issues in time for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on March 5. It will also give several drivers the chance to get up to speed with their new teams.

Fernando Alonso has joined Aston Martin, with Pierre Gasly replacing the Spaniard at Alpine. Nico Hulkenberg has returned to the F1 grid with Haas, while Oscar Piastri and Nyck de Vries will complete 2023’s ‘rookie’ contingent at McLaren and AlphaTauri. Aston Martin reserve driver Felipe Drugovich will replace the injured Lance Stroll after the Canadian was ruled out of testing following a “minor” cycling accident.

F1 2023 PRE-SEASON TESTING - BAHRAIN - DAY 1
Pos	Driver	Nat.	Team	Time	Laps
1	Max Verstappen	NED	Oracle Red Bull Racing	1m32.837s	121
2	Carlos Sainz	ESP	Scuderia Ferrari	1m33.253s	72
3	Lewis Hamilton	GBR	Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team	1m33.508s	36
4	Alex Albon	THA	Williams Racing	1m33.671s	74
5	Zhou Guanyu	CHN	Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake	1m33.723s	67
6	Fernando Alonso	ESP	Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team	1m33.764s	33
7	Charles Leclerc	MON	Scuderia Ferrari	1m33.992s	34
8	George Russell	GBR	Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team	1m34.174s	69
9	Nico Hulkenberg	GER	MoneyGram Haas F1 Team	1m34.424s	51
10	Valtteri Bottas	FIN	Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake	1m34.558s	21
11	Felipe Drugovich	BRA	Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team	1m34.564s	40
12	Yuki Tsunoda	JPN	Scuderia AlphaTauri	1m34.671s	46
13	Nyck de Vries	NED	Scuderia AlphaTauri	1m34.782s	43
14	Pierre Gasly	FRA	BWT Alpine F1 Team	1m34.822s	60
15	Oscar Piastri	AUS	McLaren F1 Team	1m34.888s	52
16	Logan Sargeant	USA	Williams Racing	1m34.969s	48
17	Kevin Magnussen	DEN	MoneyGram Haas F1 Team	1m35.087s	32
18	Esteban Ocon	FRA	BWT Alpine F1 Team	1m35.302s	31
19	Lando Norris	GBR	McLaren F1 Team	1m36.872s	19

 

[1%er]

Ferrari changes strategy chief ahead of new season​

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has made a key change to his strategy team just over a week ahead of the start of the new F1 season. Head of race strategy Iñaki Rueda has switched to a factory role at Maranello to support the trackside team that will now be led by Ravin Jain. Vasseur hinted soon after his appointment in January after taking over from Mattia Binotto that he was “in the process of reviewing everything” with regard to his strategy team. That followed a catalogue of errors last season that cost drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz race wins and podiums. It proved to be a major contributor to the Scuderia and Leclerc finishing a distant second to Red Bull and Max Verstappen in the constructors’ and drivers’ championships last season.

Jain takes swift rise to the strategy top with Ferrari
As the lead figure, Rueda was viewed as the key individual in the firing line, although Vasseur warned he would be taking a cautious approach before making changes. "When you are speaking about strategy and strategists, you only see the visible part of the iceberg,” said Vasseur. “Strategy is not just a matter of the guy who is at the top of the iceberg. Very often, it is a matter of organisation, communication, and the flow of communication on the pit wall.” Rueda has seemingly now paid a price to a certain extent, although he will still be involved in strategic calls, albeit now working under Jain who has been a race strategy engineer at Ferrari for just over six years.

It marks a swift rise for Jain whose entire F1 career has been with Ferrari since graduating from Oxford University with a first-class degree in physics. He also obtained a master’s degree distinction in mathematical and theoretical physics. Jain, of Indian origin, gained experience in F1 with internships at Caterham and Williams whilst studying for his master’s. After further learning at Maranello’s Academy of Engineers, where he studied strategy and mathematical models, he was then offered a position on Ferrari’s F1 strategy team.

 

[Epico]

I know it's only testing but Verstappen and the Red Bull look ominously quick.

 

[Ax^]

aye that austin looks tasty as well could see Alonso making Lewis year painful if that run thru

and he might finally have made a right career move after 20 years in the sport

 

[1%er]

F1 testing day two​

It’s two down, one to go in Formula 1 pre-season testing, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen the standout performer in Bahrain so far. The 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:

Verstappen picks up where he left off ​

The man who was utterly dominant last year in the end winning 15 of 22 races completed over 150 laps on Thursday as he drove for the full day and, after taking part in the evening session on Friday, that’s the last we’ll see of the Dutchman at testing. The Red Bull driver can sit back and relax this weekend very satisfied, though. Leading throughout most of the evening session, he was only pipped right at the end by Alfa Romeo’s Zhou, but that wasn’t realistic as he used the softest C5 tyre. Therefore, simply put, Verstappen has been the quickest man on track. Reliability, too, doesn’t look an issue, given he completed over 200 laps in total.

Day to forget for Mercedes
So much anticipation in this three-day testing window surrounds Mercedes’ all-black W14 car. While Toto Wolff insists the porpoising which hampered their 2022 campaign has “essentially gone”, it is far from plain-sailing. Lewis Hamilton struggled to put in a competitive lap time as he grappled with the balance of the car, while George Russell was forced to cut short his afternoon session by 90 minutes as his car stopped out on track due to a hydraulics issue. Of course, on the other side of the coin, this is exactly what testing is for. Best to spot and iron out any issues now as opposed to next weekend. Not ideal, though, as the Silver Arrows target a return to the top.

Williams in upbeat mood
For a team who have finished bottom in four of the last five seasons, there is a cautious sense of optimism in the Williams garage right now. Now led by former Mercedes strategist James Vowles, Williams’ rookie driver Logan Sargeant clocked up the most laps on Friday 154 and was second-fastest in the morning session. It’ll be Alex Albon’s turn on Saturday but the ex-Red Bull driver was cheery speaking to media about their chances this season. A return to the midfield, perhaps?

McLaren fail to get out of the blocks - again
Much like last year, the opening weeks of the season look set to be problematic for McLaren. CEO Zak Brown was frank on Friday, stating the team have “not hit” their goals for development in the off-season, and will be “off our projected targets” come the first race of the season next week. Lando Norris the team’s star entering his fifth season was the second slowest man on track on Friday. Oscar Piastri was ninth. The mood in camp matches a feeling of scepticism at their season launch last week. In many ways, the dampened expectations may help rookie Piastri in the long-term up against Norris, but it’s far from ideal.

Is it an AlphaTauri... or an Alfa Romeo?!
With new liveries comes new acclimatisation to spotting cars straight away on television – and it may take a race or two to get up to speed this year. AlphaTauri now sport Alfa Romeo’s old sponsor Orlen on their rear wing and with flashes of red on their chassis and halo too, it’s been very easy to mistake Nyck de Vries for Zhou Guanyu!

Haas, too, have reverted to a mostly black livery this season, in similar fashion to Alfa. With Mercedes also looking to expose carbon fibre with an all-black car, it may take some getting used to as the race weekends progress this season.

Today's Times - All Times Unofficial

Name	Team	Tyres	Laps	Time	Gap
Zhou	Alfa Romeo	C5​	133​	1:31.610	132.154 mph
Verstappen	Red Bull	C3​	47​	1:31.650	0.040
Alonso	Aston Martin	C3​	130​	1:32.205	0.595
De Vries	AlphaTauri	C4​	74​	1:32.222	0.612
Hulkenberg	Haas	C4​	68​	1:32.466	0.856
Sainz	Ferrari	C3​	70​	1:32.486	0.876
Sargeant	Williams	C5​	154​	1:32.549	0.939
Leclerc	Ferrari	C3​	68​	1:32.725	1.115
Piastri	McLaren	C3​	74​	1:33.175	1.565
Gasly	Alpine	C3​	59​	1:33.186	1.576
Magnussen	Haas	C3​	67​	1:33.442	1.832
Ocon	Alpine	C3​	49​	1:33.490	1.880
Russel	Mercedes	C3​	26​	1:33.654	2.044
Perez	Red Bull	Proto​	76​	1:33.751	2.141
Hamilton	Mercedes	C3​	72​	1:33.954	2.344
Norris	McLaren	C2​	65​	1:35.522	3.912
Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	C2​	85​	1:35.708	4.098

 

[1%er]

Formula 1: Drive to Survive
For those of you who don't have Netflix but would like to watch Drive to survive season 5 here is a link to all 10 episodes, just scroll down for the other 9 episodes and the first 4 seasons. I hope you enjoy ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 

[Indeliblelink]

Alpha Tauri need to lower costs by moving to UK, so they are nearer Redbull, or be sold - most likely to Oliver Oakes' HitechGP team.

 

[1%er]

Formula One: Perez pips Hamilton as F1 testing wraps up in Bahrain​

Sergio Perez topped the timesheets for Red Bull from Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes as pre-season testing wrapped up in Sakhir on Saturday. Perez has emerged as a crucial cog in teammate Max Verstappen’s world championship success over the past two seasons. And after three days trying out their 2023 cars in the desert all the signs are that Red Bull will be hard to deny next Sunday in the Bahrain Grand Prix, the first of a record 23-race season. “Red Bull seem to be very strong in these three days,” said Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc after Verstappen had been quickest on the first day of testing on Thursday. “I feel we have some work to do,” added Leclerc, who will be hoping new Ferrari chief Frederic Vasseur can bring a change of fortune for the Scuderia on race day after Ferrari’s title challenge last term was undone by a mix of poor strategy and reliability.

“The car is working really well,” said Verstappen, who is targeting a third straight title after defending his controversially gained 2021 crown four races from the end of last season with a record 15 wins. Testing concluded with Perez 0.359seconds up on Hamilton as Verstappen sat out the final day. There was an upbeat mood in the Mercedes garage with the new car performing well and showing no signs of the bouncing that dogged last year’s W13. “We’re not quite where we want to be but it’s a good platform to start from,” commented Hamilton. Teammate George Russell, who secured his first win in Brazil last year, said: “I believe we have improved the car over the course of testing and got the W14 in a much better window today. There is still plenty of work to do but we’re in better shape for next week with more to come.”

Valtteri Bottas’ Alfa Romeo occupied third from Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in the second Ferrari, with Japan’s Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri) sixth. Further down the times in an Aston Martin came Felipe Drugovich, who stood in for Lance Stroll, missing after a cycling accident. Drugovich, 22 and born in Brazil, won last season’s Formula 2 title and is on standby to substitute for Stroll should the Canadian son of team owner Lawrence Stroll be unfit for next weekend’s race.

2023 Formula 1 Pre-season Test – Bahrain, Day 3
1 Sergio Pérez Red Bull Red Bull 133 1:30.305
2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes Mercedes 65 1:30.664 0.359
3 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo Ferrari 131 1:30.827 0.522
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari Ferrari 67 1:31.024 0.719
5 Carlos Sainz Ferrari Ferrari 76 1:31.036 0.731
6 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri Red Bull 79 1:31.261 0.956
7 Kevin Magnussen Haas Ferrari 95 1:31.381 1.076
8 George Russell Mercedes Mercedes 83 1:31.442 1.137
9 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Mercedes 80 1:31.450 1.145
10 Felipe Drugovich Aston Martin Mercedes 77 1:32.075 1.770
11 Lando Norris McLaren Mercedes 37 1:32.160 1.855
12 Pierre Gasly Alpine Renault 56 1:32.762 2.457
13 Alex Albon Williams Mercedes 136 1:32.793 2.488
14 Esteban Ocon Alpine Renault 76 1:33.257 2.952
15 Nico Hulkenberg Haas Ferrari 77 1:33.329 3.024
16 Oscar Piastri McLaren Mercedes 44 1:33.655 3.350
17 Nyck de Vries AlphaTauri Red Bull 87 1:38.244 7.939

 

[1%er]

Well its that time of year again, I have to pick my driver for the "who pays the bar bill" bet. I can't have Max so I think I have a choice of 3 or 4, but do you ever bet against the GOAT? Your opinion is welcome

 

[Ax^]

Alonso to beat the alpines


whilst Stroll comes home 15 place each race

 

[spitfire]

Well its that time of year again, I have to pick my driver for the "who pays the bar bill" bet. I can't have Max so I think I have a choice of 3 or 4, but do you ever bet against the GOAT? Your opinion is welcome

Would have to be Leclerc if Lewis’ car is only an improvement on last year.

 

[Indeliblelink]

Could Seb be back to replace the injured Stroll?

Vettel could be option for surprise Aston Martin F1 return

www.autosport.com

After retiring would he be fit enough if he hasn't trained over summer? Drogovich could do with the experience but would it be better to have a wise head in the car for the first few races of the season when reporting back on how the car handles is important.

 

[1%er]

Lewis Hamilton issues grim Mercedes update after Bahrain testing​

The hits just keep on coming for Mercedes after three days of struggle in Bahrain, with Lewis Hamilton admitting the team now has 'a mountain to climb'. There had been hopes heading into 2023 that the Silver Arrows would bounce back (no pun intended) from their porpoising issues of 2022 and once again join the fighter for championship glory. After testing ended on Saturday, that now seems unlikely. Sky Sports F1 reporter Ted Kravitz even dropped Mercedes out of the top three in his pre-season rankings, now behind Aston Martin and their new talisman Fernando Alonso.

"We realise that we have a mountain to climb and no one's fussed, everyone has just kept their heads down so I'm really proud of that," Hamilton said as reported by Sky Sports F1. "We're not quite where we want to be but it's a good platform to start from." While those porpoising issues now appear to be a thing of the past, Hamilton admitted Mercedes still have one major issue, raw speed. He explained: "It's a much more beautiful world to be in when we're not bouncing but we do have some pace to pick up in a straight line. We have some things we need to work on, it's still not perfect and we're still not able to match the Red Bulls, or the Ferraris, currently. Who knows where we'll be next week, we'll just try to stay positive."

 

[1%er]

How well did every team perform at F1 2023 pre-season testing in Bahrain?​

Some teams were happier than others as F1 2023 pre-season testing concluded on Saturday ahead of next weekend’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. But who has the most work to do before the first practice session just five days from now? We must stress that this is not an attempt to guess the competitive order, but simply an evaluation of who had a good test and who did not…

10: McLaren​

McLaren completed the fewest laps of any team in testing, with a final tally of 311 laps leaving them 42 adrift of next-best Alpine. Of all the components on the car to pose a problem, it was the wheel brows that did for McLaren and talk of overheating brakes melting the inside of the brows brought back memories of the chronic brake issues the team suffered in Bahrain a year ago. But the issues with this first iteration of the MCL60 seem to go way beyond that, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri struggling to bend the car to their will and McLaren’s dissatisfaction with their winter’s work bleeding into the test. Their start to the season is almost certain to be heavily compromised.

9: Mercedes​

The good news? Mercedes now have a firm grip on the porpoising problem that blighted their 2022 season. The bad news? The car still doesn’t look like a Red Bull beater. That doesn’t tally with the narrative pushed by the team throughout last year, that if only the team could have found a way to eliminate the bouncing the W13 would not just have won, but dominated. Did the time Mercedes spent trying to find a solution to their 2022 issues allow Red Bull to escape their grasp? A fixture at the top of the testing mileage charts throughout the hybrid era, Mercedes were only seventh with 398 laps in 2023 – a figure hurt by the hydraulic problem that ruled George Russell out of the final 90 minutes on Day 2. When it came to the eye test, the Mercedes also struggled for traction at points and Lewis Hamilton’s fastest time on the final day was more than three tenths slower than the (Sergio Perez-driven) Red Bull despite his use of the faster C5 tyre. A more stable platform than last year, no doubt, but still much to do.

8: Williams​

Williams enjoyed a better pre-season than last year, but really and truly 2022 couldn’t have been much worse. With the second-highest number of laps completed (439), the James Vowles era got off to an efficient start and at first glance the FW45 has addressed enough of its predecessor’s vices for Williams, on the right day and in the right hands, to attach themselves to the back of the midfield battle. Alex Albon’s quickest time on the final day on C5 tyres, however, was lost in the crowd of other cars on C3s, hinting Williams remain at the foot of the mountain.

7: AlphaTauri​

AlphaTauri were the surprise name at the top of the lap charts (456) – but what does that really mean in a compressed testing schedule in which any lost time, for whatever reason, would leave a team falling dramatically down the order? To illustrate the point, only 29 laps separated Ferrari in third from Aston Martin down in eighth. A medal for winning the mileage competition is no longer applicable. AlphaTauri ended two of the three days in the top six, but given that almost every other team’s challenger turned sharper than last year’s car, the eye test was particularly prevalent in this case. Reports from trackside confirm that the AT04 remains on the understeery side.

6: Haas​

With star of Netflix Guenther Steiner cementing his status as F1’s “fok” hero for another year, attention turned back to more serious matters in Bahrain. Haas’ test very much mirrored their driver line-up – solid and steady – and lacked the buzz of last year’s Bahrain test as it dawned on the team that the car was actually something they could race with. This time? Not much to see here from a team who look set to be just fine in 2023.

5: Ferrari​

What exactly to make of Ferrari in Bahrain? The SF-23 at least doesn’t seem to have taken a step back from 2022, but likewise there is no great leap forward here either. And why would it be hugely different when the car, as good as may look, follows an identical low-drag design philosophy to last year? The mood music at Ferrari is quite positive even though Charles Leclerc’s verdict is that the car is faster on the straights but slower through the corners, but whispers of quite severe tyre degradation hint at a similar theme to last year. Could Ferrari be fast enough to cover off Perez and make Max Verstappen sweat on Saturdays, only to bow to Red Bull on Sundays?

4: Alpine​

Not once did Alpine trouble the timesheets in testing, Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon instead quietly going about their business on the harder tyres. A muted test by normal standards caused alarm in some quarters, but considering the team remained quietly confident even when the car was engulfed in flames this time last year – and were fully vindicated with their best season in years – there is no reason to doubt them now either. So even though the Alpine was the only car to go slower than in the 2022 Bahrain test and logged the second-fewest number of laps, this is a team – with both drivers speaking positively about the A523 – heading into the first race with a quiet confidence. A place very near the head of the midfield awaits.

3: Alfa Romeo​

Alfa Romeo scored a large portion of their points in the opening months of 2022 and the early indications are that they may be about to do the same again. This was not a perfect test – Valtteri Bottas caused one of the few red flags of testing by stopping with an engine problem shortly before lunch on the final day – but the C43 has emerged as a quick, well-balanced car. Zhou Guanyu’s table-topping time on Day 2 may have grabbed the attention, but beneath the headline lap lies a car that looks to have eliminated Alfa’s biggest weakness – instability in fast corners – from last year. Don’t be surprised if the Alfa once again bursts out of the blocks in Bahrain.

2: Aston Martin​

With Lance Stroll ruled out through injury, Fernando Alonso took charge of Aston Martin’s running and was in the car for all three evening sessions, taking full advantage of the most representative conditions ahead of the season opener. That left Felipe Drugovich – Stroll’s potential replacement for the Bahrain GP – with only 117 laps on the board, all in daylight. Not ideal. But when the season gets underway next weekend, all eyes from an Aston perspective will be on Alonso in what is already shaping up to be one of the great stories of 2023. Testing brought the first proper glimpse of the real Aston Martin – the mean, lean operation Stroll’s father Lawrence envisioned when he rebranded the Silverstone team two years ago – with the quick and compliant AMR23 translating the exciting numbers from the wind tunnel to the track. Now – at long last – Alonso can fight, and he is primed to give Mercedes and Ferrari a hard time at the start of the season.

1: Red Bull​

Amid all the talk that Ferrari and Mercedes, with plenty more scope for improvement, would close the gap to Red Bull over the winter, few seemed to consider that the bar would be raised even higher in 2023. Yet that, on this evidence, is what has happened, the RB19 proving to be an enhanced, more refined and lighter evolution of last year’s dominant Championship-winning car. Pace simply oozed out of the car, top of the timesheets on two of the three days in Bahrain, with Max Verstappen so satisfied that he left the whole final day of running – the time for the optimal conditions and quickest laps – to Perez. Nothing seemed to better encapsulate the confidence within Red Bull, who start the year as strong favourites for a reason.

 

[1%er]

Could Seb be back to replace the injured Stroll?

Vettel could be option for surprise Aston Martin F1 return

www.autosport.com

After retiring would he be fit enough if he hasn't trained over summer? Drogovich could do with the experience but would it be better to have a wise head in the car for the first few races of the season when reporting back on how the car handles is important.

Aston Martin have announced that Drugovich will drive at Bahrain if Stroll does not recover from his injury in time, it would have been good to see Seb get his 300th race

 

[Limejuice]

The new season looms. Huzzah, etc! Bahrain beckons.

Here's the schedule of revels at UK times:

Fri 3 Mar
FP1 - 11:30
FP2 - 15:00

Sat 4 Mar
FP3 - 11:30
Qual - 15:00

Sun 5 Mar
Race - 15:00

And let us all join in prayer for this first race:

أتمنى أن يؤدي فريق ريد بول مثل ضرطة الجمل.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

The Mercedes design really is quite different

 

[a_chap]

It's a different colour for a start.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

It's a different colour for a start.

Yeah, I guess other than that they’re almost indistinguishable

 

[Limejuice]

The Mercedes design really is quite different

View attachment 364828

The aero / wind tunnel results must be chalk and cheese.

 

[1%er]

Aston Martin crashes to loss of £495m​

Aston Martin crashed to a loss of almost half a billion pounds last year amid concerns about its finances. The luxury car maker insists demand for its products are high sales rose 26% to top £1.38 billion for the year to December. And it insists it is on track to hit targets for next year and the year after. But it has faced concern ever since it floated in 2018, when it presented itself as a luxury brand that did far more than just make cars. The business was valued then at £5 billion, compared to £1.4 billion now.

Today it blamed a loss of £495 million partly on the weakness of the pound which made some US dollar denominated debt more expensive. Overall debts are actually down from £892 million to £766 million. CEO Lawrence Stroll said: “2022 saw Aston Martin continue to build on the strong foundations that have been established during my three years as Executive Chairman. While the last 12 months presented industry-wide challenges, we look to the future with renewed confidence in our ability to deliver on our vision, and the targets we have set.”

He added: “We have made the biggest investment in our iconic brand through the launch of a bold new creative strategy and brand position that aligns Aston Martin to our future ambitions. Our high-performance DNA has been further amplified by our partnership with the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One TM team, driving growing demand from a new generation of customers, with more than 60% new to the brand.”