F1 Pre-Season Testing 2023: What Happened On Day 1 In Bahrain
F1 is back with pre-season testing kickstarting on Thursday at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir. During the first day of testing, teams took their cars out for a spin to check their performance on the track, focusing on the mileage, acceleration and control they were offering. The final testing day is scheduled for Saturday, 25 February 2023.
The champs are back on track for 2023!#F1 #F1Testing pic.twitter.com/9puKLgM6Ah
— Bahrain Int. Circuit (@BAH_Int_Circuit) February 23, 2023
Highlights from day 1 of the 2023 F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain
Mercedes’ new W14 Formula 1 car: Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton praised team Mercedes for the impressive testing of their new car and also shared that the track was not bouncy. Post-testing, Hamilton told a media publication that the team has a solid grip on the base of the car and can now begin fully optimising it. He even expressed how great he felt about returning.
Jumping onboard with Lewis for his first laps behind the wheel of W14 at Silverstone 🤩🖤 pic.twitter.com/HSGPaEI5GT
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) February 22, 2023
Red Bull RB19: At first glance, the Red Bull RB 19 seemed more like an evolved version of last year’s RB18. However, as per The Race, this Formula 1 racing car has made detailed changes to its previous model to try and ‘squeeze more performance’. This year, the RB19 has introduced sidepods with a ‘dramatic undercut’. While one may not be able to distinguish the sidepods reintroduced this year, there is more ‘refinement and aggression’ visible in the RB19 this time around.
⏩ Flying through Max’s Day 1 ⏩ #F1Testing pic.twitter.com/C4HasH5VEy
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) February 23, 2023
Aston Martin: The Aston Martin team, unfortunately, did not have a smooth first day of pre-season testing as their car suffered an electrical issue. However, this is what Felipe Drugovich – the reigning F2 champion, had to share about the driving experience:
Felipe’s thoughts. 💭
Fresh out of the car after #F1Testing in Bahrain, @FelipeDrugovich debriefs the session.@xpinvestimentos pic.twitter.com/Ff4s6oSk24
— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) February 23, 2023
Formula 1: What were the teams that participated in day 1 of pre-season testing?
Your running order for #F1Testing in Bahrain! 👇#F1 pic.twitter.com/sWFblF4VLE
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 22, 2023
Formula 1 teams that participated in the pre-season testing on Thursday included Red Bull, Ferrari, Alpine, McLaren, Aston Martin, Haas, AlphaTauri, Williams and Alfa Romeo. The pre-season testing will continue for two more days (today and tomorrow) and will take place for eight-and-a-half hours each day.
(Hero image and featured image credit: [email protected]_Int_Circuit)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Answer: The F1 pre-season testing is being held at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir.
Answer: Some of the most challenging F1 courses in the world include Bahrain, the Paul Ricard circuit near Marseille, France, the Singapore Grand Prix, and the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia.
Answer: As per the official rules, brake testing is illegal in F1.
