2023 Formula 1 Testing [Updates for All Three Days]

The 2023 Formula 1 season has begun with testing taking place in Bahrain. Testing is shorter than last year, with each team only getting three days. While we are all waiting to see who tops the times during 2023 Formula 1 testing, it’s important to understand that testing isn’t just about going fast.

Most teams have developed complex testing plans to help understand their new cars and various setup options. This is valuable information needed to guide development and prepare the car for different racetracks throughout the year. However, it’s a good starting point for teams to see how they stack up against the competition.

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What Can We Expect from 2023 Formula 1 Testing?

Red Bull dominated the 2022 F1 season. But will their reign stand the test of wind tunnel time? Red Bull enjoys less wind tunnel time in 2023 because they won the constructors’ title. However, they have another 10 per cent reduction because they breached the cost cap regulations in 2021. While this may not impact the start of the season for them, it could allow other teams to catch up rather quickly. 

Mercedes fans are eagerly waiting to see if the W14 bounces down the straights. Many believe that if the bouncing is solved, the car can run lower and will be as fast as the Ferrari. So, keep an eye out for that during the evenings of days two and three.

If you’re looking for a quick roundup of the 2023 Formula 1 Tests, we’ve made your life easy. We’ve attached the summary for day one of the tests and will continue to update you as the test progresses. 

Check out more Formula One content in our dedicated editorial section.

Day 1

Session 1

Day one of the Formula 1 test started off with a silent bang. This is because the Aston Martin AMR23 grounded to a halt shortly after leaving the pits. This brought out the first red flag of the morning session. The McLaren of Piastri seems to struggle with manufacturing issues and set the slowest lap time of the session. 

Red Bull and Ferrari seemed in a league of their own with Max and Carlos trading positions throughout the session. However, Max prevailed with a time of 1 min 32,959. This is notably a second faster than the first Bahrain test in 2022. This means you can expect the new 2023 F1 cars to be even faster throughout the year.

The Official Timesheet

Session 2

Session 2 of the F1 2023 test saw every team swap drivers except for Red Bull. Verstappen continued to run in the familiar RB19 and maintained his spot at the top of the timesheet. However, he only improved on his time in the first session by a tenth.

Sir Lewis Hamilton took to the track in his brand new Mercedes. While Hamilton did manage to close the gap to the front teams, the Mercedes was still half a second off the pace. The Mercedes does seem to bounce at the end of the straight, but not nearly as much as the Ferrari. This is a noticeable improvement from last year since the Mercedes is running lower as well. 

Fernando Alonso made his debut for Aston Martin in classic Alonso fashion. It’s rumoured that the Aston Martin is incredibly fast, and Alonso proved that by outpacing the Ferraris. With 40 minutes left of the session, Alonso managed to grasp at the time of the Red Bull, falling short by just 0,02 seconds. Williams is another noticeable team as Albon managed to finish third in the first session and only drop down to sixth in the second session.

The Official Timesheet

Day 2

Session 1

Ferrari set the pace early on the second day of 2023 Formula 1 testing. Carlos Sainz completed 70 laps in the morning, managing to edge out the Williams’ of Logan Sargeant. Sir Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes was popular in the paddock as pundits examined the unique engine cover. The W14’s engine cover was designed to funnel air to the rear of the vehicle, working in a similar way to the sidepod design of the Ferrari. Toto Wolff also dropped a bombshell by admitting that the W14 is running in a very low engine mode. However, he assured us that many other teams are probably doing the same.

Fernando Alonso managed to steal the headlines again with the AMR23. The new Aston Martin looks incredibly quick and managed to snatch third place in the session. McLaren were not as impressive as Lando Norris struggled to put a clean lap together. McLaren CEO, Zac Brown, announced that the team are off the pace and have not met their development targets so far. 

The Official Timesheet

Session 2

Fernando Alonso continued to improve his lap times in the second session of the day. However, Max Verstappen’s RB19 proved to reign supreme with a time of 1 min 31,650. Later on in the session, George Russell’s W14 grounded to a halt with a hydraulic issue. This brought out the red flag and delay testing for around 20 minutes. 

The pace of the Williams was significant during the second session, with Alex Albon confirming that the Williams is running with max fuel. This makes their lap times even more impressive. 

Ferrari managed to complete a few long-run tests during the session, confirming the race pace performance of the car. However, the biggest shock of the session has to be the Alfa Romeo of Zhou. With just 30 minutes of the session left, Zhou went for a push lap on soft C5 tyres. This was enough to snatch top spot with a time of 1 min 31,610.

Official Timesheet

Day 3

Session 1

Ferrari returned to the top of the timesheets on the last day of testing. Charles Leclerc battled with the Mercedes of George Russell throughout the session. However, Ferrari managed to claim the top spot by around four-tenths. The Mercedes looked particularly impressive after the struggles of day two. Toto Wolff told the media that the entire team had a long night, but managed to find solutions. 

The Aston Martin AMR23 stunned the paddock again as reserve driver, Felipe Drugovich, slipped into third place with a time of 1 min 32,075. Perez spent most of the session working on race pace, which seems to be on par with the Ferrari. 

Alpine seems to struggle with bouncing, with many suggesting that their bouncing is worse than last year’s car. This is particularly confusing as the Alpine didn’t bounce all that much last year. The stiff ride does provide added performance, but mainly on smooth racetracks like Austria, Barcelona and Silverstone.

The Official Timesheet

Day 3

Session 2

The second session saw most of the teams pull out the softest tyre option. The track temperature is ideal to simulate qualifying for the upcoming race. However, it’s important to remember that most teams are probably still running in low power modes to disguise the true potential of their cars. 

As the sun set on the final session of testing, Sir Lewis Hamilton came out guns blazing. Running on the C5, the softest tyre option, Hamilton managed to go purple and top the timesheet. However, Perez managed to cut his reign short with the C4 tyre. The Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz dropped down to third and forth. However, this is mainly due to track evolution. 

The Official Timesheet

Summary

It’s clear to everyone that Red Bull is the team to beat. Ferrari are right alongside them, but Mercedes may not be as far off as many think. Aston Martin and Alpine, can both challenge for fourth place. McLaren seems to be massively off the pace, so it’s likely that they’ll fight with Haas and AlphaTauri this year. 

However, it’s important to remember that there are no points on offer for testing positions. Teams were using the only pre-season test to try a multitude of setup options for the season ahead. We’ll have all the answers next weekend when the season proper starts… and we can’t wait.

Images courtesy of Pirelli