The new season of Formula 1 starts again with the first free practice session of the first Grand Prix of the championship: the Bahrain GP. In front of everyone there is always Red Bull, that of Sergio Pérez who takes the best performance ahead of Fernando Alonso and his teammate Pérez.
Lance Stroll, the return
Lance Stroll's physical condition seems to have greatly improved. The Canadian rider suffered a badly broken wrist and wears plasters on both wrists, but is now well enough to return to racing.
Lewis Hamilton, solved the yellow of the jewels
Also this year there was mediation between the FIA and some doctors to allow Hamilton to compete wearing some of his jewels. This year he got a partial permit without penalties.
The eagerly awaited Ferrari set-up: the comparative test
In this first free practice session, the Ferrari of Leclerc features a single pylon, heavier wing, little experienced in testing. This perforce should improve efficiency. Sainz, on the other hand, uses the specification used in the tests and they only loaded the bingwing, the downforce is therefore different.
Leclerc's monopilon flexes a lot. It's normal for it to happen. But this really flexes a lot.
Great work follows on the wing of the Monegasque pilot. The aim is to solve the problems of excessive understeer, which have been complained of by both Ferrari drivers, but above all by Leclerc.
Oscar Piastri: “All okay, just had a snap”
Oscar Piastri's first radio team since his debut in Formula 1 depended on a mistake by the driver, a small loss of control of the car. The Australian rider, however, immediately regained control, reassuring his team: “All okay, just had a snap”.
Red Bull, an angry bull
Red Bull debuted by doing many "fuchsia" sectors, i.e. setting the fastest times on the grid. It dominates, especially with Sergio Pérez, the first to go under one minute and 33 seconds.
Bottas: “I smell burning”…
Valtteri Bottas: “Something is burning…” he announces, sensing the smell of something burning from the passenger compartment. Fortunately, all ends well. Maybe it was just a somewhat worn tire…
New: “Solo James” is the new Williams Racing team principal
Among the various novelties of the 1 Formula 2023 season there are some changes among the team principals. Firstly, the passing of the baton from Mattia Binotto to Frédéric Vasseur in Ferrari, who in turn left Sauber Alfa Romeo to the lawyer Alessandro Alunni Bravi. Last but not least, ex-Mercedes engineer James Vowles “Solo James” has become the new team principal of Williams Racing.
Carlos Sainz, luckily there was an escape route!
Carlos Sainz loses the rear of his Ferrari on a curb near a curve, even before braking. The car spun, but the Spaniard's quick reflexes and the large escape route where he found himself allowed a safe return to the pits and no serious consequences for either the driver or the car.
A loss of control by Ferrari which, due to its speed and the lucky outcome with a spin in an escape route, could be compared to the Spanish driver's spin during the third free practice session in Montecarlo last year.
Meanwhile, Sainz returns to the pits and requests a new set-up because the previous one was: "too aggressive".
Leclerc, second round on track
Charles Leclerc comes out of the pits again and gets back on track with a double pylon and a new load. He tries to improve by avoiding those dips that made Sainz go off the track.
Leclerc, the clutch is not right. Nor does the radio team
Leclerc soon communicates in the pits that the clutch does not go back to 100% when he releases it, making us think back to the terrible Austrian GP last year, when Leclerc's accelerator continued to remain open by 20-30%. That GP during which Sainz went off the track with a fire principle inside a car that he was unable to stop on a slope.
Starting tests: this time no hitch
Mindful of last week's practice starts during the Friday morning session, this time we breathed a sigh of relief. This time no hitch risked ruining the starting practice of the various drivers.
GP Bahrain, FP1: the results
The results of FP1 show a fairly eagerly awaited provisional podium, compared to last week's tests. In fact, the first free practice session of the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix ends with Pérez and Verstappen first and third respectively. According to a Nando who is far from aged. A Nando who is still hungry for victories.
Followed by Norris, Leclerc, Stroll, Magnussen, Zhou, Bottas, Hamilton, Russell, Piastri, Tsunoda, Hulkenberg, Ocon, De Vries, Gasly, Sargeant, Albon and Sainz.
Thus ended the FP1 in Bahrain, the first of the season! Appointment in the afternoon, with FP2 scheduled at 16.00.
