F1 Pickings

Last year, many F1 teams struggled with excessive bouncing on the new ground effect cars, which led to lobbying to tweak the regulations for 2023 on safety grounds. For 2023 the floor edges were raised by 15mm to prevent teams running their challengers as closely to the ground as last year and reduce the bouncing effect. Few cars appeared to experience porpoising during the three-day test ... Keep reading

Last year, many F1 teams struggled with excessive bouncing on the new ground effect cars, which led to lobbying to tweak the regulations for 2023 on safety grounds. For 2023 the floor edges were raised by 15mm to prevent teams running their challengers as closely to the ground as last year and reduce the bouncing effect. Few cars appeared to experience porpoising during the three-day test ... Keep reading

UK MPs urge Formula 1 to set up an independent inquiry into the links between grands prix and human rights violations.

TV coverage showed the car bottoming heavily at times during the test as it appeared to tend towards bouncing. However, Harman insisted that was a result of experiments that weren't necessarily intended to be useful at the Sakhir track specifically, but which could apply to other tracks. That focus on exploring the car meant that team never ran with the softer Pirelli tyres and low fuel ... Keep reading

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Stroll had to miss last week’s Bahrain test due to a wrist injury, leaving Alonso and rookie Felipe Drugovich to undertake the initial sorting and development work on the new car. Alonso admits that he doesn’t have enough of a reference to properly analyse the behaviour of the AMR23 and compare it with its predecessor. While the Spaniard drove last year’s AMR22 in November's Abu Dhabi ... Keep reading

Stroll had to miss last week's Bahrain test due to a wrist injury, leaving Alonso and rookie Felipe Drugovich to undertake the initial sorting and development work on the new car. Alonso admits that he doesn't have enough of a reference to properly analyse the behaviour of the AMR23 and compare it with its predecessor. While the Spaniard drove last year's AMR22 in November's Abu Dhabi test ... Keep reading

Mercedes technical director Mike Elliot admits that the German team could give up on its zero-sidepod philosophy, but not yet.

TV coverage showed the car bottoming heavily at times during the test as it appeared to tend towards bouncing. However, Harman insisted that was a result of experiments that weren't necessarily intended to be useful at the Sakhir track specifically, but which could apply to other tracks. That focus on exploring the car meant that team never ran with the softer Pirelli tyres and low fuel ... Keep reading

Lando Norris admits that the difference between his most recent teammates is stark.

The Australian is making his F1 debut for McLaren at the Bahrain Grand Prix, and had his first proper run in the new MCL60 last week. Although McLaren is facing some competitive struggles with its new car, that has not stopped Piastri from showing just what he is capable of. In particular, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has cited the way in which Piastri made rapid progress in a series ... Keep reading

The Australian is making his F1 debut for McLaren at the Bahrain Grand Prix, and had his first proper run in the new MCL60 last week. Although McLaren is facing some competitive struggles with its new car, that has not stopped Piastri from showing just what he is capable of. In particular, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has cited the way in which Piastri made rapid progress in a series ... Keep reading

The facility beneath the 63,000-seater state-of-the-art venue's South Stand will open later this year to electric karts and upon completion will become London’s longest indoor track. It will gain accreditation from the National Karting Association, meaning it can be used as a venue for national championships, while Spurs will create a driver academy programme. F1 and the club will ... Keep reading

The facility beneath the 63,000-seater state-of-the-art venue's South Stand will open later this year to electric karts and upon completion will become London's longest indoor track. It will gain accreditation from the National Karting Association, meaning it can be used as a venue for national championships, while Spurs will create a driver academy programme. F1 and the club will reportedly ... Keep reading

Still focussed on its 100-race plan, Alpine targets an ambitious development programme beginning this weekend in Bahrain.

Reflecting on the "best ever" test, Haas boss, Guenther Steiner admits that he is clueless in terms of the midfield pecking order.

The Milton Keynes-based squad is coming off the back of a 2022 campaign where its RB18 had phases where either one or the other driver was happier. At the start of the season, when the car suffered from understeer due to being overweight, those characteristics favoured Perez much more. But as the team reduced the car's mass, that help make its front end better at turn-in, and that swung things ... Keep reading

The Milton Keynes-based squad is coming off the back of a 2022 campaign where its RB18 had phases where either one or the other driver was happier. At the start of the season, when the car suffered from understeer due to being overweight, those characteristics favoured Perez much more. But as the team reduced the car’s mass, that help make its front end better at turn-in, and that swung ... Keep reading

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The Sakhir International Circuit has hosted the opening round of the F1 season on four previous occasions since it made its debut on the calendar in 2004 - claiming the honour in 2006, 2010, 2021 and 2022. In each of those years, at least one driver made their first F1 start in the Bahrain Grand Prix, while in 2020 the track hosted two races on consecutive weekends with the Sakhir Grand Prix on ... Keep reading

At last year's first Barcelona test, the Alfa Romeo team was hit by various reliability issues, a trend which continued to persist throughout the season. But last week Bottas and Zhou Guanyu completed a combined 401 laps over three days, albeit after one stoppage for Bottas with a suspected Ferrari power unit issue and a minor systems error. "It was definitely way better than last year at ... Keep reading

The Sakhir International Circuit has hosted the opening round of the F1 season on four previous occasions since it made its debut on the calendar in 2004 - claiming the honour in 2006, 2010, 2021 and 2022. In each of those years, at least one driver made their first F1 start in the Bahrain Grand Prix, while in 2020 the track hosted two races on consecutive weekends with the Sakhir Grand Prix on ... Keep reading

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Straight off the back of pre-season testing, F1 stays in Bahrain for the opening grand prix of a 23-race season which concludes in Abu Dhabi in late November. Red Bull impressed at the three-day test, meaning it is up to the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes to take the challenge to the reigning world champions. PLUS: How the F1 2023 competitive order is shaping up after Bahrain ... Keep reading

While the Aston was only the seventh fastest car on aggregated headline times over the three-day test, its consistent pace and a good long-run performance by Fernando Alonso caught the eye of rival teams. However, when asked if expectations have now changed, Krack was keen to downplay the relevance of the strong testing form, comparing it to the disappointment the team encountered last ... Keep reading

While the Aston was only the seventh fastest car on aggregated headline times over the three-day test, its consistent pace and a good long run performance by Fernando Alonso caught the eye of rival teams, with many observers suggesting that Aston could lead the chase of the top three. However, when asked if expectations have now changed Krack was keen to downplay the relevance of the strong ... Keep reading

The Maranello-based outfit raised some eyebrows when the front wing of its 2023 challenger featured the very same slot gap separator trick concept that Mercedes had been told it could not run last year. The idea is that the support elements are shaped in such a way that they help divert airflow to better increase outwash, something the FIA had hoped to minimise with the new generation of ... Keep reading

At last year's first Barcelona test, the Alfa Romeo team was hit by various reliability issues, a trend which continued to persist throughout the season. But last week Bottas and Zhou Guanyu completed a combined 401 laps over three days, albeit after one stoppage for Bottas with a suspected Ferrari power unit issue and a minor systems error. "It was definitely way better than last year at ... Keep reading

A cursory glance at the timesheets already pointed in that direction, with Sergio Perez having set the benchmark overall in the late flurry of lower fuel runs on the final evening as teams finally unlocked some potential. In fact, it was only Guanyu Zhou's glory run late on Friday to go top that prevented a clean sweep of Red Bull's dominance over the three days. Even away from the headline ... Keep reading

The final chicane will be replaced by two high-speed right-hand corners at this year's Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.

The Maranello-based outfit raised some eyebrows when the front wing of its 2023 challenger featured the very same slot gap separator trick concept that Mercedes had been told it could not run last year. The idea is that the support elements are shaped in such a way that they help divert airflow to better increase outwash, something the FIA had hoped to minimise with the new generation of ... Keep reading

The change will ensure that the lap finishes with two fast corners, as it did in the past, and the hope is that it will allow cars to follow more closely onto the straight and encourage overtaking. The new version of the track measures 4.657kms, compared with the 4.675kms of the previous iteration with the chicane. The removal of the chicane has been in discussion for some years, and the key ... Keep reading

The controversial final chicane at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has been removed ahead of this year's Grand Prix.

The change will ensure that the lap finishes with two fast corners, as it did in the past, and the hope is that it will allow cars to follow more closely onto the straight and encourage overtaking. The new version of the track measures 4.657km, compared with the 4.675km of the previous iteration with the chicane. The removal of the chicane has been in discussion for some years, and the key ... Keep reading

The Maranello-based outfit raised some eyebrows when the front wing of its 2023 challenger featured the very same slot gap separator trick concept that Mercedes had been told it could not run last year. The idea is that the support elements are shaped in such a way that they help divert airflow to better increase outwash – something the FIA had hoped to minimise with the new generation of ... Keep reading

A cursory glance at the timesheets already pointed in that direction, with Sergio Perez having set the benchmark overall in the late flurry of lower fuel runs on the final evening as teams finally unlocked some potential. In fact, it was only Guanyu Zhou's glory run late on Friday to go top that prevented a clean sweep of Red Bull's dominance over the three days. Even away from the headline ... Keep reading

Much happier than he was after 2022 testing, Lewis Hamilton feels that Mercedes W14 is still lagging behind Red Bull and Ferrari.

At McLaren's 2023 launch, even before a wheel was turned, the team realised it was in for a rough start to the new season because it found it had missed its aero targets. Last week's three-day Bahrain test has gone reasonably well, but it also confirmed the team's expectation that just like last year it would start 2023 with a car that is too inefficient, and therefore generates excessive drag ... Keep reading

At McLaren's 2023 launch, even before a wheel was turned, the team realised it was in for a rough start to the new season because it found it had missed its aero targets. Last week's three-day Bahrain test has gone reasonably well, but it also confirmed the team's expectation that just like last year it would start 2023 with a car that is too inefficient, and therefore generates excessive drag ... Keep reading

Though he believes the SF-23 is "an improvement" on its predecessor, Charles Leclerc admits there is still work to do.

Alpine drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly did not feature that high on timing screens over the three-day pre-season test in Sakhir as the team focused on longer runs and experimentation with its A523, deciding not to run with low fuel or use the softest tyres in Pirelli’s range. However, rivals have indicated that the Enstone team looks competitive and will potentially be vying with Aston ... Keep reading

The third day of testing also allowed us to seek out some more of the interesting technical details we haven’t covered so far, with teams not only trialling new parts but also being less covert with the ones they might have been hiding in the opening few days. Ferrari introduced a new rear wing design on the third day of running, with several changes – including a different downforce level ... Keep reading

Sources suggest that the 10 current teams want the anti-dilution fee to be boosted to at least $600m, with one team principal telling Autosport that it was the lowest figure that has been mentioned, and that it could go higher. If agreed the new number could force Michael Andretti to reconsider his plans to enter with General Motors brand Cadillac, which are built around the current ... Keep reading

Sources suggest that the 10 current teams want the anti-dilution fee to be boosted to at least $600m, with one team principal telling Motorsport.com that it was the lowest figure that has been mentioned, and that it could go higher. If agreed the new number could force Michael Andretti to reconsider his plans to enter with General Motors brand Cadillac, which are built around the current ... Keep reading

Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly did not feature that high on timing screens over the three-day pre-season test in Sakhir as the team focused on longer runs and experimentation with its A523, deciding not to run with low fuel or use the softest tyres in Pirelli’s range. However, rivals have indicated that the Enstone team looks competitive and will potentially be vying with Aston Martin to be ... Keep reading

Lance Stroll will be replaced by Aston Martin reserve driver Felipe Drugovich if the Canadian is not fit enough to race in the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Aston Martin has this morning confirmed that Felipe Drugovich will replace Lance Stroll at the season opener next weekend if the Canadian isn't fully recovered.

The Silverstone team says that it will give the Canadian “every chance” to compete in the opening race of the season after a cycling accident forced him out of the three-day pre-season test in Bahrain. A decision on who will race next weekend could be left until the last minute, and Stroll may possibly even drive the car in FP1 with the option of stepping out if he is unable to perform ... Keep reading

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell made an encouraging start to the 2023 test on Thursday with a car that didn't seem to suffer from porpoising like its cursed predecessor. But the week took a wrong turn on day two, when the Brackley team struggled with the balance throughout the day in both the hot daytime and cooler evening conditions. The team admitted it was mystified by its loss of ... Keep reading

The team says that it will give Stroll “every chance” to compete in the opening race of the season, which suggests that the decision could be left until the last-minute – and that the Canadian may possibly even drive the car in FP1 with the option of stepping out if he is unable to perform properly. However, the first step will be for him to sample the Silverstone team’s simulator ... Keep reading

Helmut Marko's reaction to speculation over the future of AlphaTauri doesn't augur well for the Faenza-based outfit.

Red Bull emerged from F1’s pre-season test at Sakhir widely regarded as the team to beat, with the RB19 appearing to be very reliable and quick on both short and long runs.  But while the pace of the Red Bull appeared to be bad news for Ferrari, which is targeting a fight for world championship glory this year, Vasseur seems far from alarmed about what he has seen in running so ... Keep reading

AlphaTauri completes the most miles in pre-season testing, while McLaren completes the least.

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell made an encouraging start to the 2023 test on Thursday with a car that didn't seem to suffer from porpoising like its cursed predecessor. But the week took a wrong turn on day two, when the Brackley team struggled with the balance throughout the day in both the hot daytime and cooler evening conditions. The team admitted it was mystified by its loss of ... Keep reading

With continued uncertainty over Lance Stroll's fitness, Aston Martin could turn to Sebastian Vettel as season opener looms.

Red Bull emerged from F1’s pre-season test at Sakhir widely regarded as the team to beat, with the RB19 appearing to be very reliable and quick on both short and long runs.  But while the pace of the Red Bull appeared to be bad news for Ferrari, which is targeting a fight for world championship glory this year, Vasseur seems far from alarmed about what he has seen in running so ... Keep reading

The third day of testing also allowed us to seek out some more of the interesting technical details we haven’t covered so far, with teams not only trialling new parts but also being less covert with the ones they might have been hiding in the opening few days. Ferrari SF-23 rear wing Photo by: Giorgio Piola Ferrari introduced a new rear wing design on the third day of running ... Keep reading

Mercedes was pleased to report "no bouncing" during the first of three days of testing at Bahrain as it has sought to eliminate the porpoising phenomenon that dogged it last year. But the second day of running was blighted by persistent mid-corner balance issues for both Hamilton and team-mate George Russell before the latter parked up in the afternoon with a hydraulics failure. While the ... Keep reading

The Mexican beat Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton to the fastest time on the final day in Bahrain, with Valtteri Bottas in third for Alfa Romeo. Earlier in the day, Charles Leclerc led the morning's running for Ferrari, clocking a 1m31.024s on Pirelli's C5 tyres to lead Mercedes' George Russell by four tenths. But the real test for teams will come next weekend at the season-opening ... Keep reading

Aston Martin refuse to rule out the possibility of Sebastian Vettel making a shock F1 comeback at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

Confidence about the Formula 1 campaign ahead simply oozes out of Max Verstappen as pre-season testing comes to a conclusion in Bahrain on Saturday.

Stroll missed pre-season testing in Bahrain after sustaining injuries during a cycling incident while training in Spain. Krack insisted that Stroll remains the Plan A and that no alternatives would be considered until it is clear that the Canadian can’t drive in next week’s Bahrain GP. Official reserve driver Felipe Drugovich remains the obvious favourite to get the seat given that he ... Keep reading

The Mexican beat Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton to the fastest time on the final day in Bahrain, with Valtteri Bottas in third for Alfa Romeo. PLUS: What we learned on the final day of F1 testing in Bahrain Earlier in the day, Charles Leclerc led the morning's running for Ferrari, clocking a 1m31.024s on Pirelli's C5 tyres to lead Mercedes' George Russell by four tenths. But ... Keep reading

Krack insisted that Stroll remains the Plan A and that no alternatives would be considered until it is clear that the Canadian can’t drive in next week’s Bahrain GP. Official reserve driver Felipe Drugovich remains the obvious favourite to get the seat given that he tested the car in Bahrain this week. However, should Stroll's problems prove to be longer term and stretch to the second ... Keep reading

A report in German publication Auto Motor Und Sport on Saturday suggested that AlphaTauri’s future was up in the air on the back of its disappointing results last year. As Red Bull itself dominated both F1 championships, AlphaTauri endured some frustrations with its car and ended up ninth in the standings - leading to a big drop in commercial rights income. The AMuS story claimed that Red ... Keep reading

A report in German publication Auto Motor Und Sport on Saturday suggested that AlphaTauri’s future was up in the air on the back of its disappointing results last year. As Red Bull itself dominated both F1 championships, AlphaTauri endured some frustrations with its car and ended up ninth in the standings - leading to a big drop in commercial rights income. The AMuS story claimed that Red ... Keep reading

Sergio Perez tops the timesheets in Bahrain as pre-season testing comes to an end, and red flag restart hopefully offers a hint of what's to come.

Perez set the time on the last of the three days of testing, before the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sakhir circuit on March 5. Lewis Hamilton was second-quickest for Mercedes, ahead of Valtteri Bottas for Alfa Romeo. Mercedes bounced back after a scare on day two, which led to an overnight investigation in its lack of pace, with the second-quickest time on the final day, set by ... Keep reading

Red Bull's Sergio Perez set the fastest time of Formula 1 pre-season testing ahead of Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton.

Under a searing sun the opening phase of the final opportunity to test ahead of next week's Bahrain Grand Prix was dominated by longer runs, with Perez moving up the order courtesy of a 1m31.714s on Pirelli's mid-range C3 tyres. Mercedes' Hamilton joined the fray with a 1m31.960s on the same compound during what seemed like a more positive afternoon for Mercedes than Friday. As the sun set ... Keep reading

Perez set the time on the last of the three days of testing, before the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sakhir circuit on March 5. Lewis Hamilton was second-quickest for Mercedes, ahead of Valtteri Bottas for Alfa Romeo. Mercedes bounced back after a scare on day two, which led to an overnight investigation in its lack of pace, with the second-quickest time on the final day, set by ... Keep reading

Today's times from the Bahrain International Circuit the third and final day of pre-season testing.

Perez set the time on the last of the three days of testing, before the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sakhir circuit on March 5. Lewis Hamilton was second-quickest for Mercedes, ahead of Valtteri Bottas for Alfa Romeo. Mercedes bounced back after a scare on day two, which led to an overnight investigation in its lack of pace, with the second-quickest time on the final day, set by ... Keep reading

Under a searing sun, the opening phase of the final opportunity to test ahead of next week's Bahrain Grand Prix was dominated by longer runs, with Perez moving up the order courtesy of a 1m31.714s on Pirelli's mid-range C3 tyres. Mercedes' Hamilton joined the fray with a 1m31.960s on the same compound during what seemed like a more positive afternoon for Mercedes than Friday. As the sun set ... Keep reading

Under its new management, Red Bull's parent company is considering the future of AlphaTauri with one option being to sell the Faenza-based outfit.

Lewis Hamilton has warned that the intended ban on tyre blankets is wrong, the seven-time world champion stating that the move is dangerous.

Mercedes was pleased to report "no bouncing" during the first of three days of testing at Bahrain as it has sought to eliminate the porpoising phenomenon that dogged it last year. But the second day of running was blighted by persistent mid-corner balance issues for both Hamilton and team-mate George Russell before the latter parked up in the afternoon with a hydraulics failure. While the ... Keep reading

Mercedes was pleased to report “no bouncing” during the first of three days of testing at Bahrain as it has sought to eliminate the porpoising phenomenon that dogged it last year. But the second day of running was blighted by persistent mid-corner balance issues for both Hamilton and team-mate George Russell, before the latter parked up in the afternoon with a hydraulics failure. While ... Keep reading

The new car has looked comfortably fast from the start of testing on Thursday, and it has also run with few apparent issues, although Verstappen lost some track time on Friday. PLUS: What watching trackside in Bahrain indicates about F1 2023 The world champion had the car to himself on Thursday and then shared it with Sergio Perez on Friday before the Mexican was its sole occupant on ... Keep reading

The new car has looked comfortably fast from the start of testing on Thursday, and it has also run with few apparent issues, although Verstappen lost some track time on Friday. The Dutchman had the car to himself on Thursday and then shared it with Sergio Perez on Friday before the Mexican was its sole occupant on Saturday. "I think the car is working really well," said Verstappen. "Just ... Keep reading

Ferrari’s F1-75 packed on impressive downforce levels, with its heavily-sculpted sidepods feeding upper level airflow into the critical floor and underfloor Venturi tunnels that the ground effect cars need to work well to be quick. But it suffered on the straights compared to the slippery, efficient Red Bull RB18. That car went on to dominate the 2022 championship while Ferrari’s initially ... Keep reading

Ferrari’s F1-75 package from 2022 packed on impressive downforce levels with its heavily sculpted sidepods feeding upper level airflow into the critical floor and underfloor Venturi tunnels groundeffect cars need to work well to be quick, but it suffered on the straights compared to the slippery, efficient Red Bull RB18. That car went on to dominate the 2022 championship while Ferrari’s ... Keep reading

As reported by Autosport on Friday, F1 teams, the FIA and FOM are all due to hold a vote after this year’s British Grand Prix to decide whether or not to go ahead with a ban on tyre warming.  There have been many attempts in the past to outlaw tyre blankets, on both costs and sustainability grounds, but each time the efforts have been abandoned because of complications in coming up with ... Keep reading

Charles Leclerc signs off with the fastest time of the week as speculation over the true form of the Ferrari continues.

As reported by Motorsport.com on Friday, F1 teams, the FIA and FOM are all due to hold a vote after this year’s British Grand Prix to decide whether or not to go ahead with a ban on tyre warming.  There have been many attempts in the past to outlaw tyre blankets, on both costs and sustainability grounds, but each time the efforts have been abandoned because of complications in coming up ... Keep reading

Even before pre-season testing started in Bahrain there were positive rumours about Aston's aero numbers. While it is still hard to draw conclusions from the timesheets as testing rolls into the third and final day, rival drivers and teams have seen enough from Alonso's long runs and his AMR23's compliant behaviour to single Aston out as one of the teams to watch this season. "It's clear ... Keep reading

This morning's times from the Bahrain International Circuit, as the final day of pre-season testing gets underway.

With times at the Bahrain International Circuit improving as teams shifted to more performance work, Leclerc clocked a 1m31.024s on Pirelli's C5 tyres to lead Mercedes' George Russell by four tenths. Following two flawless days, Alfa Romeo hit trouble in Sakhir, Valtteri Bottas causing a red flag as he ground to a halt with suspected gearbox problems. It was the second red flag of the ... Keep reading

With times at the Bahrain International Circuit improving as teams shifted to more performance work, Leclerc clocked a 1m31.024s on Pirelli's C5 tyres to lead Mercedes' George Russell by four tenths. Following two flawless days Alfa Romeo hit trouble in Sakhir, Valtteri Bottas causing a red flag as he ground to a halt with suspected gearbox problems. It was the second red flag of the session ... Keep reading

Team principal Andrea Stella's admission that the squad was not "entirely happy" with the launch specification version of its 2023 challenger had laid down a clear marker in reducing expectations. Launches are normally happy scene-setters for the campaign ahead, and it is quite rare for teams to deliver such a downbeat assessment as their shiny new model is revealed. The conclusion was that ... Keep reading

Team principal Andrea Stella's admission that the squad was not "entirely happy" with the launch specification version of its 2023 challenger had laid down a clear marker in reducing expectations. Launches are normally happy scene-setters for the campaign ahead, and it is quite rare for teams to deliver such a downbeat assessment as their shiny new model is revealed. The conclusion was that ... Keep reading

Even before pre-season testing started in Bahrain there were positive rumours about Aston's aero numbers. While it is still hard to draw conclusions from the timesheets as testing rolls into the third and final day, rival drivers and teams have seen enough from Alonso's long runs and his AMR23's compliant behaviour to single Aston out as one of the teams to watch this season. "It's clear ... Keep reading

There was plenty of early doors aero rake action, just as there was on day one, with teams using that time just as the session kicks off to do some constant speed runs before getting into the thick of the action. Mercedes W14 Photo by: Giorgio Piola McLaren MCL60 detail Photo by: Giorgio Piola The rakes being used carry an array of kiel probes that measure ... Keep reading

The Woking-based squad has been open since its launch that it is not entirely happy with the initial specification of the MCL60, which has lacked competitiveness in the Bahrain pre-season test. It is unsure just how much difficulty it is going to face in next week's F1 season opener, but remains optimistic that upgrades planned from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix can help it turn things ... Keep reading

Zhou tops the timesheets and Russell suffers a hydraulics failure as Max Verstappen enjoys final outing in RB19 before the season opener.

The Woking-based squad has been open since its launch that it is not entirely happy with the initial specification of the MCL60, which has lacked competitiveness in the Bahrain pre-season test. It is unsure just how much difficulty it is going to face in next week's F1 season opener, but remains optimistic that upgrades planned from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix can help it turn things ... Keep reading

George Russell says he does not expect Mercedes to be competing for victory at the start of the Formula 1 season in Bahrain next week.

After taking over from team-mate Sergio Perez for the afternoon session, Verstappen instantly lit up the timesheet in the Red Bull RB19 and carved his way to top spot with a 1m31.650s on the C3 tyres. The reigning world champion, who also spent the entire opening day of the test driving for Red Bull on Thursday, was duly further ahead on his test programme as some rivals didn’t switch focus ... Keep reading

Today's times from the Bahrain International Circuit following the second and penultimate day of pre-season testing.

After taking over from team-mate Sergio Perez for the afternoon session, Verstappen instantly lit up the timesheet in the Red Bull RB19 and carved his way to the top spot with a 1m31.650s on the C3 tyres. The reigning world champion, who also spent the entire opening day of the test driving for Red Bull on Thursday, was duly further ahead on his test programme as some rivals didn't switch focus ... Keep reading

Technical director Francois-Xavier Demaison and head of aerodynamics Dave Wheater both left the team in December, in parallel with the departure of former team principal Jost Capito. While Williams moved quickly to hire Vowles from Mercedes as its new team boss, the two top technical jobs remain unfilled. Given the gardening leave that such positions usually involve, it could be many months ... Keep reading

Technical director Francois-Xavier Demaison and head of aerodynamics Dave Wheater both left the team in December, in parallel with the departure of former team principal Jost Capito. While Williams moved quickly to hire Vowles from Mercedes as its new team boss, the two top technical jobs remain unfilled. Given the gardening leave that such positions usually involve, it could be many months ... Keep reading

The Woking-based team has faced a few teething problems in pre-season testing, with its running slightly limited on Thursday after needing to reinforce parts to avoid failures.  Furthermore, drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have not looked especially comfortable out on track, with their lap times not at the head of the timesheets either.  McLaren's difficulties are not a ... Keep reading

Zak Brown admits that McLaren is currently on the back foot with its 2023 contender having failed to reach proposed development targets.

Mercedes has been under scrutiny during Bahrain testing as it seeks to recover from a 2022 campaign hurt by porpoising and drag that caused its fall to third in the points. Initial feedback from Russell and Lewis Hamilton has been that the new challenger has wayward car balance, but that this is far easier to solve compared to the “alarm bells ringing” in 2022 as Mercedes has made a “step ... Keep reading

The Woking-based team has faced a few teething problems in pre-season testing, with its running slightly limited on Thursday after needing to reinforce parts to avoid failures.  Furthermore, drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have not looked especially comfortable out on track, with their lap times not particularly impressive either.  McLaren's difficulties are not a total ... Keep reading

George Russell says he does not expect Mercedes to be competing for victory at the start of the Formula 1 season in Bahrain next week.

Mercedes has been under scrutiny during Bahrain testing as it seeks to recover from a 2022 campaign hurt by porpoising and drag that caused its fall to third in the points. Initial feedback from Russell and Lewis Hamilton has been that the new challenger has wayward car balance, but that this is far easier to solve compared to the “alarm bells ringing” in 2022 as Mercedes has made a “step ... Keep reading

When Franck Lagorce was chosen to replace Johnny Herbert at Ligier for the final two rounds of the 1994 Formula 1 season, his debut couldn’t have come under more challenging circumstances. Suzuka is about as difficult a circuit as they come, and that’s when drivers can see where they’re going. The Japanese Grand Prix that year was held in utterly appalling conditions that would almost ... Keep reading

Carlos Sainz set the pace on the second morning in Bahrain, while confusion following a practice start almost ends in mayhem.

On a hot Friday morning Haas' Kevin Magnussen led the early running with a first representative time, a 1m33.710s on Pirelli's mid-range C3 compound. Sainz then grabbed the lead with a 1m32.653s effort, which he later improved to a 1m32.486s in his C3-shod Ferrari. It meant the Spaniard had improved on Max Verstappen's Thursday benchmark by four tenths, with Ferrari continuing to head the ... Keep reading

This morning's times from the Bahrain International Circuit, as the second day of pre-season testing gets underway.

On a hot Friday morning, Haas' Kevin Magnussen led the early running with a first representative time, a 1m33.710s on Pirelli's mid-range C3 compound. Sainz then grabbed the lead with a 1m32.653s effort, which he later improved to a 1m32.486s in his C3-shod Ferrari. It meant the Spaniard had improved on Max Verstappen's Thursday benchmark by four tenths, with Ferrari continuing to head the ... Keep reading

Official supplier Pirelli has been making preparations for F1 to abandon the use of tyre warmers from next year as part of a wider push to improve grand prix racing's sustainability. However, with previous attempts to ban tyre warmers having been abandoned because of the technical complexities of devising with products that can cope with excessive temperature and pressure variations, the change ... Keep reading

Official supplier Pirelli has been making preparations for F1 to abandon the use of tyre warmers from next year as part of a wider push to improve grand prix racing's sustainability. However, with previous attempts to ban tyre warmers having been abandoned because of the technical complexities of coming up with products that can cope with excessive temperature and pressure variations, the ... Keep reading

Following an encouraging opening day of running for the new C43 at the Bahrain pre-season test on Thursday, both Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu were left upbeat by some specific areas of progress made over the winter. Beyond some general aerodynamic and performance upgrades, the drivers are especially boosted by both reliability progress and more rear-end stability, issues that plagued the ... Keep reading

Haas is one of three teams, including Red Bull and Mercedes, to have mounted a winglet on the inboard rear quarter of the front wing endplate. Haas VF-23 front wing detail Photo by: Giorgio Piola In this case, the Haas winglet also has a slot to marry-up with the slots below it between the front wing elements. Aston Martin AMR 23, detail front wing Photo by ... Keep reading

Following an encouraging opening day of running for the new C43 at the Bahrain pre-season test on Thursday, both Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou were left encouraged by some specific areas of progress made over the winter. Beyond some general aerodynamic and performance upgrades, the drivers are especially boosted by both reliability progress and more rear-end stability, issues that plagued the ... Keep reading

Team principal Gunther Steiner says that the money has been fed straight into the development budget for the VF-23. The team’s push for cost savings reflects the fact that Moneygram title sponsorship and an eighth-place finish in the 2022 world championship has given it the funds with which to push up to the cost cap for the first time. Haas used to travel worldwide with a two-part pit ... Keep reading

Team principal Gunther Steiner says that the money has been fed straight into the development budget for the VF-23. The team’s push for cost savings reflects the fact that Moneygram title sponsorship and an eighth-place finish in the 2022 world championship have given it the funds with which to push up to the cost cap for the first time. Haas used to travel worldwide with a two-part pit ... Keep reading

Haas is one of three teams, including Red Bull Racing and Mercedes, to have mounted a winglet on the inboard rear quarter of the front wing endplate. Haas VF-23 front wing detail Photo by: Giorgio Piola In this case, the Haas winglet also has a slot to marry-up with the slots below it between the front wing elements. Aston Martin AMR 23, detail front wing Photo ... Keep reading

The German manufacturer had an encouraging opening day to pre-season F1 testing in Bahrain on Thursday, its 2023 challenger proving to be much better handling than last year’s troubled W13 as Lewis Hamilton finished sixth on the timesheet, which was headed by Red Bull's Max Verstappen. Twelve months ago, the team had undergone a disastrous test in Bahrain as both its drivers struggled to ... Keep reading

Lance Stroll was ruled out of this week's three-day test after a cycling incident left him with what team boss Mike Krack has now revealed is a wrist injury. The team still doesn't know if Stroll will definitely be fit enough to take part in the Bahrain GP next week. Felipe Drugovich took over the car for Thursday morning's session, although his running was compromised by an electrical issue ... Keep reading

Stroll was ruled out of this week's three-day test after a cycling incident left him with what team boss Mike Krack has now revealed is a wrist injury. The team still doesn't know if Stroll will definitely be fit enough to take part in the Bahrain Grand Prix next weekend. Reigning Formula 2 champion Felipe Drugovich took over the car for Thursday morning's session, although his running was ... Keep reading

Lance Stroll was ruled out of this week's three-day test after a cycling incident left him with what team boss Mike Krack has now revealed is a wrist injury. The team still doesn't know if Stroll will definitely be fit enough to take part in the Bahrain GP next week. Felipe Drugovich took over the car for Thursday morning's session, although his running was compromised by an electrical issue ... Keep reading

Max Verstappen completes almost three race distances on his way to posting the fastest time as pre-season testing gets underway.

Today's times from the Bahrain International Circuit, following the first day of pre-season testing.

Verstappen, the only driver to run for the full day as all other F1 teams split their programmes, put in a 1m32.837s midway through the afternoon to improve on his effort that led the morning session. It looked nailed on to give Red Bull top spot until a number of teams started to focus on performance runs on the softer compound tyres. Alonso, on fresh C3 tyres, duly leapt to 0.029 seconds ... Keep reading

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Verstappen, the only driver to run for the full day as all other F1 teams split their programmes, put in a 1m32.837s midway through the afternoon to improve on his effort that led the morning session. It looked nailed on to give Red Bull top spot until a number of teams started to focus on performance runs on the softer compound tyres. Alonso, on fresh C3 tyres, duly leapt to 0.029 seconds ... Keep reading