Formula 1 testing is over and the teams have packed up and left the Bahrain International Circuit, having completed their final preparations ahead of the opening race of the 2023 season. This year’s testing saw some surprising results and some teams’ impressive performances, leaving fans wondering about the potential outcomes of the upcoming races. Here’s a look at the standout performances from the 2023 Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain.
Testing Laps Completed
Testing laps completed by each team is a good metric to gauge the reliability of the cars, and all teams performed impressively in this aspect. AlphaTauri, however, stands out as the team with the most laps completed, averaging 152 laps per day, which is incredibly impressive. Fernando Alonso completed the most laps of any driver, with 270 laps, although he had an extra half-day of testing compared to everyone else. Lando Norris had the lowest lap count amongst full-time drivers with 141 laps.
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Fastest Lap in Testing by Driver
Although the final testing day saw softer tires on the cars, it was challenging to predict the competitive order based on lap times. The times were pretty close, but it’s difficult to read too much into the results. Sergio Perez topped the charts with a lap time of 1:30.305 on Day 3, followed by Lewis Hamilton with 1:30.664 and Valtteri Bottas with 1:30.827.
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Formula 1 Testing Lap Time Improvement, 2022 vs. 2023
Seven teams, excluding McLaren, Ferrari, and Alpine, beat their qualifying times from last year during the testing. Although testing lap times aren’t fully representative of overall pace, the improvement in lap time from last season to this is quite stark for some teams. Williams had the most significant improvement with -2.378s, followed by Aston Martin with -2.371s, and Alfa Romeo with -2.158s. On the other hand, Alpine had a +0.064s increase in lap time compared to last year.
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Number of laps completed by each team during testing
| Rank | Team | Laps Completed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | AlphaTauri | 456 |
| 2 | Williams | 439 |
| 3 | Ferrari | 416 |
| 4 | Haas | 414 |
| 5 | Red Bull | 413 |
| 6 | Alfa Romeo | 401 |
| 7 | Mercedes | 398 |
| 8 | Aston Martin | 387 |
| 9 | Alpine | 353 |
| 10 | McLaren | 311 |
Fastest lap times achieved by each driver during testing
| Rank | Driver | Team | Time | Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | 1:30.305 | 3 |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:30.664 | 3 |
| 3 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo | 1:30.827 | 3 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:31.024 | 3 |
| 5 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:31.036 | 3 |
| 6 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | 1:31.261 | 3 |
| 7 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 1:31.381 | 3 |
| 8 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:31.442 | 3 |
| 9 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:31.450 | 3 |
| 10 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo | 1:31.610 | 2 |
| 11 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:31.650 | 2 |
| 12 | Felipe Drugovich | Aston Martin | 1:32.075 | 3 |
| 13 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:32.165 | 3 |
| 14 | Nyck de Vries | AlphaTauri | 1:32.222 | 2 |
| 15 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | 1:32.466 | 2 |
| 16 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | 1:32.549 | 2 |
| 17 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:32.762 | 3 |
| 18 | Alex Albon | Williams | 1:32.793 | 3 |
| 19 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:33.175 | 2 |
| 20 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 1:33.257 | 3 |
Improvement in testing lap times from 2022 to 2023
| Team | Time delta (s) |
|---|---|
| Williams | -2.378s |
| Aston Martin | -2.371s |
| Alfa Romeo | -2.158s |
| Mercedes | -2.095s |
| AlphaTauri | -1.741s |
| Red Bull | -1.415s |
| Ferrari | -1.391s |
| McLaren | -1.011s |
| Haas | -0.860s |
| Alpine | +0.064s |
Conclusion
Red Bull is a favorite, with Max Verstappen looking bullish after a successful Bahrain testing, stating that their goal is to win. Mercedes also looks promising after making overnight tweaks on the W14, making them a much better place on the final test day.
In conclusion, the pre-season testing has raised many exciting prospects, and the season ahead looks promising. The teams have had ample time to test their cars, and the drivers have had a chance to acclimatize to the track. Fans are eagerly waiting for the opening race of the 2023 season, and we can’t wait to see the teams and drivers in action.