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Formula 1 Bahrain GP

F1 Bahrain GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP1 & FP2

Friday's action from the 2023 Formula 1 season opener

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL60, ahead of Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB19 in the pit lane

After the intense three-day pre-season test at the same track last week, the 2023 F1 season begins this weekend with the Bahrain GP.

Having missed the pre-season test due to a wrist injury, Lance Stroll will make his comeback for Aston Martin alongside Fernando Alonso while back-up drivers Felipe Drugovich and Stoffel Vandoorne remain on standby.

Bahrain GP first practice begins at 11:30am GMT followed by second practice which starts at 3:00pm GMT. Qualifying takes place on Saturday at 3:00pm GMT to decide the starting grid for the race on Sunday at 3:00pm GMT.

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Bah, rain? No chance - the radar shows a 0% chance of rain coming to play in this session. So that's quite nice.
In thoroughly unrepresentative conditions this morning, not everybody had a run on the soft tyres in FP1 - so the true pecking order in 2023 remains unknown. This FP2 session should provide a clearer picture.
We're back! It's nearly 6pm in Bahrain, it's getting dark, and the circuit is beginning to cool down. FP2 will be with you in just over 15 minutes' time.
Photo
With that, it is time for a quick breather and a spot of lunch, but it probably won't be anything as good as this looked from in the paddock last Wednesday. We'll be back ahead of second practice which starts at 3pm GMT.
Atmosphere

Atmosphere

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Breaking news
Need a recap on everything that happened in first practice? Look no further: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-bahrain-gp-perez-kicks-off-2023-to-head-fp1-over-alonso/10438880/
So, Perez on top from Alonso with Verstappen third, while there was no representative comparison from Ferrari and Mercedes who didn't run on the softs tyres.
Albon gets a little too close for comfort with Piastri as the session comes to a close, showing his car's nose to the inside of the corner with the Australian on the racing line. Thankfully, no harm done and it is time for the practice starts.
Stroll sneaks in another push lap on the softs but fails to improve, going just over one-tenth slower, which keeps him sixth. But with 16 laps to his name, the main focus will be on how his wrists feel given the grand prix is 57 laps of the Bahrain circuit.
Checkered flag
Into the embers of first practice and top spot looks assured to be Perez's, just as it was on the final day of pre-season testing.
Yellow flag
A very brief yellow flag flashes up in the first sector but without a clear indication for what caused it. So let's assume someone ran on at Turn 1 a la Norris from earlier.
Stopwatch
Stroll, on his first effort on the softs, goes sixth with a 1m34.298s which is over a second off his team-mate Alonso.
Both Mercs have improved again but are sticking to the mediums, meaning Hamilton and Russell are at the lower end of the top 10.
Stopwatch
Alonso splits the Red Bulls to go second with a 1m33.196s on the softs which gets a nod of admiration from Aston Martin Group CEO Martin Whitmarsh.
Stopwatch
Leclerc, on mediums, goes fourth with a 1m34.257s - 1.4s off Perez's leading effort set on softs.
Still no soft tyre running from Ferrari, Mercedes, Aston Martin or Alpine, which probably explains how the Red Bulls are over a second clear at the top of the times.
Alex Kalinauckas
Alex Kalinauckas

More trackside insight: For all that has been suggested about Aston having a good car balance in testing, Alonso was one of the worst for rear stability on the exit of Turn 4 during that long run. That said, it’s very hot right now so the tyres will be struggling as he gets on the gas. It should be better under lights later, but worth keeping an eye on.

Sainz has flat spotted those tyres so duly pits. During testing Piastri had a similar moment on that bump before Turn 9, so it is one to be wary of for the rest of the weekend.
Off track
Sainz spins! The Ferrari driver completes a 360 after going over the bump in the braking zone for Turn 9. It was a fast off and he does well to avoid the wall.
Quote
"Just let me drive the car," Stroll says over team radio while being given some feedback.
Yellow flag
Norris brings out a yellow flag as he goes off at Turn 1. The McLaren driver appears to misjudge his braking at the end of the main straight and takes to the run-off. No harm done.
Stopwatch
Stroll has a lap time on the board! The Canadian driver puts in a 1m37.519s which keeps him 20th, 4.7s off Perez's leading effort.
Lots of rear wing focus in FP1, as Ferrari adjusts Leclerc's following his earlier wobbly moment, meanwhile Williams is also paying close attention to Albon's rear wing.
Stroll is back out on the track as Aston has fixed the ignition problem.

Alonso drifts wide at Turn 4 which is pinged as an off-track excursion by race control. We saw plenty of that during testing but given it wasn't a competitive session it didn't really matter. Not the case this weekend.

Stopwatch
Perez delivers with a 1m32.758s which keeps him top as Verstappen only manages a 1m33.375s.
The Red Bulls have also switched to the soft tyres now, so fast lap times incoming.
Mechanical problem
Stroll's issue is an ignition problem. We'd say that is fairly fundamental when trying to complete laps in an F1 car.
Stopwatch
Hamilton improves but stays third with a 1m35.014s on the medium tyres.
It turns out the Stroll hold-up is due to the car rather than the driver. There's a lot of work going on to the right-rear section of the engine.
Still only two laps for Stroll, the fewest from any driver by far, but probably best to take it easy getting back in the groove after his injury. Meanwhile Drugovich and Vandoorne watch on from the back of the garage.
TV replays catch a wobbly rear wing on Leclerc's Ferrari, with a splash of flow-vis paint, which doesn't look like it is behaving as it should. New team boss Fred Vasseur looks on nonplussed, but in fairness that is his usual disposition.
Stopwatch
Soft tyre alert! The Haas pair have switched to the soft rubber early, as Magnussen goes third with a 1m35.420s and Hulkenberg goes seventh with a 1m35.865s. This Hulkenberg newcomer, we wonder how he'll get on...
Stopwatch
Perez has moved to the top of the times with a 1m34.343s on the mediums - putting him half a second clear of Alonso.
Quote
"I can smell something burning," Sargeant reports over Williams radio. He's been able to continue without much fuss, so all is well thus far.
Alex Kalinauckas
Alex Kalinauckas

The latest from trackside: Expect Stroll to concentrate on high-fuel running, therefore not targeting any headline times, as Aston assess his injury and make up for missing test mileage.

Piastri catches a snap in his McLaren and goes off track, meaning he backs out of the lap, but next time around posts a 1m36.274s to go fifth.
Stroll completes an in- and out-lap and pits from his first run, so doesn't provide a lap time for us to scrutinise to the nth degree.
Stopwatch
Verstappen slots into third with a 1m35.429s with his first timed lap, three-tenths behind Alonso and Perez. Elsewhere, Hamilton heads on to the track.
Stroll and Verstappen nip out leaving just the Mercs yet to make an appearance in this session. All eyes will be on Stroll and how he manages with his poorly wrists.

By: Autosport Staff

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