F1 Bahrain GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP3 and Qualifying
Saturday's Formula 1 action from the Bahrain International Circuit
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 is making his comeback for Aston Martin alongside Fernando Alonso, with the Spaniard going quickest on Friday.
Bahrain GP final practice begins at 11:30am GMT followed by qualifying which starts at 3:00pm GMT and the race takes place on Sunday at 3:00pm GMT.
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Stroll is the latest to head out on track, but that still leaves 11 drivers who haven't been seen yet.
Stopwatch
Leclerc splits the two Mercs, with a 1m33.574s that is just 0.066s slower than what Hamilton managed. All three have used the soft tyres for those laps.
Stopwatch
So, we've got a Mercedes 1-2 now with Hamilton heading Russell! Somehow, we don't think we'll be seeing that again later!
Sainz is reporting a slightly cracked seat with his Ferrari - let's see how much that bothers the Spaniard.
For those interested in these largely irrelevant early lap times, Magnussen's opening gambit was a tenth slower than what team-mate Hulkenberg managed.
In contrast, Verstappen is out of the car and clearly won't be joining the fray any time soon.
And Russell's arrival has sparked a host of other top drivers to venture out, including the two Ferraris and Hamilton.
But, just as we type that, Russell's Mercedes appears! It's not been smooth sailing for the Black Arrows so far this year but today we might get an idea of where the team is truly at currently.
Stopwatch
Hulkenberg also puts a time on the board a 1m36.150s on the mediums - compared to the softs Norris used earlier. Magnussen has now headed out, too, but they're the only cars yet to have left the pits today.
Norris was having to fight the McLaren MCL60 around the track and it's still looking a bit of a handful.
Stopwatch
Speaking of Hulkenberg, he does indeed now venture out on track, while Norris completes the first time of the session: a 1m34.633s, some four seconds off yesterday's pace.
Breaking news
During this quiet start to the session, why not have a read of this. After three years away, Nico Hulkenberg is making a full-time F1 return this year with Haas. Here, GP Racing magazine speaks to him about his aims for the season ahead: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/how-f1s-comeback-merchant-can-make-a-lasting-impression-at-haas/10438979/
Alonso has an inspection of his AMR23 steed - one of many drivers that's clearly not in a rush to head out.
Speaking of unsurprising occurrences, given the unrepresentative 42C track temperatures, there's not exactly a queue of cars wanting to head out. Just Norris has ventured out so far.
Green flag
And we're away! FP3 begins!
Sun
Here's your FP3 weather update - and, huge surprise, the chance of rain in Bahrain is 0%!
Breaking news
There has also been a tweak to the pitlane exit rules after controversy involving champion Verstappen in Monaco last year: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/fia-tweaks-f1-pitlane-exit-rules-following-verstappen-controversy/10439329/
Breaking news
There's been plenty of news to emerge already this morning, including the planned first trial of a new qualifying format expected to happen at Imola. This will involve drivers being told which tyres they will have to use in each segment of the session. More details: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/imola-earmarked-for-first-f1-qualifying-experiment/10439379/
Anyway, back to the here and now and this is your five-minute warning before FP3 begins!
Speaking of Alonso, today marks exactly 22 years since he made his F1 debut with Minardi in the 2001 Australian Grand Prix. I wonder if he thought back then he would still be on the grid 22 years later? He was part of a mega rookie crop that season, alongside Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya - oh and Enrique Bernoldi.
You can't help but feel all eyes will be on Aston Martin today - both to see how Alonso performs and also how Stroll copes as he returns from injuring his wrist in a cycling crash. He did appear to struggle a little at times yesterday, but today is a new day - and he'll be keen to get more mileage under his belt.
So, it's now just under 10 minutes until final practice begins. Who can lay down one final marker in the (Bahrain) sand ahead of qualifying later today?
That said, the drivers should be dreaming of the Sakhir circuit given how much they've been pounding around it in the past week!
Yet, it is still another chance for teams to conduct some running in their new cars. And, remember, with just three days of pre-season testing, they don't all have oodles and oodles of data.
But, before qualifying begins at 3pm UK time and we can find out how F1 2023 is truly shaping up, we've got the small matter of third practice! It's never normally the most useful of sessions and that is especially the case in Bahrain as it's held in unrepresentative warmer, daylight conditions - three-and-a-half hours earlier than qualifying and tomorrow's race.
Breaking news
Yesterday's second practice session revealed some clues, but with all the usual caveats of not knowing exact fuel loads and how much each driver and team was pushing. Here's ALEX KALINAUCKAS's analysis from Friday's action: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/what-we-learned-from-friday-practice-at-f1s-2023-bahrain-gp/10439103/
So, after all the chat in the off-season and around testing, today is the day we should finally get some answers about F1 2023's competitive order. Is Red Bull still the team to beat? Can Aston Martin truly get in the mix after Alonso's pacesetting times yesterday? Is Mercedes really struggling? All questions we should - in theory - have a better idea of the answer to today.
Greetings! Welcome to Autosport's live coverage of Saturday of the Bahrain Grand Prix!
By: Autosport Staff
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