[F1] – Hello dear readers of FormulaPassion.it and welcome to the appointment dedicated to the direct writing of the first free practice session of the Bahrain Grand Prixthe first round of the 2023 Formula 1 championship. After a long wait, the time has finally come to see the teams and drivers of the world champion Circus back in action, with great anticipation for the Ferrari SF-23 in the hands of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will try to dethrone Max Verstappen and Red Bull, great protagonists in the three days of winter testing.
Session in progress
12.46 – Federico Albano followed the first runs of Ferrari, these are his impressions: “At Ferrari, the first two comparative tests with rear wings in different configurations. The two laps were carried out with a medium fuel load. From the data, Leclerc seems to immediately show a considerably more stable rear than Sainz, but any understeer remains to be verified, which cannot yet be assessed from the images shown”. Below are the wings adopted by the Ferraristi.
12.45 – Sixth time for Russell at +1″7, eighth for Albon at +1″8.
12.44 – Via radio Sargeant reported that he had noticed a burning smell on his Williams in the first flying lap.
12.43 – Alonso improves, moving to half a second behind the Red Bull driver. Sainz returns to the pits, for now sixth at almost two seconds.
12.42 – Hamilton moves into fourth position at 1119 thousandths from Checo.
12.41 – Verstappen returns to the pits, Perez closes the second lap launched in 1’34″343 for Perez who takes command.
12.40 – This time Piastri finished the lap with a medium tire and moved into fifth position, 1226 thousandths behind Alonso.
12.39 – ‘Pendulum’ in the mixed stretch for Oscar Piastri who momentarily lost control of his McLaren MCL60.
12.38 – For now Verstappen moves into third position 381 thousandths from Alonso.
12.36 – The medium compound is the most used in these first runs, Max Verstappen is now launching, Gasly, Sainz and Piastri complete the top-5 for now.
12.35 – Alonso in 1’35″048 he is ahead of Perez by 21 thousandths with the same medium tyre.
12.33 – The Mercedes drivers and Nico Hulkenberg are still in the pits.
12.31 – Immediately heavy traffic on the track, also the McLarens, the Alpines, the Red Bulls, the Aston Martins and the Ferraris took to the track.
12.30 – Green light at the end of the pit lane, Alexander Albon, Logan Sargeant and the Alfa Romeos took to the track, Bottas’ one equipped with aerodynamic rakes at the rear.
12.27 – We had previously reported the ‘case’ jewels for Hamilton. The definitive exemption has arrived for the seven-time world champion.
12.25 – At Ferrari Leclerc will ride in PL1 with the rear wing with the single support pylon that was damaged in the tests, Sainz instead will ride with the classic one with two support pylons.
12.20 – 27°C the air temperature, 42°C that of the asphalt.
12.15 – In F3 free practice Gabriele Minì – who entered the Alpine academy – finished in second position behind Gabriel Bortoleto.
12.10 – Lewis Hamilton continues to be discussed: after the FIA ’gag’ fight proclamation confirmed last night this morning, the Mercedes self-certification on Hamilton’s jewels is missing.
12.00 – FIA crackdown on ‘technical show and tell’: teams will no longer be able to hide updates.
11.50 – Lance Stroll will grit his teeth this weekend and run with both wrists wrapped. On Wednesday he did a race simulation on the simulator which kicked off the return made official yesterday by Aston Martin.
11.40 – The Red Bull RB19 impressed in winter testing. Pat Symonds noticed details that give the 2023 car great traction and also more lightness.
11.30 – We begin our chronicle with a news related to Nikita Mazepin. The Russian driver, engaged in F1 at the wheel of the Haas in 2021, received the OK from the Court of the European Union to race again in the Old Continent as long as he is not linked to his father and accepting the status of neutral driver without a flag.
