2023 Baharain Grand Prix - FP1 & FP2

It’s officially day 2 of the 2023 Formula 1 season, and time for the first qualifying session of the year. With an impressive showing in both practice sessions yesterday, Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso are riding into today on a wave of confidence. Were they able to capitalize?

Stay with Supercars.GH until the end as we bring you all the latest updates from the Bahrain International Circuit in Bahrain.

Free Practice 3

The Aston Martin hype train continues to gain momentum, with Fernando Alonso once again topping the timing charts in FP3. The F1 world was delighted to see the former two-time World Champion fly around the circuit, reminding us of his heroics in yesteryears. His teammate, Canadian driver Lance Stroll also managed to come in at P6, despite having undergone surgery on both his wrists.

The Red Bull drivers had struggles with their cars’ balance throughout the session, while Mercedes hurried to unlock the hidden potential of their newest black arrow. But, to say that all eyes were on the green AMR23 of Aston Martin would be an understatement.

Fernando Alonso 1:32.340
Max Verstappen 1:32.345
Sergio Perez 1:32.446

Qualifying

Once the sun went down and the floodlights turned on, it was time for the first qualifying session of the year. The air was thick with excitement, as we got our first look at how the F1 pecking order stands in 2023.

Max Verstappen was in form as always, blasting his way to his 21st career pole position. He was followed by his Mexican teammate, securing the front-row lockout for Red Bull.

Behind them were the two Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz. Ferrari’s strategy was called into question immediately, as they decided to box Charles Leclerc with nearly two minutes left on the clock. However, it all seemed to work out in the end, but the prancing horses have their work cut out for them if they want to repeat the heroics of 2022.

Going into qualifying, everyone’s eyes were on Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin. They did not disappoint, as the experienced driver managed to slot his green machine behind Sainz for a P5 start. Lance Stroll starts the race three places back, with the Mercedes pair separating them. Nico Hulkenberg also had an amazing qualifying, managing to jump into the top 10 in his F1 return.

Elsewhere, the results didn’t look so good for the three rookie drivers on the grid – Nyck De Vries, Logan Sargeant, and Oscar Piastri. All three drivers got eliminated in Q1, and have their work cut out for tomorrow to prove themselves to the F1 universe. Pierre Gasly also had a disappointing evening, leaving the paddock wondering whether his decision to move to Alpine was a good idea after all.

Max Verstappen 1:29.708
Sergio Perez 1:29.846
Charles Leclerc 1:30.000

So, we are all set for the first Grand Prix of 2023 tomorrow. Will Red Bull continue to dominate? Will Mercedes bounce back? How will Aston Martin fare? Join SUpercars.com.GH tomorrow to find out all the answers in our complete race review.