Checo Perez, Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen. This is how the first ones begin Free 1 from 2023, theos of the Bahrain Grand Prix, dominated by the Red Bull and with the Aston Martin embedded between them. It’s not a significant session, but being in the lead is always better than the other way around. Carlos Sainz, with problems in the Ferrari, has closed the table in this first session, while Leclerc he was fifth, despite only running on medium tyres.
For Fernando, everything was very similar to the tests, with a very stable and fast Aston Martin, second with medium s (half a second) and soft (0.4) tires, always behind Pérez, and without mishaps. Even Lance Stroll, in his first contact with this single-seater and injured wrists, finished sixth, what triggers the sensations for those of Silverstone.
Sainz spinning top
Carlos Sainz was doing comparative work on the two rear wings, one with more load and the other with less. The first vibrated, but with the second he suffered a very spectacular spin, after touching the right rear part of his ground twice, with two blows that were heard from the ‘on board’.
The man from Madrid he was able to control it, but the faces of concern on the wall and in the box were evident. Something seemed to have gone wrong, apart from the fact that it is a car that keeps bouncing excessively compared to Red Bull or Aston Martin.
alpine far behind
This is a session that has nothing to do with qualifying and race conditions. In Free 2 you will see data that is closer to the reality of the forces, but Alpine does not leave the rear area. Ocon was 15th and Gasly 17th. I don’t want to say anything, but the gesture of the engineering director, Alan Permane, repeatedly denying on the wall, do not bode well. It is still very early days, but the signs are not good for the car painted completely pink in Bahrain.
Checo and Alonso start
The Mexican and Fernando, half a second behind, dominated the start times on the medium tire. The Aston Martin seemed to be running smoothly again, while Verstappen was somewhat more split, like the Ferrari. The hind wing he wore Sainz it swayed alarmingly on its single central supporting pylon.
Stroll he was only able to do two laps in the first half hour, due to a problem in the plugs of his AMR23 and not of his physical condition, which he could hardly prove.
After the first media game
1º S. Perez Red Bull 1’34″343 7
2nd Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1’34″867 +00″524 9
3º L. Hamilton Mercedes 1’35″014 +00″671 9
4º K. Magnussen Haas 1’35″420 +01″077 9
5º M. Verstappen Red Bull 1’35″429 +01″086 6
6º P. Gasly Alpine 1’35″671 +01″328 9
7º N. Hulkenberg Haas 1’35″865 +01″522 10
8º C. Leclerc Ferrari 1’35″991 +01″648 8
9º G. Russell Mercedes 1’35″999 +01″656 9
10th E. Ocon Alpine 1’36″057 +01″714 8
11th Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1’36″072 +01″729 9
12º L Sargeant Williams 1’36″102 +01″759 8
13º A. Albon Williams 1’36″216 +01″873 9
14th O. Piastri McLaren 1’36″274 +01″931 8
15º L. Norris McLaren 1’36″488 +02″145 7
16º Y. Tsunoda AlphaTauri 1’36″763 +02″420 11
17º G. Zhou Alfa Romeo 1’36″889 +02″546 8
18º V. Bottas Alfa Romeo 1’37″149 +02″806 10
19º N. De Vries AlphaTauri 1’37″493 +03″150 11
20th L. Stroll Aston Martin, no time, 2