The 2023 Formula One season kicked off at Sakhir in the Bahrain GP 2023, Final Practice showed us that Mercedes had a lot of catching up to do whereas Red Bull and Ferrari seemed to be doing well keeping up with last year’s performance. However, one inconsistency was Aston Martin’s new signing 2X WDC champion Fernando Alonso finishing quickest at FP2 and FP3.
However, at qualifying, Verstappen and Perez claimed the spots at P1 and P2 respectively. They were followed by the boys at Ferrari at 3rd and 4th and Alonso started 5th followed by both the Englishmen at Mercedes and then by his fellow teammate Lance Stroll. Pierre Gasly could not get through Q1 whereas his teammate and fellow Frenchman, Esteban Ocon started 9th in Q3.
Our first top 10 of the season 👀#BahrainGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/yMlInrLVOq
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 5, 2023
Gasly mentioned “It’s clearly a one-off,” when he was asked about the qualifying disaster. McLaren had a disappointing place in the starting grid owing to Norris starting 11th and Piastri starting 18th. Williams started 15th and 16th whereas, for Haas, Nico Hulkenberg qualified in the 10th position at the starting grid and Kevin Magnussen started at 17th.
The Bahrain GP main race was all about Aston Martin, where Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll both outperformed the midfield and were a constant threat to both the Ferrari and Mercedes drivers. At P1 and P2, Verstappen sailed to victory with no problems whatsoever, whereas Perez had to overtake Charles Leclerc at lap 26 after a relatively slow start.
Chronological series of events of the GP
Verstappen started pretty well and kept his pole advantage whereas Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez came on to a slow start. Hamilton gained two places at the start sending Alonso to 6th who was then later hit on the rear by teammate Stroll at turn 4. This in turn caused Alonso to drop down to 7th.
LAP 25/57
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 5, 2023
Battle for P2: Perez is all over the back of Leclerc #BahrainGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/lwukIXxpdF
Pitting started from the 12th to the 20th lap where Hamilton boxed at lap 13 followed by the boys at Ferrari. The reigning WDC champion pitted on lap 15, giving Perez the responsibility to hold on to the lead for Red Bull.
Valtteri Bottas was ‘stealthily’ climbing up the ranks in the first quarter once finding himself at the 6th spot. Sergio Perez pitted a few moments later and emerged from the pits with soft tires, much like his teammate Verstappen. Perez then overtook Leclerc on Lap 26 for P2.
A battle was emerging in the spots for P4-P7 including Russell, Hamilton, Sainz and Alonso closely followed by Stroll and the rest of the field. Esteban Ocon was penalized 5 seconds for speeding in the pit lane. Hamilton pitted again on lap 31 following his ex-teammate Valtteri Bottas on lap 30. Stroll breezed past Russell around the same time to take P7 on warmer tires.
Alonso’s intensity is insane 🤯#BahrainGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/EEmX5WxO4b
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 5, 2023
Leclerc stayed out till lap 34, giving Alonso the opportunity to clench to P3. Alonso and ‘Checo’ Perez pitted on lap 35, later coming out at P6 and P2 consequently. Verstappen pitted on lap 37, while also being 37 seconds ahead of the rest of the grid. A lightning-fast pit stop for 2.3 seconds from the crew at Red Bull caused him to keep his lead while coming out of the pit lane.
Alonso overtook Hamilton owing to seemingly perfect DRS usage, on lap 37. A slight oversteer from the side of the 2X WDC champion caused his rival in times of old to overtake him at turn 5, subsequently racing down to the hairpin turn where Alonso performed a better exit, giving him P5.
Charles takes the setback in his stride 👏#BahrainGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/uautfUi2IJ
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 5, 2023
On lap 41, Leclerc hit rock bottom as the Ferrari powertrain failed him and he lost out on an easy P3. The virtual safety car was deployed post Leclerc’s DNF.
Alonso’s claim of the P3 was sealed on lap 44, where he overtook Carlos Sainz Jr. with the assistance of DRS. Alonso seemed to have mastered the 10th turn of the Sakhir circuit as both his crucial overtakes took place at that sector.
Sainz was left struggling for traction which caused him to concede to the elder Spaniard heading into the hairpin. There was a small touch between the two Spaniards and Sainz’s F1-23 took minor damage.
Logan Sargeant took P11 by the end of the race, De Vries took 14th and Hulkenberg took 15th. McLaren suffered as Lando Norris headed for the box 6 times in total and Oscar Piastri, who was retired mid-race.
Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez led a Red Bull 1-2 at Sakhir dominating the rest of the grid fairly easily.
“It’s the perfect start for this project,” Alonso commented on his 99th podium.
FERNANDO ON THE PODIUM!!!! #BahrainGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/mlUlFM6E5P
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 5, 2023
Fernando Alonso won the Driver of the Day award for the Grand Prix.
#F1DriverOfTheDay
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 5, 2023
It could only be Fernando 🙌#BahrainGP @salesforce pic.twitter.com/5Ila8jdru8
On the other hand, Max Verstappen hailed the car and the upcoming season, mentioning that “We can definitely fight with this car, and a big thank you to the team to get us a quick race car again.” We return back to action at Jeddah after a break of 2 weeks to follow the Saudi Arabian GP.
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