The 2023 Formula 1 season is upon us, and just like in the past two years, the new campaign will start at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen and Red Bull are set to commence their title defence after dominating the opposition last season, but they are going to face stiff competition, especially with all teams starting with a clean slate.
This upcoming season will also see familiar faces in their new liveries, as Pierre Gasly, Oscar Piastri, Fernando Alonso, Nico Hulkenberg, Nyck de Vries, and Logan Sargeant aim to start strong for their respective new teams.
Pre-season testing has already started this week, as all teams and racers gear up for qualifying and the actual race on Sunday.
So, without further ado, continue to read below as SBOTOP brings to you the latest Bahrain Grand Prix 2023 updates.
Red Bull better than last season?
The RB19 has big shoes to fill after the dominance of the RB18 last season, and Max Verstappen is already liking what he’s seeing from his new machine.
Speaking ahead of the race on Sunday, Verstappen said that the team feels in a much better place than last year and that the RB19 has “improved everywhere.”
“I mean, we had three really good days of testing. I also think that, in general, the progress we made over the winter was really good. We need to show it this weekend, and not just this weekend but continue to develop,” said Verstappen.
Verstappen pointed out that the team had improved the overall weight of their car, which suits the Dutchman’s driving style. It can be noted that the RB18 was overweight, although that didn’t stop them from winning 17 races out of 22.
But while Red Bull are the big favourites to start the campaign on a high note, they do have a smaller margin for error because of the progress made by both Ferrari and Mercedes, with the former expected to be better at race strategies following the arrival of Fred Vasseur and with the latter apparently having solved the porpoising issues that hounded them last term.
Aston Martin raising eyebrows
The AMR23 has turned heads during pre-season testing after placing fourth in the Qualifying Simulation Pace data behind Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari. Assuming this translates on the paddock starting on Sunday, Aston Martin might be heading the midfield pack at the very least.
Fernando Alonso and reserve driver Felipe Drugovich completed the early laps in the AMR23, while Lance Stroll had to sit and watch because he injured his wrists after a bike accident. It was feared that he might not make it, but the team just announced that he’ll return to the paddock on Sunday.
“It was just some minor surgery on my right wrist, and on my left one, I banged it up a little bit. It was a pretty painful bike accident, as I just came off the bike and ate it pretty hard,” detailed Stroll.
“That’s it, and I just basically went all-out to get myself back into shape, to get back in the car. The doctor was incredible, my physio was unbelievable, and thanks to them I’m here in Bahrain,” he added.
Stroll added that he is “itching” to get behind the wheel of the AMR23 because of the hype it has gotten this week. Overall, it would be interesting to see how he and the whole team fare after qualifying.
History
In last year’s edition, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz backed up a Ferrari one-two, while Lewis Hamilton took the final podium when Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez suffered a double DNF.
Behind Hamilton were George Russell and Kevin Magnussen, who finished at P4 and P5, despite starting at P9 and P7, respectively.
Lewis Hamilton has the most wins on this track with five, while Sebastian Vettel has four and Fernando Alonso has three. Hamilton has also topped three of their last four qualifying sessions to take the pole (in 2019, 2020, and 2021).
What are the odds?
Because he’s the defending champion, along with their impressive pre-season testing, Max Verstappen is the favourite to win on Sunday.
The Dutchman is installed at 1.10 to win, while Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are right behind him in the Bahrain Grand Prix 2023 odds at 1.35 and 1.55, respectively. The final podium is up for grabs between Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez, and George Russell at 1.75, 2.20, and 2.36, and it’s actually hard to pick between these three superb drivers.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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