F1 Bahrain Test: Lineup of drivers for Formula 1 preseason

This Thursday and until Saturday, February 25, the teams of Formula 1 will play in just three days of pre-season testing F1 that they need to test their new cars before the start of the 2023 campaign, which will start with the same layout as Bahrain in the first appointment of the year from March 3 to 5.

The current regulations do not allow teams to freely test their cars in private tests, and more than 100 km away. ‘filming day’ that they can do on experimental tires, these three days alone can draw conclusions from their new single-seaters for this season. So, it is expected that all the teams will distribute the three days of testing between their two drivers, making each of them roll for a day and a half.

In these tests, everyone’s first goal with their new cars is to confirm their reliability and collect as much data as possible on the track to compare with what they already have from their simulator. So, everyone’s main goal is to do as many laps as possible as long as their engine power and their speed increase during these three days, yes, hiding any card and without giving away hints to their rivals of their true rhythm in a turn and a long run.

Driver order and lineup

F1 pre-season test

-Red Bull:
Thursday: Verstappen
Friday: Pérez (morning), Verstappen (afternoon)
Saturday: perez

-Ferrari:
Thursday: Sainz (morning), Leclerc (afternoon)
Friday: Sainz (morning), Leclerc (afternoon)
Saturday: Leclerc (morning), Sainz (afternoon)

– Mercedes:
Thursday: –
Friday: –
Saturday: –

– Alpine:
Thursday: –
Friday: –
Saturday: –

The– McLaren:
Thursday: –
Friday: –
Saturday: –

– Alfa Romeo:
Thursday: –
Friday: –
Saturday: –

-Aston Martin:
Thursday: Drugovich (morning), Alonso (afternoon)
Friday: –
Saturday: –

– Do:
Thursday: Hülkenberg (morning), Magnussen (afternoon)
Friday: Magnussen (morning), Hülkenberg (afternoon)
Saturday: Hülkenberg (morning), Magnussen (afternoon)

– AlphaTauri:
Thursday: –
Friday: –
Saturday: –

-Williams:
Thursday: Albon (morning), Sargeant (afternoon)
Friday: sergeant
Saturday: Albon

In that context, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc is alternating with the wheel of a Ferrari SF23 From where much is expected due to the confidence that the red team has a great improvement in the reliability of the engine and the step forward made in the performance of the single-seater in the main issues such as the wear of the tires and the resistance of the car to move forward in a straight line. The set of Maranello has decided that its two drivers will ride every day, starting with Sainz driving on Thursday and Friday mornings and Leclerc riding both days in the afternoon, to finally swap positions on Friday, the last day of the race. Leclerc will drive in the morning and Sainz will do it in the afternoon.

The starting order of the current track champions was also announced, red bullwhich will start the exam on Verstappen in the cockpit of the new one RB19 this Thursday. Pérez will change the baton on Friday morning and Verstappen He will return to the car on Friday afternoon, before ‘Checo’ drives all day on Saturday, the last day. Meanwhile, the order in which they drive the Mercedes (Hamilton and Russell) is unknown.

For his part, at Aston Martin Felipe has been confirmed drugovich will accompany Fernando Alonso in the trials of Bahrain to replace the wounded Lance Strolling. The young 22-year-old Brazilian driver will begin tests at the wheel of AMR23 this Thursday morning and Alonso will drive on Thursday afternoon, but it is not known how they will combine their track time over the remaining two days.