The 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season is rapidly approaching, and the teams hit the track on Thursday for the opening day of testing at the Bahrain International Circuit. The drivers took control of their new cars for the first time, with teams gathering important data ahead of the opener in less than two weeks.
Max Verstappen did all of the team’s testing on Thursday, with Sergio Pérez getting his first opportunity in the car on Friday morning, before taking the whole of the Saturday sessions. Verstappen picked up where he left off in 2022 and topped the first session, with Red Bull looking to win back-to-back Constructors Championships and Verstappen looking to win three titles on the bounce after a dominant display in 2022.
“Today was a promising start to the 2023 season as we were able to complete the planned program without major reliability concerns,” said GianPiero Lambiase, Red Bull’s Head of Race Engineering. “Everyone’s hard work over the winter has really paid off as the car hit the ground running in terms of balance, and we were able to concentrate on testing various broader aerodynamic and mechanical configurations to better understand the new platform as well as the subtlety modified tyre construction.
“We will continue to focus on ourselves and ensure we are as prepared for the first race as we can be by following a similar method over the next two days. There’s plenty of data analysis to do this evening, and then we look forward to Checo experiencing his first taste of the RB19 tomorrow. For Max, he has just four hours remaining before his season kicks off, so he needs to recover well overnight.”
Despite staying grounded, it is clear Red Bull is confident going into the Bahrain opener in a few weeks time with everyone in good spirits.
