Formula 1

Rev Your Engines: Get Ready for F1 Testing Bahrain 2023 with the Full Schedule

Published

4 weeks ago

20/02/2023

The pre-season testing for F1 Bahrain 2023 is finally approaching, marking the pinnacle of excitement for the highly anticipated 2023 F1 season.

The highly anticipated 2023 F1 season countdown has reached peak excitement as pre-season tests are finally almost here.

We’ve had lavish car launches [with a minimum of actual new car observations], but soon there will be no more hiding as all 10 teams unveil their 2023 rockets on a public race track.

The annual pre-season tests will take place later this week in Bahrain, where timing sheets and visual evidence will replace speculations and conjectures for the first time.

Here’s everything you need to know about when and where the F1 tests will take place in 2023, how you can watch them live, and how it all works.

We have three days of testing scheduled before the 2023 season with two four-hour sessions per day.

Here are the key dates and start times for your F1 calendar:

F1 testing Bahrain 2023

Date	Local Time	UK Time	CET Time	EST Time	PST Time
Thursday, February 23	10:00	07:00	08:00	02:00	23:00
Thursday, February 23	15:30	12:30	13:30	07:30	04:30
Friday, February 24	10:00	07:00	08:00	02:00	23:00
Friday, February 24	15:30	12:30	13:30	07:30	04:30
Saturday, February 25	10:00	07:00	08:00	02:00	23:00
Saturday, February 25	15:30	12:30	13:30	07:30	04:30

The F1 audience has been growing significantly year on year, and we have the popular Netflix show Drive to Survive to thank, at least in part, for this increase.

It is expected that major broadcasters and TV channels in all key markets will again be conducting tests in 2023.

It’s best to check the local schedules for timings, but these are the outlets that have local F1 rights in 2023 and may broadcast all three days of testing from Bahrain:

Channels	Country
Sky Sports	UK
ESPN	US
Sky Sport F1	Italy
Sky Sport F1	Germany
Canal+	France
Canal+ Sport	France
DAZN F1	Spain
Viaplay Xtra	Netherlands
TV Bandeirantes	Brazil
BandSports	Brazil
Fox Sports	Australia
RDS	Canada
TSN	Canada
DAZN	Japan

The tests were also broadcast in territories served by F1TV Pro in 2022, but we are awaiting official confirmation that it will again be available for subscribers in 2023.

As in previous years, the testing will take place at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, which will also host the very first Grand Prix weekend of the 2023 season from March 3-5.

The 5.214km (3.363m) track was opened back in 2004 and features a combination of long straights and tight corners.

The last two days of the 2023 testing (Friday, February 24 and Saturday, February 25) will be open to fans, and tickets can be purchased from the official Bahrain Grand Prix website.

There are no strict rules in place, but each driver will be allowed a maximum of one-and-a-half days (three sessions) in the car during the test period.

F1 testing Bahrain 2023 test period.

	Thurs AM	Thurs PM	Fri AM	Fri PM	Sat AM	Sat PM
Red Bull	VER	VER	PER	VER	PER	PER
Ferrari	SAI	LEC
Mercedes	RUS	HAM	HAM	RUS	RUS	HAM
Alpine	GAS	OCO	OCO	GAS	GAS	OCO
McLaren	PIA	NOR	NOR	PIA	PIA	NOR
Alfa Romeo	ZHO	BOT	ZHO	ZHO	BOT	BOT
Aston Martin	DRU	ALO
Haas	HUL	MAG	MAG	HUL	HUL	MAG
AlphaTauri	TSU	DEV	TSU	DEV	DEV	TSU
Williams	ALB	SAR	SAR	SAR	ALB	ALB

During the test, the cars will largely run with aerodynamic testing devices, such as aero rakes, which hang off the sides of the cars and look like scaffolding. These devices are used to measure airflow, allowing teams to correlate data from on-track testing to data obtained from wind tunnel and CFD testing.

The tests also provide drivers and engineers with the opportunity to get back into the rhythm of a race weekend, going through numerous procedures specific to both qualifying and the race.

This is especially important for drivers who are switching teams and rookies who can get a feel for their new cars before the start of the season.

Testing in Bahrain will give F1 fans the first opportunity to see the new cars and drivers in action on the racetrack this year, except for Lance Stroll who will be absent from the testing due to an injury sustained in a bike accident.

Lineups for F1 2023

Team	Drivers
Red Bull	Max Verstappen (1), Sergio Perez (11)
Ferrari	Charles Leclerc (16), Carlos Sainz Jr (55)
Mercedes	Lewis Hamilton (44), George Russell (63)
Alpine	Esteban Ocon (31), Pierre Gasly (10)
McLaren	Lando Norris (4), Oscar Piastri (81)
Aston Martin	Fernando Alonso (14), Lance Stroll (18)
AlphaTauri	Yuki Tsunoda (22), Nyck de Vries (21)
Alfa Romeo	Valtteri Bottas (77), Zhou Guanyu (24)
Haas	Kevin Magnussen (20), Nico Hulkenberg (27)
Williams	Alex Albon (23), Logan Sargeant (2)

The 10 teams have now all had their season launches, from Red Bull’s event in New York to Ferrari’s supershow in front of the adoring tifosi at Maranello and Fiorano.

Here’s a first look at the 2023 cars:

Team	Cars
Red Bull	RB 19
Ferrari	SF23
Mercedes	W14
Alpine	A523
McLaren	MCL60
Aston Martin	AMR23
Alfa Romeo	C43
AlphaTauri	AT04
Haas	VF-23
Williams	FW45

Following the radical changes to F1’s technical regulations last season, there are unlikely to be significant innovations in 2023, but there are subtle differences to note.

Regulation changes have been made to the floor ride height to address the porpoising effects experienced last year.

Each team will also be reassessing their approach using the knowledge gained during the first season of the new era, and some may switch concepts to something a rival used to their advantage.

That’s correct, the 23-race F1 calendar for 2023 will start with the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday, March 5.

F1 tickets for the 2023

F1 tickets for the 2023 season are available for purchase, but not for all races. Some grand prix races, such as Austin, may go on sale later in 2023.

The range of ticket prices varies greatly, from thousands of euros for the most expensive grandstand VIP passes to just 40 euros to watch the action in Monaco from the Le Rocher general admission area. Several races offer general admission tickets for fans looking for the cheapest deals.

The best places to purchase official F1 tickets are either from the official F1 website or official race websites.

The F1 grid in 2023 will be missing some well-known and popular names. Sebastian Vettel, a four-time world champion, announced his retirement following the 2022 season. Daniel Ricciardo, who lost his seat at McLaren, will be spending 2023 as a Red Bull reserve driver.

Mick Schumacher, who lost his seat for 2023, will be a reserve driver for both Mercedes and McLaren following his departure from Haas. Nicholas Latifi, the former Williams driver, is also not returning to the grid in 2023.

That’s correct. In 2023, exciting Australian youngster Oscar Piastri will replace his compatriot Ricciardo at McLaren, while Logan Sargeant from the United States will be a new F1 driver at Williams.

Dutchman Nyck de Vries will partner with Yuki Tsunoda at AlphaTauri, and Nico Hulkenberg will make a full-time return to the grid and join Kevin Magnussen at Haas.

Looking back over the past 2 years of F1 pre-season testing, we can see how the results have compared to the winners’ pole position times at the same venue later in the season. However, it’s important to note that this should only be used as a rough guide due to the differences in tire compounds, fuel loads, and track conditions during each lap.

In 2022, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen led the final day of testing but lost to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in qualifying and the race at the Bahrain GP. This was the first time since 2019 that the same team didn’t top pre-season testing and take pole position at the same track during the season. However, this wasn’t a sign of things to come as Ferrari struggled with reliability issues, strategy errors, and driver mistakes, while Red Bull emerged as the top team through superior development and performance.