Formula One’s three-day preseason test is underway at the Bahrain International Circuit with all ten teams on track together for the first time in 2023.
Testing is limited to three days this year ahead of the first race at the same circuit on March 5.
All ten teams hosted launch events over the past few weeks, although Thursday morning offered the first glimpse of Red Bull’s RB19 after the world champions opted just to show its livery at its New York reveal earlier this month.
Your comprehensive guide to preseason testing
Most teams are splitting their track time between drivers, with the exception of Red Bull which will have world champion Max Verstappen in the car all day. Teammate Sergio Perez will get a full day in the car on Saturday, with Red Bull splitting duties between its drivers on Friday.
Verstappen’s first laps out in the RB19 gave the public the first glance of Red Bull’s new car. The world champions ‘season launch’ in New York featured a 2023 livery on last year’s car.
Most teams will ensure both its race drivers get equal time behind the wheel over the three days, where possible.
Lance Stroll is the only race driver not taking part in testing this year after suffering injuries in a cycling accident last week. Aston Martin’s reserve driver Felipe Drugovich will take his place by driving the car on Thursday morning.
Drugovich would trigger the first red flag of the season after just nine minutes of the session, when his Aston Martin car stopped on track.
Driver lineup (Thursday):
Red Bull: Max Verstappen (all day)
Ferrari: Carlos Sainz (AM)/Charles Leclerc (PM)
Mercedes: George Russell (AM)/Lewis Hamilton (PM)
Alpine: Pierre Gasly (AM)/Esteban Ocon (PM)
McLaren: Oscar Piastri (AM)/LandoNorris (PM)
Alfa Romeo: Zhou Guanyu (AM)/Valtteri Bottas (PM)
Aston Martin: Felipe Drugovich (AM)/Fernando Alonso (PM)
Haas: Nico Hulkenberg (AM)/Kevin Magnussen (PM)
AlphaTauri: Nyck De Vries (AM)/Yuki Tsunoda (PM)
Williams: Alex Albon (AM)/ Logan Sargeant (PM)
Source: www.espn.com