With the 2023 F1 season now within sight, here is a look at three lessons learned across the pre-season test.
Having spent the last few days gaining vital track time in preparation for the new season, teams will now be analysing data and trying to fix any major issues ahead of the season-opener in Bahrain across 3-5 March.
Whilst it will be a case of fine-tuning for some teams, others will be eagerly trying to get on top of various issues discovered across the test in order to ensure that they start the season in a competitive mood.
Now, here is a look at three lessons which we learned across the pre-season test in Bahrain, which is the host of the first race in this campaign.
Red Bull Ready To Roar
Despite enduring a 10% reduction in wind tunnel testing time this season due to a breach of the 2021 budget cap, Red Bull look ready to roar on as the early hot favourites to defend their title double of last season.
Max Verstappen in particular looks set to challenge for a third consecutive title after finishing fastest on the opening day and second-fastest on the second day of running, during which he enjoyed positive on-track action with no major issues.
Sergio Perez too enjoyed a smooth test with no serious issues and topped the final day, underlining their serious pace heading into the season and it is hard to view them as anything less than serious title contenders heading into the season-opener.
Their reduction in wind tunnel testing time though could limit their development across the season, in-turn handing Ferrari and Mercedes a chance to catch up and potentially be quicker come end of season.
Another issue that could hinder the early part of Red Bull’s season is a dodgy rear-jack, which proved troublesome during pit stops at times during the test but I do expect them to quickly correct that issue – even if have to manage it through next weekend’s opener at minimum.
Mercedes Look To Fight For Success
After enduring their worst campaign since 2012 with just one race win last season, Mercedes look determined to fight for success again as they chase a return to form.
Having spent the entirety of last season largely exposed on single-lap pace with a deficit of around seven or eighth-tenths of a second for majority of races, Mercedes certainly seem to have reduced that deficit based on their low-fuel runs to around three-tenths of a second.
Red Bull and Ferrari though do both still look quicker but the overall gap does look much closer, meaning that any scruffy laps could be crucial across every Qualifying session, although Mercedes’ best hopes probably will lie in executing their race strategies perfectly.
It is therefore little surprise that Mercedes seemed largely focused on long-run pace practice across testing more than chasing the fastest lap until the final afternoon session, which does seem to suggest that their race pace could be key to enjoying a stronger season.
Mercedes however do still have setup work to do to nail their car balance and protecting tyre degradation especially in terms of track temperatures, which could well be their Achilles heel at times this season if can’t get on top quickly.
The Silver Arrows though are mooted to be introducing a huge upgrade package in May which could further cut their pace deficit, meaning that it could be a case of trying to grind their way through the opening races and hoping the upgrade ignites their season come May.
Williams In Midfield Mix
After a return to disappointing form last season following an upturn in performance aided by slices of luck in 2021, Williams do look like they could be back in the midfield mix after a competitive test in which they delivered 439 laps in total without any major issues.
Logan Sargeant in particular looks like he could justify his immediate promotion to F1 after just one season in F2, having adapted well to the FW45 especially on low-fuel runs in which he finished seventh quickest on Day Two, although everyone was running different programmes just for clarity.
Alex Albon meanwhile will be looking to build upon a positive test in which he clearly looked comfortable and finished seventh on the opening day, which underlines a clear step forward in their single-lap pace due to more wind tunnel testing time than any other team.
Williams in fact do look much better than McLaren and AlphaTauri based on the timesheets across testing, yet we don’t know the exact pecking order beyond Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes due to the various individual testing programmes of each team and evolving track conditions.
If there is one thing for certain though then it is that Williams hopefully won’t be spending another season propping up the grid, especially once Sargeant has fully acclaimatised himself to F1 in full race weekend trim because he and Albon do look strong enough to fight for regular Q2 appearances.
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