Bahrain GP

Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez took the first two positions on the podium. The lights out at Sakhir kicked off the 2023 season of Formula 1. A few ...

Post qualification, he revealed that he didn’t quit the final flying lap because of an issue. As per the Bahrain GP race, Mercedes looks like the most direct competitor of the Astons. It’s still the first race of the season but it remains to be seen which zone will the resurgent Aston Martin compete in. Mercedes driver George Russell even said that he would bet on Red Bull winning every race of the season. But what did we learn from Bahrain GP, the opening race of the season? The lights out at Sakhir kicked off the 2023 season of Formula 1.

Red Bull's Max verstappen and Sergio Perez delivered the perfect 1-2 result to open their 2023 campaign, with Fernando Alonso third.

The Spaniard was complaining about his car bouncing, but he was still just about able to stay ahead of Hamilton who was on slightly older tyres. But what goes around comes around, and this year it was Leclerc's turn to suffer a technical failure: "No power, no power, no power," he yelled over the team radio as the car came to a halt on lap 40, triggering a brief Virtual Safety Car for the SF-23 to be retrieved. Williams and Haas used the VSC opportunity for a cheeky free pit stop for their drivers, while Tsunoda was able to pass his team mate de Vries as the rookie was distracted trying to find his way past Zhou. Behind them Stroll was looking secure in seventh ahead of Russell followed by Bottas, Albon, Gasly, Tsunoda, Sargeant, de Vries, Zhou and Magnussen who had got ahead of Haas team mate Hulkenberg, with Ocon and Norris now a lap off the lead with their respective recurring penalty and pneumatic issues respectively. Perez finally pitted on lap 18 and like Verstappen and Albon he opted to stay on the softs. Then it was Sainz and Russell's turn for service next time around, and Stroll did indeed pull off the undercut on Russell that Mercedes had worried about Alonso performing on Hamilton. Everyone had swapped soft tyres for the hard compound, with the exception of Verstappen and Albon who had stayed on the softs for a second stint. Meanwhile Hamilton had made his own pit stop and moved from the soft tyres to the hard, as had Bottas, Zhou Guanyu, Nico Hulkenberg and Nyck de Vries. Behind them, Alonso and Hamilton went side-by-side and the spoils went to Hamilton as Lance Stroll ran hot into turn 4 and hit his team mate, allowing Russell to claim sixth. Stroll made up for his earlier misdemeanour with a nice move on Bottas into turn 1 on lap 5 for eighth place, while further back Norris succeeded in picking off Sargeant for 12th. Four laps into the race, Verstappen had already pulled out a three second lead over Leclerc who was pushing hard and locking up. Everyone (bar Kevin Magnussen starting in P17 on the hard compound) was starting on soft tyres for the first stint.

Max Verstappen eased to a dominant win at the Bahrain GP as Red Bull left their competition behind to start the 2023 Formula 1 season, while Fernando Alonso ...

For Ferrari, all appeared to be going to plan - running comfortably in third and fourth - before Leclerc, who had his engine battery replaced before the race, ground to a halt on Lap 40. The race coming the day after team boss Toto Wolff remarkably admitted that the car concept would have to be changed for Mercedes to compeitiive again, Hamilton and Russell were only really in the fight after Aston Martin's scruffy start and couldn't keep the green cars at bay in the race. Again, it was a feisty battle - and there was a slight touch after a scrap through Turn Four - but Alonso again dazzled through the twisty middle sector before getting ahead of Sainz on the straight. Mercedes capitalised to get ahead of Aston Martin after Alonso and Stroll's first-lap scuffles but the double world champion got ahead of Russell on Lap 13, and then superbly hunted down Hamilton. Valtteri Bottas was 'best of the rest' for Alfa Romeo ahead of Pierre Gasly in the Alpine and the impressive Alex Albon for Williams. In the end, Hamilton and Russell had to settle for fifth and seventh in their underperforming W14 cars.

Charles Leclerc estimated Ferrari was one second per lap slower than Red Bull before a mechanical retirement saw him fail to finish the 2023 Formula 1 ...

[PlusPlusFormula 1Bahrain February Testing ](/f1/news/the-key-factors-behind-f1s-premier-league-style-managerial-revolving-door/10436947/) [PlusPlusFormula 1Bahrain February Testing ](/f1/news/what-controls-the-frontline-in-the-latest-tech-battles-in-f1-design/10437528/) [PlusPlusFormula 1Bahrain February Testing ](/f1/news/the-rookies-looking-to-make-their-mark-on-f1-in-2023/10436950/) [PlusPlusFormula 1Bahrain February Testing ](/f1/news/a-bad-week-or-the-dark-horse-from-f1-testing/10437958/) "But they were starting also a bit further back, so I don't know. "They seem to be quick," Leclerc said about Aston Martin.

Max Verstappen won, but Fernando Alonso was the star of the first race of the F1 season in Bahrain.

I loved every second of it, I loved the on-track battles. Bahrain has always been unkind to McLaren and it's hard to imagine the team being that bad all season. [Charles Leclerc](http://www.espn.com/rpm/driver?seriesId=6&driverId=5498) never looked close to challenging either Red Bull but was comfortably third until his car ground to a halt 40 laps from the finish. Alonso has been very complimentary of Stroll since joining -- saying the Canadian, who is yet to win an F1 race, is a future world champion -- and he continued that after the race despite their near-miss. "Obviously there was quite a lot of work on that but we need to keep working as first race and first reliability problem... Alonso and Aston Martin might not be capable of winning races on outright pace, but this is the best car the Spaniard has had in almost a decade. Hamilton deserves credit for a great undercut which saw him keep the position at Turn 4, but the pace of the Aston Martin was clear to see. However, it was difficult not to think this year will be more of the same old Ferrari given how its opener unfolded. "We were very strong in testing, strong in free practice and strong in the race. The pair also collided in Belgium last year, after which Alonso suggested that Hamilton only knows how to race when he's in the lead. "I think the last few occasions I was competitive, like Canada last year, it was a wet qualifying ... Alonso's podium on his Aston Martin debut not only showed the excitement around the team's car was justified (if not slightly overblown at points this week), but has also seen one of the most talented drivers of the modern Formula One era propelled back into a competitive position.

Red Bull enjoyed a perfect start to the season in the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix as Max Verstappen cruised to victory over team mate Sergio Perez – while ...

it was also a great start to the season as he made it to P8 for Alfa Romeo. With DRS on Lap 25, he stalked the Monegasque patiently – and actually made the move for P2 into Turn 1 on Lap 26. The battle would continue and come to a head on Lap 13 when Alonso made a lunge on Russell into Turn 1, taking the place down the inside of Turn 4 with DRS soon after – but Russell fought hard going side-by-side down the hill through Turn 5 before conceding to the Aston Martin. He made the move for P5 with ease, or so it seemed, into Turn 4 on Lap 37. Bottas meanwhile had made it as high as sixth, having taken new tyres earliest out of that group – but Alonso made light work of him on Lap 17 at Turn 4, and Russell mirrored that move on Lap 18. As for Mercedes, Russell – who lost out to Hamilton on Lap 1 – found himself asking whether the seven-time champion was managing his tyres, or just struggling for pace. Alonso was right on Russell’s Mercedes on Lap 11, super close to the black car through the winding final sector. Pierre Gasly, who started 20th having had a qualifying lap time deleted, pitted for hard tyres on Lap 10, opening the pit window a bit earlier than expected. Two-time champion Max Verstappen stormed to a brilliant pole on Saturday, backed up by team mate Sergio Perez, while Charles Leclerc was pleasantly surprised to take third on the grid. And it was a perfect start to 2023 for Red Bull – but things can change. Alex Albon finished 10th for Williams after a great start, while Yuki Tsunoda narrowly missed out on the final point in his AlphaTauri. Everyone bar hard-shod Kevin Magnussen (P15) began the race on soft tyres and Verstappen had a solid getaway, but team mate Perez fell back and lost second place to Leclerc – while Carlos Sainz couldn’t quite pry P3 off the Red Bull.

Toto Wolff said the Bahrain GP was "one of the worst days in racing" and said Red Bull's one-two reminded him of Mercedes' prior F1 dominance.

Red Bull is just on a different planet.” “That is the benchmark and we need to do one step after the other to come back and we can do that, absolutely we can.” “I’ve just got to try and stay positive and keep pushing the guys, keep trying to be a positive light for them and get the best points I can.”

Charles Leclerc cut a deflated figure in the immediate aftermath of the Bahrain Grand Prix as his 2023 season began with retirement and a non-score due to ...

[READ MORE: Verstappen leads 1-2 in Bahrain season opener as Leclerc retires and Alonso takes final podium place in style](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.verstappen-leads-1-2-in-bahrain-season-opener-as-leclerc-retires-and-alonso.40788dU0VkiLz0gxRPo7n1.html) Now I just hope we can look into it, understand what went wrong and don’t have this problem anymore…” [WATCH: Relive the race start in Bahrain as Verstappen charges into the sunset and the Aston Martins clash](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.watch-relive-the-race-start-in-bahrain-as-verstappen-charges-into-the-sunset.4DfSAt6snRXOrDcNF313LQ.html) I mean, honestly, the podium was there. [with an emphatic one-two result](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.verstappen-leads-1-2-in-bahrain-season-opener-as-leclerc-retires-and-alonso.40788dU0VkiLz0gxRPo7n1.html). [fresh soft tyres he saved in qualifying](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.it-would-have-been-close-leclerc-explains-q3-tactics-as-he-trades-pole-shot.hpvSg7awIpDrf8JXtXuSL.html).

Max Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix, the opening round of the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship, leading a Red Bull 1-2 ahead of a sensational ...

[McLaren](https://www.motorsport.com/team/mclaren/10/) suffered a disastrous race, with [Oscar Piastri](https://www.motorsport.com/driver/oscar-piastri/828689/)’s F1 debut ending with an electronic gearbox failure and [Lando Norris](https://www.motorsport.com/driver/lando-norris/289316/) hit by a pneumatic issue with his Mercedes engine that required repeated pitstops to recharge the system and he finished last. [PlusPlusFormula 1Bahrain February Testing ](/f1/news/the-rookies-looking-to-make-their-mark-on-f1-in-2023/10436950/) [PlusPlusFormula 1Bahrain February Testing ](/f1/news/a-bad-week-or-the-dark-horse-from-f1-testing/10437958/) The FIA decreed that he didn’t serve that penalty correctly and gave him another 10s one for his next pitstop, and then yet another 5s one for speeding in the pitlane, and he later retired. Alonso now set his sights on the podium, quickly carving into Sainz’s 3s advantage, and zoomed past him at Turn 11 after an entertaining wheel-to-wheel fight. Two laps later, Alonso shocked Hamilton with an unexpected lunge at Turn 10 that gained him fifth spot. [Red Bull ](https://www.motorsport.com/team/red-bull-racing/4/)team-mate [Sergio Perez](https://www.motorsport.com/driver/sergio-perez/9328/) passed Leclerc to take second place on lap 26, which looked to have assured the podium order before half distance. Contact occurred at Turn 4 as [Lance Stroll](https://www.motorsport.com/driver/lance-stroll/20950/) clumsily biffed the rear end of Aston team-mate Alonso, sending him sideways, which allowed [George Russell](https://www.motorsport.com/driver/george-russell/21167/)’s [Mercedes](https://www.autosport.com/team/mercedes/36495/) past both into sixth. Perez was a distant second, but well clear of Leclerc and Sainz. In the second round of pitstops, Aston tried an undercut for Stroll, which worked out perfectly as he passed Russell for seventh at Turn 4 on his out-lap. Perez then pitted, taking softs like Verstappen, and rejoined 3s behind Leclerc in third. Hamilton pitted on lap 13 as Alonso attacked Russell, the Spaniard taking fifth through the Turns 4 to 6 sequence.

Max Verstappen has credited his opening stint in the Bahrain Grand Prix as the foundation of his dominant victory in the first round of the 2023 Formula 1 ...

[PlusPlusFormula 1Bahrain February Testing ](/f1/news/the-rookies-looking-to-make-their-mark-on-f1-in-2023/10436950/) “It's a nice comeback as a team. I will give my best.” Finishing second is the maximum I could do today. You always want to fine tune so I think they're quite easy to get on top of.” But a cycle through the steering wheel settings soon had this under control aboard an RB19 that he “can definitely fight with”.

Max Verstappen won the Bahrain GP as Red Bull secured a one-two while Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton was fifth and George Russell seventh.

The pair came close to contact moments before coming out of Turn 4 as the back end of the Aston almost collided into the side of the Ferrari! - The Aston Martin manages to get past the Ferrari of Sainz into Turn 10 and down the back straight as Sainz locks up his front tyres whilst trying to defend! Throughout the weekend, Alonso showcased the pace of the Aston Martin, and topped the timesheets in practice. Despite being quite far behind the Ferrari down the main straight, the Red Bull makes the lunge down the inside of Turn 1. Hamilton opted to pit first on Lap 31 for another set of hards, whilst Alonso stayed out and tried the overcut. The Ferrari of Charles Leclerc got the jump on Perez and slotted into second place.

There was little doubt who was going to win the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix, but the reasons behind Max Verstappen and Red Bull's domination of the Formula 1 ...

[https://gridrival.app.link/ViniZZ3sFxb](https://gridrival.app.link/ViniZZ3sFxb) [https://gridrival.app.link/sMeCx28nfob](https://gridrival.app.link/sMeCx28nfob) Our panel looks at whether it can maintain its superb Sakhir form through the season.

Fernando Alonso has hailed an “unreal” start to the 2023 Formula 1 season after the Aston Martin driver grabbed a late podium in the Bahrain Grand Prix.

[PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/why-grounded-hamilton-remains-confident-in-mercedes-f1-recovery/10437037/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-key-factors-behind-f1s-premier-league-style-managerial-revolving-door/10437387/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-rookies-looking-to-make-their-mark-on-f1-in-2023/10437782/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/how-f1s-comeback-merchant-can-make-a-lasting-impression-at-haas/10439418/) We had to pass on track. “Finishing on the podium in the first race of the year.

Max Verstappen already looks like 2023 Formula 1 world champion after the Bahrain Grand Prix. Our writers give their takes on the implications.

This is also a different challenge for F1 because it’s a very different commercial prospect to what it was at the time of those Hamilton-Rosberg tussles. It’s much more likely Verstappen runs away with the title race, with a step back to Perez and another one to ‘the rest’. One team stronger than all the rest, with a clear number one driver in it. The problem right now is that 2021 raised the bar extraordinarily high. Although right now a close title fight seems unlikely, the fact is that it’s down to Ferrari and Mercedes to put in the hard graft to put the pressure on Red Bull. All the usual platitudes about it being a long season will be chucked around and there’s some truth in that with a long way to go. So why should we be any more worried about it now it’s Red Bull that looks set to do all the winning? There’s a good chance that, by the time Red Bull’s aero handicaps start having any meaningful impact, the standings will have likely already rendered them an irrelevance. How long will the huge swathes of new fans around the world stick around if the same team is winning by half a minute 20+ times a year? I can see the panic button being hit at a high level inside F1’s headquarters if senior management believes all of the above is under threat. One car laying down a pretty ominous marker at the season opener. This is a specific track that exaggerates strengths and weaknesses.

Max Verstappen and Red Bull dominated the 2023 Formula 1 opener in Bahrain, while Fernando Alonso also starred on his Aston Martin debut by finishing on the ...

[PlusPlusFormula 1Bahrain GP ](/f1/news/why-f1s-new-rules-cant-yet-be-ruled-a-total-success/10439004/) [PlusPlusFormula 1Bahrain GP ](/f1/news/the-critical-red-bull-tactic-ferrari-couldnt-copy-in-verstappens-bahrain-win/10440462/) [PlusPlusFormula 1Bahrain GP ](/f1/news/bahrain-grand-prix-driver-ratings-2023/10440571/)

The 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix was a display of domination by Max Verstappen, but F1 rivals could well find themselves closer to Red Bull away from the Sakhir ...

The kickback through the steering as Stroll had hit the back of the other Aston sent pain searing through his damaged wrist and whether it was that or the emotion of possibly having ruined the whole team’s race which were responsible for the tears he said were in his eyes, we can only speculate. Stroll went deep on the brakes on the inside attempting to retain the place – but just as he was doing this, Alonso was moving sharply across to take up his line and Stroll didn’t have enough stopping power left to avoid hitting the sister car, collecting a big opposite lock slide afterwards and re-passed on the outside by Russell who then dived across the track to make for the outside of Alonso. Alonso bided his time, using the Aston’s lower tyre deg to help put some aggressive and creative moves on Russell, Hamilton and Sainz. But Russell came back at him on the outside approach to Turn 4 and was marginally ahead. He got Russell around outside of Turn 1, having been held up by him off the line. He’d confounded the estimations of the medics in being able to race at all with his wrist injury and showed real grit in qualifying the Aston eighth, within 0.5sec of Alonso, having never driven it before the weekend.

Alonso was in a jovial mood after returning to the Formula 1 podium at the age of 41 in Bahrain, and doing so after an eye-catching battle on track with ...

"I think I passed Lewis into Turn 10 and Carlos into Turn 11. But, yeah, we need to see that because obviously, we will love to pass just on the main straight like everyone does." "He got me in Turn Four, I was in front of him but he managed to pass me there." The overtaking spots were strange, but Alonso explained that he had to pick different places to make a move as his car was lacking in straight line speed. [Aston Martin](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/aston-martin-f1) lived up to the pre-season hype in the first race of 2023, upsetting the balance of power that has become established at the top of [Formula 1](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/). [Fernando Alonso](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/fernando-alonso) said he "didn't like" the fact [Lewis Hamilton](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/lewis-hamilton) was fighting back as they tussled on track during the [Bahrain Grand Prix](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/bahrain-grand-prix).

Max Verstappen and Red Bull dominated the Bahrain Grand Prix, but how will each of the 10 teams be feeling after the opening weekend of the season?

TED'S VERDICT: Pierre Gasly finished P9 from the back and I think that is a jolly good drive to get two points and nearly the fastest lap. But, from the back of the grid, you've got to say a good effort from Nyck de Vries, finishing P14. He's encouraging the team to carry on and get on with it, as is Toto Wolff. He's going to task and inspire his team to build a new car. The answer is 16th. TED'S VERDICT: As Toto Wolff said, 'one of the worst days in racing'. It was a good start from Leclerc. After a winter of development and dreaming, we finally got to see how good - or bad - each car and driver looked. Then he chased and caught Carlos Sainz to finish P3. Fernando pitted on lap 35 and then he chased and caught Lewis Hamilton. TED'S VERDICT: Aston Martin are back on the podium. [Stream the biggest moments on NOW](https://www.nowtv.com/promo/sky-sports?dcmp=articlelink)

A dominant victory from Max Verstappen meant the 2023 Formula 1 season begun much as 2022 finished, but away from the one-sided fight at the front there ...

Dave Robson, the team’s head of vehicle performance, noted that Sargeant “didn’t make a single mistake, was measured in attack and good with his tyres,” which offers an encouraging platform for the Floridian to build from. We decided to stay in the race, we decided to try and stay at least within one lap from the leader within the last 10 laps. But qualifying was ultimately disappointing, and although it appears to have an edge over the AlphaTauri and Alfa Romeo squads on pure pace, early optimism could hint at a dash of complacency in the ranks. However, the cost cap has done some of the job it promised by placing all 10 teams on more equal footing, and Bahrain’s race has suggested that there’s no real standout ‘tail-end Charlie’ in the 2023 field. There are no holy cows and we need to decide what is the development direction that we want to pursue, in order to be competitive to win races.” To qualify eighth and then pass the likes of George Russell on the way to a sixth-place finish? Much of Mercedes’ 2022 development was spent on addressing the key fundamental issues that plagued the W13, namely its proclivity to bounce and porpoise like a flailing fish washed up on the shore. Making it to the end of the race would have been quite the feat. His health was still a concern and, through practice, he had to drive one-handed through some of the tighter corners as he wasn’t at full strength. There, Alonso placed his car into Turn 8 to get a wider line, and hit the gas to draw along the outside Hamilton in the curved run of track before Turn 10. Detractors would suggest that the Canadian is not really all that invested in being an F1 driver, and that he’s only there because of his dad’s money/team ownership. A first tilt at Turn 4 didn’t quite work for Alonso, as he was met with a slap of oversteer that allowed Hamilton to repass, but that only set up the next lap’s sensation.

Naturally, the headlines were filled with news of Max Verstappen's dominance, Lewis Hamilton's struggles and Charles Leclerc's misfortune – but there were ...

So they sacrificed [Zhou Guanyu](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/zhou-guanyu) in the late stages of the race. It was an uplifting for the Williams team and one which will give Sargeant plenty of confidence as he finds his feet in F1. It meant he finished 16th, but he was able to snatch the fastest lap award away from Gasly to deny Alpine that extra point. Meanwhile, [Mercedes](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/mercedes-f1) were some way off the podium fight with [Lewis Hamilton](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/lewis-hamilton) once again left to race with a sub-par car. In the race it didn't go our way, but we learned a lot. [Logan Sargeant's](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/logan-sargeant) first qualifying session in F1 came to an unfortunate end as he narrowly missed out on Q2 in Bahrain. However, the Williams race strategy was pivotal and, after leaving the two on the soft compound tyre, Albon was able to grab one point finishing 10th. He travelled to the desert with pins in his broken wrist and also a fractured toe, but still qualified eighth. It was a very encouraging result considering there was severe doubt over his fitness for the race. The American was extremely unlucky to suffered such a fate, but still managed to impress in his debut F1 weekend. Sargeant set a time of 1:31:652 – exactly matching the Brit's final lap in Q1. Aston Martin are undoubtedly showing encouraging signs, with their first podium since Sebastian Vettel's Baku success in 2021.

Reigning champion followed by his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso - Anadolu Agency.

[Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Red Bull Racing is at the top of the constructors’ standings with 43 points, while Aston Martin is second with 23 points and Mercedes is in 3rd spot with 16 points. Verstappen leads the drivers’ standings with 25 points, while Perez is just behind him with 18 points and Alonso is 3rd with 15 points. The next round in the season will be the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on March 17-19. The reigning champion, who finished with a time of 1:33:56.736, was followed by his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez and Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso, respectively. Max Verstappen began the 2023 season of the Formula One World Championship by winning the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday.

The 2023 Formula 1 season finally got underway in Bahrain at the weekend – and it provided a familiar tale as Max Verstappen cruised to victory to open his ...

In an attempt to make up ground, Haas elected to start Magnussen on the hard tyre. Qualified: P14, Race: P11 However, it didn’t impact the pointless return he was already set for. Qualified: P10, Race: P15 Unlike his Alfa Romeo partner, Zhou didn’t get away optimally as he suffered wheelspin at the start, dropping him several places. Qualified: P17, Race: P13 Qualified: P18, Race: DNF Qualified: P9, Race: DNF Qualified: P3, Race: DNF And who has come away from the first race with work to do having flattered to deceive? Qualified: P2, Race: P2 Qualified: P1, Race: P1

Ferrari and Mercedes are in trouble, Aston Martin's surging, Esteban Ocon is embarrassed, and more learnings from the season opener.

It’s the team’s best start to a season in six years. Alonso and Aston Martin may have stolen the show in Bahrain, but there was another shining star in the Williams squad. But a zero-point start to the year with separate reliability issues on both cars is a sign of the task that lies ahead. Formula One may only be through one race this season, but the midfield looks poised to be a tighter battle than previous campaigns. Lando Norris got all he could out of the MCL60 in qualifying to put it 11th on the grid, but he quickly struggled in the race, falling behind the Williams of Alex Albon in the opening stint. The race quickly got worse as McLaren identified a pneumatic pressure leak on Norris’s power unit, forcing him to pit every 10 laps for the system to be topped up through to the end of the race, which he effectively turned into an extended test session. Ocon claimed many other drivers did exactly the same thing, but it nevertheless resulted in a five-second time penalty that the Alpine driver had to serve at his next pit stop. But in Alpine’s eagerness to get Ocon going again when he pitted, one of the mechanics touched the car 4.6 seconds after he came to a stop. But the race quickly proved there is still plenty of work to be done at Maranello to properly take the fight to Red Bull this year. “The moment comes when the stopwatch comes out and that showed us that we are not good enough,” Wolff said Saturday. Meanwhile, Mercedes’ struggles seem to be back as the Silver Arrows lacked pace in Bahrain. But as Alonso said post-race: “If we are strong in the next two races, I think we will have a very good 2023.”

The Alpine driver was initially penalised for an inaccurate start position, then handed a further penalty for failing to serve that penalty properly during a ...

"I don't want to go into details, but usually we are very good on all these operational things. [Get Sky Sports](https://www.sky.com/tv/sports?dcmp=articlelink) [Stream the biggest F1 moments on NOW](https://www.nowtv.com/promo/sky-sports?dcmp=articlelink)