F1 RESULT: Fernando Alonso quickest in FP2 - Bahrain practice lap times and updates
Fernando Alonso raised the prospect of delivering a shock win at Formula One’s opening race of the season after he set the fastest time in practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen and Red Bull had been tipped as the team to beat heading into the new campaign but Alonso, the 41-year-old double world champion on his debut for Aston Martin, stunned the Sakhir paddock by topping the time sheets.
Alonso finished 0.169 seconds clear of Verstappen, who ended the one-hour running just two thousandths clear of Sergio Perez in the other Red Bull.
Lewis Hamilton was only eighth as his fears that his Mercedes machine will not allow him to fight for victory played out under the thousands of bulbs that light up the Sakhir Circuit. George Russell was even worse off – finishing 13th of 20 in the black-liveried Mercedes.
Follow reaction from practice at the Bahrain GP with The Independent
F1 BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX - PRACTICE
Fernando Alonso fastest in FP2; Verstappen 2nd; Perez 3rd
Sergio Perez was quickest in first practice; Alonso 2nd; Verstappen 3rd
FEATURE: Lewis Hamilton is in the shape of his life – but will it all be in vain?
Hamilton receives nose stud exemption due to ‘concerns about disfigurement’
F1 2023 season predictions: World champion, surprise star, best race and more
Guenther Steiner exclusive interview: What makes star of Drive to Survive tick?
17:29 , Kieran Jackson
Fernando Alonso raised the prospect of delivering a shock win at Formula One’s opening race of the season after he set the fastest time in practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen and Red Bull had been tipped as the team to beat heading into the new campaign but Alonso, the 41-year-old double world champion on his debut for Aston Martin, stunned the Sakhir paddock by topping the time sheets.
Alonso finished 0.169 seconds clear of Verstappen, who ended the one-hour running just two thousandths clear of Sergio Perez in the other Red Bull.
Lewis Hamilton was only eighth as his fears that his Mercedes machine will not allow him to fight for victory played out under the thousands of bulbs that light up the Sakhir Circuit. George Russell was even worse off – finishing 13th of 20 in the black-liveried Mercedes.
Lawrence Stroll, Aston Martin’s billionaire owner, set his side the target of winning the world championship in an ambitious five-year project.
But after two underwhelming seasons back on the Formula One grid – finishing seventh of the grid’s 10 teams in both 2021 and 2022 – Aston Martin have suddenly created a machine to fight at the sharp end.
Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel headed for the hills after growing tired of making up the numbers.
Fernando Alonso stuns with quickest time in second practice at Bahrain Grand Prix
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: F1 2023 season predictions - World champion, surprise star, best race and more
17:14 , Kieran Jackson
The 2023 F1 season gets underway this weekend with the Bahrain Grand Prix the first of a record 23 races this year.
Max Verstappen is the favourite after his runaway success last year, while both Ferrari and Mercedes will be hoping to haul in the hefty deficit to Red Bull in 2023.
There are three rookies this year – in Oscar Piastri, Nyck de Vries and Logan Sargeant – as well as a new race in Las Vegas, the penultimate meet of the season which ends in Abu Dhabi on 26 November.
Here are some season predictions from Formula 1 Correspondent Kieran Jackson - do you agree?
F1 2023 season predictions: World champion, surprise star, best race and more
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: What makes Drive to Survive star Guenther Steiner tick?
16:59 , Kieran Jackson
Exclusive interview by Kieran Jackson
When Netflix first premiered Drive to Survive in 2019, an attempt by Formula 1’s new owners Liberty to broaden the sport’s murky horizon, the onus was on your Hamiltons, your Vettels and your Verstappens to haul in that untapped audience. Like any serial drama, you need a protagonist. But there can only be one star of the show.
Little did people think it’d be Guenther Steiner.
“It’s all about the underdog story,” the 57-year-old tells The Independent, when asked why the Haas-centred episodes have the viewers at peak excitement upon the release of each show. A show, he is eager to add, he does not watch.
More below:
Guenther Steiner interview: What makes star of Drive to Survive tick?
F1 Fantasy: How to play and top tips ahead of 2023 season
16:42 , Kieran Jackson
The new Formula 1 season is here - and that means F1 Fantasy is back!
The game will see millions of motor sport fans pick their fantasy selection of drivers for an imaginary $100m budget.
F1 Fantasy began five years ago and it has grown rapidly in popularity, in line with F1’s rise in popularity. The 2023 season will reward those players who are able to spot the early trends as the new season takes shape.
See below for all the rules and top tips ahead of Saturday’s deadline of qualifying at the Bahrain GP:
How to play Fantasy F1 2023
Each player gets to pick five drivers and two constructors (up from one in 2022) ahead of the first race of the season in Bahrain, spending a budget of $100m.
They also pick a weekly ‘DRS Boost’ whose points are doubled – and new for 2023, any driver in your team can be given the DRS boost. There are also chips available to power up your team, 6 in total: Autopilot, Extra DRS boost, No Negative, Wildcard, Limitless, Final Fix
Max Verstappen is the most expensive driver at $26.9m, with Lewis Hamilton second on $23.7m and Charles Leclerc on $21.2m. As for the Constructors, Red Bull are $27.2m, Mercedes $25.1m and Ferrari $22.1m.
Players can make up to two transfers to their team per week, up until the start of qualifying. More than 2 transfers carries a 4 point penalty per additional transfer - similar to Fantasy Premier League.
Fantasy F1 tips (pre-Bahrain)
Let’s not mess about: get Fernando Alonso on your team! The two-time world champion, for Aston Martin, has been rapid in testing and matched that in practice. At just $8.3m, he is something of a steal given his current pace.
Elsewhere, Nico Hulkenberg is the second-cheapest player at $4.3m and looked quick (fifth-fastest) in second practice on Friday, while Nyck de Vries is also a decent cheap option at $5m.
It’s still hard to look beyond picking Max Verstappen ($26.9m), but Carlos Sainz is not a bad bet for your second-most expensive driver - he’s sixth-most expensive at $17.2m.
Similarly, Aston Martin are an obvious Constructors option at this point at $6.7m alongside one of the big boys.
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: Fernando Alonso...
16:29 , Kieran Jackson
Alonso, speaking to Sky Sports: “Another step in the right direction but we need to wait and see. Not too much focus on times as we need to improve things on the car.
“We’re still changing a lot of things and reinforce the team in every area. It’ll be an interesting process...
“Let’s see what happens in the first couple of races, they’re just good sessions. Lawrence has ambition on everything he does, difficult to see him fail on anything in his vision. A matter of time before Aston Martin can challenge the top teams.”
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: FP2 LEADERBOARD!
16:14 , Kieran Jackson
1) Alonso 2) Verstappen 3) Perez,
4) Leclerc 5) Hulkenberg 6) StrolL
7) Gasly 8) Hamilton 9) Norris
10) Zhou 11) Ocon 12) Bottas
13) Russell 14) Sainz 15) Piastri
16) Magnussen 17) Albon 18) Tsunoda
19) De Vries 20) Sargeant
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix
16:07 , Kieran Jackson
Now time for a few practice starts on the grid...
George Russell, meanwhile, complaining of aerodynamic issues...
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix - DONE!
16:04 , Kieran Jackson
That it for second practice in Bahrain - and it’s Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso up on top!
Max Verstappen is in second - 0.169 seconds off the pace - with Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez in third.
4-10: Leclerc, Hulkenberg, Stroll, Gasly, Hamilton, Norris, Zhou
Alonso quickest in FP2 for the first time since Brazil 2021! Very exciting for Aston...
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix
15:55 , Kieran Jackson
Lance Stroll complains that he can’t do something with the steering wheel as instructed by his Aston Martin engineer, due to his wrist pain...
He had surgery last week. No wonder he can’t twist it completely!
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: 10:00 LEFT...
15:52 , Kieran Jackson
It’s as is you were on the leaderboard, with all the cars out on medium tyres for some race simulations.
1-10: Alonso, Verstappen, Perez, Leclerc, Hulkenberg, Stroll, Gasly, Hamilton, Norris, Zhou (+0.679)
George Russell is in 13th; Carlos Sainz is in 14th...
We may well get some late quali-esque laps now though. Esteban Ocon is out on softs, for example...
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: 25:00 left...
15:36 , Kieran Jackson
George Russell over team radio: “Please check the floor, had a big hit at turn 7 - had a big wobble.” Had a slight lock-up - he’s currently running down in P13! 0.975 seconds behind Alonso.
Less than a second seperating Alonso down to Sainz in P14!
It’ll be majority race simulations now until the end of the session - so Alonso should be staying on top!
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: 30:00 LEFT...
15:32 , Kieran Jackson
Halfway through the session and - wow - Fernando Alonso is showing some speed in his Aston Martin!
He’s quickest of the lot so far - 0.169 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, while Sergio Perez is third!
Charles Leclerc is four-tenths behind Alonso, with Nico Hulkenberg the surprise name competing the top-five!
6-10: Stroll, Gasly, Hamilton, Norris, Zhou
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix
15:18 , Kieran Jackson
Max Verstappen with a slightly concerning message over team radio: “I also feel like the car is jumping around more than in testing...”
Hhhmmm. Hope for the rest of the field?!
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: 45:00 left...
15:15 , Kieran Jackson
Chaos out on track! All 20 cars on the circuit currently - with Oscar Piastri almost crashing into Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin on the home straight and Sergio Perez had to lock up to avoid Charles Leclerc! All the cars wanting to get in their qualifying simulator runs...
As for the leaderboard: Charles Leclerc is on top with a 1:31:843, with Carlos Sainz in second - 0.113 seconds down. A Ferrari one-two early on!
3-10: Gasly, Ocon, Hamilton, Perez, Russell, Alonso, Sargeant, Verstappen
It won’t remain like that...
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: FP2 UNDERWAY!
15:00 , Kieran Jackson
We’re underway with second practice at the Bahrain International Circuit!
Big session for the drivers this, as it’ll be their last chances to drive in under-the-lights conditions akin to qualifying and the race before it properly gets going with quali tomorrow!
Can Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin back up their strong performance this morning? Will Red Bull table-top again? And what about Mercedes!
Lewis Hamilton straight out on the soft tyre...
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton receives nose stud exemption due to ‘concerns about disfigurement’
14:52 , Kieran Jackson
Lewis Hamilton will be allowed to wear his nose stud after he was awarded an FIA medical exemption following “concerns about disfigurement”.
Hamilton and Formula One’s governing body spent much of last season at loggerheads over the jewellery ban, with Hamilton eventually conceding defeat at the British Grand Prix in July.
However, the nose piercing returned three months later in Singapore after Hamilton said he had suffered an infection.
Ahead of Sunday’s opening race in Bahrain, Hamilton provided a doctor’s note explaining his reasons for continuing to wear the jewellery despite the FIA’s clampdown on safety grounds.
The FIA said they will take no further action in Bahrain. The PA news agency understands Hamilton’s exemption will also be in place for the remainder of the season.
Lewis Hamilton receives nose stud exemption due to ‘concerns about disfigurement’
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton defiant in response to retirement talk
14:45 , Kieran Jackson
Lewis Hamilton has hit back at Damon Hill and Jenson Button by telling them he is a “fighter” – and insists he will not retire from Formula One.
Former world champions Hill and Button have cast doubt over Hamilton’s future as the Mercedes driver enters the final season of his £40million-a-year contract.
But speaking on the eve of the opening round in Bahrain on Sunday – where Hamilton has already conceded Mercedes will start on the back foot – the seven-time world champion scoffed at suggestions this could be his 17th and final campaign on the grid.
“Not at all,” said Hamilton when asked if he heads into the new season thinking it might be his last.
“It is ultimately people creating rumours without facts, and it is never helpful. You would have thought that they (Hill and Button) would both know me by now. I have been with Mercedes since I was 13, and last year we had a difficult year, but I am still here, and whether or not we have a difficult year this year, I will still be here.”
‘I will still be here’: Lewis Hamilton defiant in response to retirement talk
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: Sergio Perez sends Red Bull warning over Max Verstappen treatment
14:30 , Kieran Jackson
Sergio Perez has fired a warning to Red Bull and insists he won’t help Max Verstappen on track if he doesn’t receive any “support when I need it.”
Mexican star Perez has received plaudits for being a team player at Red Bull and has helped double world champion Verstappen in various races, most memorably defending from Lewis Hamilton at the controversial season finale of the 2021 season in Abu Dhabi.
Yet at the penultimate race of last season in Brazil, with Verstappen’s second title long secured and Perez vying for second place in the Championship, the Dutchman defied orders from the pit wall and refused to let Perez pass him.
Verstappen insisted afterwards he “had his reasons” for ignoring team orders - rumoured to be linked to Perez crashing in qualifying at the Monaco Grand Prix, a race the Mexican went onto win - but has refused to elaborate any further.
Sergio Perez sends Red Bull warning over Max Verstappen treatment
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: Jenson Button delivers Lewis Hamilton retirement theory
14:14 , Kieran Jackson
Exclusive by Kieran Jackson
Jenson Button believes Lewis Hamilton may be tempted to retire if Mercedes once again fail to produce a car capable of race victories on a consistent basis.
After an eight-year period where Hamilton won six of his seven world titles from 2014-2021, Mercedes languished behind Red Bull and Ferrari last year after a change in regulations and the Silver Arrows’ unusual philosophical approach to the design of their car.
Hamilton failed to win a race in 2022 – the first time he has gone a season without standing on top of the podium – and concerns over the 38-year-old’s long-term future continue to linger with his £40m-a-year contract due to expire at the end of the season.
Speaking to The Independent, 2009 F1 world champion Button – who was team-mates with Hamilton for three years at McLaren – speculated that the Brit may well be having doubts while Mercedes languish behind their rivals.
Jenson Button reveals the one thing that could make Lewis Hamilton retire from F1
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: F1 2023 season predictions - World champion, surprise star, best race and more
13:59 , Kieran Jackson
The 2023 F1 season gets underway this weekend with the Bahrain Grand Prix the first of a record 23 races this year.
Max Verstappen is the favourite after his runaway success last year, while both Ferrari and Mercedes will be hoping to haul in the hefty deficit to Red Bull in 2023.
There are three rookies this year – in Oscar Piastri, Nyck de Vries and Logan Sargeant – as well as a new race in Las Vegas, the penultimate meet of the season which ends in Abu Dhabi on 26 November.
Here are some season predictions from Formula 1 Correspondent Kieran Jackson - do you agree?
F1 2023 season predictions: World champion, surprise star, best race and more
Squash, surfing and Antarctica: Lewis Hamilton is in the shape of his life – but will it all be in vain?
13:41 , Kieran Jackson
By Kieran Jackson
Did you spot it? That little glimpse of time.
A snippet when Lewis Hamilton was hopeful, maybe even anticipative that his fate – number eight – could be conquered in 2023. A new all-black livery unveiled, eliciting rosy memories preceding last year’s horror-show, and a fresh start after a hopeless, winless season to forget.
That was before Hamilton squeezed himself in to the Mercedes W14 car for the first time at Silverstone on launch day in February. A simple shakedown. But straight away, hope faded.
“I knew from the moment I drove the car where we were and the challenges we were facing,” Hamilton stated – with an honesty like a dagger to his 2023 title hopes – on Thursday in Bahrain.
And that was it. Three months since he retired late on in Abu Dhabi, the final race of 2022. Three months of focus away from the track. Three months of hard yards. Three months… all for another year of nothingness?
That’s the prospect heading into this season. Throughout the winter, Hamilton chronicled his off-season in fleeting social media posts, much to the delight of a joyous fanbase starved of such content a year earlier, during Hamilton’s social media abyss post-Abu Dhabi 2021.
Lewis Hamilton is in the shape of his life – but will it all be in vain?
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: What makes Drive to Survive star Guenther Steiner tick?
13:29 , Kieran Jackson
Exclusive interview by Kieran Jackson
When Netflix first premiered Drive to Survive in 2019, an attempt by Formula 1’s new owners Liberty to broaden the sport’s murky horizon, the onus was on your Hamiltons, your Vettels and your Verstappens to haul in that untapped audience. Like any serial drama, you need a protagonist. But there can only be one star of the show.
Little did people think it’d be Guenther Steiner.
“It’s all about the underdog story,” the 57-year-old tells The Independent, when asked why the Haas-centred episodes have the viewers at peak excitement upon the release of each show. A show, he is eager to add, he does not watch.
More below:
Guenther Steiner interview: What makes star of Drive to Survive tick?
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: 2023 SEASON ODDS!
13:10 , Kieran Jackson
Drivers’ Championship winner 2023
Odds via Betfair
Max Verstappen: 8/13
Charles Leclerc: 9/2
Lewis Hamilton: 5/1
George Russell: 12/1
Sergio Perez: 18/1
Carlos Sainz: 22/1
Fernando Alonso: 25/1
Lando Norris: 200/1
Constructors’ Championship winner 2023
Odds via Betfair
Red Bull: 8/13
Mercedes: 13/5
Ferrari: 3/1
Aston Martin: 50/1
Alpine: 175/1
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: Mercedes’ chief Andrew Shovlin...
12:59 , Kieran Jackson
“Second one on the new tyres we didn’t find a lot. We need to dig into that now. We’ve got the softs this afternoon...
”The big thing is we’ve got rid of the bouncing, able to run the car where we want to. We’re working on the balance, we haven’t got that where we needed. There’s more to do. If you copy someone else, you go backwards before going forwards. The big thing was getting rid of the bouncing.
“We’ll look at where we are in the early races, we’ve got evolutions coming in terms of sidepod design. The porpoising really held us back last year. If we’ve eradicated that, we can build and develop. We look at other cars and take initiatives for a gain.”
Can Mercedes win the Championship? “That’s our goal, very early days. First thing is to understand where we are, we’ll get our heads down whatever the gap is. Keep working and chip away at it.”
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: Martin Brundle...
12:54 , Kieran Jackson
The Aston looks pretty strong doesn’t it. No one used the hards, they want to save them for the race. Quite interesting, but there’s no ‘why we know?’
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: LEADERBOARD!
12:50 , Kieran Jackson
Here’s the full leaderboard from first practice in Bahrain!
1) Sergio Perez 2) Fernando Alonso 3) Max Verstappen
4) Lando Norris 5) Charles Leclerc 6) Lance Stroll
7) Kevin Magnussen 8) Zhou Guanyu 9) Valtteri Bottas
10) Lewis Hamilton 11) George Russell 12) Oscar Piastri
13) Yuki Tsunoda 14) Nico Hulkenberg 15) Esteban Ocon
16) Nyck de Vries 17) Pierre Gasly 18) Logan Sargeant
19) Alex Albon 20) Carlos Sainz
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: Practice starts!
12:35 , Kieran Jackson
Most cars now out on the grid to do some practice starts on the main straight...
Not race conditions, but more akin on the track than in the pit lane!
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: FP1 FINISHED!
12:32 , Kieran Jackson
That’s that for first practice in Bahrain!
Sergio Perez the quickest man out there, 0.438 seconds ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso in second. Max Verstappen takes third.
4-10: Norris, Leclerc (M), Stroll, Magnussen, Zhou, Bottas, Hamilton (M)
Carlos Sainz down in 20th - a session to forget for the Spaniard after issues with the rear wing and a spin!
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: McLaren CEO Zak Brown...
12:25 , Kieran Jackson
“We’re happy with the session, listening to both drivers they’re happier with the car than they were for testing, looks like forward progress.
“We’re making a step in the right direction, making work on the rear of the car.
“I’ll think we’ll put on a better perofrmance than in testing. Q3 is going to be tight, the midfield is extremely compressed.”
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: 10:00 LEFT...
12:22 , Kieran Jackson
10 to go in FP1 and Sergio Perez still leads the way but the Red Bulls have been split... by Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso! 0.438 seconds the gap.
A wry smile and nod from Martin Whitmarsh in the Aston garage. Max Verstappen now down in third.
4-10: Norris, Leclerc (M), Magnussen, Zhou, Bottas, Piastri, Hamilton
All the drivers now setting their quickest times on soft tyres, so expect that order to change...
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix
12:12 , Kieran Jackson
Spin for Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz!
The Spaniard loses control whilst bouncing quite violently at turn 7 and spins off track...
“I have to box, something changed...” Sainz says on team radio.
A BIG spin from Carlos Sainz! 😮 pic.twitter.com/EnM0f0wAxH
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 3, 2023
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: Problems for Ferrari
12:10 , Kieran Jackson
As for Ferrari, a slithgly unusual approach to the rear wing is giving engineers problems, with the wing waving about quite eratically out on track. They’re just looking to fix it in the garage.
Charles Leclerc in 13th and Carlos Sainz in 16th currently...
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: 30:00 LEFT!
12:07 , Kieran Jackson
Halfway through the session and it’s now a familiar feel already at the top - a Red Bull one-two!
Sergio Perez is six-tenths quicker than Max Veratappen - both on softs - with Fernando Alonso third, 2.1 seconds off first place (on hards)
4-10: Piasitri (S), Hamilton (M), Tsunoda (S), De Vries (S), Magnussen (S), Gasly (M), Sargeant (M)
Lance Stroll, meanwhile, has an ignition problem in his Aston Martin - but it appears to be fixed.
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: 45:00 LEFT!
11:44 , Kieran Jackson
15 minutes into first practice and Sergio Perez is the early pacesetter in the Red Bull with a 1:34:343.
Fernando Alonso in his quick Aston Martin is second, seven-tenths down, with Max Verstappen third.
Lewis Hamilton is in fourth, 1.119 seconds behind Perez.
5-10: Gasly, Sainz, Piastri, Leclerc, Norris, Sargeant. All on medium tyres so far.
Oscar Piastri, meanwhile, just snapped his McLaren and went off track at turn 7. All OK though.
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: We’re underway with first practice!
11:30 , Kieran Jackson
The cars are out on track for first practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix - the first non-test action of the 2023 season!
The Williams drivers of Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant are the first drivers out on track as the last team in the pit lane and closest to the pit exit!
Plenty of cars out on track from the off here...
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: George Russell gives honest assessment of Mercedes’ chances at Bahrain Grand Prix
11:25 , Kieran Jackson
George Russell fears Max Verstappen’s Red Bull will be in a “league of their own” at Formula One’s opening race of the season in Bahrain.
Verstappen will start the new campaign on Sunday as the overwhelming favourite to take his third consecutive world crown after he and Red Bull impressed in testing.
Mercedes finished third in the constructors’ standings last year, but despite solving their porpoising woes, there are low expectations they will be in a position to battle at the front this weekend, and possibly this season.
Indeed, Russell, who is gearing up for his second year with Mercedes, believes his team might even have slipped behind a rejuvenated Aston Martin in the pecking order. However, the Englishman, 25, has not given up hope that the Silver Arrows will be able to haul themselves back into contention as the year progresses.
“It’s going to be a challenging weekend if we want to try and fight for that victory,” said Russell.
“It’s definitely fair to say Red Bull are in a league of their own this weekend. It will be a nice fight for second place, probably between Ferrari and Aston Martin.”
George Russell gives honest assessment of Mercedes’ chances at Bahrain GP
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix:
11:20 , Kieran Jackson
Martin Brundle, speaking to Sky Sports, on the support of teams in F1 nowadays: “The teams have stablised, been around a long time now. Over 150 teams in the 72-year history have changed names or gone out of business.
“The drivers are very media savvy and social media friendly. Drive to Survive and everything we do at Sky.
“The fans get to know the drivers and team bosses much better than in the past so they can really get behind somebody.”
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: F1 2023 season predictions - World champion, surprise star, best race and more
11:15 , Kieran Jackson
The 2023 F1 season gets underway this weekend with the Bahrain Grand Prix the first of a record 23 races this year.
Max Verstappen is the favourite after his runaway success last year, while both Ferrari and Mercedes will be hoping to haul in the hefty deficit to Red Bull in 2023.
There are three rookies this year – in Oscar Piastri, Nyck de Vries and Logan Sargeant – as well as a new race in Las Vegas, the penultimate meet of the season which ends in Abu Dhabi on 26 November.
Here are some season predictions from Formula 1 Correspondent Kieran Jackson - do you agree?
F1 2023 season predictions: World champion, surprise star, best race and more
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton defiant in response to retirement talk
11:11 , Kieran Jackson
Lewis Hamilton has hit back at Damon Hill and Jenson Button by telling them he is a “fighter” – and insists he will not retire from Formula One.
Former world champions Hill and Button have cast doubt over Hamilton’s future as the Mercedes driver enters the final season of his £40million-a-year contract.
But speaking on the eve of the opening round in Bahrain on Sunday – where Hamilton has already conceded Mercedes will start on the back foot – the seven-time world champion scoffed at suggestions this could be his 17th and final campaign on the grid.
“Not at all,” said Hamilton when asked if he heads into the new season thinking it might be his last.
“It is ultimately people creating rumours without facts, and it is never helpful. You would have thought that they (Hill and Button) would both know me by now. I have been with Mercedes since I was 13, and last year we had a difficult year, but I am still here, and whether or not we have a difficult year this year, I will still be here.”
‘I will still be here’: Lewis Hamilton defiant in response to retirement talk
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: What are the weekend timings?
11:06 , Kieran Jackson
What is the race schedule?
(All times GMT)
Friday 3 March
Free Practice 1: 11:30am
Free Practice 2: 3pm
Saturday 4 March
Free Practice 3: 11:30am
Qualifying: 3pm
Sunday 5 March
Race: 3pm
How can I watch it online and on TV?
The entire race schedule from Friday to Sunday will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with qualifying live on Sky Sports Main Event too, as is most of the race on Sunday.
Highlights will be aired on Channel 4; for qualifying at at 7:30pm (GMT) on Saturday and for the race at 9pm on Sunday.
If you’re not a Sky customer you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix
11:00 , Kieran Jackson
The drivers have arrived at the Bahrain International Circuit ahead of free practice today!
How will Max Verstappen fare after a strong testing period? And can Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes surprise a few people with a strong showing?
The action gets underway in 30 minutes time!
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: Jenson Button delivers Lewis Hamilton retirement theory
10:44 , Kieran Jackson
Exclusive by Kieran Jackson
Jenson Button believes Lewis Hamilton may be tempted to retire if Mercedes once again fail to produce a car capable of race victories on a consistent basis.
After an eight-year period where Hamilton won six of his seven world titles from 2014-2021, Mercedes languished behind Red Bull and Ferrari last year after a change in regulations and the Silver Arrows’ unusual philosophical approach to the design of their car.
Hamilton failed to win a race in 2022 – the first time he has gone a season without standing on top of the podium – and concerns over the 38-year-old’s long-term future continue to linger with his £40m-a-year contract due to expire at the end of the season.
Speaking to The Independent, 2009 F1 world champion Button – who was team-mates with Hamilton for three years at McLaren – speculated that the Brit may well be having doubts while Mercedes languish behind their rivals.
Jenson Button reveals the one thing that could make Lewis Hamilton retire from F1
F1 2023 calendar: When and where are all the races taking places this season?
10:29 , Kieran Jackson
The 2023 Formula 1 season is almost upon us and preparation is already well underway for the new campaign.
This year sees 23 races held in a record-breaking calendar, as Max Verstappen looks to make it three in a row following back-to-back World Championship triumphs.
Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes team will be targeting improvement following a disappointing 2022 season, while Ferrari will be looking to learn from last year’s mishaps and errors as they eye their first Drivers title in 16 years.
There are new faces on the grid too - such as Oscar Piastri and Nyck de Vries - and all 20 drivers will be itching to get back on track after a three-month break with the official pre-season test in Bahrain before the first race of the season a week later.
Here is everything you need to know:
F1 calendar: Every race in 2023
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: Sergio Perez sends Red Bull warning over Max Verstappen treatment
10:19 , Kieran Jackson
Sergio Perez has fired a warning to Red Bull and insists he won’t help Max Verstappen on track if he doesn’t receive any “support when I need it.”
Mexican star Perez has received plaudits for being a team player at Red Bull and has helped double world champion Verstappen in various races, most memorably defending from Lewis Hamilton at the controversial season finale of the 2021 season in Abu Dhabi.
Yet at the penultimate race of last season in Brazil, with Verstappen’s second title long secured and Perez vying for second place in the Championship, the Dutchman defied orders from the pit wall and refused to let Perez pass him.
Verstappen insisted afterwards he “had his reasons” for ignoring team orders - rumoured to be linked to Perez crashing in qualifying at the Monaco Grand Prix, a race the Mexican went onto win - but has refused to elaborate any further.
Sergio Perez sends Red Bull warning over Max Verstappen treatment
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: Mattia Binotto ‘thrown under the bus’ by Ferrari, says Damon Hill
10:00 , Kieran Jackson
Ex-Formula 1 driver Damon Hill believes former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto was “thrown under the bus” by the team.
Binotto resigned from his position after the 2022 season following a disappointing campaign for the team. Ferrari started the season well with Charles Leclerc topping the drivers championship but mechanical failures and tactics meant the Scuderia came away with nothing.
Max Verstappen took the drivers’ crown and his Red Bull team claimed the constructors’ title.
But Hill - who won 22 races during his eight-season professional career and was world champion in 1996 - believes Binotto was the scapegoat for the team’s failings.
Mattia Binotto ‘thrown under the bus’ by Ferrari, says Damon Hill
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: What makes Drive to Survive star Guenther Steiner tick?
09:44 , Kieran Jackson
Exclusive interview by Kieran Jackson
When Netflix first premiered Drive to Survive in 2019, an attempt by Formula 1’s new owners Liberty to broaden the sport’s murky horizon, the onus was on your Hamiltons, your Vettels and your Verstappens to haul in that untapped audience. Like any serial drama, you need a protagonist. But there can only be one star of the show.
Little did people think it’d be Guenther Steiner.
“It’s all about the underdog story,” the 57-year-old tells The Independent, when asked why the Haas-centred episodes have the viewers at peak excitement upon the release of each show. A show, he is eager to add, he does not watch.
More below:
Guenther Steiner interview: What makes star of Drive to Survive tick?
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: F1 2023 season predictions - World champion, surprise star, best race and more
09:29 , Kieran Jackson
The 2023 F1 season gets underway this weekend with the Bahrain Grand Prix the first of a record 23 races this year.
Max Verstappen is the favourite after his runaway success last year, while both Ferrari and Mercedes will be hoping to haul in the hefty deficit to Red Bull in 2023.
There are three rookies this year – in Oscar Piastri, Nyck de Vries and Logan Sargeant – as well as a new race in Las Vegas, the penultimate meet of the season which ends in Abu Dhabi on 26 November.
Here are some season predictions from Formula 1 Correspondent Kieran Jackson - do you agree?
F1 2023 season predictions: World champion, surprise star, best race and more
F1 practice - Bahrain Grand Prix: What are the weekend timings?
09:14 , Kieran Jackson
What is the race schedule?
(All times GMT)
Friday 3 March
Free Practice 1: 11:30am
Free Practice 2: 3pm
Saturday 4 March
Free Practice 3: 11:30am
Qualifying: 3pm
Sunday 5 March
Race: 3pm
How can I watch it online and on TV?
The entire race schedule from Friday to Sunday will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with qualifying live on Sky Sports Main Event too, as is most of the race on Sunday.
Highlights will be aired on Channel 4; for qualifying at at 7:30pm (GMT) on Saturday and for the race at 9pm on Sunday.
If you’re not a Sky customer you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.
F1 news: Lewis Hamilton defiant in response to retirement talk
08:59 , Kieran Jackson
Lewis Hamilton has hit back at Damon Hill and Jenson Button by telling them he is a “fighter” – and insists he will not retire from Formula One.
Former world champions Hill and Button have cast doubt over Hamilton’s future as the Mercedes driver enters the final season of his £40million-a-year contract.
But speaking on the eve of the opening round in Bahrain on Sunday – where Hamilton has already conceded Mercedes will start on the back foot – the seven-time world champion scoffed at suggestions this could be his 17th and final campaign on the grid.
“Not at all,” said Hamilton when asked if he heads into the new season thinking it might be his last.
“It is ultimately people creating rumours without facts, and it is never helpful. You would have thought that they (Hill and Button) would both know me by now. I have been with Mercedes since I was 13, and last year we had a difficult year, but I am still here, and whether or not we have a difficult year this year, I will still be here.
“I am a fighter and we fight as a team. I love the challenge of finding solutions and I still believe I am able to put the car in places that perhaps others are not able to. I love that challenge.”
‘I will still be here’: Lewis Hamilton defiant in response to retirement talk
F1 LIVE: George Russell gives honest assessment of Mercedes’ chances at Bahrain Grand Prix
08:53 , Kieran Jackson
George Russell fears Max Verstappen’s Red Bull will be in a “league of their own” at Formula One’s opening race of the season in Bahrain.
Verstappen will start the new campaign on Sunday as the overwhelming favourite to take his third consecutive world crown after he and Red Bull impressed in testing.
Mercedes finished third in the constructors’ standings last year, but despite solving their porpoising woes, there are low expectations they will be in a position to battle at the front this weekend, and possibly this season.
Indeed, Russell, who is gearing up for his second year with Mercedes, believes his team might even have slipped behind a rejuvenated Aston Martin in the pecking order. However, the Englishman, 25, has not given up hope that the Silver Arrows will be able to haul themselves back into contention as the year progresses.
“It’s going to be a challenging weekend if we want to try and fight for that victory,” said Russell.
“It’s definitely fair to say Red Bull are in a league of their own this weekend. It will be a nice fight for second place, probably between Ferrari and Aston Martin.”
George Russell gives honest assessment of Mercedes’ chances at Bahrain GP
F1 LIVE: Good morning!
08:50 , Kieran Jackson
So, have you missed it?
Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of practice on Friday at the Bahrain Grand Prix - the first race of the 2023 F1 season!
The excitement is palpable as - after a three-day test last weekend at the Bahrain International Circuit - we see the 2023 cars for the first time on a race weekend. Will Max Verstappen be as strong as last year? How about Ferrari’s challenge? Can Mercedes be right back up there? And are Aston Martin now in with a shout too?!
First practice today starts at 11:30am (GMT) before FP2 begins at 3pm - and you can follow in-depth build-up and coverage right here!
