The 2023 Formula 1 pre-season testing session concluded yesterday at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain, the venue that will also host the first Grand Prix of the 2023 F1 season next week. Pirelli has made the entire range of P Zero tires available to the teams, a range made up of six different slick compounds (in addition to intermediate and full wet tyres), and a prototype C3 produced by the back-up factory in Turkey. Each team was able to mount 30 sets of dry tires and 2 sets of the prototype, with a minimum pressure of 21 psi for the fronts and 18.5 psi for the rears, while using the tire warmers at 70°C for a maximum of two hours.
The fastest in the three days of testing was Sergio Perez on the Red Bull RB19 with a time of 1m30.305s, set on Saturday on the C4 compound. He was followed by Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes with a personal best lap time of 1m30.664s mounting the softer C5 and Valtteri Bottas on Alfa Romeo, with the same compounds, who instead set a personal best lap time of 1m30.827s. With the 2022 C4, in the same pre-season tests for the previous season, the time was 1.9 seconds slower.
On the final day of testing, the teams found the key to better managing tyre degradation, as demonstrated by Saturday’s long runs compared to previous days. The track reached peaks of 44 degrees and then stabilized at 27 degrees in the evening, allowing for a further reduction of the lap times. The temperature remained constant throughout the days and did not negatively affect performance which instead benefited both from the lower wind speed, compared to the sessions on Thursday and Friday, and from the evolution of the track.
The fastest on the first day of testing was world champion Max Verstappen for Red Bull who finished with a lap time of 1m32.837s on the C3. On day one, the teams focused mainly on perfecting the set-up of the cars. On Friday Alfa Romeo driver Guanyu Zhou excelled with a time of 1m31:610s, driving the C5. The last two days most of the drivers did long runs to simulate the race with the three compounds nominated for the Bahrain Grand Prix, scheduled to take place next weekend.
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“These three days of testing have been very useful for the teams, the drivers, and also for us. The teams have been able to fine-tune the setup of their cars in preparation for next weekend’s race, while the drivers have had time to find confidence with the new construction in the latest Pirelli range, which this year is enhanced by a new compound that will be used at the forthcoming Bahrain Grand Prix. The lap times recorded today are surprising as they are on average around 1.5 seconds quicker compared to the same compounds in 2022. That’s even more significant on a circuit like Sakhir, where traction and braking are key and there aren’t many longer corners that work the tyres hard. The new C1, which could be a good option for the race next weekend, was also well-received by all the teams, showing a good level of performance. With a wider range of tyres, we now have more flexibility in the nomination, so we can choose the compounds that are best suited to each circuit.” – Pirelli motorsport director Mario Isola said, at the end of the 2023 Formula 1 pre-season testing session in Bahrain.
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