Formula 1 began today (Thursday) in Bahrain the three days of vehicle testing ahead of the new season, and provided a first glimpse of the new cars that the companies will field this year.
Red Bull and Max Verstappen picked up right where they left off last season, with the two-time world champion setting the fastest time ahead of Ferrari's Carlos Sainz who finished second.
The surprise was in third place when Alex Albon from the Williams company surprised, and this season we may see the American company more competitive than before.
Mercedes with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished fourth and fifth respectively.
Although testing times must be treated with caution as teams try out fuel loads and strategies, Verstappen's pace again looks impressive relative to the others.
Verstappen won 15 of the 22 races last year, and there is no doubt that he also enters the upcoming season as the sole favorite for another win.
The season will officially kick off on March 5 at the opening race in Bahrain.
Compare and contrast the 2023 cars!
🔎#F1 #F1Testing pic.twitter.com/I765GQPkTV
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 23, 2023 Were we wrong?
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