The 2023 Formula 1 season has begun with the Bahrain Grand Prix, and Red Bull Racing showed that they were the team to beat in the first practice session, with Sergio Perez setting the fastest lap time. The Mexican driver set a time of 1m 32.758s, putting him at the top of the timesheets with 30 minutes remaining in the session. Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin finished in second place, four-tenths of a second behind Perez. Alonso’s teammate, Lance Stroll, returned to the cockpit after injuring his wrist in a cycling accident that caused him to miss testing.

Max Verstappen, the other Red Bull driver and two-time world champion, finished third overall, 0.617 seconds behind Perez. Lando Norris of McLaren and Charles Leclerc of Ferrari completed the top five, with Leclerc setting the fastest time on medium tyres. Kevin Magnussen finished seventh for Haas, followed by Alfa Romeo drivers Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas. Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes finished in tenth place, while his teammate George Russell was 11th.

McLaren rookie Oscar Piastri finished twelfth overall, ahead of AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda in thirteenth place. Haas’ returning driver Nico Hulkenberg finished in fourteenth place, followed by Alpine’s Esteban Ocon in fifteenth place and AlphaTauri’s Nyck de Vries in sixteenth place. Pierre Gasly finished seventeenth overall for Alpine, with Logan Sargeant finishing eighteenth for Williams. Alex Albon finished nineteenth for Williams, while Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz finished twentieth overall.

In the second practice session, Alonso set the fastest time, clocking 1m 30.907s on soft tyres. Verstappen finished second, 0.169 seconds behind Alonso, with Perez just 0.002 seconds behind Verstappen. Leclerc finished fourth, followed by Nico Hulkenberg of Haas and Lance Stroll of Aston Martin. Alonso’s lap time was slower than Perez’s on the final day of the test session by six-tenths of a second. However, it is unclear what fuel loads and engine modes the teams used, so it’s difficult to draw any conclusions. Verstappen was unhappy with his car, as it was more unstable than during testing, but there’s still plenty of time for teams to make adjustments.

During the second practice session, there were a few incidents, including Piastri having to take evasive action when he encountered a slow-moving Stroll at the pit exit. This caused Piastri to lock up, resulting in another off-track moment. Meanwhile, Albon and Tsunoda led their respective Williams and AlphaTauri teams, with de Vries and Sargeant, the two other rookies on the 2023 grid, at the back of the pack.

Overall, the first day of practice provided a glimpse of what fans can expect from the 2023 season. Red Bull Racing looks strong, with both Perez and Verstappen showing good pace. Alonso’s performance was a surprise, as many had expected Red Bull and Mercedes to be the teams to beat. Hamilton and Russell had a low-key day, but there is no doubt they will be looking to make up ground in the coming days.

The midfield battle also looks set to be intense, with teams like McLaren, AlphaTauri, Alfa Romeo, and Ferrari all showing good pace. Haas and Williams are expected to struggle this season, but Magnussen and Albon showed they can still be competitive. It is still early in the season, and teams have plenty of time to adjust and improve their performance. The next few days of practice and qualifying will be crucial in determining the pecking order for the Bahrain Grand Prix. Fans can expect a thrilling season, with plenty of close racing and exciting battles throughout the field.