F1 2023 Testing: Verstappen fastest driver in morning test on first day
23rd February 2023Red Bull’s Max Verstappen got his 2023 season started in the right direction as he finished the morning test, on the first day of running, as the fastest driver out on track.
Going into the final hour, the top three remained unchanged from the previous two hours with Sainz on top ahead of Verstappen and Williams’ Alexander Albon.
However, as the session crept towards the final half an hour, Verstappen became the first driver to creep under the 1:33 mark to topple Sainz from the top spot with a time of 1:32.959 – 0.294s faster than Sainz’s fastest lap.
In the final 15 minutes, the Virtual Safety Car was deployed after a yellow flag was branded in section two of the Bahrain International Circuit. However, this was quickly revealed to be a test of the VSC system. The VSC was quickly lifted and the session soon went back under green-flag conditions with 10 minutes left on the clock.
During the last 10 minutes, Drugovich – despite earlier misfortunes – was able to provide his standing in the timing sheets as he slipped up to seventh, 1.6 seconds behind Verstappen’s leading time.
The timing sheets after the morning session:
- Max Verstappen, Red Bull
- Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
- Alex Albon, Williams
- Guanyu Zhou, Alfa Romeo
- George Russell, Mercedes
- Nico Hulkenberg, Haas
- Felipe Drugovich, Aston Martin
- Yuki Tsunoda, Alpha Tauri
- Pierre Gasly, Alpine
- Oscar Piastri, McLaren
That’s all for the article; F1 2023 Testing: Verstappen stands as fastest driver after morning test!
Read more Formula 1 here:
- F1 Testing: Sainz stays on top going into final hour
- F1 Testing: Sainz remains on top as Albon takes third fastest time
- F1 Testing: Sainz tops first hour of testing
- F1 Commission: wet tyres, regulations and circuit changes
- Stroll set to miss Bahrain pre-season testing
- Alpine showcase variants of 2023 contender: A523
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
