Fernando Alonso’s last big fight

Alonso and Sainz raise the bar

Last year, F1 faced one of the most drastic revisions to its sporting regulations, and while this year primarily serves to solidify those regulations, significant improvements are expected, both on a technical level and on the calendar and even. equipment ups. One of the biggest incentives for Spanish fans is the new adventure that has begun. alone41 years old, in the ranks aston martin. Asturian made headlines, but Carlos Sainz does not lag behind. if new ferrari As strong as expected and able to reduce distortion issues, the Madrid driver will have a real opportunity to fight for the title. During just three days of pre-season rehearsals Bahrain, Red Bull managed to intimidate his opponents once again, but Maranello They’re still focused on catching up: “His car max. It looks very good, they are the fastest, they already were and maybe they went a step further but our goal is to be at their level.” sainzAt the age of 28, awaiting his ninth year in F1 and his third year in the reds.

Simulation of the last test day in Bahrain aston martin as the fourth best team, threatening the third mercedes Equal alonehe was very careful in the presentation of his new car, he changed the record and dared to ‘inflate the bubble’ after the pre-season, saying that “we were faster than Ferrari in the race simulation and in the same conditions”.

The oldest driver on the grid, Fernando, is also the one contesting the top prizes (355). Starting his 20th season in F1, he maintains the illusion of a ‘rookie’ and has managed to spread his enthusiasm and motivation to the Aston Martin team, delivering a message of hope to his already ‘viral’ fans. 33′ (for Fernando’s 32 wins so far)

real ‘photo’

Test times give us a rough estimate, a ‘photo’ that could change when the lights go out at the opening race this Sunday. Over the last few hours, boxes have kept coming in with tons of supplies and new parts for equipment. mercedes It was one of the teams that sown the most doubt in the tests. They started with a hydraulic failure in his car. George Russell, despite their completion Lewis Hamilton ranked second on the timetable, less than four-tenths of his best time Sergio Perez with RB19.

After eight consecutive builder titles in the hybrid era, those of the star failed to find the “key” in 2022. Now they are looking to regain their status with their new W14 single-seater; manager Mike Elliott “It won’t be a solution copied from others, we’ll have our own improved version,” he promises, as it will be one of the most up-to-date ones seen in the pre-season.

technical changes

Aerodynamics was redefined last year with a drastic rule change that brought cars back to ground effect for the first time since 1982 to eliminate the “smoky air” that makes it harder for drivers to keep up with their competitors. “hand-to-hand” battles. The 18-inch wheels are also back, and the DRS remains closely following the teams’ budget ceiling.

Despite all the changes, cars were overall only a second slower than in 2021, and there were still significant performance differences between the big teams and the smaller teams on the grid. Moreover, from the wonderful pulse they maintain Verstappen and hamilton it was decided two years ago and arguably on the last lap of the last race. Abu Dhabi, In 2022, he passed to the full hegemony of the Dutchman, who won his second crown early with four grand prizes and broke the record of 15 wins in 22 races.

As if that wasn’t enough, the teams had a lot of difficulty solving the so-called ‘porkfish’ or ground-effect backlash that forced the FIA ​​to make changes to try to fix the problem. Continuing in this direction, the cars are raised by 15 millimeters and the ends of the flat bottom are reinforced to prevent oscillations. There are also minor changes to the anti-roll system and front wings. The minimum weight of the single seats is set at 798 kilograms, the weight of the engine and Pirelli tires is increasing.

refurbished grill

The grill also offers extraordinary innovations. Pierre Gasley to arrive alp to form a hundred percent French duo with Esteban Ocon after goodbye Fernando Alonsofacing a great and motivating challenge aston martin. Gasly’s seat AlphaTauri lor occupy nyck cyclesAfter his successful debut, he finally realized his dream of playing a full season in F1. Williams in Monza in 2022

To all this we must say goodbye Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo (now a reserve at Red Bull), in addition to walking Nicholas Latifi and Mick Schumacher who took refuge as a Mercedes tester when his seat at Haas was occupied by a veteran Nico Hulkenberg.

Among the innovations, the arrival of the Australian driver, the most talented ‘rookie’ of the front room categories, champion in F3 and F2 stands out. Oscar Piastri, which opens Mclaren to form a new and young duo with Lando Norris. another rookie logan sergeantOpening his stage at Williams and fully expanding the championship on American soil, becoming the only American driver in current F1.

Three ‘big’ are retaining their rosters: ferrari they still have Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz; with mercedes George Russell and Lewis Hamilton; and champions Red Bull, The two-time champions Max Verstappen and Mexican Sergio Pérez continue with the duo who returned the builder’s crown to them.

Winter also left significant changes on the walls. Mattia Binotto‘father’ of Ferrari he was with Leclerc and Sainz they will try to challenge the champions Verstappen and Red Bull resigned from his position as head of the Scuderia, which he now manages Frederic Vasseur The former Alfa Romeo French engineer was one of the supporters of the Monegasque driver career, which finished second in 2022. famous Andreas Seild Replaces Vasseur Alfa Romeo Sauber and in turn relaxed Mclaren with Andre Stella.

registration program

The 2023 Formula 1 calendar is the longest in history, with a total of 23 races scheduled compared to 22 races for the 2022 season. Chinese GP It has been canceled due to Covid-19 restrictions and finally this season will not be a new one, so the forecast to reach 24 races will have to wait. circuit Sailboat Returns to World Cup in Qatar, but most ‘notable’ reunion Las Vegas Grand Prix, which has tripled appointments in the United States this year and promises to be even more spectacular than the Miami premiere in 2022. Sprint races will also increase to six (100km on Saturdays to form the grid on Sunday). there will be disagreement Azerbaijan, Austria, Belgium, Qatar, Austin and Brazil.