What can we expect from the Formula 1 winter test in Bahrain?

In just under two weeks, the 2023 Formula 1 season will kick off in Bahrain, but first, it is time for the winter test. From 23 to 25 February, the F1 teams will be in action with their new cars, some of which will only be out in the open for the first time. What can we all expect from the upcoming test days?

Winter test F1 2023

After a series of car launches in which it remains to be seen how much we have seen of the new F1 cars, the teams took to the track for the first time without restrictions during the winter test. Shakedowns were carried out, but these limited the teams to a maximum distance of one hundred kilometres and the use of special demonstration tyres by Pirelli. The winter test will therefore be the first test of strength before the real thing starts at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Whereas an extra winter test was organised in Barcelona in the run-up to the new regulations for the 2022 season, this year the teams and drivers will have to rely on the three-day test in Bahrain. There, for the first time, it will become clear to what extent last winter's preparations have paid off for the various teams. There will not be much time to solve any problems, as the first race of the season will be held only a week later.

The real RB19

Many eyes will be on Red Bull Racing, which barely hinted at the RB19 during its presentation. The team of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez had already announced it would only show the livery, but even that required grabbing a magnifying glass to discover the differences from the RB18.

Later, like last year, the Austrian racing stable secretly conducted a shakedown at Silverstone. However, there was nothing more than a brief teaser and some very vague images from that, so we will have to wait until the winter test, where the real RB19 will take to the Bahrain International Circuit.

Technical changes

For the 2023 F1 season, there are a number of technical rule changes that all cars must comply with. One of the most important - and also controversial - changes is the higher ride height. Mercedes in particular campaigned for this, as Lewis Hamilton and George Russell's team continued to struggle with porpoising throughout the season.

While the bulk of F1 teams had given short shrift to the problem early in the season, Mercedes continued to struggle with it for a long time. By the end of the year, the German racing stable also seemed to have largely dealt with the problem, but despite this, Toto Wolff continued to stress the importance of the rule change.

Although the FIA claimed that the changes to the floor were made for safety reasons, that argument was questioned by most F1 teams. One change that was undoubtedly indeed made with safety in mind was the altered roll bars. These had to be strengthened after the part broke on Guanyu Zhou's Alfa Romeo in its heavy crash at Silverstone.

Other changes include banning questionable front and rear wing designs, which Aston Martin and Mercedes, among others, came up with in 2022. However, during the car launches, both Mercedes and Ferrari appeared to have already come up with a solution so that the new front wing design does fall within the regulations.

Sandbagging

To what extent the winter test will actually show what the proportions are at the start of the F1 season remains to be seen. In the past, Mercedes in particular was guilty of 'sandbagging' every year, not revealing the true pace of the car. Moreover, it is not clear what fuel loads will be used, so the first real test of strength will not follow until the first race weekend of the year.

Timetable

The test days will take place from Thursday 23 February to Saturday 25 February. Each day will be divided into two sessions, the first starting at 08:00 Dutch time (10:00 local time) and lasting four hours. After this, there will be a one-hour break before the second session starts at 13:00. This lasts 4.5 hours and continues until after sunset.

During each session, only one car from each team is on the track, limiting traffic on the track. Most teams have their two drivers each drive one session per day, but some teams choose to divide the time differently or have reserve drivers drive. Drivers can drive as much as they want in each session and have access to all five Pirelli tyres that will be used during the season.