Verstappen finishes ahead of Sainz after morning testing session on Day 1

Haas and Red Bull show car

The winter break is officially over. After the teams presented their cars, it is now actually time to get into action. Before the action started, however, there was plenty to see. Haas and Red Bull Racing had so far only presented the livery for 2023, so eyes were on the VF-23 and the RB19.

The RB19 in particular attracted a lot of attention. Reigning world champion Verstappen's team has made visible modifications to the sidepods and floor, while the front wing shows similarities to the earlier innovations seen at Ferrari and Mercedes. Whether this makes the RB19 faster than its predecessor will only be seen during the first race.

Problems for Aston Martin

Before the session was well underway, the first car stopped. After eight minutes, Felipe Drugovich was told to pull over with what would later turn out to be an electrical problem. Not much later, the Brazilian, filling in for Lance Stroll, was able to get back on track, but precious time was lost. McLaren also got off to a somewhat late start. Oscar Piastri did not set a time on the clock in the first few hours, but would eventually get to a good number of laps. McLaren made no mention of a problem.

This is noticeable in the first hours anyway: teams do not waste a single second and tried to be on the track as much as possible. Red Bull Racing and Ferrari in particular made a lot of metres in the beginning with Verstappen and Carlos Sainz behind the wheel. It is not surprising as the teams and drivers have only three days to test the car this year. The former teammates are also the drivers who keep swapping the lead position in the first few hours.

Although Sainz set fast times, there is also something noticeable about his car. Namely, the nose of the SF-23 dents at high speed. Speculation is rife about a possible innovation, but this is neither allowed nor intended. Ferrari themselves also reveals this in a comment.

Fast times in the final hour

In the final hour, Verstappen hits the gas once more and dives below Sainz's time again. The Dutchman dipped below 1.33 for the first time, not far off Charles Leclerc's pole time in 2022: 1.30.558. The other drivers also continue to set laps, with Alexander Albon becoming the first driver to complete a full race distance on behalf of Williams.

The last 15 minutes of the session saw testing with yellow flags and virtual safety car systems. As a result, few fast times were recorded. Verstappen thus closed the session fastest with a time of 1.32.959. Sainz finished in second place just under three-tenths behind, with Albon finishing the session in third place.

The winter test will resume at 12:15hrs UK time. You can follow the live in our liveblog. Verstappen will also drive on behalf of Red Bull Racing in the afternoon, while all other teams will see the other driver in action.