2023 Pre-Season Testing - Bahrain International Circuit, Feb 23 - 25

[Spoutnik]

slightly off topic but I still haven't gotten used to looking at these clumsy and heavy boats

compared to this 2020 q3 lap they just look (and sound) silly. i don't understand how fom managed to completely f**k up onboard sounds to such degree.
https://streamable.com/ckxsp8

Compared to this

[jrionegro]

Morning session:

https://preview.redd.it/e4bkv69bfdka1.p ... 444e76d4a7

https://preview.redd.it/nqsg3olbfdka1.p ... fa8bbe736a

Afternoon session:

https://preview.redd.it/a4siea4cfdka1.p ... c447a1c1ac

https://preview.redd.it/vrx4vjgcfdka1.p ... 4fb86fec24

Alonso race simulation times ay the end of test put me think he will be a very serious podium candidate.

[organic]

[BlueCheetah66]

slightly off topic but I still haven't gotten used to looking at these clumsy and heavy boats

compared to this 2020 q3 lap they just look (and sound) silly. i don't understand how fom managed to completely f**k up onboard sounds to such degree.
https://streamable.com/ckxsp8

Compared to this

Turn 4 this year looks so much slower.

[organic]

Alpine do a little bit of sandbagging

[thestig84]

slightly off topic but I still haven't gotten used to looking at these clumsy and heavy boats

compared to this 2020 q3 lap they just look (and sound) silly. i don't understand how fom managed to completely f**k up onboard sounds to such degree.
https://streamable.com/ckxsp8

Indeed. 2021 Onboards are fine too, but now everything feels slow and heavy in the current onboards

Don't like these boats, especially through the slow section (S2)... The worst is ofc at Monaco

Boats? Come on...... far more like oil tankers. They are horrible to watch, just don't look alive at all and (personally) it does hinder the excitement of watching them. Still can't believe Ross Brawn was bragging about how the old generation with rake looked awful and these were low and like real racing cars .

[Vanja #66]

Isola: 2023 tyres 1.5s faster

These three days of testing were precious for the teams, the drivers and also for us. The teams were able to fine-tune the set-up of the cars in view of next week's race weekend and the drivers had time to familiarize themselves with the new construction in the Pirelli range, this year enriched by an additional compound which will be used in the Bahrain GP. The lap times recorded today are surprising because this year's tires are on average 1.5 seconds faster than the same compounds from 2022. The figure is even more significant on a track like Sakhir, where traction and braking prevail but there are no corners that require the tires to take up long periods of time. Even the new C1, which could be the protagonist in the race in a week's time, was positively received by all the teams for the good performances it showed. With a wider range of tyres, we now have more flexibility in choosing and will be able to name the most suitable compounds for each circuit

[AR3-GP]

Isola: 2023 tyres 1.5s faster

These three days of testing were precious for the teams, the drivers and also for us. The teams were able to fine-tune the set-up of the cars in view of next week's race weekend and the drivers had time to familiarize themselves with the new construction in the Pirelli range, this year enriched by an additional compound which will be used in the Bahrain GP. The lap times recorded today are surprising because this year's tires are on average 1.5 seconds faster than the same compounds from 2022. The figure is even more significant on a track like Sakhir, where traction and braking prevail but there are no corners that require the tires to take up long periods of time. Even the new C1, which could be the protagonist in the race in a week's time, was positively received by all the teams for the good performances it showed. With a wider range of tyres, we now have more flexibility in choosing and will be able to name the most suitable compounds for each circuit

So after a decade, Pirelli finally did a GREAT job. Now they want to throw it all in the bin to make a brand new product that doesn't require blankets for 2024.

[Vanja #66]

I don't think it will pass. Full wets are one thing, dry tyres without heating are dangerous...

[Redragon]

Isola: 2023 tyres 1.5s faster

These three days of testing were precious for the teams, the drivers and also for us. The teams were able to fine-tune the set-up of the cars in view of next week's race weekend and the drivers had time to familiarize themselves with the new construction in the Pirelli range, this year enriched by an additional compound which will be used in the Bahrain GP. The lap times recorded today are surprising because this year's tires are on average 1.5 seconds faster than the same compounds from 2022. The figure is even more significant on a track like Sakhir, where traction and braking prevail but there are no corners that require the tires to take up long periods of time. Even the new C1, which could be the protagonist in the race in a week's time, was positively received by all the teams for the good performances it showed. With a wider range of tyres, we now have more flexibility in choosing and will be able to name the most suitable compounds for each circuit

So after a decade, Pirelli finally did a GREAT job. Now they want to throw it all in the bin to make a brand new product that doesn't require blankets for 2024.

They do what F1 ask them, energy and cost saving is more behind the reasons to create tyres that don’t require blankets

[F1doc]

They do what F1 ask them, energy and cost saving is more behind the reasons to create tyres that don’t require blankets

The energy saving is negligible or offset by the fuel needed to run the car round longer for more warm up laps and get the tyres to a working range in order to set a flying lap.

[JordanMugen]

slightly off topic but I still haven't gotten used to looking at these clumsy and heavy boats

Half of the 50kg weight increase from 2021 is for safety and would have been added anyway. So it's only ~25kg that relates to the 18" wheels, tyres and covers.

So even with the old regulations + safety improvements including larger minimum cockpit dimensions you still would have been looking at about 752+25=777kg.

now everything feels slow and heavy in the current onboards

The hydraulic suspension was unnecessary and hard for the FIA to scrutinise legality, so I think it is quite reasonable to ban that and mandate less sophisticated suspension systems. Why should an F1 car have more sophisticated ride and handling than F2? If the F2 cars are difficult to handle and need *driving* and *coaxing* why not F1 cars? Why should F1 cars be easy to drive in low speed corners with perfectly behaved suspension?

After all, F2 had the 18" wheels for two seasons in advance and overall it was not a big deal and made little to no difference from 13" there. If was quite fun to see the already stiffly-sprung F2 cars lift wheels around Monaco on their 18" tyres!

[Redragon]

They do what F1 ask them, energy and cost saving is more behind the reasons to create tyres that don’t require blankets

The energy saving is negligible or offset by the fuel needed to run the car round longer for more warm up laps and get the tyres to a working range in order to set a flying lap.

That's why Pirelli is asked to do a compound that warms up faster as the blankets are going to be banned

[Chuckjr]

Alonso's current mood.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fp1FGSIXgAY ... name=small

The man is ready to kick Merc’s ass.

[langedweil]

-2022 Bahrain GP pole: 1.30.558
-Testing best lap right now: 1.30.305

Tasty!

That's sweet !
Only 3yrs ago pole was 1:27.2 .. so we have some way to go.