Perez leads test day three

The short winter tests in 2023 went surprisingly smoothly. Under the conditions of stable regulation with “frozen” power plants, only the aerodynamics, suspension and layout have changed. This year reliability will not be a factor in the battle. When else was it that on the first day of testing almost everyone covered the distance of the race?

This does not mean that there were no problems at all, but they were not systemic, but private in nature, associated with the shortcomings of specific teams.

The tests went perfectly for Red Bull Racing. The car drove like it was on rails – no breakdowns, no blockages when braking. Well oiled mechanism.

Representatives of the team management did not get tired of laughing and showed with all their appearance that everything is fine with them. Max Verstappen is in top form and the car has a speed reserve. They have grabbed luck by the tail and are leading the way.

About Ferrari, they said more than once during the tests that they hide their speed. The team evaded the answer, but in the corners the SF-23 was not as stable as the new Red Bull car, which both drivers emphasized. The main slogan of the Scuderia all three days: “We have something to add.”

On the last day of testing, the Ferrari drivers were very fast. They had an advantage in qualifying mode on soft tires last year, and now the engineers have managed to reduce drag, which has already allowed them to add speed on the straights and attack rivals in races. This year Ferrari has a good chance.

Ferrari cars still suffer from build-up, albeit not as markedly as last season. This is probably due to the choice of a minimum suspension height for the sake of greater aerodynamic efficiency.

The tests proved difficult for Mercedes. The team got rid of the build-up, so they wrote off the first half of last season. Now this problem is not here, but there are others. The night before the third day, the team discovered an unexpected loss of efficiency between the first day of testing (when everything was fine) and the second (when everything was bad). In addition, the work had to be completed earlier than planned on the second day due to pressure loss in the hydraulic system.

On the final day of testing, Hamilton set his best lap faster than qualifying for last year’s Bahrain Grand Prix, but on the softest C5 tires that were not there then and won’t be next week.

Among the mid-tier teams, Aston Martin’s progression is clear. Last year was unsuccessful, but conclusions were drawn, Fernando Alonso was invited – and in 2023 the team can become a formidable force, a favorite in the fight for fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship, especially as the closest rivals take a step have put back.

Alpine eased Alonso’s departure, McLaren brought a rough car for testing, which was almost more in the pits than on the track. The battle for positions in this group depends on many factors – and will be no less interesting than the battle for leadership. It is still premature to judge the speed of the cars, but time will tell.

The winter tests are over, next week the Grand Prix of Bahrain is on the program. The season is getting interesting!

Results of the third day of testing