Morning of testday 2: Sainz tops timing sheets and rookie Sargeant impresses

Event: 2023 Pre-Season F1 testing
Track: Bahrain International Circuit

Formula One's pre-season testing continued on Day 2 this morning. Teams continued to experiment with their setups and strategies. One feature that was noticed was the return of "porpoising", or the up-and-down motion of a car during acceleration or braking. Teams were experimenting with their ride heights, with some opting for a lower rake that may have contributed to the porpoising.

While some teams struggled with porpoising, Red Bull and AlphaTauri were not affected, and Red Bull's Christian Horner noted that they did not expect to have issues this year since they didn't experience much of it last season. Another notable feature was a bump on the track, which was initially blamed for the return of porpoising, but it was later discovered that some cars were struggling with it on different parts of the track.

In terms of times, Carlos Sainz set the first time of the day, but it was much slower than yesterday's fastest time set by Max Verstappen. Several teams opted to run old tires for data gathering rather than pure pace, and Pirelli has given teams the full range of compounds for testing, including a prototype tire on top of the C0 to C5 range. However, for race weekends, it will be back to just three compounds chosen by Pirelli.

Logan Sargeant driving the Williams FW45 during test day 2

The testing format also explains why only 10 cars were on display as each team can only run one car. Some teams opted to give one driver the whole day in the cockpit, while others swapped their drivers and set ups at lunchtime. Notably, rookie Logan Sargeant had a good day yesterday and continued to test today, while Yuki Tsunoda ran aero rakes and focused on data gathering.

As with any testing, there are many unknowns, including fuel loads and whether the cars are fitted with testing parts or the real deal. However, this morning of Day 2 provided some insights into the teams' performance and strategies as they prepare for the upcoming season.

We saw Theo Pourchaire, Alfa Romeo Reserve Driver, praise his colleague Oscar Piastri, who he has driven with in go karts, F3, and F2. He also had positive words about Logan Sargeant and Felipe Drugovich. Meanwhile, on-track, Yuki Tsunoda was propping up the timing sheets, focusing on running the harder compound.

Charles Leclerc expressed confidence in the reliability of the SF-23. Technical developments that caught attention included little winglets on the front wing and sidepod designs, and McLaren mechanics working under the engine cover of the MCL60. Finally, Aston Martin released its testing run plan and Lance Stroll remains a doubt for the season opener due to his wrist injury.

Three new drivers have joined the F1 grid, namely Oscar Piastri, Nyck de Vries, and Logan Sargeant. They have all had a go on the Bahrain track in the new 2023 race cars.

Yuki Tsunoda driving the AlphaTauri AT04 during test day 2

Sainz has topped the timing sheets with 70 laps under his belt, followed by Sargeant in second and Alonso in third. Yuki Tsunoda has been able to complete 78 laps, the most of any driver in the session so far.

Mercedes Reserve Driver Mick Schumacher, who will drive for Haas, spoke about joining Mercedes and shared his insights on the behavior of the new race cars on the track. Meanwhile, Toto Wolff, the Mercedes Team Principal, expressed his confidence in the team but also noted the out-of-balance issues the car is currently experiencing.

Ferrari has added a small slat to their halo roll hoop, to better direct airflow.

There are now 23 races on the schedule, with the opener in Bahrain followed by Saudi Arabia before drivers head to Melbourne. Las Vegas is set to be added to the calendar, as the penultimate round of the championship before Abu Dhabi hosts the grand finale. The season could see track surface changes, such as in Baku and Miami, which are both set to be completely resurfaced before their respective races.

Additionally, the FIA used the final 15 minutes of the session to test some of their race procedures. The track will be busy again with a different set of drivers taking the afternoon session, including George Russell, Oscar Piastri, and Pierre Gasly, who will have a chance to drive under the lights for the first time.

Morning times Day 2 Pre-season F1 Testing

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