2023 F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain: dates, times and how to watch

In 2023, most eyes will once again be glued to ‘The Big Three’ – Ferrari looking for redemption, Red Bull aiming for repetition and Mercedes focused on rejuvenation. Among others, all three teams have completed initial shakedowns, with Ferrari’s SF23 completing several laps of the Fiorano Circuit during its launch.

Further back, the fight for midfield supremacy will likely be tight, with Aston Martin looking to join the likes of McLaren and Alpine – with Aston hoping the addition of a new £200 million factory can give it an edge.

But until the new crop of grand prix contenders first creep out onto the asphalt in Bahrain, we’ll just have to keep guessing at what the 2023 season may have in store.

Find all the details about pre-season testing for the 2023 F1 season below, including dates, times, where to watch and what to expect.

Dates and times for 2023 F1 pre-season testing

F1 will return to a single three-day testing period beginning on February 23 in Bahrain. The circuit has become a favourite for testing due to its warmer and more predictable climate over the previous first choice, Circuit de Catalunya Barcelona, which loses out on holding a group test this year. Bahrain features a 5.4km (3.36 mile) lap with many fast and medium-speed turns, providing all the necessary data for the teams.

Teams will gain on-track access between 7am and 4.30pm GMT for three days until February 25.

Full TV coverage will be provided as well as live timing.

How to watch 2023 F1 testing

Sky Sports holds the exclusive rights to F1 broadcasting in the UK, and will provide coverage throughout the 2023 pre-season test. Sky Sports customers can also livestream the event through the Sky Go app.

The Sky Sports F1 channel is available through NowTV.

Who’s driving and when?

All 20 drivers will be split between and morning and afternoon session over a three day period. Below are the testing schedules that have been confirmed so far.

What will happen in 2023 F1 testing?

The days of testing in Bahrain will only provide an uncertain indication of teams’ true performance, with runs on varying fuel loads, tyres in various states of wear and with different objectives in mind. There is also the ever-present suspicion that some will ‘sandbag’ to maintain an element of surprise ahead of the season-opening Bahrain Grand prix on March 3.

Whoever’s fastest at the end of each day, and even the test overall, doesn’t necessarily end up leading the field when the competition really starts. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep an eye on some of the most intriguing story lines.

Red Bull and its cost cap penalty

A dominant performance by the RB18 throughout 2022 was only sullied by Red Bull and its breaching of the cost cap – for which it received a 10% reduction in wind tunnel time and a large fine. In a statement made by team principal Christian Horner, the penalties were referred to as “draconian”. He said that they would impact heavily on the performance of the RB19 – Red Bull’s 2023 title contender.

But given the performance gap to its rivals, Red Bull still enters the 2023 campaign as favourite, vying to deliver Verstappen his third successive F1 drivers’ world title. Pre-season testing will give a small insight into the true extent of the RB19’s performance and will indicate whether or not the reigning champion will lead from the front or start on the back foot.

Can Ferrari learn from its mistakes?

In the early stages of the 2022 campaign, Ferrari looked to be the team to beat – capturing a 1-2 victory in Bahrain after dominating pre-season testing. But then it all went wrong, with unravelling reliability, dodgy team tactics and general chaotic outbursts. Having not properly competed for an F1 world title since 2019, and having last actually won one in 2007, Ferrari left itself exposed to simple errors in strategy and issues in reliability – ultimately dragging it backwards into a race for second place.

2023 looks to be a chance at redemption, led by Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, who both believe the SF23 can deliver world titles. With new team principal Frédéric Vasseur now at the helm, the team looks to eliminate the errors that eventually cost it any chance at victory in 2022 with another strong performance in pre-season testing being the first step.

Will Mercedes return to the front?

2022 was a season to forget for Mercedes. In a season that brought updated regulations, the Silver Arrows struggled to adapt – rather uncharacteristic for a team that had previously won eight consecutive constructors’ world championships.

But it did eventually find momentum, ending the season in a battle for second with Ferrari and even capturing a 1-2 finish in Brazil, with both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell showing vastly improved pace over the latter part of the campaign. It will be up to the Mercedes team to provide the drivers with a capable car – pre-season testing being the first indication of a job well done or a return to the drawing board.

Who will win the midfield battle?

Alpine was the king of the midfield in 2022, securing fourth place in the constructors’ standings over McLaren – despite Lando Norris‘s best efforts. The two teams are likely to go wheel-to-wheel once again in 2023, but as the season evolves, they may be joined by the likes of Alfa Romeo or even Aston Martin – which hopes to prosper in years to come through the completion of its new racing headquarters at Silverstone.

The time between them during pre-season testing will provide a blurred picture of how close a battle to fourth could be, and could even reveal if Alpine has closed the gap to the frontrunners – a previously massive margin.

De Vries, Sargeant and Piastri: the rookies

A silly season to remember ultimately produced three rookie drivers for the 2023 season, all with much to prove.

Nyck de Vries joins Yuki Tsunoda at AlphaTauri, replacing Alpine-bound Pierre Gasly and ending a four-year wait for a full-time F1 seat. The Dutchman impressed during a sub-in drive for Williams at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix and his relative performance compared to his new team-mate during pre-season testing could indicate how close they’ll race over the course of the season.

Oscar Piastri comes to F1 under a cloud of anticipation after completing a dramatic move to McLaren – replacing Daniel Ricciardo. The 21-year-old Aussie has won consecutive titles in F3 and F2, and is already widely regarded as a great young talent. But, up against the ever-growing talent of Norris, Piastri will certainly have to perform immediately, in order to avoid suffering a similar fate to his predecessor.

Logan Sargeant joins the grid with Williams as the most unproven rookie figure, but will look to answer the USA’s call for a home-grown driver – the first since the departure of Alexander Rossi in 2015. Finishing fourth in the 2022 F2 standings, Sargeant will look to prove himself over the course of the season against Alexander Albon, which could prove to be a difficult undertaking.

One driver that is certainly not a rookie is Nico Hülkenberg, who will make his full-time return after two years of playing super-sub with both Racing Point and in its later guise as Aston Martin. The Hulk will partner Kevin Magnussen at Haas. In a similar position to De Vries, Piastri and Sargeant, pre-season testing will provide a glimpse as to whether the veteran German, who has made 181 grand prix starts, can still cut it against the youngsters.