SAKHIR, Bahrain (PSF) — We finally arrive at the first race week of 2023 after three trying days of pre-season testing in Bahrain come to an end. Although pre-season testing does not reward teams for having pace, it does serve as three days to figure out where you team matches up against your rivals as well as the rest of the field. Throughout testing there were some interesting things we saw that I would like to make note of.

Red Bull: Still Very, Very Good

Last season we watched the team of Max Verstappen and Sergio “Checo” Perez take the RB18 to new heights capturing both the Drivers’ Championship for Verstappen along with the Constructors’ Championship for the team. The dominance of this car is something Red Bull wanted to replicate for this season’s RB19, and it appears they might have done just that. The RB19 was topping the timesheets early in the sessions on harder compounds of tires, meanwhile other teams were failing to top Red Bull or just barely topping Red Bull on softer compounds of tires. Red Bull is still the team to beat, and it does not look like it is as close going into Round 1 this year as it was last year with Ferrari matching the Red Bull pace.

Aston Martin: Midfield Favorite?

Well this was something I did not see coming. The Aston Martin looked legitimately quick. There was legitimate intrigue with the design of the car on launch day, but not many would predict that the design would translate into a car that appeared to be the quickest of the midfield pack. With Lance Stroll out of testing due to a cycling injury, it was reigning F2 Champion and Aston Martin reserve driver Felipe Drugovich who partnered Fernando Alonso for the three days of testing. The team started off to a rocky start during the first morning session of Day 1 with the car of Drugovich coming to a halt potentially showing some reliability issues. The team bounced back in the afternoon session as Alonso showed the immense pace that the car had, topping the other midfield teams and puts them in a good spot to capitalize on any mistake of the top three teams into a potential podium for the green team. The AMR23 is the car to watch this season.

Mercedes: Bahrain Déjà Vu?

Last year in pre-season testing in Bahrain, we watched Mercedes’ W13 car fail to meet expectations after a Constructors’ Championship winning year. We wondered if the team were just holding back to shatter expectations and steal points come race day. However, they were truly off the pace and there was a gap they had to bridge to reach the level of Red Bull and Ferrari. This year it is same story, different car. The W14 looked off the pace the same as they did last year, and at points the Aston Martin looked to have more pace which is concerning for a team that seemed dedicated to getting race wins on launch day. We find ourselves in a similar position as last year, wondering if this lack of pace is legitimate or they are sandbagging and will return to form come Sunday. If they truly are off the pace, what would this mean for Lewis Hamilton’s future in the sport if Mercedes can’t deliver him a car that can fight for race wins?

McLaren: A Step in the Wrong Direction

Similar to Mercedes lacking pace from the frontrunners, it was McLaren that was the disappointment of the midfield. Team CEO Zak Brown admitted that they are not where they expected to be with the car and they are uncertain in how it will play in Round 1. The team took on a significant financial loss with the multi-million dollar buyout with Daniel Ricciardo in order to land former Alpine reserve Oscar Piastri, and now it seems like the team will have to go through the motions of figuring out what is wrong with the car and investing further in some costly upgrades. With Alpine, Aston Martin, and Alfa Romeo making good improvements, it should be a real concern for McLaren that they have not been able to say the same for themselves.