F1 pre-season testing, defined – SBNation.com

Formula 1 is again this week.

Kind of.

While racing doesn’t begin till subsequent week, with the Bahrain Grand Prix to kick off the 2023 F1 season, all ten groups shall be in Bahrain shortly for 3 days of preseason testing. After spending months growing their vehicles for the 2023 marketing campaign, the groups have restricted time on observe to place their vehicles by the paces earlier than lights exit for the primary race of the season.

With testing week upon us, we thought it was a very good time to stipulate what, precisely, pre-season testing entails.

What is pre-season testing?

Pre-season testing, this 12 months, is a three-day occasion on the Bahrain International Circuit, web site of the season-opening Grand Prix every week later. Over three days this week (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday) groups are allowed to place their vehicles on the observe with minimal restrictions, to get a way of how their setups, and aerodynamics, will search for the season forward.

Each day is damaged up into two classes, a morning session which begins at 10:00 a.m. native time and runs for 4 hours, and a day session which begins at 3:00 p.m. native time and runs for four-and-a-half hours. The significance of that afternoon session is that it’ll final past sundown, permitting groups to get a really feel for the way the vehicles will run throughout night-time circumstances.

That will come in useful the next week, because the Bahrain Grand Prix is run at evening.

Teams can strategy these classes in various other ways, however the principle purpose is to iron out any main points, hone set-ups, and make changes as needed. Teams can even isolate what areas of the automobile should be upgraded forward of the season, which begins simply over every week later.

Why is it held in Bahrain?

Two causes, actually. The first motive is logistical. With the season starting on the similar observe the next week, that cuts down on the journey time for every staff.

The second is the structure of the Bahrain International Circuit, which you’ll see right here in a diagram from F1.com:

The design of Bahrain International Circuit permits groups to check their vehicles beneath a couple of completely different circumstances. There are some lengthy straights — together with the very lengthy straight popping out of Sector 3, by the beginning/end line and into Sector 1 — and a few tight corners, most notably in Sector 2. Teams will have the ability to take a look at out how their vehicles deal with each lengthy straights, in addition to tight corners.

How are tyres dealt with?

Pirelli, the sort supplier for F1, supplies all groups an equal variety of every tyre compound. This permits the groups to finish as many laps as they want with every tyre compound. This permits groups to get a way of pit technique for when the season begins.

Are their particular issues groups can or can not do throughout testing?

Testing just isn’t held beneath grand prix circumstances, and whereas regular security necessities have to be adopted, groups are permitted to design their very own testing applications. That contains choosing which drivers are going to take part, together with reserve and/or testing drivers who are usually not slated to compete within the upcoming season.

What is that fluorescent paint I’m seeing on the vehicles?

Photo by Bradley Collyer/PA Images by way of Getty Images

Remember, aerodynamics is the ballgame in F1. So discovering out how the air is flowing over the vehicles is a large a part of the method, together with throughout testing.

To get a clearer image of how air is flowing over completely different elements of the automobile, groups will use what is named “flow-vis” paint. This is a paint composed of a fluorescent powder blended with a light-weight oil, utilized to the entrance of the automobile earlier than it takes to the observe. As the automobile works by the circuit, the paint flows over the automobile, following the air.

In the above {photograph} taken from pre-season testing final 12 months, you possibly can see the flow-vis paint on the Williams Racing automobile pushed by Nicholas Latifi.

Do not be stunned if, when watching pre-season testing, groups try to cover the outcomes of a run utilizing flow-vis paint. Often when the vehicles return to the storage after a run with flow-vis paint, groups cowl the automobile so their opponents can not get a way of what’s working … and what’s not.

Are these the ultimate vehicles that groups will use this season?

Adapt or die is a part of life in F1. Teams are consistently seeking to improve their vehicles, seeking to squeeze each final little bit of energy out of them, and shave of each potential millisecond.

To that finish, whereas the vehicles we are going to see this week are near the ultimate product, the outcomes of testing usually drive some upgrades.

How a lot ought to we learn into the lap occasions this week?

In actuality? Not a lot. Given the variety of variables at work — groups try completely different applications, with completely different tyre compounds and completely different gas masses — it’s often exhausting to get a transparent sense of how the grid stacks up earlier than the season begins. Remember, whereas all of the tyre compounds can be found throughout testing, as soon as the season begins, Pirelli allotted simply three of the 5 completely different dry-weather tyre compounds for every Grand Prix. So we’d see a staff this week put down a quick lap time on a tyre compound that isn’t going to be in use subsequent week in the course of the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Also, groups do try to cover simply how sturdy they’re throughout testing, saving their full efficiency functionality in the course of the first qualifying session of the season. This is a tactic known as “sandbagging.”

Still, in current historical past now we have seen groups sturdy throughout testing come out and safe the pole place on the similar observe in the course of the season. In 2021 Max Verstappen of Red Bull posted the quickest lap time throughout testing, and secured the pole on the Bahrain Grand Prix later within the season. In 2020 Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes posted the quickest lap time throughout testing, and his teammate Lewis Hamilton certified on pole on the Spanish Grand Prix later that 12 months.

Last season Verstappen was once more quickest throughout pre-season testing, however Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc certified on pole.

But we know how Ferrari’s season went.

What drivers are testing, and when?

Teams are beginning to announce which drivers are operating throughout which classes. So when you have a favourite driver, you would possibly need to examine again as this shall be up to date.

Days and drivers

Thursday am: Verstappen, Nico Hulkenberg, Yuki Tsunoda, Felipe Drugovich, Alex Albon, Zhou Guanyu, Carlos Sainz Jr., George Russell, Pierre Gasly, Oscar Piastri

Thursday pm: Verstappen, Kevin Magnussen, Nyck de Vries, Fernando Alonso, Logan Sargeant, Valtteri Bottas, Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, Esteban Ocon, Lando Norris

Friday am: Sergio Perez, Magnussen, Tsunoda, Sargeant, Zhou, Hamilton, Ocon, Norris

Friday pm: Verstappen, Hulkenberg, de Vries, Sargeant, Zhou, Russell, Gasly, Piastri

Saturday am: Perez, Hulkenberg, de Vries, Albon, Bottas, Russell, Gasly, Piastri

Saturday pm: Perez, Magnussesn, Tsunoda, Albon, Bottas, Hamilton, Ocon, Norris

Schedule by staff:

Alfa Romeo:

Thursday: Zhou (a.m.), Bottas (p.m.)
Friday: Zhou (a.m. and p.m.)
Saturday: Bottas (a.m. and p.m.)

AlphaTauri:

Thursday: Tsunoda (a.m.), de Vries (p.m.)
Friday: Tsunoda (a.m.), de Vries (p.m.)
Saturday: de Vries (a.m.), Tsunoda (p.m.)

Alpine:

Thursday: Gasly (a.m.), Ocon (p.m.)
Friday: Ocon (a.m.), Gasly (p.m.)
Saturday: Gasly (a.m.), Ocon (p.m.)

Aston Martin:

Thursday: Alonso (a.m.), Drugovich (p.m.)
Friday: TBD
Saturday: TBD

Ferrari:

Thursday: Sainz Jr. (a.m.), Leclerc (p.m.)
Friday: TBD
Saturday: TBD

Haas:

Thursday: Hulkenberg (a.m.), Magnussen (p.m.)
Friday: Magnussen (a.m.), Hulkenberg (p.m.)
Saturday: Hulkenberg (a.m.), Magnussen (p.m.)

McLaren:

Thursday: Oscar Piastri (a.m.), Lando Norris (p.m.)
Friday: Norris (a.m.), Piastri (p.m.)
Saturday: Piastri (a.m.), Norris (p.m.)

Mercedes:

Thursday: Russell (a.m.), Hamilton (p.m.)
Friday: Hamilton (a.m.), Russell (p.m.)
Saturday: Russell (a.m.), Hamilton (p.m.)

Red Bull:

Thursday: Verstappen (a.m. and p.m.)
Friday: Perez (a.m.), Verstappen (p.m.)
Saturday: Perez (a.m. and p.m.)

Williams:

Thursday: Albon (a.m.), Sargeant (p.m.)
Friday: Sargeant (a.m. and p.m.)
Saturday: Albon (a.m. and p.m.)

Can I watch pre-season testing?

That relies on the place you’re studying this from, expensive reader.

For these becoming a member of us from the United Kingdom and Ireland, Sky Sports F1 will broadcast the whole thing of F1 testing.

Those exterior of the United Kingdom and Ireland will have the ability to watch testing by way of F1TV, F1’s streaming service.

This publish shall be up to date as schedules are introduced.