#bahrain 2023 free practice 1

[skitskatdacat63]

2023 Bahrain Grand Prix - Free Practice 1 - Felipe Drugovich & Stoffel Vandoorne

[f1]

[cheriladycl01]

Mercedes Golden Girl - Grid x MercedesSplit! Reserve Driver

Plot: You are the woman to have come the furthest in modern Formula 1, as reserve driver for 3/10th of the grid she's thrown about the shop in the season of 2024.

Credits to csquaredinred for the GIF

Y/N Y/L/N was a name in Motorsport History books. She had currently come the furthest a woman has in F1 in many years.

Following in Oscar Piastri's footsteps, you won F3 in 2022 two years after him while he was storming through F2. You had an extremely dominant season being 30 points ahead of the next person behind you.

F3 wasn't too bad, you had one other girl with you that you were able to hang out with, as the boys were all the same in F3.

It was harder in 2023 when you graduated to F2 and were the only girl on the grid. Obviously you made friends with the boys but you always felt like the outcast, you never understood the 'boys jokes' and sometimes they wouldn't invite you to stuff because 'girls wouldn't like it' and it upset you.

You were very nervous to get into F1, only assuming that gap would be larger than it was in F2. So when you won the championship it only seemed smart for Toto to Promote you to the Mercedes reserve driver, on loan to McLaren and Williams as and when needed.

You'd been in the Mercedes Young Driver and Development Programme since Karting thanks to your family connections to one of the mechanics.

He begged Toto to go see you karting and give you a change and that was when his mind was set to help you further your career where he helped you into F4 and other racing.

There was an open spot in 2024 for you to be a Reserve Driver for Mercedes with Frederick Vesti and Mick Schumacher starting to look at other racing categories like WEC and Indy Car. So having you available in a second was important for Toto, they made a clause as engine suppliers for Williams and McLaren that they could also use you as a reserve driver as long as Mercedes had first dibs on you.

You thought your 2024 season would be pretty slow, only getting to go in the F1 car in Free Practice sessions like you had before but oh boy how wrong you turned out to be.

When Lewis announced he was moving to Ferrari in 2024, you had conversations with Toto Wolff and George Russell to see if that Mercedes seat could be yours, despite their being talk of Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, Kimi Antonelli, Mick Schumacher and Frederick Vesti all up for taking that seat you hoped that maybe you could get it.

Toto didn't confirm anything and for the first four races, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Japan you did everything you could for the team, grabbing waters, helping hospitality make food, being chauffeur to any of the drivers who were tired after the races and everyone could see how much effort you were putting in.

CHINA 2024

In China, Logan Sargeant sprained his wrist in training and by the time FP1 came around the medical team said it wasn't safe for him to drive. As the sole and only reserve driver Williams had it was up for you to race.

Williams hadn't had a good season and they were worried having a rookie in the car. Both Alex and Logan had their fair share of mistakes and they were worried about their spending this year. They couldn't afford another chassis until Miami.

They also had yet to gain points with either the boys currently.

You were a lot smaller than Logan so they spent time padding out the car to help you so your neck didn't suffer with the G-Force as much.

By the time FP1 came about the car had been padded out fully.

"And here we have a very nervous looking Y/N Y/L/N who has been confirmed to take Logan's place for the race this weekend and will be partaking in her first F1 race. Awwww look at her talking to Logan and his team..." Ted says as he sees her on screen, talking through what was probably race strategy.

"Yeah, obviously she's done these Free Practice sessions but never a race so I'm excited to see what she can do on Sunday!" Martin says looking at her as she starts to pull her race suit up and put her helmet on.

You get in the car and after some wet conditions and not everyone getting out your fourth fastest on the board.

All the interviews were joking around saying how you were a Mercedes miracle.

FP2 saw you get P12 and you were pretty happy with that result as you weren't trying to drive quickly, you were just trying to get used to the track. You'd never driven the Shanghai circuit so getting to grips on the circuit was difficult.

FP3, went better and you came P9, trying to see how confident you were on the track and you were trying to go the quickest time you could without risking the car too much.

Qualifying was not good, your breaks were faulty meaning you didn't make it pas Q1 saddling up in P16.

"How did you feel about that qualifying session Y/N?" an interviewer asks and you.

"Yeah I think I got as much out of that car as I could on that day. I'm not only learning the track... I'm still learning the car and how it's built and just how different it is from F2. Learning both at once is pretty complicated so I'm personally proud of what I've achieved and yeah I hope the team is proud of me too.

"Yeah Y/N i think you've really got to understand just how amazing what you've done so far this weekend is already amazing and no matter the result tomorrow people will still be incredibly amazed by what you've managed to do in a lower end car" he smiles and you grin back.

"Thank you really!" you grinned, nearly tearing up at the kind words.

Come the Sunday and you were ready and raring to go, Williams had come up with an impeccable strategy that you knew you'd be able to pull something off.

"IT'S LIGHTS OUT AND AWAY WE GO HERE WE ARE RACING IN SHANGHAI CHINA FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2019. AND EVERYONE MAKES IT ROUND TURN ONE, BUT OH MY GOD CONTACT IN THE REAR WITH, WHAT THAT A WILLIAMS AGIAN?" the commentator screams and everyone in the garage is holding their breath, the dust from the gravel trap not allowing them to see which car went into the wall.

Your family were panicking thinking it was you.

"IT'S NOT! IT'S THE RB OF YUKI TSUNODA AND THE ALPINE OF ESTEBAN OCON! AND NOW VALTTERI BOTTAS IS HAVING TO STOP HIS CAR ... LETS REWATCH TO SEE WHAT OCCURED!" the commentator says as they watch the replay of Esteban taking the turn to wide and not leaving enough room for Yuki crashing into the side of him while clipping Valtteri's wheel and wing.

The race went on and you'd managed to climb all the way to 5th thanks to you having insanely good tyre management. It was always one of the things you were condemned for in the lower feeder series is how well you looked after your tyres.

"Y/N is just doing an amazing job, not only is she currently the only one to have not pitted but she's managed to climb her way up the ranks and get that distance she'll need to pit" the commentator says watching.

"I think she's really starting to struggle on those tyres though. I can imagine they'll put her on soft tyres for the last few laps to help her gain those vital positions. Everyone else seems to be on the mediums right now" he explains and on the next lap you called to pit.

However the commentators our outraged as Williams fumble, calling both you and Alex into the pits at the same time.

"Guys what the hell is going on?" you ask waiting behind Alex's car who was getting new tyres and had a very quick pitstop.

However the crew weren't prepared for the double up, so they run getting looking around for what they need for you. It ended up being a 12 second pit stop and you were crying with frustration by the end.

"Y/N I'm sorry we are looking into it" Logan's engineer says and you just ignore.

You came out of the pits in P15 so you had a lock of making up to do.

"AND FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR WILLIAMS HAVE RECIEVED POINTS, AND BOTH OF THEIR DRIVERS AT THAT DESPITE ALL THAT WAS THROWN AT THEM TODAY THEY HAVE GOT THEMSELVES THOSE VITAL POINTS THAT WILL STIR WILLIAMS IN THE RIGHT WAY!" the commentator yells and as you drive past the pitwall, all engineers from many of the teams are cheering your name making tears come from your eyes, scoring your first point in F1. P10 in your first race.

"You really were just phenomenal out there today Y/N. You had the best tyre management by statistics which is incredible for a reserve rookie... you've just amazed us all!" Naomi smiles at you.

"Honestly its such a great feeling going out there and making the team proud, i think Williams still have so much to work with and I experienced that today but with drivers like Alex and Logan who are both so driven and hard working i can really see them improving throughout the season.

"Do you think you'll do any other races this season?" he asks and you laugh.

"I think I'm lucky as a reserve driver to have been given this opportunity. Obviously my heart goes out to Logan and I hope he makes a full recovery for his home race! But ultimately i dint think I will be called on again this season." you nod.

MONACO 2024

"When you got the phone call from Toto explaining that Lewis wouldn't be able to race in Monaco, you were shocked. It would take something really big to make Lewis not race.

You'd come to the paddock pull of nerves and you felt physically sick. Mercedes, even though their car was pretty shit this year, still had a mid field car and you were going to prove that you could drive it like it was a championship winning car ... if it was any other circuit than Monaco.

Monaco was... well Monaco. It's an itty bitty small street track that didn't have a lot of room for overtakes, had twisty corners that were very unpredictable and could always have a chance of rain.

So yeah you were worried.

Too the point you actually had a panic attack, there you were in your drivers room crying and sobbing over the pressures from media day before going out to FP1.

"Y/N?" you heard from outside your drivers room making you stop completely in your tracks trying to make your crying silent but you were doing this weird little hiccupping sound as you were gasping for breaths.

"I'm coming in!" George says and he walks in, greeted by your red puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

"Awwww baby" he says with a pout and pulls you into a hug as you sob more. There wasn't as much pressure on you as there were in the Williams, Mercedes had been constructors champions for 8 years in a row.

"George I'm so scared, what if i mess up!" you cry looking at him and George was nearly brough to tears himself seeing this 21 year old girl sobbing into his chest at the prospect of her messing up.

"What are you worried about messing up!" he asks.

"The race, the constructors championship! Everything!" you cry harder. George stays with you until you both are needed for the Free Practice Session.

Lewis' Mercedes has to be very packed out for you as he was a bulky man despite his height and that was the first issue in FP1. They hadn't packed you out enough and your were struggling a little with the G-Force, some corners the particularly fast ones, your head was flying to the side causing your steering to be a little off.

Despite that it made for a great weekend. George was right, you didn't have anything to worry about and you came P7 while George game P5 having car problems in qualifying meaning he'd had the better overall driver working his way up to the position he had.

"And again Y/N, how do you feel now that you are above Ollie Bearmen in the drivers Championship!" she asks and you giggle. You and Ollie despite being in different driver development programmers had a special bond. You both karted together a lot as kids and you went to the same school as him despite being a few school years above him. You had a sibling sort of bond.

"Yeah, i mean it's a little unfair to compare me at all considering he drove the second best car on his first F1 race... but i think we both stepped up to the challenge well and really took it in our strides. I'm excited to see of there are any teams willing to offer him a seat. I think so much talent from F2 is being wasted and the feeder series doesn't feel like its doing well of getting drivers into F1... so it would be interesting to see a new category added that's closer to F1 than F2 ..." you admit knowing that's how all of the washed out F2 drivers felt that will potentially never get to experience a career in F1.

SPAIN and AUSTRIA.

You were on a yacht, you didn't know whose but you were on a yacht when you had the news that George Russell had fully broken his foot in a crash Canada and they'd need you to step in for two races while it healed. He was getting surgery... of course he was and it should be healed by the time George's home race came around.

Getting to drive alongside your idol Lewis was incredible. He'd made you feel so safe and comfortable the whole weekend and you clung to him in all the media and interviews.

Not that Lewis minded, he found you adorable and didn't want you to feel left out or side-lined. He brought you out for food with some of the other drivers who you got talking to finding out their likes and dislikes. Lewis and Charles would excitedly gossip about them being team-mates for 2025 and whether Toto had found a replacement.

"Well... Carlos told me... and you cant tell anyone... promise?" Charles said seriously as the three of you were stood at the bar. And you nod.

"He's been offered a 3 year contract at Red Bull which is perfect for him to then make the move to Audi!" Charles exclaimed and you let out a breath of release.

The Mercedes seat was still up for grabs.

Spain was incredible, you'd never felt the heat and an atmosphere quite like it and you got you best result yet, coming P5. You kind of blamed that on Max and Perez crashing into each other and the debris messing with Carlos' car meaning Charles, Lewis and Lando took the podium while you and Oscar were just shy of it.

Austria was also good where you came in P8, Aston and Ferrari having had upgrades meant it was a tougher battle with everyone on the grid.

You now had 21 points, and were 10th in the constructors championship despite not being there for all the races which you were pretty impressed with. You'd scored points at all your races.

But it wasn't until Monza that the big one came.

MONZA

You were asked to fill in for Mr Oscar Piastri who had come down with what the medical team deemed invasive tonsillitis and he was not on par to drive.

Again you were nervous but having driven the Mercedes a few times you felt more and more confident.

You and Lando had pretty much spent the whole media day messing around. Lando did it, not only because he liked you but because he knew you were nervous despite the front you were putting on for everyone in the garage.

You and Lando got on like two pees in a pod and everyone found the dynamic hilarious. Lando flirting with you while you were innocently oblivious to his moves.

Lando found you insanely attractive. Every race you turned up at he'd look out for you in the paddock just so he could see you in your Mercedes gear.

Today however, you looked even better rocking the Papaya.

"You look good today!" Lando attempted as he grinned at you.

"Thank you! I got a new helmet design for this one, wanna see?" you ask and he nods. You show him your helmet which was so you, but you'd gone all out making it glittery. One side had Lando's pattern on it from his standard 2024 helmet.

"Oh woah! That looks great!" he grins, watching as you pop it on. He teasingly slaps the lid down making you try to reach up and swatch his hands away and lift the visor back up.

"Lan come on!" you cry frustrated making him chuckle.

Qualifying came and Piastri's now your car had so many issues meaning you were starting in Sunday in P11, which wasn't great. But the engineers promised to fix the issues before the race.

Lando got pole and you were overjoyed no longer caring about the shit show of your Qually.

You were jumping and hugging him as he got out the car and he enveloped you back in the hug.

"I'm so proud of you!" you'd squealed to him, and thank god his helmet was on because boy was blushing hard.

"Thank you!"

Sunday came around and it was carnage.

"AND AFTER A DIFFICULT RACE LANDO NORRIS WINS THE 2024 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX HIS FIRST EVER WIN, HERE COMES MAX VERSTAPPEN IN P2 AND Y/N Y/L/N GETTING HER MAIDEN PODIUM AS A RESERVE DRIVER FOR MCLAREN. WHAT A RACE SHE HAS HAD!" the commentator screams.

All of the Mclaren team were celebrating from the pit wall as you and Lando waved at them.

Being up there on the podium with Lando and Max was like nothing you've ever experienced. You were drenched in sticky champagne and you were laughing and joking with two friends about the victory.

"If that doesn't get her a seat next year I don't know what will" the commentators say before the Sunday Race stops broadcasting live.

Taglist:

@littlesatanicassholebitch @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @daemyratwst @lauralarsen @the-untamed-soul @thewulf @itsjustkhaos @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @summissss @gulphulp @starfusionsworld @jspitwall @sierruhhhh @georgeparisole @youcannotcancelquidditch @tallbrownhairsarcastic @ourteenagetragedy @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @spilled-coffee-cup @mehrmonga @bigsimperika @blueberry64857959 @eiraethh @lilypadlover @curseofhecate @alliwantisadonut @dark-night-sky-99 @i-wish-this-was-me @tallrock35 @butterfly-lover @barnestatic @landossainz @darleneslane @barcelonaloverf1life @r0nnsblog @ilove-tswizzle @laneyspaulding19 @malynn @viennakarma @landosgirlxoxo @marie0v @yourbane @teamnovalak @nikfigueiredo @fionaschicken @0picels0 @seomako @urdad-hot @tinydeskwriter @ironmaiden1313 @splaterparty0-0 @formula1mount @styl1shl1v

[bbyblair]

small touches, pink cheeks pt.2

charles leclerc x f!reader 

pt.1

 *ੈ✩‧₊˚

a/n: right pt.2! hope you guys like it, this is a sloooow burn so you are all into a wild ride! thank you for all the support on part one!

summary: the start of the 2023 season, Bahrain in early march. you'd recently joined the sky team, working as a news reporter and interviewer for your beloved sport.it's your first week and a mix of nerves and anticipation swirl together in your stomach. you're giddy to finally meet who you’d be working with for the next few months… but what happens when an instant connection sparks up between the new girl and Ferrari's golden boy? 

warnings: cursing, charles being a cocky bastard. charles obsessed with reader! reader isn't sure how to feel abt him. pretty much a whirlwind of emotions and events ngl. probs non accurate f1 talk, I apologise!

word count: 2.0k

friday, march 3rd 2023.

you were stumped, emotions swirling in your mind and you didn't know how to properly react. on one hand you were flattered that the handsome man was paying attention to you that way, but the rational side of your brain quickly shut down those thoughts and you went back to feeling angry. slightly less angry, but angry nevertheless.you watched over the video another few times, okay so maybe charles actions were not as obvious as you initially thought. this could be seen as a friendly admiration, right? 

you sigh and lean your head down onto the table, letting out a small huff of annoyance, but you could still feel the heat on your cheeks after this morning. deciding to take a break from the editing, you got up and informed your coworkers that you wanted to look a bit more around the paddock and try to familiarise yourself with the copious amount of people who worked in the ten different teams. 

it was around two hours before the free practice would start and you assumed that all of the drivers would be already discussing strategies and looking over the track details. the circuit itself was huge and swarming with fans and workers. your sky f1 id hanging from your neck proudly, and allowed you to go all around the paddock with no questions asked. 

walking past the mercedes area you had spotted toto wolff, and internally fangirled a little to yourself, having a small crush and also lots of respect for the mercedes team principal. continuing around the paddock you passed the red bull area, you couldn't say that you had a team you were vouching for per se, but the dominance of red bull did annoy you slightly, you did always love a bit of competition. 

after looking around the red bull hospitality area, your eyes landed on an extremely familiar face. Well you hadnt actually seen him in real life but you certainly had seen him on tv. none other than max verstappen. he was already wearing his fireproofs and was gripping his helmet in his hand while having a conversation with who you assumed was one of the mechanics. you were staring a little, he looked different in real life. not like the mad max the media made him out to be. 

his conversation ended and he must've felt someones eyes on him, as while the mechanic turned and left inside, max's eyes landed on yours. he quickly looked over you and you could almost see something align on his face. he shot you a wide smile and then beckoned you over. shocked, you stood there for a moment and looked around meaninglessly to see if he was motioning for someone else. sure enough there was no one else around. 

slow steps moved you over to the man and you sent him a polite smile. 

“hi, im Max. you must be the new reporter for this season. I thought i better introduce myself seeing as we will be seeing each other a lot this season.” he sent you a playful wink and chuckled a little. 

you laughed a genuine laugh and a smile spread across your face, and you were surprised by his kind attitude. 

“y/n. Its lovely to meet you max.” 

“so tell me, have you been introduced to any of the other drivers yet?.” his eyes never left yours as he spoke, his tone was sweet like honey.  “yes, this morning i actually did an interview with the ferrari boys!” you replied back eagerly. 

“ah, well I hope they were accommodating to the new girl.” he said as he pinched your shoulder lightly. “of course.” you replied curtly. 

he looked around for a moment, and in his eyes looked as if he wanted to say more, but seemingly decided against it. 

“well i best go prepare for free practice but it was a pleasure meeting you.” his dutch accent lacing his words. you smiled up at him again and nodded. “you too!” 

.┊┊┊┊ ➶ ❁۪ ｡˚ ✧

after your interaction with max you wandered down across the rest of the team's areas and luckily for you didn't bump into anyone else. you heard the roar of fans and assumed that free practice had begun and the drivers would be making their ways out onto the track to test their new cars for the season. you decided you better get back to work before your co workers notice your prolonged absence. 

swiftly you began walking back to the sky hq, and once you were firmly sat back at your desk you opened your laptop and began the tedious process of editing whatever the hell the interview this morning was. well hopefully the fans will enjoy it, you thought. Your co worker amilie made her way over to you with two coffees in hand and sat down next to you. she was a sweet girl, you'd only met her yesterday but she clearly took a liking to you. you were both around the same age, her being a few years older, and had some similar interests. 

“do you mind if i take a look at todays interview, the boss wants me to look over some stuff to make sure they didn't let slip anything a little too personal.” she said warmly. 

“yeah of course.. here.” you handed her the laptop, and sat there while she pressed play. heat began to rise up on your cheeks but you hoped she wouldn't notice the tension between you and charles. a few minutes into the extended clip she turned to look at you, your expression tried to be as neutral as possible, but you never did have the best poker face. 

“whats all this about then?” her words were not rude, she spoke with a girlish interest and smiled at you. 

“what?’ you replied dumbly, trying to avoid the question. 

“between you and leclerc!” 

even more blush threatened to explode on your cheeks as you sighed. shaking your head lightly. 

“I dont know what your talking about.” you tried to reply in a tone that indicated you wanted this conversation to end but she continued. 

“oh come on! he is so into you! even i am jealous. leclerc has the hots for you!” her french accent peaked through her words and how she spoke with such excitement and interest made a small smile grace your lips.

“like i said, i dont know what your talking about.” your tone this time was playful and you rolled your eyes and nudged your new friend. the conversation died there as she knew you wouldn't say anything more.

┊┊┊┊ ➶ ❁۪ ｡˚ ✧

you two stayed there for a matter of hours. editing the interview and getting it ready to be posted online. once you were done it was already the evening and most had packed up to leave. 

you began packing your bag and said goodbye to the few people still in the small office space. heading out of the building you began making your way through the paddock. to get to the exit you had to pass along all of the different teams' areas. mostly the building were dark, some motor homes lit up with people inside. 

passing by the ferrari section, you let curiosity get the best of you and peeked into the window. your eyes instantly fell on a familiar face. charles. he was sitting alone, watching over some footage of what you assumed was his free practice one today. headphones were wrapped around his neck and he was dressed in different clothes to this morning. just a comfortable sweat seat.you had to admit he was a very attractive guy. 

clearly you had been looking at him for longer than you realised, because his head suddenly snapped toward the window and eyes instantly locking with yours. blush erupted all over your face as you didn't know what to do. shit. he had just caught you staring at him. god you were mortified. a smirk spread across his handsome face quicker than you could blink and he sent you a small wave. his eyes had that same dark expression as they did earlier. 

its like you were frozen in place, legs refusing to move. you sent him  a shy wave and immediately  turned to leave. when you looked back behind to see charles, he had gone from his space in the small room. your stomach dropped. you didn't want to face him again, his cocky attitude annoyed you, and his stupid smirk, and his stupid unreadable expression! charles leclerc annoyed you. 

you heard some steps behind you and then a masculine voice saying your name. fuck. you didn't want to face him, but you didn't risk pissing him off and him then reporting you to your boss. you could loose your job! you stopped in your tracks, rolled your yes then turned around.

“mr leclerc.” you spoke sweetly and the way you addressed him clearly sat well with him when he chuckled a little. 

“so, how was your first day? did you enjoy your first interview?” there was that mischievous glint in his eye again, and the way he spoke just instantly made you blush. there was something about him that you couldn't quite place. 

“yes. i had fun.” you tried to keep your responses short and snappy. to try and send a signal that you wanted to leave. clearly charles was not a man who gave up very easily, when he responded. “good, i'm glad. did you meet anyone else today? any of the other drivers.” in his mind charles had thought that you and his teammate were the only ones who had seen the pretty new interviewer. he liked knowing he had you all to himself. so your next words clearly shocked him.

“yes actually, max. he was very welcoming.” you spoke softly. his gaze darkened and his jaw clenched. he didn't respond for a few moments. you took in his reaction, and it made you laugh internally. you could definitely use this against him.to annoy him the same way he annoys you! so before he could reply you spoke up again. 

“i'm so excited to work with him! i'm a big fan of redbull and it was such an honour to meet the best driver in the world!” now, most of what you were saying was a total lie, but charles didn't know. your tone was sickly sweet and as you spoke you batted your eyelashes up at him so innocently, that he did not question your words for a second. 

you didn't think his eyes could get any darker, but he proved you wrong. you could tell he was trying to control his breathing, his eyes piercing into yours so deeply that you got intimidated. he then let out a chuckle. not an amused chuckle. the kind of chuckle that you do when you are very fucking pissed off. he nodded. 

“hm. well we will just have to see who is really the best driver on the track this sunday no?” his words had a bite to them, and when he got angry his accent thickened in a way that is so delicious. he smiled at you. eyes never leaving your face as if he was trying to memorise every small detail about your face. 

you smiled and nodded again. then without even granting him a verbal response you turned on your heel and began walking back through the paddock to the exit. charles was stunned. and your heart was racing, never did you actually expect yourself to make such a ballsy move. your actually quite shocked at what the hell you just did. 

charles was also stunned. a girl had never ever dismissed him before. he was used to them falling to his feet. you shocked him. but if there's one thing charles enjoyed, it's a challenge. 

┊┊┊┊ ➶ ❁۪ ｡˚ ✧

wow. hope you guys enjoyed reading this part and it lived up to your expectations lmao! lmk if anyone wants to be tagged in the next parts <3

pt3?

tagged: @buendiabebeta @summerslike11

[zandvoort23]

ROUND 1/24 ⸺ bahrain grand prix ✩ 02.03.2024

maple's rating: ★★★★ (8.3/10)

☁︎ click read more facts, highlights & experiences ☁︎

✩ facts

red bull ties with williams for fourth on the all-time win table with 114 race wins!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🍾🍾🍾🍾

max today won his eighth consecutive race 😁✨🌷☀️☀️🍾🍾💌💌💌

max now has two of the four longest winning streaks in history in the past 10 months (10 races, eight races)

this is max's fifth grand slam, tying alberto ascari and michael schumacher’s career totals, third of all-time‼️‼️‼️💥💥💥

max is the first driver to score a grand slam in the opening race of the season since michael schumacher in 2004 🥺🥺🥺🥺

today was max’s 42nd consecutive classified finish (the second longest streak in history behind lewis’ 48)

red bull finished one-two in the opening race for the second consecutive season (max beat checo by 11.987s in 2023)

checo’s p2 today was his best finish since monza 23

carlos’ p3 was only his fourth podium finish since the start of 2023

charles’ p4 gave him 12 points – he only scored six points in the opening three races of 2023 combined

with george in p5 and lewis p7, mercedes scored an identical result to bahrain 2023, but with their drivers swapped over

fernando was p9 – he finished on the podium in the opening three races last year

there were no retirements in the opening race of a season for the first time in f1 history 🥺🥺🥰🥰🥰🌷🌷✨✨

✩ raceweek highlights

✩ free practice

max NOT slaying 🙅🙅🙅

dam that ferrari looks a bit fast

DAMN WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING TO MERC 😵😵😵😵😵

max not sounding stressed though 👍

✩ qualifying

FIRST QUALIFYING OF THE SEASON 😵😵😵😵💥💥💥‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

qualifying being SO close

lewis kinda not impressing :/ oh okay

no incidents in quali! woah!!!

ALPINE. MASTERCLASS. 🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷 (disasterclass): p19 & p20

GEORGE not following the delta (he did not get a penalty. of course)

charles' q2 lap ✨✨✨✨

thank you oscar piastri for that tow. i will remember 💕💕💕💕

MAX POLE MAX POLE MAX POLE MAX POLE‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️💕💕💕💕💕💕💕☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

"ha ha sorry gp!" (gp and helmut bet on whether max got pole or not.)

33 poles for maxy!!!

✩ race

me having trouble breathing during the formation lap (normal occurrence. but still funny) 💥💥💥

OKAY. 🚨🚨🚨🚨 LETS FUCKING GOOOO

max IMMEDIATELY fucking off. who cares about the new drs rule if he can make a 1+ second gap within a lap 💀💀💀💀💀

NICE START FROM CHECOOO WOOOOO

contact between nico and lance 😨👎

charles. poor meow. what is happening to u 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫💔💔

fernando dropping 💔💔💔💔

FERRARI INFIGHTING LETS GOOO‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️💥💥💥💥💥

max building the fuck out of that gap 💘💕💓💖💗‼️‼️‼️🙏🙏🙏

50+ second pit stop for valtteri 💀 why does this always happen to him bro 😭😭😭😭

lewis not having a good time. like. at all 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 ‘MY SEAT IS BROKEN’ AHHSHAHAHAH 😭😭😭😭😭

carlos 👀👀👀

williams overheating / wheel failure 😨😨😨 bc of their new screen 😭😭😭‼️‼️‼️

MAX LAPPING👀👀👀🪽🪽🪽

fuck you vcarb for doing that to my man yuki. fuck you. fuck youuuu oh my god fuck youuuu‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️👎👎👎👎💥💥💥💥💥💥

max weaving on the way to the finish line 😭😭😭😭😭

MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS THE FIRST RACE OF THE SEASON WITH A FUCKING GRAND SLAM‼️‼️‼️🏆🏆🏆☀️☀️☀️🌷🌷🌷🌷🪽🪽🪽💕💕💖💓💖💓💖🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

checo p2! first p2 since monza 😭😭

✩ miscellaneous

lestappen + george after quali 💀 bye

max laughing at george for thinking he's 0.5 behind per lap 🗣️

new intro screen! max looks cutieful! but its a downgrade for the intro in general 💔💔💔

ALAIN PROST IN THE PRERACE SHOW??? BONJOUR SIR!!!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰💥💥💥💥💥

versainz kindaa 👀👀👀😏😏😏

✩ maple's diary

[charles-leclerc-official]

i read that Charles ranked 17th on most laps finished last season (whereas Carlos ranked 8th). i wasn't a fan for the entirety of 2023, so i am curious, which dnfs or anything that may have contributed to this were attributed to driver error? I know the sf-23 was crap especially compared to the current car, but im trying to come up with counterarguments for my hater friends

Hello anon, so this is actually a bit of a fallacy argument you are getting into. I see this a lot people will reach for very strange stats to try to prop up one driver against another. Laps completed doesn't really mean much if you still end up behind your teammate at the end of the season in the driver standings. In fact even if all of Charles DNFs were his fault(they weren't) that means he can recover and still outperform his teammate. But comparing this stat is weird and just kind of a reach on the part of your friends. What we look at is obviously points, podiums, overtaking, speed, and just overall quality of a drive. Laps completed is not really much of anything. Carlos can have completed every lap ever that doesn't really speak to anything if he came in P20 all this races(I am exaggerating to make a point but you can see how silly this argument is)

Also if we are going to compare teammates remember to compare them on metrics that matter, metrics the team actually uses to determine placement etc. Doing this really isn't useful and arguing it is a massive reach on the part of your "hater friends"

But now lets look at Charles DNFs last year, were any his fault? And if so to what degree?

Bahrain: DNF due to engine failure - obviously a mechanical failure is not the driver's fault

Australia: Lance rammed into Charles rear right wheel and caused him to spin out. Charles was clearly ahead, Lance was 100% at fault for the collision.

Netherlands: Oscar made contact with Charles, this led to unusual floor damage(that may have been made worse when Charles went through some gravel) Ferrari retired the car due to the floor damage. They made clear in interviews that the damage was caused by the contact. Charles was not at fault for the contact with Oscar. This is one where you may have a slight argument it was Charles' fault, but still a majority rests with Oscar and also the unusual floor damage that was just super unlucky. His driving was obviously compromised after taking damage so I am more lenient in mistakes after a car has taken damage, it is likely the damage Oscar caused led to Charles going into the gravel as well.

Brazil: DNS due to power unit failure. Mechanical failure that meant he didn't even get to drive in the race. Obviously not the driver's fault.

So you can see that talking about laps completed when 3 of these DNFs had nothing to do with Charles' driving at all is really in bad faith.

I could do the same for Carlos' DNFs in 2023.

Belgium: DNF due to a pretty big collision on lap 1 with Oscar. In my opinion Carlos was at fault as Oscar had the racing line and Carlos was moving all over the place. It's up for debate but I think he was at least partially at fault for this one.

Qatar: DNS due to mechanical failure. Obviously not his fault.

Abu Dhabi: He retired after Ferrari strategy to gain places for him failed and the car was unable to complete the final laps after pitting for softs. He took pretty serious damage to his car after spinning in FP2 so he was running with a compromised car the rest of the weekend. The DNF was due to the car failing him in my opinion, had he not spun out in FP2 maybe this could have been avoided. The FP2 crash was his fault, but I am not going to put this on him 100% I think Ferrari strategy and the car failing him were more at fault. We need room for drivers to make mistakes during free practice.

The SF-23 failed both our Ferrari drivers in 2023 on multiple occasions. Not their faults. And you can also see that even though Charles only missed one more race than Carlos what a big difference that made in this "laps completed" stat. Missing just one more race dropped him down. So again it's not really much of a useful stat as far as comparing them goes.

But yeah you can see that for either driver if you were to go "look at all these DNFs they got because they are bad drivers and crash a lot" is really not an intelligent way to argue. As clearly for both of them last year the car was at fault. There are a few cases where their driving may have had some partial responsibility but that is not the majority. So the argument falls apart very quickly.

Anytime we are looking at how often a driver DNFs etc we must look at the reason. There are usually a lot of things out of their control and rarely are they at fault 100% of the time, any stat that is taking advantage of this kind of thing without putting DNFs in context is in bad faith and not really worth engaging with in the first place.

Remember if you are going to do the whole "driver is better because of X" argument, you do need to use metrics that matter and that are put into full context.

[modelewis]

Meet the Grid Day 21/21: Zhou Guanyu! The Shanghainese streetwear king and newest addition to the grid whose rookie season has impressed many. 👟

Thanks for joining me in these past 21 days of meeting the grid. ❤️

Alt text and sources below the cut!

Alt text: Two informational graphics about racing driver Zhou Guanyu. The background/border is a dark red-tinted photo of him driving in Formula 1 Free Practice in Bahrain. A black overlay is semi-opaque on top, overlaid with red and white text and colorful images.

Image 1 reads “Zhou Guanyu, #24, ZHO” next to a headshot of him with a black heart and athletic shoe emoji, his signature, and the Alfa Romeo logo, then “About: Born Zhōu Guànyǔ | 周冠宇 on May 30, 1999 (Age 23, Gemini) in Shanghai, China. Started his karting career at age 8 in China before moving to the U.K. at age 13 for more opportunities, and has since won the 2021 F3 Asian Championship, taken 3rd in F2, and become the only rookie on the 2022 F1 grid. 2022 teammate: Valtteri Bottas at Alfa Romeo (Teammates for 1 season).” Next to this text is a Chinese flag emoji, a map of where he’s from in China, and a photo of Valtteri and Guanyu.

Image 2 reads “Facts and Stats: Zhou is the first and only driver to represent China in Formula 1. He chose driver number #24 in honor of the late Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, whose work ethic he greatly admired. His childhood racing hero was Fernando Alonso, whom he now races against. F1 career: 67 podiums, 20 poles, 10 wins, 1784 points, and 191 starts. 2022 so far: 0 podiums, 0 poles, 0 wins, and 46 points (9th in WDC). Future plans: Uncertain, but likely to stay with Alfa Romeo through 2023 as they praise his “perfect job”.” Next to this text is a photo of Zhou in his Renault days holding a Chinese flag behind him and leaning on the car, a photo of Kobe Bryant from behind showing his yellow #24 jersey, a photo of Zhou hugging Alonso during his time with Alpine, a thumbs-up emoji, and the 2022 Alfa Romeo car livery.

Biographical information and racing records from Wikipedia (Double-checked for accuracy, but if you notice anything wrong, let me know!)

Additional race stats from statsf1.com

Story about Zhou’s debut (and him being the first Chinese Formula 1 driver) from ESPN

Source for Guanyu choosing the number #24 because of Kobe Bryant from RacingNews365

Source for Guanyu talking about his admiration for Fernando Alonso from Formula 1 on Twitter

Source for Fred Vasseur, Alfa Romeo team boss, saying Zhou has done a “perfect job” in his rookie season from Motorsport

I didn’t end up mentioning it in the graphics, but this video from Formula 1 on Facebook of Guanyu rating his fellow F2 drivers’ style is hilarious!

Image credits:

Background image from Mazen Mahdi for AFP via South China Morning Post

Official headshot and Alfa Romeo logo from Alfa Romeo via Formula 1

Various emoji from Apple/iOS, downloaded from Emojipedia

Signature (poorly edited by me) from Brandes Autographs

Chinese map/outline from PNG Mart

Zhou/Bottas photo from Formula 1 via sportslumo

Zhou holding the Chinese flag from Formula 1

Kobe Bryant photo from Lisa Blumenfeld with Getty Images via 95x

Guanyu/Fernando photo from XPB Images via F1i

Alfa Romeo livery photo from Formula 1

Other graphics from Canva

Made with Canva Pro

[spitonews]

F1 news 2023, Bahrain Grand Prix, Oscare Piastri to start debut race from 18th with McLaren

Formula One champion Max Verstappen is in the right place to win his first Bahrain Grand Prix by starting from the pole in Monday’s season-opening race. But young Aussie rookie Oscar Piastri will start his debut F1 race from 18th on the grid following a rollercoaster weekend. That disappointing qualifying showing followed a near miss by Piastri in Free Practice 1. READ MORE: Fuming Stuart…

[skillstopallmedia]

Bahrain GP: Perez already in good shape

This Friday, the Mexican Sergio Perez (Red Bull) set the fastest time in the first free practice session of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Kick-off of the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship season! This Friday, at the beginning of the afternoon, the first free practice session of the Bahrain Grand Prix took place, on the side of the Sakhir track. And it was Sergio Perez who set the fastest time. The…

[overseasallen]

TALLENTEX Overseas 2023 Registrations Closing Soon

With the announcement of TALLENTEX Overseas 2023, registrations come pouring in. Students are enthusiastic about participating in the Biggest Talent Encouragement Cum Scholarship Exam. The exam provides an excellent opportunity for grades V to XI students to compete on a global platform and win fantastic rewards. However, the last date for TALLENTEX Overseas 2023 Registrations is approaching soon, and candidates who still need to register should do it ASAP.

Last Date of Registration: 5th November 2022

TALLENTEX Overseas 2023 registrations will be closing on 5th November 2022. The exam is a specially designed initiative to identify and encourage young talent for higher targets of tomorrow. Participating students will get a chance to evaluate their academic skills and start preparing for competitive exams like JEE (Main), JEE (Advanced), NEET (UG), International Olympiads etc., at ALLEN Overseas with amazing scholarships. The exam is scheduled to be conducted on 12th November 2022, offline in UAE and online in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar. Registrations are going on, and interested students should register themselves at www.allenoverseas.com/tallentex/

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Indian students studying in grades V to XI in UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar are eligible to register for TALLENTEX Overseas 2023. Almost 1 Million students have appeared for TALLENTEX till date.

Note: Students who are already enrolled in ALLEN Overseas and students who are not enrolled in ALLEN Overseas but studying in grades V to XI can register for TALLENTEX Overseas.

How to Register?

To register for TALLENTEX Overseas 2023, follow these simple steps:

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[letsmarketresearchstore]

Glyphosate Market Size, Industry Growth, Trends and Analysis Research Report

Global Glyphosate Market Research Report: By Crop Type (Genetically Modified, Conventional) By Form (Liquid, Dry), By the Application (Grains & Cereals, Oilseeds & Pulses, Fruits & Vegetables) – Forecast Till 2023

Market Introduction:

Glyphosate is an organophosphorus compound, used extensively as a crop desiccant and systemic herbicide. Its market can grow because it is useful in soil conservation and also in removing weeds and grasses hindering the growth of the plants. Market Research Future (MRFR) has published a research report about the global glyphosate market that predicts growth for this market with 5.5% CAGR between 2017 and 2023.

The key factors aiding the growth of the global glyphosate market include growing industrialization and globalization across the globe and the growing use of genetically modified crops that are boosting the demand for glyphosate. Another key reason for the growing glyphosate market is a reduction in the amount of arable land due to growing industrialization and urbanization which is boosting the demand for productive soil supplements and thus, creating the market.

Free Sample Copy is Available @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/5740

Key Players:

The key players in the global glyphosate market include Adama Agricultural Solutions Ltd (Israel), Bayer AG (Germany), The Dow chemical company (USA), E.I. Du Pont De Nemours & Company (USA), Monsanto Company (USA), Nantong Jiangshan Agrochemical & Chemical, Inc. (China), Nufarm Limited (Australia), Syngenta AG (Switzerland), UPL Limited (India), and Zhejiang Xinan Chemical Industrial Group Co., Ltd (China).

Latest Industry News:

Although the the ban on glyphosate has been recently removed and its use been allowed in tea and rubber a plantation, Sri Lankan farmers are struggling to find it as glyphosate is still not available at majority places despite being in high demand, creating a new market in Sri Lanka. 1 OCT 2018

A Brazilian court has overturned an injunction banning products containing the popular weed-killer glyphosate. 1 OCT 2018

Regions:

According to the report, the European glyphosate market is expected to witness steady growth with a positive economic environment because European Union has lifted the ban on glyphosate in the European region for a period of 5 years, with period starting from November 2017. The positive results are expected in Europe. Where not for farming, glyphosate is used for the eradication of weed in the railway tracks in the region. The most important country-specific markets in Europe are Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom (UK).

In North America, due to advanced methods of farming being available, agricultural production is huge in the United States of America (USA). Therefore, the market in this region is significant. Due to advanced technology, many important manufacturers of glyphosate are based in the USA. After the USA, Canada and Mexico are the most important country-specific markets. In Latin America, agriculture does happen, but due to the lack of advanced technology, the scope of agriculture is limited and so is production. The most important country-specific markets in Latin America are Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, followed by the rest of Latin America.

In the MEA region, the market is limited. As most of the countries are desert regions, farming here is very limited. Some other reasons for the limited market growth in this region are lack of awareness, lack of education, lack of technological development, and political instability. The important country-specific markets in this region are Bahrain, Kuwait, North Africa, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), followed by the rest of the MEA region.

Access Report Details @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/glyphosate-market-5740

Segments:

The regional segmentation, the global glyphosate market has been segmented into regional markets known as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa (MEA). According to the report, Asia Pacific is expected to emerge as the fastest growing regional market among all other regional markets. During the forecast period, it is expected to retain its dominance during the forecast period.

Factors leading to the growth of Asia Pacific market include growing demand for agricultural produce, growing cultivation of genetically modified and herbicide-tolerant crops, and growing demand for glyphosate for the removal of weed in the agricultural firms. Moreover, the presence of the most populated countries like China and India has reduced the availability of arable land because of which the demand for glyphosate has to rise rapidly. Farming practices in this region are also likely to boost the market growth. Apart from China and India, another important country-specific market in this region is Japan, followed by the rest of Asia Pacific.

[f1]

Alonso believes he can finally win again after debut podium for Aston Martin | 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix

Aston Martin’s competitive start to the new Formula 1 season has given Fernando Alonso the belief he can score his first win for 10 years. The two-times world champion hasn’t won a race since the Spanish Grand Prix in 2013. But after finishing third in yesterday’s season-opener, Alonso believes a victory is a realistic possibility this year. “When you are P3 in race one there are 22 opportunities this season,” said Alonso after yesterday’s race. “Even last year, I remember in Canada, wet qualifying, we were in the first row of the grid. “Anything can happen in 22 races with different conditions. I will try my best to have the opportunity.” Red Bull dominated the opening round of the championship, Verstappen winning with a 38-second margin over Alonso. The Aston Martin driver admitted they may need the cards to fall in their favour to win a race given Red Bull’s speed. “Maybe we need some help,” he said. “Last year, we needed some help from the top teams just to get the podium. Maybe this year, if there is this help or there is some retirements in front of us or some problems maybe it’s more than a podium. So let’s hope for that.” Despite leading two practice sessions last weekend, Alonso admitted he had been hesitant to believe in the potential of Aston Martin’s car following his move to the team which finished seventh in last year’s world championship. Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free “I have the same feeling from testing, like, it’s too good to be true,” he said. “You’re always expecting that something you will get a step back and you will get back to reality. “But it seems real, the performance. Let’s see in Jeddah. I am curious to go to Jeddah and Australia. Very different circuits: high-speed corners, very little degradation. “In Bahrain, we were strong in things that maybe we don’t find in Jeddah, and Australia. So, if we are strong in the next two races, I think we will have a very good 2023.” However Alonso admitted he could have finished closer to Verstappen had he not lost time behind Carlos Sainz Jnr,Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Valtteri Bottas earlier in the race. “Obviously we lost time in the first stint,” he said. “I just sat behind the Mercedes. In the middle stint I have to pass George and Valtteri. And then on the final stint I had to pass Lewis and Carlos. “So all in all, I’m sure that you lose 10 or 15 seconds on all those battles. So if we are 40 seconds behind the leader, we could have been maybe 20 seconds, or 30 seconds. So not a real fight, yet, to Red Bull.” Bringing the F1 news from the source RaceFans strives to bring its readers news directly from the key players in Formula 1. We are able to do this thanks in part to the generous backing of our RaceFans Supporters. By contributing £1 per month or £12 per year (or the equivalent in other currencies) you can help cover the costs involved in producing original journalism: Travelling, writing, creating, hosting, contacting and developing. We have been proudly supported by our readers for over 10 years. If you enjoy our independent coverage, please consider becoming a RaceFans Supporter today. As a bonus, all our Supporters can also browse the site ad-free. Sign up or find out more via the links below: Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix Browse all 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix articles via RaceFans - Independent Motorsport Coverage https://www.racefans.net/

[f1]

Albon and Sargeant intrigued by Baku Sprint challenge as Williams predict more uncertainty than normal

Williams drivers Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant are interested to see how Formula 1’s revised Sprint format plays out when it is used for the first time at this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Unlike the previous two seasons, the six F1 Sprint events in 2023 will feature standalone Saturdays, with an extra ‘Sprint Shootout’ introduced to set the grid for the 100-kilometre Sprint race. IT’S RACE WEEK: 5 storylines we’re excited about ahead of the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix That means the Sprint elements are now detached from the remainder of the event, with Friday featuring a one-hour practice session and standard qualifying hour, setting the grid for the Grand Prix itself on Sunday. Previewing the weekend, Albon said: “Going into Baku, the main talking point is the new format, with the need to get it right on Friday more important than it’s ever been. The team has done our prep on the sim, and it’s a familiar track, so let’s see how the weekend goes.” He added: “Most corners are low speed 90-degree corners, so the requirements of the circuit are quite consistent. If the car is good in one corner around here it tends to be good around the whole lap, and vice versa.” The rapid Baku City Circuit plays host to the first F1 Sprint of the 2023 season F1 rookie Sargeant, who claimed a second-place finish on the streets of Baku in last year’s F2 Feature Race, shared similar feelings to his team mate. “I’m super excited to be getting back in the car this weekend in Baku,” said the American. “It’s been a long three weeks that we’ve used to put in a lot of hard work to keep learning and preparing for this round. READ MORE: One point ‘not a fair reflection’ of Williams’ potential in 2023 says team boss Vowles “It should be an interesting weekend as it’s a tough circuit and my first Sprint event. I’m looking forward to taking on the challenge and hopefully having a good weekend.” Leading on from the drivers’ remarks, Williams’ Head of Vehicle Performance, Dave Robson, believes the Sprint tweaks will only add to the excitement and uncertainty of an already challenging race weekend in Azerbaijan. Albon scored Williams’ sole point of the campaign so far in Bahrain “The format of the weekend is a little bit different to the Sprint events of recent years with Saturday now a self-contained day and Friday evening qualifying alone setting the grid for the Grand Prix on Sunday,” he commented. “The streets of Baku always provide an exciting event and this year will be no different. The circuit is challenging for the drivers and the engineers and with very little time to set the car up ahead of Friday evening qualifying, there will be more uncertainty than normal when the cars enter parc ferme. PERSONALITY TEST: Which F1 team should you support in 2023? “The FW45 should be well suited to the layout in Azerbaijan, but we will need to be agile and pragmatic to get the most out of it given the track resurfacing, the cooler temperatures and the lack of free practice time.” Williams sit at the foot of the F1 constructors’ standings after the first three races on one point, which was scored by Albon at the season opener in Bahrain. via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com

[f1]

Hamilton: New Mercedes performs pretty much the same as last years car | 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Mercedes’ hopes that their W14 might become more competitive after the Formula 1 field moved on from the Bahrain International Circuit were not realised on the first day of practice in Jeddah. On a circuit with fewer slow corners than Bahrain and a less abrasive surface, the team’s leading car, driven by George Russell, ended second practice almost half a second off Max Verstappen’s pace-setting Red Bull. Russell’s team mate Lewis Hamilton finished outside the top 10, lapping almost a full second slower than the reigning world champion. Asked whether the team’s W14 was an improvement over the previous year’s car, Hamilton said “it’s pretty much the same.” “I definitely struggled in the session,” Hamilton added. “I struggled in both sessions.” “We’ll just continue to go into the details, try to improve the balance of the car, make it easier to drive,” he continued. “It’s a tough car to drive but I know everyone’s working so hard at the factory so it’s just a matter of time just having to be patient.” Russell tried the new parts Mercedes brought for this weekend’s race but Russell said these are only modest steps. “There’s small changes for this weekend but it’s probably closer to what we had in Bahrain compared to what we want to see in the future,” he said. “We had some test items on the car for FP2 on my side. But again, these are just small things in the short term. To do it right, it takes a bit more time.” He believes “Red Bull are out front” this weekend and Mercedes won’t be able to get on terms with them yet. “We’re not going to find a second overnight, as much as I’d love to do that and all of the hard work everybody’s putting in,” he said. “We need to just continue to understand and recognise [that] the sort of new direction we’re taking as a team [is] the correct one. “That’s for the guys and girls back at the factory, everybody here to unpick the data. But for me this weekend and sort of a small group of engineers, you just go out there and try and maximise what you’ve got.” Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Browse all 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix articles via RaceFans - Independent Motorsport Coverage https://www.racefans.net/

[f1]

Alonso very impressive from the moment he got in the car Fallows | 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix

Aston Martin technical director Dan Fallows says he and the rest of his team are “very, very pleased” with the impact Fernando Alonso has had since joining them this season. Alonso went quickest in two of the three practice sessions for the Bahrain Grand Prix before qualifying fifth for today’s race. Fallows, who joined Aston Martin as technical director last season from Red Bull, expressed before qualifying how pleased the technical team at Silverstone had been by Alonso’s impact since joining at the start of the year. “He’s clearly very impressive chap,” Fallows said. “He’s incredibly motivated, incredibly competitive and he’s brought a huge amount of energy to the team. “I think he has been very impressive from the moment he got in the car last year. His feedback is where you’d expect it to be for somebody with his level of experience. But he has the ability to diagnose issues with the car in a way that, as an engineering team, we’re very, very pleased with.” Alonso and Aston Martin drew the attention of rival teams and drivers with an impressive pre-season testing period in which Alonso regularly featured in the top five in the timings. Fallows said Aston Martin had focused solely on their own programme in testing, rather than trying to grab headlines with their performance. “In terms of Fernando’s performance during testing, obviously he was very pleased with the car, he felt very comfortable in the car from the outset and he was able to put some competitive lap times together at the time,” Fallows explained. Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free “But, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, ‘at the time’ means on particular tyres using particular engine mode with particular fuel levels that may be completely unrepresentative what everybody else was doing. So we had to approach testing as being something that we did for ourselves, we wanted to gather our own data and we tried not to look too much at what other people were doing, to be honest.” Fallows says Aston Martin have hit their own targets set for improving their performance over 2022, having already made the greatest leap over their Bahrain Grand Prix pace compared to last season of any team on the grid. “We are pleased with the car,” Fallows said. “We targeted making a big step on last year’s car. So in terms of the performance relative to that, we’re definitely happy that we have made a step forwards. “We set some fairly aggressive targets for ourselves and we did we did sort of largely hit those. We came out of testing believing that we did have a car that we could we could work.” Despite the strong start to the season, Fallows remains coy about Aston Martin’s potential to finish far higher than the seventh place they secured in last year’s constructors’ championship. “We have a huge amount of respect for the competitors around us and it obviously depends a vast amount on what they’ve done. The thing we can do is to focus on our own performance. And as I say, the fact that we have made a step on last year’s car is gratifying, certainly.” Bringing the F1 news from the source RaceFans strives to bring its readers news directly from the key players in Formula 1. We are able to do this thanks in part to the generous backing of our RaceFans Supporters. By contributing £1 per month or £12 per year (or the equivalent in other currencies) you can help cover the costs involved in producing original journalism: Travelling, writing, creating, hosting, contacting and developing. We have been proudly supported by our readers for over 10 years. If you enjoy our independent coverage, please consider becoming a RaceFans Supporter today. As a bonus, all our Supporters can also browse the site ad-free. Sign up or find out more via the links below: Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix Browse all 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix articles via RaceFans - Independent Motorsport Coverage https://www.racefans.net/

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Alonso thrilled his bet on Aston Martin paid off with fifth on grid for first race | 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso described qualifying fifth on the grid for his debut with Aston Martin as “unreal” after joining the team for 2023. He set the quickest time in the second and third practice sessions and was been tipped by many of his rivals as a genuine contender for pole. Despite qualifying behind both Red Bulls and Ferraris, Alonso says he was still delighted with the result in his first qualifying session with the team. “It was amazing,” he said. “I mean, the whole weekend has been unreal for us. “It was like too good to be true every session and every performance of the car. And then in qualifying, our expectation was to be around half a second from Red Bull and I think we are half a second or six tenths from pole position. So it was quite right.” Qualifying has confirmed that Aston Martin’s pace is genuine, Alonso says, after he could not be certain about how their performance would measure up based on testing and practice. “In practice we knew that we were around third or fifth or fourth,” he explained. “We didn’t know exactly what Ferrari was doing. For sure we were behind Red Bull, but I think it was just a couple of milliseconds always that we were in front of them, so the position looked too good. “Now there is not much more to downplay anything because this is qualifying, all in the same conditions and we are in the mix with Ferrari and Mercedes. So again, unreal.” Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free After going nearly a full decade without a race win moving between teams in a bid to chase a third world championship, Alonso admits he is not used to heading into a race feeling optimistic about his chances. “It feels so strange for me to say that we’ll start P5 and maybe we are aiming for more,” Alonso said. “We thought, to be honest, that the first three teams, they were untouchable this year with the advantage they had last year and maybe try to lead the midfield or mix in the midfield. But now we’re saying that we start P5 and maybe we fight with the Ferraris for the podium – so this is just incredible. “So let’s keep on going, let’s keep working, keep the feet on the ground and execute the race the best way possible, no mistakes, good start, good pit stops and let’s see where we are. But so far we are living a dream.” Alonso joined Aston Martin after leaving Alpine at the end of last season. He admitted he had taken a gamble in joining the Silverstone-based squad. “I don’t know even what to say, because eight months ago the project was just a bet,” he said. “But now to be race one with a completely new car, I think we need still to unlock a lot of potential.” Asked if he envisioned being able to fight for a podium in tomorrow’s race, Alonso said “let’s see.” “I mean, I’m laughing because going for a podium in race one,” he continues.” It feels, again, too good to be true. But for sure what we saw so far on our car and also historically, Aston Martin has very good tyre management. So if we have an opportunity for sure, we will take it.” Bringing the F1 news from the source RaceFans strives to bring its readers news directly from the key players in Formula 1. We are able to do this thanks in part to the generous backing of our RaceFans Supporters. By contributing £1 per month or £12 per year (or the equivalent in other currencies) you can help cover the costs involved in producing original journalism: Travelling, writing, creating, hosting, contacting and developing. We have been proudly supported by our readers for over 10 years. If you enjoy our independent coverage, please consider becoming a RaceFans Supporter today. As a bonus, all our Supporters can also browse the site ad-free. Sign up or find out more via the links below: Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix Browse all 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix articles via RaceFans - Independent Motorsport Coverage https://www.racefans.net/