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      F1 Bahrain Grand Prix: Date, UK start time, live stream, TV channel, practice, qualifying for 2023 season opening race

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      THE 2023 Formula One season gets underway with the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend, with Max Verstappen aiming to become a three-time world champion. Red Bull dominated the 2022 season as they won 17 of 22 races with Verstappen taking a whopping 15 victories and team mate Sergio Perez two.
      Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo at the launch of Red Bulls 2023 car.Credit: AFP
      Charles Leclerc on the podium at last season’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.Credit: Rex
      The pressure will be on new Ferrari team principle Fred Vasseur to deliver a title winning car as The Scuderia look for their first drivers title since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007.
      The 2022 car was fast but unreliable with Charles Leclerc taking 3 victories whilst Carlos Sainz took his maiden F1 win at Silverstone.
      Mercedes had a difficult 2022 season with the Brackley outfit only registering a solitary victory courtesy of George Russell at Interlagos.
      Lewis Hamilton failed to win a race for the first time in his Formula One career in 2022 and will be desperate to get back on the top step of the podium in 2023.

      Elsewhere on the grid Fernando Alonso replaced the retiring Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin, Nico Hulkenburg returned to the sport with Haas, Pierre Gasly joined Alpine, Nyck de Vries joined Alpha Tauri, Oscar Piastri replaced Daniel Ricciardo at Mclaren and Logan Sargeant joined Williams.
      When is the Bahrain Grand Prix?

      The Bahrain Grand Prix will take place on Sunday, March 5.
      Practice gets going from 11.30am on Friday, March 3.
      Qualifying is on from 3pm on March 4.
      The race will begin at 3pm UK time.

      What channel is it and can it be live streamed?

      The Bahrain Grand Prix will be live on Sky Sports F1 with highlights on Channel 4.
      You can live stream the race on the Sky Go app which you can download on your tablet or mobile device.

      What are the teams and drivers?

      Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez
      Ferrari: Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz
      Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton and George Russell
      Alpine: Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly
      Mclaren: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
      Alpha Tauri: Yuki Tsunoda and Nyck de Vries
      Alfa Romeo: Valterri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou
      Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
      Haas: Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg
      Williams: Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant

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      Lewis Hamilton confident Mercedes WILL be able to challenge Red Bull for title as 2023 season draws closer

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      LEWIS HAMILTON’S Mercedes team are confident they have fixed their challenger for this season after a mixed spell on track during testing.The new F1 season kicks off this week in Bahrain where Hamilton and his team-mate George Russell hope to be able to take the fight to world champion Max Verstappen.
      Lewis Hamilton admitted there is still a way to go for Mercedes to get to the level he wantsCredit: Getty
      Hamilton was second-quickest on the final day of testing behind Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez.
      And while he says the team are “not quite where we want to be” he has reasons to be optimistic going into the new season.
      He said: “There has been a lot of discovery and the whole team has approached it with the same mentality, working hard, not being complacent and staying focused.
      “We’re not quite where we want to be but it’s a good platform to start from. We don’t know where we will be next week, but we will stay positive and continue to push to the maximum.”
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      After a tricky day on track last Friday, Merc’s engineering chief Andrew Shovlin says that after a late night spent working on the problem they came up with a suitable fix.
      He added: “A fair bit of work took place overnight to find some refinements to the car specification and recover our direction on the set-up.
      “We do seem to have made progress; both drivers felt the car was in a much better place across the range of conditions [on Saturday] and the balance is closer to what they require on a single lap and long run.
      “It’s clear that we still have work to do on car pace but it has given us a much more coherent picture of where we need to focus our efforts.
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      “We’ll be using the time ahead of next weekend to go through the data we’ve collected and aim to extract a bit more lap time.”
      Meanwhile, Aston Martin will NOT turn to Sebastian Vettel if Lance Stroll is not fit enough to drive this week.
      Stroll suffered wrist injuries when he crashed his bicycle in Spain and was forced to miss all of pre-season testing.
      Aston say they will allow Stroll extra time to recover however if he does not pass a fitness test it will be reserve driver Felipe Drugovich who will compete in the race.
      Vettel retired at the end of last year, but there was growing speculation he could be lured back for a one-off race while Stroll recovers.
      Drugovich has already completed the pre-season alongside Aston’s new recruit, two-time world champion Fernando Alonso. More

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      ‘It’s a pointless exercise’ – Lewis Hamilton slams ‘dangerous’ new F1 rules that could put drivers’ lives at risk

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has slammed “dangerous” new rules coming into F1 that he believes threatens to put drivers’ lives at risk.The seven-time world champion lashed out at proposals to ban tyre blankets, saying it is a “pointless exercise”.
      Lewis Hamilton has blasted ‘dangerous’ new rules being introduced into F1Credit: Reuters
      The rules are being considered as part of a shake up to reduce costs, as the energy-consuming blankets pre-heat tyres to provide better grip.
      But Hamilton, one of only a few drivers who have trialled the new Pirelli tyres which had not been warmed first, says it could cause a crash as drivers take to the track on cold tyres.
      He said: “I think it’s dangerous. I’ve tested the no blankets and there’s going to be an incident at some stage.
      “So on a safety factor I think it’s the wrong decision. You have to drive multiple laps to get the tyres to work.
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      “The whole argument is that taking away the blankets is for going more sustainable and more green. In actual fact we just use more fuel to get temperature into the tyres.
      “But more concerning is just when you go out, the car is skating around, it’s very twitchy, and if there’s someone else who’s on tyres that are working you could easily collide with them. It’s a pointless exercise.”
      Pirelli, the FIA and F1 are already phasing out tyre warming equipment on sustainability grounds.
      Last year, the temperature at which they operate was reduced from 100C front and 80C rear to 70C all round.
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      There had been plans to drop that temperature further to 50C this season, but that was stopped after the drivers voiced their concerns during a trial run in Austin last year.
      Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc also agrees that the blanket ban comes too soon.
      He added: “For now I don’t think we are exactly ready. I think there’s still a little bit of work, especially on the warm-up part of it in the first few laps, it’s still quite tricky.”
      Meanwhile, Hamilton has mixed feelings about this year’s Mercedes car after F1 testing in Bahrain came to a conclusion today.
      He added: “It’s difficult to sum it up. We’ve had a couple of difficult days — Friday particularly was difficult.
      “The first day didn’t feel too bad, [but] yesterday was a little bit more of a struggle.
      “I think George has had a much better morning on Saturday, so hopefully we’ve got the set-up in a bit of a better place.
      “But right now, for example, the bouncing that we had has pretty much gone, so that’s a huge step for us.
      “It’s nice to drive without the bouncing for once, but there are still some underlying things that we’re working through.”
      The F1 season kicks off next Sunday in Bahrain and Hamilton says it is still too “difficult to know” where Mercedes sit in the pecking order.
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      He said: “Some of the balance limitations that we had last year are present — we’re working through them.
      “[But] I’m really proud of everyone in the team for continuing to remain positive after a tough year last year, [doing] amazing through the winter for us to drive and have the mileage that we’ve had.” More

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      George Russell forced to abandon car during F1 pre-season testing in blow to Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes

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      GEORGE RUSSELL was forced to abandon his Mercedes Formula One car during pre-season testing after suffering a hydraulics failure. The Mercedes W14 was brought to a halt with Russell behind the wheel during the second session of the day on Friday, causing a red flag.
      George Russell suffered a hydraulics failureCredit: Getty
      The Mercedes car had to be abandoned on track and Friday’s second session was red flaggedCredit: Getty
      Russell and team boss Toto Wolff have been talking up the performance of their car ahead of the new season. 
      However, Friday’s failure will come as a blow to Merc, Russell and team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who are hoping to be competitive this season.
      The hydraulics failure left Russell unable to change gear or use power steering.
      The Brit could not shift up or down from fourth gear and had to abandon the car on track.
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      Former F1 racer Anthony Davidson said on Sky Sports’ coverage: “It would make sense that he’s stuck in fourth gear because the hydraulics controls the gear shift mechanism along with the power steering.
      “He had no clutch and that’s also controlled by hydraulics.
      “He’s got the green light on top of the car as well so it’s not a hybrid issue.”
      The team later said on Twitter: “We’ve confirmed it was a hydraulic failure that caused George’s car to stop on track.
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      “That’s likely to be the end of our running for today. Back on track tomorrow.”
      The fault comes after Russell expressed confidence that he can match double champ Max Verstappen, who’s driving for Red Bull.
      The 25-year-old said: “I definitely head into the season believing I can [win the championship].
      “At every point of my career I have gone in believing, but you need to take a rational view once you get to the track.
      “We definitely believe that eventually we will have a car capable of getting into that fight.
      “But Red Bull are looking very strong, very stable, and obviously Max is performing really well so realistically it will be a stretch for us next week.
      “But there is no reason why we cannot get there eventually at some point this year.
      “We have always seen in the past the strength of Mercedes’ development rate, so the belief is there.”
      The F1 season kicks off next weekend in Bahrain.

      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – every Grand Prix from this year More

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      Max Verstappen sends ominous warning to Lewis Hamilton as Red Bull ace fastest in first session of F1 pre-season testing

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN shot an ominous warning signal to Lewis Hamilton as he set the fastest time during the first session of pre-season.The drivers and teams are out in Bahrain for three days of testing before the opening race of the season next month at the same venue.
      Max Verstappen has won the last two driver’s championshipsCredit: Rex
      Testing gives engineers and drivers a chance to explore their cars and make tweaks to its framework before racing begins.
      The three-day event can occasionally signal a changing of the guard with some cars finding lap time and others dropping off.
      But Verstappen has alerted his rivals that he and his Red Bull are still top of the pile by clocking the fastest time over eight hours of running.
      The reigning world champion set his fastest lap at 1.32.837 having gone round the circuit 157 times, far more than any of the other drivers.
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      Fernando Alonso came second, only 0.029 behind the Red Bull, while Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was third-fastest.
      Hamilton did 83 laps and set the sixth-fastest time through the session, while teammate George Russell sharing the Mercedes was ninth.
      It was a good day for struggling Williams who saw Alex Albon and rookie Logan Sargeant set the seventh and tenth quickest times respectively.
      While Felipe Drugovoich, standing in for the injured Lance Stroll, saw his Aston Martin break down early in the session and require work in the garage.
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      Major shakeups to the grid order are not expected with the regulations largely unchanged from last year, although car floors have been raised 15mm off the ground.
      This is in response to the issue of porpoising last season which appeared to particularly affect Mercedes – but they have reported better results this time round. More

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      Lewis Hamilton given huge boost as Mercedes chief confirms ‘no porpoising’ issue on day one of F1 pre-season testing

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      MERCEDES boss Toto Wolff is confident his team have ironed out their bouncing problems from last season.Wolff watched as the W14 took to the track in Bahrain for pre-season testing today when there was no repeat of the porpoising that had plagued their previous model and left drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in considerable discomfort.
      Lewis Hamilton has received a big boost ahead of the new seasonCredit: Rex
      The new Mercedes no repeat of the porpoising in Bahrain todayCredit: Getty
      Hamilton went winless for the first time in his F1 career last season while Russell won just once late in the year in Sao Paulo.
      Wolff had been hesitant to speak about this year’s model until it hit the track but says he was pleased with what he saw.
      He said: “It seems to be balanced in the right way. There’s no bouncing, which is good news.
      “We’re gathering a lot of data because that was important to correlate obviously after last year, and trying different things, so a productive first morning.
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      “We knew that we were in trouble [last year], the car was just bouncing around and we really weren’t able to drive it correctly. So that is very different.
      “I think we have a solid base now to work from and try to optimise the car, which we haven’t done yet.
      “It’s really just finding out are there any areas that could be a real performance hindrance like last year with the bouncing. We’ve just got to work through the programme.”
      Meanwhile, Wolff and his rival at Red Bull, Christian Horner, were unusually aligned when it came to controversial FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem stepping back from his role.
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      After a series of blunders, Ben Sulayem has removed himself from the day-to-day running of F1’s governing body and delegated the duties to Nikolas Tombazis.
      The experienced F1 designer chaired the recent F1 Commission meeting where new rules were finalised, which proved a positive decision for the team bosses.
      Wolff added: “We have a structure now that is very clear. Nikolas chaired the last commission. We have a lot on the agenda, short and long term.
      “What we need to try to achieve is to work together pragmatically. Lots of objectives are aligned  in having the best, robust regulations and policing to put on a great show.”
      Red Bull boss Horner added: “For once, I agree with everything Toto said!
      “It is an evolution. There are big topics that need to be dealt with, particularly 2026.
      “We need to make sure the engine world, the chassis world, and the product of what we want F1 to be all aligned.
      “There is enough time to do that. It needs to be a priority over the coming months.” More

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      Lewis Hamilton takes sneaky peek at Red Bull rival Max Verstappen’s car in F1 pre-season training

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      LEWIS HAMILTON took a cheeky peek at Max Verstappen’s new Red Bull car as Formula One’s pre-season testing got underway this morning.The seven-time world champion is looking to wrestle his title back from Verstappen this year to capture a record eighth.
      Lewis Hamilton takes a look at Max Verstappen’s Red BullCredit: Rex
      Hamilton, 38, peers in for a closer lookCredit: Splash
      Red Bull enter the season as the team to beat, having dominated the last campaign on the way to a constructors’ and drivers’ championship double.
      With all 10 teams’ new motors on track together for the first time for the Bahrain session, it’s customary for drivers to have a peek at the opposition.
      And Lewis, 38, couldn’t help but have a little look at what Verstappen has under the bonnet.
      Joined by ex-team-mate Valtteri Bottas, now of Alfa Romeo, and Haas’ Kevin Magnussen – Hamilton checked out the competition.
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      While he wanted to get a closer look at Red Bull’s latest effort during testing, Hamilton seems to be happy with Mercedes’ new W14.
      Upon its launch, he said: “I have been a part of this team for over a decade and the efforts of everyone never cease to amaze me.
      “I find it inspiring how diligently and passionately each person approaches their work.”
      Hamilton also denied that his team would ever try and copy Red Bull… despite what others may be doing.
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      Hamilton checks out the rest of the gridCredit: Splash
      Verstappen later got behind the wheel of his new car for the testing sessionCredit: Getty
      He said: “Of course you can see that some of the cars are approaching what a Red Bull might look like, perhaps with the exception of Ferrari.
      “I don’t think we’ve ever been a team that copied other people.
      “We’ve always had our own mind and have always been a team that’s incredibly creative and innovative and likes to do it our way. And I think that’s worked in the past.”
      Hamilton’s boss Toto Wolff said: “Last year was difficult but it came with lots of learnings.
      “I hope 2023 will be proof that we have understood how to unravel the problems and improve the package of the car.”
      He then continued: “W13 certainly had performance which we never were able to unlock and put all its downforce on the ground.
      “Our car performed very well at the end of the season.
      “However, we still had the famous bouncing at some circuits and the car never gave the drivers good feedback, which limited them in being able to really push.
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      “We have tried to keep all the goodness of the W13 and address its weaknesses.”
      Mercedes fans rejoiced during testing this morning, with the W14 not porpoising at all like its predecessor did.
      Hamilton is ready for another crack at winning an eighth world championshipCredit: AFP More

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      Lewis Hamilton fans given first glimpse of new Mercedes in action.. but have the team fixed 2022 porpoising woes?

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      MERCEDES have released footage of Lewis Hamilton’s first drive at Silverstone in their new W14 car.The Brit F1 legend is hoping this is the car to deliver him a record eighth world title.
      Mercedes have released footage of Lewis Hamilton behind the wheel of the new W14Credit: Instagram / @mercedesamgf1
      Fans are cautiously optimistic about the car’s chancesCredit: Instagram / @mercedesamgf1
      Fans claimed that they didn’t think the car appeared to be porpoisingCredit: Instagram / @mercedesamgf1
      Hamilton is hoping the car will help deliver him a record eighth F1 world titleCredit: Rex
      The chassis of Mercedes’ car for 2023, which was launched last week, is mainly unpainted carbon fibre in a bid to save grams of excess weight.
      And footage of Hamilton behind the wheel of the car was posted to Mercedes’ Instagram account on Wednesday.
      Fans eagerly watched to see if the porpoising – bouncing in layman’s terms – issues that plagued the team last season were still present.
      Merc supporters will get a better idea of whether they have fixed the problem when testing gets underway in Bahrain on Thursday.
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      But, from the short on-board snippet that was revealed on Wednesday, fans believed there was reason to be excited.
      One wrote in reply to the video: “Bye bye porpoising.”
      Another delighted fan exclaimed: “NO BOUNCING PEOPLE! NO BOUNCING!!!”
      A third added: “Thank god porpoising is now a term I can wipe from my memory
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      And a fourth said tentatively: “I don’t want to be too optimistic but that looks and sound like a championship winning car.”
      Meanwhile, other more cautious fans refused to get carried away until seeing the car in testing.
      Hamilton ended the 2022 season without a win – the first time in his career that he went an entire campaign without finishing P1.
      This season marks his 17th in F1, and he is currently level with Michael Schumacher on seven world titles.
      An eighth crown this year would make him the stand alone record holder. More