“We can't really explain”: Max Verstappen and Red Bull face early troubles in FP1 of Bahrain GP

Red Bull encountered an unexpected issue with Max Verstappen's car during the first Formula 1 practice session of the season. According to Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, Verstappen suffered from a handling change in the RB19 that cannot be explained at the moment. Marko told Sky Germany:

"With Max, we have a change in driving behavior that we can't really explain at the moment. The temperatures are a bit different. But we have to find out what's going on there and why the car doesn't react at all, in contrast to what happened during the test."

The issue has only occurred in one of their cars, which Marko hopes to resolve in time for the upcoming practice session. Marko was also curious as to why the issue only occurred in Verstappen's car and not in Sergio Perez's car, which was running the same setup.

During the first practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix, Sergio Perez topped the timesheets, followed by Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen. Both Red Bull drivers set their times on soft tires, with Perez finishing six-tenths of a second ahead of Verstappen.

Marko stated that they needed to find out what was going on with Verstappen's car and why it was not reacting as it did during testing. Although the temperatures were a bit different, he believes the team can fix the issue before the next practice session.

Aston Martin built a rocket to compete with the likes of Red Bull and Ferrari

Fernando Alonso was a surprise entrant in the top three, with the Spaniard topping the timesheets in FP2 a few hours later. According to fans and analysts, Aston Martin have built a rocket to compete with the likes of Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes this season.

Aston Martin poached Aero Engineers Dan Fallows from Red Bull and Eric Blandin from Mercedes in the offseason, which enabled them to build a car that could compete for the top spot.

Technical director Dan Fallows and his team developed the AMR23, and it represents a brand new design. Aston Martin were determined to start 2023 with the best possible package, throwing everything they could into the launch spec.

Fernando Alonso is also receiving maximum support from the team, which has been the reason for his fantastic performances in the first two practice sessions of the season.