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The 2023 F1 season has officially begun! The first day of the pre-season test is done and dusted and we have a familiar figure in Max Verstappen at the top of the standings. The Red Bull driver completed 157 laps on the first day of the test in a demonstration of the car's all-round ability.
Behind him on the timesheets was Fernando Alonso in his Aston Martin, a name and a car that came as a surprise to many F1 fans. Ferrari, last year's runners-up, had both drivers in the top five as the team completed a cumulative 136 laps today.
Lewis Hamilton, the F1 legend in his Mercedes, was in P6 on the first day of the pre-season test in Bahrain. It was great to see F1 cars out on track after such a long time, but most importantly, what did we learn from the first day of tests? Let's find out.
#1 Red Bull and Ferrari lead the pack
There are shades of what happened last season in this pre-season test as well. Both Red Bull and Ferrari hit the ground running early and as the day progressed it became clear that these two cars were the class of the field. Max Verstappen finishing the day at the top of the standings with 157 laps is a serious marker and should make the rivals shudder.
Ferrari looked good as well and while Red Bull had the fastest time, it'll take a brave man to predict four tenths of a second gap between the two cars. Just like last season, both Ferrari and Red Bull appear to have hit the ground running brilliantly.
#2 Mercedes has a steady start but it has lost its aura
Throughout the Turbo-hybrid era, Mercedes had a certain aura around it as soon as the pre-season test began. The team would not make the headline times or try a low-fuel run, but it was obvious to anyone from the beginning that the team had a brilliant car.
This was not the case on the first day of the pre-season test. The car looks good, porpoising is not an issue in the manner it was last season, and on track, there aren't many things going wrong.
Having said that, the aura is gone. It's not the most impressive car around the track as that title goes to Ferrari and Red Bull. The next two days will provide more insight, but after the first day, Ferrari and Red Bull are leading Mercedes in the F1 pecking order.
#3 Aston Martin looks good, really good!
It wasn't Fernando Alonso's lap time that was a pleasant surprise for everyone. Aston Martin looked brilliant all day on track and the lap was just a validation of a well-balanced car. The team did face a slight hiccup when the car suffered from electrical issues at the start of the test.
The team overcame that and the car truly came alive in the second half of the day. During Mercedes' rise to prominence in 2014, the team did not all of a sudden jump to the top of the standings. It was a gradual process that started in 2012 when the team won its first race. It was followed by a 2013 F1 season where Mercedes finished second in the championship before taking over.
This first F1 pre-season test could prove to be a stepping stone to bigger and better things for Aston Martin. Again, this is just the first day and we could see a few surprises but for now, it does look good for Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso.
#4 McLaren is playing catch-up again
The startling difference between Lando Norris' low fuel run late in the day and Fernando Alonso's run a few minutes earlier should have been humbling for McLaren. Alonso had the car planted and could take it where he wanted. There was control in his lap, there was aggression but the car wasn't biting back when he pushed.
McLaren, on the other hand, looked like a handful for Norris. The driver struggled to control the car and never looked comfortable. Norris did improve his lap time later on but was still more than half a second slower than Aston Martin.
Just like last season, McLaren appear to be playing catch-up in midfield instead of initiating a march towards the front of the grid.
#5 The F1 midfield picture is still muddled
The situation in midfield is still not clear. On the surface, Alpine looks like an interesting design but appears to be struggling with porpoising. The team could be as high as fourth or fifth fastest alongside Aston Martin or could be struggling to keep up.
Haas, like Ferrari, looks decent and could find itself in a position similar to last season where it can threaten points at multiple races. Alfa Romeo had a solid start as well as the team went through their program quite seamlessly. AlphaTauri and Williams were the ninth and 10th best team in the championship last F1 season.
In terms of relative performance, it's hard to say which team has made the most progress and we might need to see the teams do their runs on the second and third days to make a better judgment.
