However, in 2024, a new chance will arise for the trailing teams to narrow their advantage. Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren are all aiming to return to the top of the table with more consistency after showing signs of progress in 2023.
Going further back, Fernando Alonso could make an early title charge if Aston Martin can start the season well again, while the likes of Alpine and Williams are making incremental progress towards the front of the line once again. I’m sure he’s trying to continue.
But until the new Grand Prix contenders take to the asphalt in Bahrain, we’ll have to keep guessing what the 2024 season has in store.
Please see below for details regarding pre-season testing for the 2024 F1 season (dates, times, viewing locations, content, etc.).
2023 F1 pre-season test dates and times
Result date | Session start (GMT) | End of session (GMT) |
February 21st | to be decided | to be decided |
February 22 | to be decided | to be decided |
February 23rd | to be decided | to be decided |
How to watch the 2023 F1 test
Sky Sports holds exclusive rights to broadcast F1 in the UK and will provide coverage throughout the 2024 pre-season testing period. Sky Sports customers can also live stream the event through the Sky Go app.
The channel will treat the test as a prelude to the season itself, and you can expect similar treatment to a Grand Prix weekend, with a commentary team, trackside analysis, diary and paddock pundits on all three days.
The Sky Sports F1 channel is available through NowTV.
Who is driving and when?
Each team brings one car to the test, and each driver usually splits their time in the car evenly. Some teams alternate drivers between morning and evening sessions, while others give each driver a full day, with either half the morning or half the afternoon on the final day.
Teams typically issue a schedule of who will be driving shortly before testing begins.
What will happen at the 2023 F1 test?
During the three-day test in Bahrain, the team will seek to ensure the car performs reliably and as expected in the various scenarios expected throughout the race weekend. They used Aero Rake and Flo-vis paint to ensure that the airflow over the car on the track was the same as predicted from the computer model, and then changed the setup to make the car run as predicted. Check if it reacts as expected.
It will also monitor the performance of its rivals to see if there are any elements worth emulating and to get an uncertain indication of where their performance will place them on the grid in 2024.
Each team’s testing program is different, so the cars will be running with different fuel loads and different levels of tire wear, not to mention the nearly endless set-up possibilities. As a result, no matter who comes out on top at the end of each day, we won’t know exactly what their running order will be until the field lines up in the first qualifying session of the year. But that doesn’t mean we can’t keep an eye out for some of the most interesting storylines in the meantime.
Can Red Bull continue to maintain its supremacy?
After coming off the most statistically dominant season in F1 history, Red Bull will be hard-pressed to repeat what they achieved in 2023. However, team principal Christian Horner said the team was prepared for increased competition as he expected some rival cars to be largely similar. To the all-conquering RB19.
“Imitation is the greatest form of flattery,” he said in an interview with PlanetF1. “There will be a convergence, but the team has worked consistently in all conditions and on all circuits, achieving 21 Grand Prix wins and six 1-2 finishes, breaking all the records we have set so far. There was also a streak of “achievement”…it’s amazing. ”
The RB20, the successor to Red Bull’s seven-time F1 world title winner, has reportedly failed its first FIA crash test ahead of its 2024 launch. However, this is likely a result of the team’s desire to push the boundaries of current designs in order to maintain a performance advantage over the rest of the field.
Pre-season testing will reveal whether it went too far or hit the mark again.
Who will lead the charge?
Red Bull will spend most of 2023 in a league of its own, competing for the remainder with the likes of Ferrari, Mercedes and a resurgent McLaren.
After a short-lived title run in 2022, Ferrari were favorites to reinvigorate the title race in 2023, but fell short due to a lack of race pace and continued tire wear issues. Similarly, despite Lewis Hamilton’s best efforts, Mercedes were unable to find consistency, and McLaren only found pace to lead once the season reached the halfway point. It was too late for Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri to make any impression on Verstappen’s third world title. .
However, 2024 could tell a different story, with Ferrari and Mercedes adopting new and radical approaches to car design, and McLaren aiming to continue its upward trajectory in development.
If all three teams do well, Verstappen and Red Bull could face an even bigger battle than last year.
Will Aston Martin recover?
Aston Martin was probably the second greatest success story of 2023. With Fernando Alonso at the wheel, he took six podiums in the first eight races of the season, but ultimately fell behind in the development race.
Many have speculated that Aston Martin’s drop in performance is due to their increased focus on their 2024 title contenders, and if this rumor is true, a further breakthrough could finally see Alonso secure a long-awaited third title. World title could be added to your resume.
The team will move to the brand new Silverstone campus midway through the 2023 campaign and expects to see the fruits of their investment in 2024.