Max Verstappen once again. New world, old dominator. The inaugural pole of the championship, in Bahrain, went to the champion, who is again the number one enemy. But this 2023 Formula 1 does not seem like a carbon copy of the past. There are new incentives: Fernando Alonso, opening his green stage with Aston Martin, confirmed that the pre-season tests and free practice were not a mirage. The Asturian has recovered the competitiveness of 10 years ago and can rub shoulders with the best. His fifth place in the standings fuels the best hopes for him. Like Carlos Sainz's room.
The first classification of the year left two records: that the noble class is tighter than ever, Red Bull in front but with reinforced and closer adversaries, the Ferraris, the Mercedes and... Aston Martin; and the second, that Fernando Alonso has gone from being more than a second behind the poleman (with Alpine last year) to just 5 tenths, with serious options to fight for big goals. The podium? Why not? In fact, this is what the champion himself expects: "Fernando is being very fast and I hope he joins us up front," said Max Verstappen.
The first contact with the new reality came in training, surprisingly led by Alonso in the second and third free practice ahead of Verstappen, and second in the first test. All a declaration of intent that he needed to ratify in the qualy, the moment of truth.
And the classification arrived, when no one would hide the cards anymore, nor would they reserve a tenth, and a diverse and unexpected rivalry exploded, crazy: in Q1, Alonso opened the dance with the best time, but Leclerc soon pushed him back, Russell and Sainz, who were separated by only 165 thousandths. Behind him, his teammate Stroll, fifth, a sign that the Aston Martin is going really well, and then tacha, the champion, Verstappen, seventh, 3 tenths behind Sainz. An impressive equality.
The strategies surfaced in Q2 when it came to mounting the new soft tyre. With the shiny rubber, it was the two Red Bulls who commanded the classification, recovering the hierarchy of yesteryear, but when the Ferraris put on the new tires after the stop, it was Leclerc who climbed up in the first half and Sainz in 5th.
Thus, the photograph of Q2 was once again an explosive mix, the first 6 separated by 3 tenths: Leclerc, Verstappen, Russell, Hamilton, Sainz and Alonso. Anything could happen in the last series.
In the final Q3, the first round for pole position left Verstappen first, with his rivals close behind: Leclerc second at 103 thousandths, Pérez third at 234, Alonso fourth at 439 and Sainz sixth at 464. The Mercedes, interspersed among the Spanish, with Hamilton seventh. The emotion was served for the last attempt, with the clock already at zero.
Verstappen ended up imposing his law, his talent and his voracity to take pole position in the second attempt, in which he lowered his best time by 189 thousandths. Red Bull's dominance crystallized with Sergio Pérez's second place: the two bulls taking the front row, a double to lay the foundations for victory.
The good feelings of the Spaniards and Alonso's hopes of a front line were diluted in this second attempt. Leclerc finished third on the grid, ahead of his teammate Sainz, and the Spaniard lost one place, 5th, to start from the third row. Not bad at all to start your green stage.
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
5. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
6. George Russell (Mercedes)
7. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
8. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
9. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
10. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
11. Lando Norris (McLaren)
12. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo)
13. Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo)
14. Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri)
15. Alex Albon (Williams)
16. Logan Sargeant (Williams)
17. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
18. Kevin Magnussen (Haas),
19. Oscar Piastri (McLaren),
20. Nyck De Vries (Alpha Tauri)
