F1

Two teenage female drivers say they hope the new F1 Academy will break down barriers in the sport.

"I don't want to be seen as a female driver, I just want to be seen as a driver. I've got to get physically fitter and things like that. But are they finally taking women seriously with the introduction of the new F1 Academy? A female driver hasn't competed in a Formula 1 grand prix since 1976. "As soon as I heard about the series, the backing of Formula 1 and the teams and people involved, I was extremely keen to be part of this first historic season," she tells Newsbeat. "And if it's not me, I want it to be the next generation.

The race calendar for the inaugural 2023 season of the F1 Academy has been announced, with a total of 21 races over seven rounds, including a season finale ...

7th - 6 6th - 8 5th - 10

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen started the 2023 Formula One season where he left off in 2022 by topping the first morning of testing in Bahrain.

Piastri - McLaren - 1:34.888 - 52 laps Gasly - Alpine - 1:34.822 - 60 laps Hulkenberg - Haas - 1:34.424 - 51 laps Russell - Mercedes - 1:34.174 - 69 laps Albon - Williams - 1:33.671 - 74 laps Sainz - Ferrari - 1:33.253 - 72 laps

F1 Academy has revealed the calendar and format for its inaugural season of racing, with the all-women series set to feature seven events, with 21 races in ...

“Our goal was to be able to race on as many Formula 1 Grand Prix tracks as possible, with circuits that could be a great challenge for the drivers. We will reveal the rest of the dates in due time.” One point for the fastest lap time will be up for grabs in each race, provided the driver finishes within the top 10. Race 2’s grid will be set by reversing the top eight drivers from Qualifying 1, with ninth and below lining up in the positions they qualified in. From there, June 23-25 will see them pay a trip to the historic Zandvoort circuit in the Netherlands. 8th 4

Max Verstappen set the pace during the opening morning of pre-season testing in Bahrain.

Ahead of the 2023 F1 season, RacingNews365.com journalists Dieter Rencken and Michael Butterworth look back on a winter break laden with intrigue and controversy. [Red Bull](/formula-1-teams/red-bull) driver set the pace with a lap of 1:32.959, as well as completing 71 laps during the morning. Max Verstappen topped the timesheets as the first session of F1 2023 pre-season testing got underway in Bahrain.

Max Verstappen ensured a familiar-looking timesheet to kick off Formula 1 2023's pre-season test by out-pacing Carlos Sainz in the opening morning session ...

Immediately, they've got a few tenths, maybe even half a second, out of a lighter chassis itself. "Nine, 10 months of development after last year's car didn't work out. Next, will be a focus on performance. "It's just a stiff ride. "They've got their car in a bit of a different place at the moment to the likes of Ferrari." Verstappen set the pace with a 1:32.959, a time that was three-tenths quicker than Sainz and significantly faster than the laps this time last year as these F1 cars enter the second season of a much-changed generation.

Formula 1 has revealed the full calendar and the weekend format for the all-female F1 Academy series that aims to increase the participation of women in ...

Our goal was to be able to race on as many Formula 1 Grand Prix tracks as possible, with circuits that could be a great challenge for the drivers. Pirelli will be the official tyre supplier, as with F1 and its other support categories. The exact schedule of the remaining test days will be revealed in the coming weeks, according to a press release issued by F1.

The new FIA championship, the 'F1 Academy', created to eventually prepare female drivers for F1, will start in April. The calendar is now official.

In the new format, five constructors, which also compete in F2 and F3, will participate. The season starts on 28 April in Austria. The calendar is now official.

Live updates from pre-season testing ahead of the 2023 F1 season, including full testing schedule, driver lineups and the latest updates from the pit wall.

Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen topped the timesheet in Bahrain at the end of the opening day's morning session.

C3

Formula 1 has revealed the full calendar and the weekend format for the all-female F1 Academy series that aims to increase the participation of women in ...

Our goal was to be able to race on as many Formula 1 Grand Prix tracks as possible, with circuits that could be a great challenge for the drivers. Pirelli will be the official tyre supplier, as with F1 and its other support categories. The exact schedule of the remaining test days will be revealed in the coming weeks, according to a press release issued by F1.

Pre-season is finally here! Follow us for all the live action as it happens on the opening day of testing in Bahrain.

Our first green light of the season will appear in 30 minutes’ time for the first four-hour session of the day until 1415 local time. 1044: You may have seen over the course of the off season that we have launched a brand-new F1 channel with GFN called On Track GP and our first predictions video is out now! 1245: Only a couple of cars out on track at the moment, Sainz and Drugovich. All is calm and serene at the moment as the drivers crack on with their programmes. The first session of the Formula 1 2023 season is in the books. As for the rest, Oscar Piastri, Zhou Guanyu, Felipe Drugovich, Nico Hulkenberg, Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon will all be in action. George Russell is first in the queue. 1200: We’ve hit the two-hour mark of the first morning session and it’s absolutely flown by! As it was for the majority of 2022, Max Verstappen is at the top of the timesheets while it is Carlos Sainz behind him and the surprise sight of Alex Albon in P3. 1515: Welcome back to Bahrain for the afternoon session. Promotion is available to new subscriptions only and discounted subscriptions will auto-renew to full price unless cancelled prior to the date of renewal. Verstappen tops the timesheets while rookies Drugovich and Piastri get out on track.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen continued where he left off in 2022 by topping the timesheets as pre-season testing got under way at the Bahrain International ...

[READ MORE: Verstappen leads Sainz on opening morning of Bahrain pre-season test](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.verstappen-leads-sainz-on-opening-morning-of-bahrain-pre-season-test.25N8iaocvGaz4TxzXdXR9N.html) [the injured Lance Stroll](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.breaking-stroll-to-miss-pre-season-testing-in-bahrain-after-training.5LEjhsalspXJ3QpCBwbieJ.html). [READ MORE: From aero rakes to flow-vis – 5 key terms you need to know for F1 pre-season testing](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.from-aero-rakes-to-flow-vis-5-key-terms-you-need-to-know-for-f1-pre-season.10Cdt2TOEZ1rR7pgQhnMux.html) [GALLERY: Check out the 2023 F1 cars in action as they hit the track for pre-season testing in Bahrain](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.gallery-check-out-the-2023-f1-cars-in-action-as-they-hit-the-track-for-pre.7ahhHpLrehhIsIG9Cdv9x2.html) [hailed the squad’s driver line-up](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.new-ferrari-boss-vasseur-admits-he-approached-sainz-for-sauber-drive-as-he.1KNs1qEbWBOWNmfmz0g1Lj.html) and spoke of a positive start for the SF-23. [for reserve driver Felipe Drugovich](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.drugovich-explains-cause-of-testing-stoppage-as-aston-martin-provide-update.7GF9zerk7C1e2E4gHmyIiC.html).

The full results from the opening day of the F1 pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit.

[Download our F1 calendar](https://racingnews365.com/download-the-2023-f1-calendar-to-your-agenda) [click here](https://racingnews365.com/alonso-puts-in-surprise-effort-to-get-close-to-verstappen/). [Max Verstappen](/formula-1-drivers/max-verstappen) set the fastest lap of the day in Bahrain.

Max Verstappen narrowly topped the opening day of 2023 Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain, as the Red Bull driver held onto the fastest time from Aston ...

[PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/what-williamss-new-boss-must-do-to-change-the-fortunes-of-f1s-backmarker/10433683/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-ferrari-comeback-of-american-f1-icon-mario-andretti/10433953/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/grand-prix-racings-forgotten-year-of-change/10434140/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-alarm-that-still-sounds-from-the-fias-driver-expression-clampdown/10434901/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-hard-numbers-behind-red-bulls-f1-cost-cap-penalty/10435004/) [Zhou Guanyu](https://www.motorsport.com/driver/zhou-guanyu/289725/) in eighth for [Alfa Romeo](https://www.motorsport.com/team/alfa-romeo/17890/), ahead of team-mate [Valtteri Bottas](https://www.motorsport.com/driver/valtteri-bottas/13082/) in 12th, F1 returnee [Nico Hulkenberg](https://www.motorsport.com/driver/nico-hulkenberg/9327/) produced an impressive start to his full-time comeback with 11th for Haas and 51 laps to his name – with [Kevin Magnussen](https://www.motorsport.com/driver/kevin-magnussen/15905/) propping up the timesheet of a field covered by 2.2s. [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/why-f1s-missing-piece-wont-play-on-his-nationality-for-success/10435390/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/why-red-bulls-evolutionary-rb19-does-not-disappoint/10435559/) [McLaren](https://www.motorsport.com/team/mclaren/10/), as [Lando Norris](https://www.motorsport.com/driver/lando-norris/289316/) lost time, stuck in the garage with the team repairing a wheel fairing issue. [Alex Albon](https://www.motorsport.com/driver/alex-albon/109625/) took seventh for [Williams](https://www.motorsport.com/team/williams/13/) after debuting the FW45 before handing over to F1 rookie [Logan Sargeant](https://www.motorsport.com/driver/logan-sargeant/289607/) for the afternoon session, with the US youngster in 10th place. [PrimePrime Formula 1 ](/f1/news/why-red-bulls-evolutionary-rb19-does-not-disappoint/10435559/) [ Formula 1 ](/f1/news/mercedes-f1-hamilton-catch-up-mode-despite-calmer-w14/10435660/)

Red Bull's Max Verstappen set the fastest time on the opening day of Formula 1's 2023 pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit on Thursday.

In total McLaren completed 92 laps. Logan Sergeant continued in the afternoon, finishing the day 10th fastest. He finished the day with the fastest time of 1:32.837 and completed 157 laps. Whereas McLaren seemed to struggle somewhat, on paper at least. Ferrari had a consistent day in both lap times and laps completed. As the teams started to focus on performance runs, Alonso was 0.029s off Verstappen.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen ended the first day of 2023 pre-season testing in Bahrain on top of the timesheets ahead of Fernando Alonso.

Rookie driver Logan Sargeant was tenth quickest just ahead of Nico Hulkenberg, returning to the sport this year with Haas. We were able to do the run plan and everything is going well." The most important thing was to do mileage, and we had no issues. After the break he managed to reduce his time by just over a tenth. C3 Verstappen was the only driver to stay in the cockpit all day, meaning that none of the others taking part managed to follow him past the 100 lap milestone.

Eagle-eyed viewers and commentators noticed something new about the SF-23 during the first testing session.

[aerodynamically](https://www.sbnation.com/23584739/the-f1-glossary) with the design, perhaps looking to shave off a few milliseconds here and there with the flex at the front of the SF-23. When Sainz slowed and/or applied the brakes, that carbon fiber would return to its normal position. But eagle-eyed viewers and commentators noticed a dimple in the nose cone of their SF-23, Ferrari’s challenger for the 2023 F1 season:

Max Verstappen was looking more than satisfied to finish the first day of pre-season testing in Bahrain on top of the timesheets.

There are a lot of races on the calendar where you need different things from the car, so step-by-step.” “It was good," Verstappen said when he stepped out of the cockpit after the chequered flag brought the first day of testing to a close. "But the car is running well, and I think that’s the most important. "It's a bit of an evolution from last year. Compared to last year, there are few regulation changes coming into effect this season meaning that the upgrades on the 2023 cars are fairly minimal. "Indeed, we are more competitive than we were last year to start off."

The Red Bull driver edged out two-time world champion Fernando Alonso in an Aston Martin with the two Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc tucked in ...

Oscar Piastri (AUS/McLaren) 1:34.888 (52), 19. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Alpine) 1:34.871 (53), 18. Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine) 1:34.822 (60), 17. Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/AlphaTauri) 1:34.671 (46), 16. Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Haas) 1:34.424 (51), 12. George Russell (GBR/Mercedes) 1:34.174 (69), 10. Logan Sergeant (USA/Williams) 1:34.324 (75), 11. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 1:33.508 (83), 7. Alexander Albon (THA/Williams) 1:33.671 (74), 8. Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren) 1:33.462 (40), 6. Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari) 1:33.267 (64), 5. Carlos Sainz (ESP/Ferrari) 1:33.253 (72), 4.

The German manufacturer had an encouraging opening day to pre-season F1 testing in Bahrain on Thursday, its 2023 challenger proving to be much better ...

[PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-hard-numbers-behind-red-bulls-f1-cost-cap-penalty/10435004/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/why-f1s-missing-piece-wont-play-on-his-nationality-for-success/10435390/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/why-red-bulls-evolutionary-rb19-does-not-disappoint/10435559/) “The car has run faultlessly from start to finish and that has allowed us to complete an ambitious programme for day one,” he said. “We've got to keep pushing, focus on ourselves, and stay focused,” he explained. Hopefully the car continues to run like clockwork, and we can make the most of the remaining track time.”

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen topped the timesheet on the opening day of Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain as Red Bull received "positive ...

"A lot of laps, which is of course what we wanted. 18) Oscar Piastri 15) Yuki Tsunoda 14) Felipe Drugovich 10) Logan Sargeant 9) George Russell 7) Alex Albon 6) Lewis Hamilton 5) Lando Norris 4) Charles Leclerc 2) Fernando Alonso 1) Max Verstappen

Formula 1 has released the 2023 calendar, format and details for its inaugural all-female F1 Academy season.

To spice things up, the grid for the second race will be set by reversing the top eight finishers of the first qualifying session. ART Grand Prix, Campos Racing, Carlin, MP Motorsport and Prema Racing have all signed up for the championship. However, each round will feature three races.

In a UK exclusive, the lead curator of the F1 Exhibition which launches one month from today in Madrid tells Mirror Sport why this immersive new experience ...

But for now we are very much focused at the moment on the Madrid launch and using it as an opportunity to see how it performs." "We felt excited by, rather than launching in London, New York, Los Angeles – an obvious choice – launching the show in a market like Madrid. "We will use that first show to refine it before it goes to the next city," Harvey explains. Part of what makes F1 such a fascinating subject matter is the fact it does have this richness to it – it's a story of triumph as well as tragedy. And that really is reflected so accurately in the sport's history." "The ambition now, for all of the teams and everyone involved in F1, is 'how can we make this one of the 21st century's great stories? F1's top brass and the teams themselves have played a significant role in the production of this new show. Ticket sales, Harvey declares with an obvious note of pride, "have been very, very positive" with the first weekend completely sold out. "So we're able to look back at what people like Bernie and Ron Dennis, Enzo Ferrari and Colin Chapman – the pioneers – created for the sport, but we're also now able to look forward to what the future holds for F1. This new much larger, more diverse audience is a large part of the reason why now is the right time for F1 to go bigger and bolder than it has ever done before in terms of its storytelling. It promises a wealth of artefacts, interactive displays and historical references designed to cater to motorsport fans old and new – ideal, considering the global growth in popularity F1 has enjoyed in recent years. [Bernie Ecclestone](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/bernie-ecclestone) had run the sport since the mid to late '70s and, in 2017, that reign came to an end.

Follow live as Formula 1 pre-season testing continues in Bahrain ahead of the 2023 season with the second day of the single test.

[Formula 1 ](/f1/news/live-f1-bahrain-pre-season-test-day-2-10435694/10435694/) [Formula 1 ](/f1/news/the-250000-saving-behind-haas-f1-teams-mini-prat-perch/10435811/) [5Formula 1 ](/f1/news/2023-f1-bahrain-test-verstappen-shades-alonso-to-top-opening-day-of-testing/10435581/)

Formula 1 pre-testing 2023 has become the talk of the town. It began with a slam bang in Bahrain on February 23, 2023. The ten teams and 20 drivers will ...

The Day 2 of Formula 1 Pre-Testing Season 2023 is on February 24. Formula 1 pre-testing 2023 has become the talk of the town. The Day 2 of Formula 1 pre-testing 2023 on February 24 will follow a similar schedule as Day 1.

Formula 1 testing is underway in Bahrain and, with cars finally running in public, the first technical tricks that teams have deployed for 2023 are no ...

[PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/grand-prix-racings-forgotten-year-of-change/10434140/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-alarm-that-still-sounds-from-the-fias-driver-expression-clampdown/10434901/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-hard-numbers-behind-red-bulls-f1-cost-cap-penalty/10435004/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/why-f1s-missing-piece-wont-play-on-his-nationality-for-success/10435390/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/why-red-bulls-evolutionary-rb19-does-not-disappoint/10435559/) [ WEC ](/wec/news/nakajima-toyota-reserve-2023-drivers/10432227/) [ DTM ](/dtm/news/aitken-secures-dtm-seat-in-emil-frey-ferrari/10435820/) The Red Bull RB19 finally broke cover, giving us a wide array of details to examine. [ DTM ](/dtm/news/dtm-race-winners-preining-olsen-to-race-manthey-ema-porsches-in-2023/10435768/) [Giorgio Piola](https://www.giorgiopiola.com) [Motorsport Images](https://www.motorsportimages.com) [ Formula 1 ](/f1/news/alfa-romeo-looks-to-have-cured-two-key-weaknesses-with-its-f1-2023-car-/10435831/)

Nat. Team, Time, Laps. 1, Carlos Sainz, ESP, Scuderia Ferrari, 1m32.486s, 24. 2, Zhou Guanyu, CHN, Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake ...

[Fernando Alonso](/f1/racer/1/fernando-alonso) has joined Aston Martin, with [Pierre Gasly](/f1/racer/1428/pierre-gasly) replacing the Spaniard at Alpine. McLaren F1 Team MoneyGram Haas F1 Team

Haas is one of three teams, including Red Bull and Mercedes, to have mounted a winglet on the inboard rear quarter of the front wing endplate.

[PlusPlusFormula 1 ](/f1/news/grand-prix-racings-forgotten-year-of-change/10433989/) [PlusPlusFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-alarm-that-still-sounds-from-the-fias-driver-expression-clampdown/10434686/) [PlusPlusFormula 1 ](/f1/news/why-red-bulls-evolutionary-rb19-does-not-disappoint/10435575/) [PlusPlusFormula 1Bahrain February Testing ](/f1/news/why-f1s-missing-piece-wont-play-on-his-nationality-for-success/10435087/) The flap is raised above the floor level and has a number of flow-diverting elements to help focus the airflow as it emerges from out under the floor. [PlusPlusFormula 1Bahrain February Testing ](/f1/news/what-we-learned-on-day-one-of-f1-testing-in-bahrain/10435650/) [PlusPlusFormula 1Bahrain February Testing ](/f1/news/has-f1s-porpoising-problem-been-eradicated-in-the-2023-cars/10435666/) The Red Bull RB19 finally broke cover, giving us a wide array of details to examine. [VASC Supercars ](/supercars/news/the-big-questions-facing-supercars-as-its-new-era-begins/10435843/) [Giorgio Piola](https://www.giorgiopiola.com) [WRC WRC ](/wrc/news/toyota-set-for-very-important-rally-mexico-wrc-pre-event-test/10435919/) [Motorsport Images](https://www.motorsportimages.com)

Alfa Romeo's new Formula 1 car appears to have cured two of the key weaknesses that held the team back last year, says its drivers.

[PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/why-red-bulls-evolutionary-rb19-does-not-disappoint/10435559/) "Many of the concepts were changed, like for example the cooling where we had multiple issues. "The main positive thing is that we didn't have a single issue, which is a huge contrast to testing last year," he said. This year we have tried to get back the performance we had early in the season. But that is nothing we cannot solve." This was a weakness last year, especially in the higher-speed corners, so that's good.

Formula 1's plans to ban tyre blankets from 2024 will face a final vote involving teams, the FIA and FOM after this year's British Grand Prix in July.

[PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/why-f1s-missing-piece-wont-play-on-his-nationality-for-success/10435390/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/why-red-bulls-evolutionary-rb19-does-not-disappoint/10435559/) It is difficult." "But it's not the same because F1 is a different championship. But it's a very big challenge. Pirelli's head of F1 and car racing Mario Isola told Motorsport.com: "Silverstone is one of the races where we have two days of testing after the race.

Mercedes' distinctive 2022 endplate was made illegal in the 2023 Formula 1 rules, but the team has found a way to replicate its effect.

Instead, the additions to Article 3.9.3 dictated the orientation and location of the intersections between the front wing profiles and the endplate in detail. Essentially Mercedes has responded to the rules putting new limits on where it could position certain elements of its wing design by finding a different space to place those elements so they still achieve the desired effect. Those on the second and third front wing elements (in red) are straightforward connections. What Mercedes opted to do is move the end of the front wing profiles slightly inboard then connect them to the endplate with narrow stays, which fulfils the requirement for continuity. The F1 show car shows a simple interpretation of these regulations, creating a gentle upward curve as the front wing profiles blend into the vertical endplate. This was removed for the first issue of the 2023 regulations to allow for greater precision.

Carlos Sainz set the pace as the second day of F1 2023 pre-season testing got underway in Bahrain. The Ferrari driver topped the timesheets with a lap of ...

[Yuki Tsunoda](/formula-1-drivers/yuki-tsunoda) was the driver to complete the most laps during the morning, with a lap count of 85. Ahead of the 2023 F1 season, RacingNews365.com journalists Dieter Rencken and Michael Butterworth look back on a winter break laden with intrigue and controversy. [Ferrari](/formula-1-teams/ferrari) driver topped the timesheets with a lap of 1:32.486, while [Williams](/formula-1-teams/williams) rookie Logan Sargeant was 0.063 seconds behind in P2.

We're back in Bahrain! Follow us for all the live action as it happens on the second day of testing at the Sakhir International Circuit.

0930: Good morning and welcome back to the Bahrain International Circuit for the second day of pre-season testing. 0936: Day Two of testing sees Sergio Perez make his first appearance with the Mexican driver set to share the driving duties with his team-mate Max Verstappen. We’ll be getting underway in 30 minutes’ time for the first four-hour session of the day until 1415 local time. 1030: Alonso is winding up the AMR23 for a push run on the C2 tyre, that first attempt taking him P2, a couple of seconds shy of Magnussen. Sargeant has also decided now is the time to post a time, and it takes him P6 ahead of Norris. 1010: A 1:37.248 sets the early pace courtesy of Sainz, but that benchmark will come down massively. While the team ran Felipe Drugovich on Thursday morning, the reserve driver replacing the injured Lance Stroll, they’ve opted to only use Alonso for today’s running. The Mercedes W14 is up on the jacks as well getting some attention. Purple in all three sectors with what looked to be the C2 tyres bolted on. Promotion is available to new subscriptions only and discounted subscriptions will auto-renew to full price unless cancelled prior to the date of renewal. 1122: Zhou Guanyu is piecing together a strong, no-nonsense morning in the Alfa Romeo, sitting P5 and approaching the 20-lap mark. 1155: Ocon muscles his way into the top four, a second adrift of Sainz’s benchmark.

Formula 1's plans to ban tyre blankets from 2024 will face a final vote involving teams, the FIA and FOM after this year's British Grand Prix in July.

[PlusPlusFormula 1Bahrain February Testing ](/f1/news/does-f1-testing-need-an-injection-of-fresh-excitement/10436377/) "But it's not the same because F1 is a different championship. It is difficult." But it's a very big challenge. Pirelli's head of F1 and car racing Mario Isola told Autosport: "Silverstone is one of the races where we have two days of testing after the race. "I believe that it's a target of everyone to go in this direction for sustainability, but clearly nobody wants to damage the show.

The race director decided to end Friday morning's testing session with a refresher for the drivers in what to do in a red flag situation and race restart, ...

But on a more serious note shortly after, as the session was red flagged for real, both noted that it was actually a fairly hairy situation. The first race start was aborted on purpose so the drivers could practice what to do in that situation and they all duly embarked upon another formation lap, as is procedure. But few of them took it seriously – almost causing a collision on the start-finish straight. He said: "Lights out and away we go, and a fantastic start... But everybody else remained stationary in their grid boxes, forcing Sainz and Hamilton to stop earlier than planned. But it ended with a very strange moment as a red flag test almost went horribly wrong.