Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer in Bahrain

Image source, Pirelli Motorsport Twitter

Strategy-wise, the race is poised between two pit stops and three, and it will be run most likely on the soft and hard tyres - everyone dislikes the medium, Pirelli’s so-called C2 tyre. The issue is thermal degradation. Bahrain has the oldest asphalt on the calendar and it is a tyre killer.

Most teams have saved two new sets of hard tyres for the race. Red Bull have not, which suggests they will run two sets of soft and one hard. They have not liked the hard tyre since testing because it induces understeer in their car. They also do not have a new soft, unlike Charles Leclerc. And the word is that a new soft rather than a used one can gain as much as five seconds over a race stint. Whether that is enough to bring Leclerc into competition with Red Bull is a different question.

Choosing a two-stop will force teams into tyre saving, and restrict a driver’s chance to engage in too many battles, but is faster overall. The pit loss is in the high range at 24 seconds, and DRS gives an advantage of 0.7secs a lap. It’s also one of the easiest tracks on which to overtake. The soft will run for 15 laps or so, the hard for more than 20, and the pace of the two tyres once used is pretty similar.

Image source, Getty Images

It was an agonising Saturday for rookie Logan Sargeant.

The American driver missed out on making it into Q2 on his debut qualifying session for Williams despite clocking the exact same time as McLaren's Lando Norris.

Both drivers recorded a time of 1:31.652 but as 15th-placed Norris crossed the line first, Sargeant had to say his goodbyes in Q1.

"Tough to miss out on Q2 by literally nothing… but all in all very positive for the team!" Sargeant tweeted.

The 22-year-old added: "Car is in a great window and looking forward to launching off an F1 grid for the first time.

James: Can’t believe it’s F1 time again. Hopefully this season is better than last season! We need three of four teams fighting for wins, then things get interesting. Certainly don’t want to see one team flying away with it.

Charles Leclerc in his Ferrari was polesitter and race winner at the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2022, while Red Bull haven't scored a victory in Sakhir since Sebastian Vettel took back-to-back wins in 2012 and 2013.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

George Russell ahead of today's race, talking to Sky Sports:

How good is the car going to be at race pace?

"I think where you saw us yesterday is ball-park where we're going to be today. I think naturally Ferrari are always a bit quicker in qualifying than they are in the race, so I think we've probably got a race on our hands with Ferrari.

"Fernando's race pace on Friday was probably quick than Red Bull's so he's either going to be in our fight or he's going to zoom off into the distance but hopefully it's all up for grabs."

How will the car cope in cooling temperatures and with tyre degradation?

"I think it's looking like a pretty clear two-stop and it depends if you want to use the hard or the medium, or if you want to take an extra soft. Bahrain's always a good race, there's a lot of tyre deg, it's a little bit crazy so hopefully we'll have a good race this afternoon.

"It's a shame that fight for P3 isn't for P1 but well be doing our best and keep on improving."

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National anthem time...

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer in Bahrain

Image source, Getty Images

Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff admitted that the Mercedes car lacked aerodynamic performance and the seven-time champion is concerned that will affect his chances of moving forwards in the race because it could lead to high tyre degradation.

"We are lacking overall downforce, particularly at the rear," Hamilton said. "That's why we can't get on the power as early as the Red Bulls and Ferraris on a single lap, and that's why we struggle with [tyre] deg. So it's the same story as you had in previous years. Before last year we had better rear end grip."

Mercedes have stuck this year with their "zero-sidepod" design philosophy, which is unique on the grid, and Wolff said he believed they would have to change tack if they wanted to compete for victories.

"I don't think this package is going to be competitive eventually," Wolff said. "We gave it our best go and now we need to regroup and sit down with the engineers, and be totally not dogmatic - there are no holy cows - and decide what is the development direction we want to pursue in order to be competitive to win races.

"We hit our [development] targets and that showed us that it is simply not good enough. We haven't got enough downforce. We need to find solutions to fix that.

"We got it wrong last year. We thought we could fix it by sticking to this concept of car and it didn't work out. So we just need to switch our focus on to what we believe can be the right direction.

"We got the physics wrong and now we need to correct it because there are another three years of these [technical] regulations."

Image source, Getty Images

You don't win points on a Saturday - unless it's a sprint weekend - and George Russell hopes Mercedes are going to improve on their grid position as the long season progresses.

The 25-year-old tweeted: "P6 in quali is not where we want to be, but we know we can build from there. Tomorrow is when it counts and we’re in the mix for a good battle."

Russell's first dog fight of the new campaign will be trying to pass the experienced head of the grid, Fernando Alonso.

Glenn: 1. Verstappen 2. Perez 3. Leclerc

Matthew: A new season is upon us! Can't wait! I predict Aston Martin on podium but with a great fight between the old and new, Alonso and Verstappen

Andrew: Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton about to go wheel-to-wheel racing in two very evenly matched cars. Is this 2023 or 2007?

Rosanna Tennant
5 Live F1 reporter

Lewis Hamilton didn't seem confident (in the car), I think they're going to be little bit in no-man's land today. I don't think they're going to be able to make the passes on Red Bulls or the Ferraris. I'd like to see a battle between George, Lewis and Fernando in the Aston Martin.

Mercedes have made a step on since Friday night but I'm not sure about their race pace is good enough.

Lewis Hamilton talking to Sky Sports: "I'm just really excited, I'm happy to be here.

"I'm grateful for another year and the opportunity to work with the team. I love racing on this track, its a good opener.

"I'm just hoping we can stay in some sort of fight today. Fernando and the Ferraris. The Red Bulls will be long gone so hopefully the race between the three teams behind will be good."

Image source, Getty Images

Pole number 104 is still on the wait list for Lewis Hamilton following another qualifying session outside the quickest runners.

The seven-time world champion was out-qualified by his Mercedes team-mate George Russell by 0.044secs and will have to contend with six other cars in front of him in Bahrain today.

Hamilton's frustrating day didn't him stop him from congratulating old McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso though.

"I am genuinely happy for Aston. It's amazing to see their progress, the steps that they've taken," said the 38-year-old.

"I'm really happy for Fernando because he's been here way longer than me and it's good to have him back in the mix. Hopefully we'll get some good races."

Hamilton started two places higher at last year's Bahrain Grand Prix and after Red Bull suffered a double DNF to Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, crossed the line in third to take his place on the podium.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, Getty Images

Fernando Alonso, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, on qualifying fifth on the grid for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix with new team Aston Martin: "It felt very good, I am very happy with the car from day one. It is easy to drive, easy to understand what the car is requiring from the driver.

"This is just a starting point. This team is very motivated. The project looks amazing, with all the talented people we now have in the team. So I think it will just get better and better. We have a good platform to work on but I think there is a lot more to come from us."

On chances of a podium: "Let's see. With conditions there will be high tyre degradation. I think we have a good car in that regard so we could have a chance, but to be honest I think that is dreaming too big. If we can secure this position and see the chequered flag in the top five that has to be a celebration for us.

"Let's keep the feet on the ground, execute the race with no mistakes and we will see."

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer in Bahrain

The weekend has been dominated by talk of Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin.

The veteran double world champion, who moved this year to the team who finished seventh in 2022, has been quick throughout practice and many thought he might be in the fight for pole.

In the end, that was a step too far, and Alonso ended up just over 0.5secs off Verstappen's pace, having done just one run on new tyres in the final session rather than Red Bull's two.

But that marks a huge step forward for the team compared to last year and more than justifies Alonso's decision to leave Alpine.

Alonso, whose race pace looks strong and will fancy his chances of at least beating the Ferraris in the grand prix, was also ahead of both Mercedes, who supply Aston Martin their engines and did two runs in Q3.

Jolyon Palmer
Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

It is 2012 since we had four teams that were genuinely reasonable. McLaren have since subsided into the midfield and are towards the back now, but Aston Martin have got back there and it is great that they are there.

That is why I think the whole sport is pleased that Aston Martin, with Fernando Alonso, are very competitive again.

But within the team they won't want to just be fighting with these guys. They are still dreaming of winning races and maybe this year they have got a car to do it.

So they are not happy with fifth - they want to finish on the podium today.

Now is the time to get your predictions for the Bahrain Grand Prix out into the open so we can either agree or disagree.

We'll be gentle, I promise.

Is Max Verstappen on for a first win of the season?

Can Fernando Alonso move up the order?

Will any team principal be tearing their hair out by the end of the race?

Use the hashtag #bbcf1 on Twitter to let us know your thoughts.

Image source, Fernando Alonso Instagram

Aston Martin's new car has certainly given Fernando Alonso the good vibrations heading into the 23-race season.

"Wow….this car..." the two-time world champion wrote on Instagram. "3 weeks ago we presented the AMR23, and tomorrow we will start the first race of 2023 on the top5. Thank you team!"

Alonso signed off with: "More to come!"

Oooooh.

Image source, Getty Images

Could Fernando Alonso secure his first pole position since the German Grand Prix in 2012 and give fans a surprising Saturday headline on the opening weekend of the 2023 season?

Unfortunately, no.

But the 41-year-old has set his Aston Martin as the filler in a Ferrari-Mercedes baguette in Bahrain, ready to get his elbows out in fifth place on the grid.

Alonso started last year's opener in Sakhir in P8 for his old team Alpine and crossed the line after 57 laps in ninth position.

Jolyon Palmer
Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, Getty Images

[New Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur] is a no-nonsense kind of a guy. He wants performance and is not afraid to tell you how it is and I like it. I think that is how you have got to work in Formula 1. You have got to get to the root of the issues, which Ferrari had plenty of last season.

It is going to be difficult for him in the first race, he has not had time to put his stamp on anything just yet, but I think the drivers respect him immediately.

They start third and fourth [on the grid]. If they can finish there I think that will be a good return for them at the moment, although, of course, they will be hoping for a little bit more.

Charles Leclerc, particularly, is pretty quick. He has raced for Vasseur before in the Junior Formula. They have a good bond. A good start would just help the team and help Fred to settle down.

Image source, Getty Images

The second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz will be on his team-mate Charles Leclerc's tail from the off as the Spaniard lines up P4 on the grid.

On the flip side, Sainz has to contend with his countryman Fernando Alonso breathing down his rear wing in fifth spot.

Sainz tweeted on Saturday that the Scuderia had "taken a step forward" in qualifying after a disappointing showing on Friday.

He added: "We’ve reacted well after a difficult day yesterday and the feeling overall was better. Tomorrow, we’ll fight until the last lap and try to bring home a good result. Let’s go racing!"