During free practice 2, the only session of the weekend representative of qualifying and the race because it ran at nightfall, the 41-year-old double world champion in the category beat another double by 169/1000 champion, defending champion Max Verstappen and his Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez.

The Spaniard, new to Aston Martin, seems to confirm his team's good form on track this season.

The veteran had already made a strong impression during pre-season testing last week, here on the Sakhir track, regularly placing his single-seater at the height of the best.

But for the time being there is no question for Alonso to get carried away when we already imagine the Aston Martins titillating the top of the hierarchy: "let's wait and see, there are a lot of things that we want to do or change, we have to take our time ".

Last year, the team finished 7th (out of 10) in the constructors' championship.

Earlier in the afternoon, in the heat and in front of sparse stands, "Nando" had set the second fastest time in the first tests of the weekend, behind Pérez.

His teammate in the British team Lance Stroll is 6th on Friday evening.

Until Thursday, the Canadian was unsure of being able to participate in the GP due to a broken wrist at the end of February.

Mercedes "far off the mark"

Considered one of Verstappen's main opponents in 2023, reigning vice-world champion Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) takes 4th time, far ahead of his teammate Carlos Sainz, only 14th.

Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes during the second free practice session on the Sakhir circuit, March 3, 2023 © Giuseppe CACACE / AFP

If, for Leclerc, "the sensations are better than during the pre-season tests", for Sainz, it's the opposite: "the car does not respond exactly as I expected, or as it did during practice I struggle with the balance," explained the Spaniard.

Between the two drivers of the Scuderia, the Mercedes of the British Lewis Hamilton, 8th and George Russell, 13th.

During pre-season testing, the Silver Arrows showed that they had gotten rid of porpoising linked to the new 2022 rules, a good point because this aerodynamic phenomenon causing cars to bounce has given the season a hard time. last to its pilots.

But for the time being, the performance is not there on the side of the German team: "We have discovered that we are far from the mark", admitted Hamilton on Friday.

"We knew that a bit from testing last week, but the gap is significant."

The French "satisfied"

As for the French team Alpine, its Norman pilots Pierre Gasly, new to the team, and Esteban Ocon finished the day with the 7th and 11th times, "satisfied" with the performance of the all-pink A523 this weekend, the color of its title sponsor BWT.

"Things are going in the right direction, we will discuss at length this evening how to prepare ourselves to have a good qualification for this first of the season", assured Ocon.

French driver Pierre Gasly at the wheel of Alpine during free practice for the Bahrain GP on the Sakhir circuit, March 3, 2023 © Giuseppe CACACE / AFP

The grid welcomes three novices this season all outside the Top 10 on Friday evening: the Australian Oscar Piastri (McLaren) takes the 15th time, ahead of the Dutchman Nyck de Vries (LAphaTauri), 19th and the American Logan Sargeant, 20th and last driving his Williams.

Earlier today Hamilton was medically cleared to drive with nose piercings on race weekends, despite the current ban.

This decision, which comes after months of arm wrestling between the driver and the International Automobile Federation.

Hamilton, 38, explained last September, on the sidelines of the Singapore GP, to wear his jewel on the advice of doctors after suffering from an infection when he removed it.

© 2023 AFP