It’s lights out and away we go for Formula One in Bahrain as the first Grand Prix of the season takes place.
The Bahrain International Circuit is where this weekend’s action takes place, with the Grand Prix taking place at 3pm UK Time on Sunday.
Lance Stroll has been passed fit and will take part in this weekend’s race, despite his “minor accident” while cycling during a training camp in Spain.
Max Verstappen enters the season as the reigning Champion, hoping to make it title three in a row. The early indications from testing show that Red Bull is the team to beat once again and therefore Verstappen is the favourite to join an elite list of three-time World Champions.
There are some concerns about the progress that McLaren has made, with the team having a difficult test. However, their driver’s pairing of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri brings talent to the grid, which might help limit any challenges that they face.
Free Practice One gets underway at 11:30 am UK time, followed by Free Practice Two starting at 3 pm. Both these sessions take place on Friday.
Saturday’s action gets underway at 11:30 am with Free Practice Three. Then the serious business gets underway when we get to see the class of 2023 going their fastest, during qualifying at 3pm.
As mentioned at the start, the Grand Prix itself will begin at 3 pm on Sunday.
You can follow all the action from this weekend here on The Apex Motorsport website and across our social media channels.
Live TV coverage will be broadcast on Sky Sports F1, with highlights on the free-to-air Channel 4 in the UK.