What we learned on day two of F1 testing in Bahrain

An unexpected face topped the timesheets on day two of the Bahrain pre-season test, his time showing that the 2023 Formula 1 cars are looking faster than their predecessors. Why is this the case, and where does the grid stand with one final day of testing remaining?

The second day of 2023 Formula 1 pre-season testing revealed one thing conclusively at the Bahrain International Circuit: the new machines are already faster than their predecessors, the first cars of the championship’s new ground-effect era.

But it wasn’t a typical big hitter that came away with the leading time on day two of the desert action on Friday – instead the leading lap was completed by Alfa Romeo driver Zhou Guanyu. His 1m31.610s came during a flying effort with just 30 minutes of the day left to run and deposed long-time second-session-leader Max Verstappen.

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Author Alex Kalinauckas

Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.

A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.