F1 news LIVE: Alpine name Zinedine Zidane as ambassador at brand-new car launch with Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon present

Pre-season screening occurs at the Bahrain International Circuit from Thursday 23 February – Saturday 25 February.

Running will happen in between 7am and 4:30pm (GMT) on each of the 3 days. There will be an hour’s break midway through each session for lunch.

Each driver will have one-and-a-half days worth of time in the car.

The initially race of the 2023 season, the Bahrain Grand Prix, occurs at the exact same circuit a week later on, on 3-5 March.

Fernando Alonso has actually voiced his annoyance at the absence of screening time available to drivers ahead of the 2023 Formula 1 season.

The two-time world champ was speaking at the launch of Aston Martinn’s 2023 car at Silverstone on Monday night, with team-mate Lance Stroll likewise present.

Alonso, who signs up with Aston from Alpine following Sebastian Vettel’s retirement, does not have long to acclimatise to his brand-new group, with next week’s 3 day screening window implying the 41-year-old will have simply one day-and-a-half to trial the brand-new car.

The initially race of the 2023 season, the Bahrain Grand Prix, occurs a week later on.

“It is a little bit unfair”, he informed a group of reporters on Monday.

“This is the only sport in the world where you do one-and-a-half days practice and then you’re into a World Championship.”

While Alonso insisted he was keeping his “feet on the ground” this season, he did not eliminate that his supreme objective in his last years in the sport were to declare a 3rd World Championship.

Toto Wolff firmly insists Mercedes will “find the right time” to restore Lewis Hamilton’s agreement as the group’s CEO compared the seven-time world champ to NFL legend Tom Brady.

Hamilton‘s reported £40m-a-year contract with the Silver Arrows expires at the end of the new season, though both parties have expressed their eagerness to extend beyond 2023.

The 38-year-old, who is entering his 11th season with Mercedes, failed to win a race last year – the first winless season of his career – but is optimistic that his team can challenge Red Bull and Ferrari at the front again after a 2022 plagued with issues.

“We’ve done a few of these agreements in the past and they alter little so it’s not typically intricate apart from the apparent terms,” Wolff said.

“We’ve had a first chat but I don’t want to commit to any timeline because it’s not important for him and for us – it runs a full year and we’ll find the right time.

“He appears to me in great form, very positive – maybe the best I’ve seen in those 10 years after the winter.

“He knows what he has with the team, we got it wrong last year. The resources and capability is there, but we just need to continue to develop like last season. I don’t think it plays on Lewis’ mind any doubts that the team will perform. We will… eventually!”

The French group likewise verified that an unique pink livery will be utilized for the very first 3 races of the season in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Australia.

Alpine produced 2 car liveries at their launch in London, as the high-end brand name of Renault want to build on a remarkable fourth-place surface in 2022.

Team manager Otmar Szafnauer included: “The gap to third was big and we’ve got to close that gap.

“We need less DNFs, more points, hopefully some podiums and a lot closer to third than we were in 2022.” We will quickly get to where wish to be, which’s defend world champions.”

Alpine shocked observers at their car launch on Thursday night when they presented France and Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane as an ambassador.

The French group, who have a brand-new driver pairing this season with Pierre Gasly changing Fernando Alonso to partner Esteban Ocon, revealed their A523 car in London last night, consisting of an unique pink livery which will include in the very first 3 races in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Australia.

Yet there was an additional shock to come when the group presented World Cup winner Zidane to the audience in Canada Water and he signs up with as a brand name ambassador and sponsor of its equality opportunities programs.

British Olympic gold medal-winning fighter Nicola Adams was likewise revealed as a coach for the group’s academy drivers.