Ferrari’s strategy gamble and Alonso in podium hunt – What To Watch For in the Bahrain GP

From the top three becoming the top four to a potential repeat of a stunning comeback, and from a remarkably close field spread in qualifying to rookies facing a tough ask on their first starts, we’ve pick out some key areas to keep an eye on when the lights go out at the Bahrain International Circuit…

1. Can Ferrari take the fight to Red Bull?

Red Bull left pre-season testing as the clear favourites for 2023, and a front-row lock-out would back up that prediction. But Ferrari were a threat on similar tyres at a similar time in qualifying, with Charles Leclerc just 0.103s off Max Verstappen on the first runs in Q3.