How to Watch the Bahrain Grand Prix

Pre-season testing is over and it is time to go racing for real. Formula 1 returns to the track this week, as the teams are in Bahrain for the Bahrain Grand Prix, the first race of the 2023 season.

This year is a critical season for the sport. It is the second year under the current aerodynamic regulations, so teams enter 2023 with a much better picture of how the regulations impact the cars on the track. In addition, with the cost-cap findings from a season ago, defending Constructors’ Champions Red Bull enter the year having seen their wind tunnel time reduced by 10% during the off-season.

Beyond those storylines, F1 continues its push into the United States with three races stateside this season, including the highly-anticipated Las Vegas Grand Prix in November.

It all gets underway this week. Here is how to watch, and what to watch for.

How To Watch:

• Practice 1 – Friday March 3 – 6:25 a.m. – ESPN2/ESPN Deportes/WatchESPN
• Practice 2 – Friday March 3 – 9:55 a.m. – ESPN2/ESPN Deportes/WatchESPN
• F1 Show: Bahrain – Friday March 3 – 12:00 p.m. – ESPN3/WatchESPN
• Practice 3 – Saturday March 4 – 6:25 a.m. – ESPN2/ESPN Deportes/WatchESPN
• Qualifying – Saturday March 4 – 9:55 a.m. – ESPN2/ESPN Deportes/WatchESPN
• F1: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook – Saturday March 4 – 11:45 a.m. ESPN3/WatchESPN
• Grand Prix Sunday (Pre-race Show) – Sunday March 5 – 8:30 a.m. – ESPN/ESPN Deportes/WatchESPN
• Grand Prix Race – Sunday March 5 – 9:55 a.m. – ESPN/ESPN Deportes/WatchESPN
• F1: Checkered Flag – Sunday March 5 – 12:00 p.m. – ESPN3/WatchESPN
• ESPN Post-Race Show – Sunday March 5 – 12:00 p.m. – ESPN3/WatchESPN
• F1: Ted’s Race Notebook – Sunday March 5 – 1:00 p.m. – ESPN3/WatchESPN
• Grand Prix Race (Replay) – Sunday March 5 – 10:30 p.m. – ESPNNews/WatchESPN

What to Watch:

Here are some of the major storylines heading into the first race of the season.

• Will Lance Stroll be behind the wheel for Aston Martin after his training injury?
• Is Red Bull as strong as they showed during pre-season testing?
• Is Aston Martin, and their 2023 challenger the AMR23, as strong as they showed last week?
• Has Mercedes solved their aerodynamic issues from 2022?
• Does Ferrari have a problem with tyre degradation?
• How will the three F1 rookies — Logan Sargeant, Nyck de Vries, and Oscar Piastri — fare in their debut campaigns?
• Is there reason for hope over at Haas?
• Will we see a true battle at the top this year in both the Drivers’ Championship, as well as the Constructors’ Championship?

This post was originally published on SBNation