3 teams desperate for a strong 2023 F1 Bahrain GP

The 2023 F1 season will get off to an anxious start for a few teams with the Bahrain GP. The race has proven time and again to be one that tends to produce a decent spectacle that fans will enjoy more often than not. On the other side of the coin, the spectacle more often than not means there is an element of unpredictability.

For every team, unpredictability is always an unwelcome eventuality. When things are unpredictable, it's harder to prepare for them. However, for some teams, this uncertainty is more nerve-wracking than others. For some teams, the stakes are arguably higher heading into the 2023 F1 Bahrain GP race weekend.

These teams are already at a crucial juncture where a strong result is almost desperation for them. In this feature, we will take a look at 3 teams that are arguably more desperate than the others. So without further ado, let's get straight to it.

Teams desperate for a strong 2023 F1 Bahrain GP

#1 Aston Martin

The kind of hype surrounding Aston Martin this weekend is unparalleled. It's almost a breath of fresh air for the fans as well as seeing a team making a leap from midfield to the frontrunning group. Having said that, there are still question marks over what the team will deliver on track.

There was a famous saying from Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, "The proof is in the pudding". Until Aston Martin can convert this pre-season form in testing into results in races, all of this is meaningless. Some F1 pundits expect Aston Martin to be the third-fastest car on the grid. Others have pointed out how Fernando Alonso's race simulation was probably a tad quicker than Charles Leclerc's.

At best, Aston Martin is rumored to be the second fastest car on the grid, and the worst is the fourth fastest car on the grid. Now, those are all rumors. What needs to be seen is how Aston Martin converts this pre-season form into something meaningful. Heading into the 2023 F1 Bahrain GP, Aston Martin will be secretly desperate for a strong result.

#2 Mercedes

It's hard to explain how the most valuable driver on the F1 grid is still not signed with Mercedes and his contract extension is not done. If the car is too shambolic this season and finds itself in a position from where winning the title would be a distant dream, expect Lewis Hamilton to think long and hard over what he wants to do next.

The driver is not getting any younger and after what was arguably one of the toughest seasons in 2022, he wouldn't be too happy spending another season in a middling car. Mercedes concedes that the car will not win races from the start of the season. The team also believes it's not too far behind and the first upgrade at Baku could help the team catch up.

Regardless of how good the first upgrade is, it all comes down to how the car looks in the first race of the season. If Mercedes is not within shooting range of Red Bull at the front, then any upgrade package won't solve the issues. At the 2023 F1 Bahrain GP, Mercedes is desperate for a strong result to demonstrate they are still in the title battle.

#3 Alpine

There's been a unanimous verdict around Alpine during the pre-season and as it arrives for the 2023 F1 Bahrain GP. The car does not look as good on the track. It bounces a lot and seems to be a bit of a handful for the drivers. Having said that, the car also looks quick on the timesheets. Unlike every team that did a performance run prior to the 2023 F1 Bahrain GP, Alpine did not attempt one.

The team opted not to do any low-fuel running either and that left the team in a no-man's land when it comes to determining where the team will find itself on the grid at the Bahrain GP. While there is certainly an expectation that Alpine will be the 5th fastest car this weekend, it's hard not to think that there will be a level of disappointment within the team.

Aston Martin appears to have jumped Alpine and that should hurt. What would hurt even more is if the team slips further into the pecking order. McLaren has already messed up this season. For Alpine, the 2023 F1 Bahrain GP is the venue for validation for the team. Validation of the fact that the team is not in trouble and will pick up from where it left off last season.