Shutterstock
The 2023 Formula One World Championship kicks off on Sunday, March 5 with the opening round of the season at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain. The race — the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix officially known as the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix — will get underway at 10:00 a.m. ET on ESPN2.
The race will also be streamed live on WatchESPN and ESPN+.
For the first race of the season, reigning champion Max Verstappen will be starting from the pole and entering the race as the favorite to bring home the win, followed by Logan Sargeant for a 1-2 start for Red Bull.
It will be an all-Ferrari second row with last year’s winner, Charles Leclerc, and Carlos Sainz Jr., while Fernando Alonso rounds out the top five to start the race.
The Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain is scheduled for 57 laps around the 3.363-mile track.
Where will your favorite drive begin the race?
The complete 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix starting grid at the Bahrain International Circuit can be seen below.
Bahrain Grand Prix Starting Grid & Lineup
| Cla | Nº | Driver | Car / Engine | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1’29.708 | – |
| 2 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1’29.846 | 0.138 |
| 3 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1’30.000 | 0.292 |
| 4 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Ferrari | 1’30.154 | 0.446 |
| 5 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1’30.336 | 0.628 |
| 6 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1’30.340 | 0.632 |
| 7 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1’30.384 | 0.676 |
| 8 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1’30.836 | 1.128 |
| 9 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine/Renault | 1’30.984 | 1.276 |
| 10 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas/Ferrari | 1’31.055 | 1.347 |
| 11 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren/Mercedes | 1’31.381 | 1.673 |
| 12 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1’31.443 | 1.735 |
| 13 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1’31.473 | 1.765 |
| 14 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT | 1’32.510 | 2.802 |
| 15 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams/Mercedes | – | – |
| 16 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams/Mercedes | 1’31.652 | 1.944 |
| 17 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas/Ferrari | 1’31.892 | 2.184 |
| 18 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren/Mercedes | 1’32.101 | 2.393 |
| 19 | 21 | Nyck de Vries | AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT | 1’32.121 | 2.413 |
| 20 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine/Renault | 1’32.181 | 2.473 |
