Schedule for this weekend's Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix and how to watch it

The 2023 Formula 1 season is here, and the action gets under way with the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sakhir this weekend.

The Sakhir circuit was also the scene for the sole pre-season test, with the sport's head honchos deciding on just one three-day test, omitting the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain, which is a regular test venue.

Still, the three days last week provided ample data to work with and also showed that some teams may have improved their cars greatly heading into this weekend's race.

Those wanting to keep an eye on the action can do so in several ways. If by television, DStv is the official F1 broadcaster in South Africa, showing the action on channel 215. For a complete list of global broadcasters, click here.

Another way of doing it is through F1 TV Pro. This can be accessed via the F1 website or the sport's official app. All the sessions will be live-streamed, as well as other content-enhancing inserts.

FridayPractice 1: 13:30 - 14:30Practice 2: 17:00 - 18:00

SaturdayPractice 3: 13:30 - 14:30Qualifying: 17:00 - 18:00

SundayRace: 17:00

The quickest drivers

Though one should take the times drivers posted in pre-season testing with a grain of salt, it still left fans with much to digest ahead of the year's first race weekend.

Sergio Perez posted the fastest time on Day 3 (1:30.305) while his Red Bull teammate, Max Verstappen, did 1:31.650 on Day 2. Teams often test different aspects of their cars, which is why Verstappen did not go all out during his runs.

At Ferrari, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr posted the fourth and fifth fastest times and were only separated by 0.012 seconds. Their times may not be close to the top, but the car looked composed and balanced in all conditions. It remains to be seen if they closed