MUST-SEE: The 2023 cars hit the track for pre-season testing in Bahrain

Testing for the 2023 Formula 1 season got under way on Thursday morning at the Bahrain International Circuit, where all 10 teams took to the track with their brand-new machinery.

Mercedes' George Russell was the first driver to emerge from the pits in the morning heat before Carlos Sainz followed in his Ferrari and Max Verstappen in his Red Bull RB19.

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Pre-season testing is the first opportunity to have a proper look at the 2023 breed of cars, which have been designed with new floor regulations in mind, with Red Bull to begin their title defence at this very circuit on March 5.

It wasn't all smooth running at the Bahrain International Circuit, as not 10 minutes had gone by before the red flag was flown for a stoppage: Felipe Drugovich, standing in for the injury side-lined Lance Stroll, rolled to a halt in his Aston Martin, a sub-optimal start for the team in green.

Watch the 2023 cars on track in the video player above.