#F1 2022 Bahrain Pre-Season Test Day 1: @PierreGASLY tops time-sheets.
Gasly tops time-sheets – Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly was the quickest on day one of Formula 1’s official 2022 pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit, ahead of Ferrari pairing Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.
Leclerc was fastest in the morning session, but ended up third in the order after conditions cooled and grip improved after the sun set. Gasly took advantage to post the best time of the day with a 1:33.902, clocking up a huge 102 laps – as Sainz moved up to second late on in-front of his Ferrari team-mate Leclerc. Both Ferrari drivers completed a combined 116 laps of mileage together.
Although Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll brought out the first red flag of the day after his AMR22 racer dropped it’s aero rakes, he took fourth on the classifications with his afternoon hot-lap – finishing in-front of Williams Racing’s Alexander Albon who rounded out the top five.
Stroll and Alpine F1 Team’s Fernando Alonso (who was 12th) enjoyed an on-track battle with 25 minutes left on the clock, with the wheel-to-wheel fight a hopeful sign of things to come ahead of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
McLaren’s anonymous running was improved by a late flyer from Lando Norris, who posted a 1:35.356 to achieve the sixth quickest time and 49 laps in mileage.
Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN’s Valtteri Bottas ended the day seventh and ran 66 tours of the Bahrain International Circuit, with his team-mate Zhou Guanyu (14th) who’s morning was briefly interrupted by a stoppage in the pit-lane.
Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel wound up eighth in the order setting 39 laps in the morning session, in-front of Mercedes’ George Russell who was in ninth. The Silver Arrow’s new addition piloted the new-radically designed W13 in the afternoon racking up 59 laps – whilst his team-mate Lewis Hamilton ran in the morning, finishing 11th overall on the time-sheets and completed 62 laps of mileage.
Between the Mercedes pairing was Red Bull Racing’s Sergio Perez, who ended the day tenth quickest, with the Mexican bringing out the day’s second red-flag having spun his RB18 racer and beaching it in the turn eight gravel trap eight minutes before the session’s end. Perez ran the most mileage of any other driver with 137 laps of the Bahrain International Circuit.
Alpine F1 Team’s Alonso and Esteban Ocon followed in 12th and 13th respectively, with the former encountering a small issue in his afternoon run, but completed 24 laps, whilst the latter in the morning ran 42 laps.
With the aforementioned Zhou 14th, Haas F1 Team’s reserve Pietro Fittipaldi brought up the rear – having missed the morning duties due to the team’s logistical issue.
McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo returns to the wheel of the MCL36 today, due to missing out yesterday’s sessions because of an illness. The Australian along with, World Champion Max Verstappen, Williams Racing’s Nicholas Latifi, AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda, F1 returnee for Haas Kevin Magnussen and his team-mate Mick Schumacher, all are yet to drive a lap of the Bahrain International Circuit in testing.
Bahrain Formula 1 2022 Pre-Season Test, Day One Classification
F1 Quick-Fire News of the Month
- Maiden Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen extended his contract with Oracle Red Bull Racing until 2028. Speaking on the long-term deal, the Dutchman explained: “I really enjoy being part of the Oracle Red Bull Racing Team, so choosing to stay to the 2028 season was an easy decision. I love this Team and last year was simply incredible, our goal since we came together in 2016 was to win the championship and we have done that, so now it’s about keeping the number one on the car long-term.” Verstappen concluded. Credit to Red Bull for the quote.
- Haas F1 Team signed former driver Kevin Magnussen as replacement for the recently terminated Nikita Mazepin on a multi-year deal to pilot alongside Mick Schumacher. The Dane has raced in 119 Grands Prix – with a podium finish on his debut for McLaren at the season-opening 2014 Australian Grand Prix and previously raced for the Kannapolis-Banbury squad from 2017-20 after his previous stints with McLaren and Renault. Magnussen scored a career-high ninth place in the Driver’s Championship in 2018 for Haas – including a pair of fifth-placed finished in Austria and Bahrain. Magnussen competed in the IMSA SportsCar Championship last season for Chip Ganassi Racing, achieving four more podiums in his maiden campaign in the United States. Also a race debut at the 24 Heures Du Mans in the LMP2 category alongside father Jan Magnussen and a one-off IndyCar race for the Arrow-McLaren SP squad at Road America.“I was obviously very surprised but equally very excited to receive the call from Haas F1 Team,” explained Magnussen. “I was looking in a different direction regarding my commitments for 2022 but the opportunity to return to compete in Formula 1, and with a team I know extremely well, was simply too appealing. I really have to say thank you to both Peugeot and Chip Ganassi Racing for releasing me promptly – both are great organizations.” Magnussen concluded. Credit to Haas for the quote.
- Sauber Group, which operates Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN has appointed Alessandro Alunni Bravi as Managing Director. Bravi, who is Sauber’s General Counsel and Board Member since 2017 – now reports to Alfa Romeo F1 Team CEO and Team Principal Frederic Vasseur where he focuses on Communication, Finance, IT, Marketing, Legal and Sales. “I am delighted to step up to this new position,” explained Alunni Bravi. “It’s an honour to take on the challenge of being Managing Director of a company with the successful history that Sauber has. I am also aware of the responsibility that this position brings towards the more than 500 people employed by Sauber, a commitment I will meet with hard work, passion and dedication. I’d like to thank Frederic Vasseur and the Sauber Group shareholders, as well as all those who have been by my side these last years, making it possible for me to achieve this next step. There is much work ahead but I’m excited to begin this new adventure.” Bravi concluded. Credit to Sauber Group for the quote.
- The Formula 1 Rolex Grand Prix Made In Italy Emilia-Romagna, at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari International Circuit in Imola, will remain part of the FIA Formula One World Championship calendar until 2025. This followed the two successful events of 2020 and 21 in Imola during the coronavirus plague and the inclusion of the race in this season’s schedule. Imola first hosted the Italian Grand Prix in 1980, before becoming the San Marino Grand Prix from 1981-2006. The famous circuit returned to the calendar as the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in 2020.
- Formula 1 on Thursday March 3 confirmed that they have terminated their contract with the Russian Grand Prix promoter due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and the Ukraine meaning that Russia will no longer host a Grand Prix in 2022 and the future with the sport announcing a fortnight ago that it is impossible to hold a race in current circumstances.
#F1 2022 Pre-Season Test, Day 3: @LewisHamilton quickest in disrupted final day.
#F1 Pre-Season Test, Day 2: @ScuderiaFerrari’s @CharlesLeclerc fastest.
#F1 Pre-Season Test Day 1: @LandoNorris quickest for @McLarenF1.
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