Formula 1 Season 2022 - Start of New Era

[genius83]

Yes, everything will be shared publicly as they are only not allowing fans at the circuit media personnel are their for coverage. Only TV coverage is not allowed, so its more or less live-blog coverage like the Autosport Live Blog

[genius83]

Norris fastest as Ferrari complete most laps on first day of testing
McLaren’s Lando Norris was the quickest driver in the first day of pre-season testing in Barcelona, while Ferrari covered the most laps with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jnr.

Barcelona Pre Season Testing
Day 1
Afternoon Session
Pos  Car# Driver           Team         Model  Best time Gap    Laps
 1     4  Lando Norris     McLaren      MCL36  1:19.568s  -      103
 2    16  Charles Leclerc  Ferrari      F1-75  1:20.165s 0.597s   80
 3    55  Carlos Sainz Jnr Ferrari      F1-75  1:20.416s 0.848s   73
 4    63  George Russell   Mercedes     W13    1:20.784s 1.216s   77
 5    44  Lewis Hamilton   Mercedes     W13    1:20.929s 1.361s   50
 6     5  Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin AMR22  1:21.276s 1.708s   52
 7    22  Yuki Tsunoda     AlphaTauri   AT03   1:21.638s 2.070s  121
 8    14  Fernando Alonso  Alpine       A522   1:21.746s 2.178s  127
 9     1  Max Verstappen   Red Bull     RB18   1:22.246s 2.678s  147
10    77  Valtteri Bottas  Alfa Romeo   C42    1:22.572s 3.004s   23
11    23  Alexander Albon  Williams     FW44   1:22.760s 3.192s   66
12    47  Mick Schumacher  Haas         VF-22  1:22.962s 3.394s   23
13    18  Lance Stroll     Aston Martin AMR22  1:23.327s 3.759s   67
14     6  Nicholas Latifi  Williams     FW44   1:23.379s 3.811s   66
15     9  Nikita Mazepin   Haas         VF-22  1:24.456s 4.888s   20
16    88  Robert Kubica    Alfa Romeo   C42    1:25.909s 6.341s    9

Ferrari could be “several months ahead” with their 2022 car – Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton expects Ferrari has seized an opportunity to make more progress early on with the development of their new car for 2022 than Mercedes did.

Mazepin confident Russian GP will go ahead despite sanctions
Nikita Mazepin expects the Russian Grand Prix will go ahead this year despite the escalating diplomatic crisis over Ukraine.

No ‘intended bias’ from F1 stewards but clearer rules needed, says Horner
Christian Horner disagrees with Lewis Hamilton’s suggestion some of Formula 1’s stewards show bias towards certain drivers when it comes to penalty decisions, but agrees F1’s rules must be made clearer.

[genius83]

Floor damage a problem for all teams says Schumacher after just 23 laps for Haas
Mick Schumacher believes that all F1 teams will have to deal with potential floor damage issues with 2022’s ground effect cars this season.

Andretti must show his team would add value to F1, current bosses say
Formula 1 team bosses have said Michael Andretti should only be allowed to join the series as a new entrant if he can show it would add value to the championship.

Norris expects rivals can go “much quicker” after heading times at start of test
Lando Norris says he “learnt a lot” about the MCL36 after topping the first day of testing, but downplayed McLaren’s pace compared to their rivals.

F1 “monitoring the situation” as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine casts doubt on Sochi race
Formula 1 says it is monitoring any potential impact on the Russian Grand Prix following the country’s invasion of its neighbour Ukraine.

Hamilton backs F1’s decision to end We Race As One grid moment
Lewis Hamilton has backed Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali’s decision to end the series’ pre-race We Race As One grid moments.

Ricciardo keeps McLaren on top as Perez stops on track
Daniel Ricciardo set the quickest time in the morning session on the second day of pre-season testing at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.

Barcelona Pre Season Testing
Day 2
Morning Session
Pos  Car# Driver           Team         Model  Best time Gap    Laps
 1     3  Daniel Ricciardo McLaren      MCL36  1:20.355s  -      64
 2    55  Carlos Sainz Jnr Ferrari      F1-75  1:20.546s 0.191s  71
 3    10  Pierre Gasly     AlphaTauri   AT03   1:20.764s 0.409s  60
 4    23  Alexander Albon  Williams     FW44   1:21.531s 1.176s  47
 5    18  Lance Stroll     Aston Martin AMR22  1:21.920s 1.565s  55
 6    47  Mick Schumacher  Haas         VF-22  1:21.949s 1.594s  65
 7    77  Valtteri Bottas  Alfa Romeo   C42    1:22.288s 1.933s  21
 8    11  Sergio Perez     Red Bull     RB18   1:22.412s 2.057s  38
 9    44  Lewis Hamilton   Mercedes     W13    1:22.562s 2.207s  40
10    31  Esteban Ocon     Alpine       A522   1:23.280s 2.925s  66

Vettel will boycott Russian GP: “It’s wrong to race in that country”
Sebastian Vettel has challenged Formula 1 bosses not to go ahead with this year’s Russian Grand Prix, saying he will not take part in the race following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ousted F1 race director Masi was “thrown under the bus”, says Verstappen
Max Verstappen has spoken out against the FIA’s decision to remove Michael Masi as Formula 1 race director, saying he was “thrown under the bus” by the FIA.

F1 teams will meet tonight to discuss future of Russian GP after Ukraine invasion
Formula 1 teams will meet this evening to discuss whether the Russian Grand Prix should go ahead in September following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

[genius83]

Leclerc quickest as Red Bull and Haas cause stoppages on day two
Charles Leclerc set the fastest time of the second day of pre-season testing in Barcelona as Ferrari again recorded the most laps of any team.

Barcelona Pre Season Testing
Day 2
Afternoon Session
Pos  Car# Driver           Team         Model  Best time Gap    Laps
 1    16  Charles Leclerc  Ferrari      F1-75  1:19.689s  -       79
 2    10  Pierre Gasly     AlphaTauri   AT03   1:19.918s 0.229s  147
 3     3  Daniel Ricciardo McLaren      MCL36  1:20.288s 0.599s  126
 4    63  George Russell   Mercedes     W13    1:20.537s 0.848s   66
 5    55  Carlos Sainz Jnr Ferrari      F1-75  1:20.546s 0.857s   71
 6     5  Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin AMR22  1:20.784s 1.095s   74
 7    11  Sergio Perez     Red Bull     RB18   1:21.430s 1.741s   78
 8     9  Nikita Mazepin   Haas         VF-22  1:21.512s 1.823s   42
 9    23  Alexander Albon  Williams     FW44   1:21.531s 1.842s   47
10    24  Guanyu Zhou      Alfa Romeo   C42    1:21.885s 2.196s   71
11     6  Nicholas Latifi  Williams     FW44   1:21.894s 2.205s   61
12    18  Lance Stroll     Aston Martin AMR22  1:21.920s 2.231s   55
13    47  Mick Schumacher  Haas         VF-22  1:21.949s 2.260s   66
14    31  Esteban Ocon     Alpine       A522   1:22.164s 2.475s  125
15    77  Valtteri Bottas  Alfa Romeo   C42    1:22.288s 2.599s   21
16    44  Lewis Hamilton   Mercedes     W13    1:22.562s 2.873s   40

Following other cars has become easier with new rules, Verstappen and Albon agree
Formula 1’s attempt to make overtaking easier with its new rules for 2022 is showing early signs of success, according to two drivers.

First team to solve ‘porpoising’ problems will have early advantage – Binotto
Formula 1 teams underestimated the difficulties they would encounter with their new cars ‘porpoising’, Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has said.

[genius83]

Ferrari and McLaren look “very competitive”, warns Russell
George Russell believes Ferrari and McLaren look stronger than his Mercedes team after the first two days of testing for the 2022 Formula 1 season.

Haas to remove Russian colours and Uralkali branding from car
The Haas Formula 1 team has confirmed it will remove the colours of the Russian flag and sponsorship branding from its car on the final day of running at the Circuit de Catalunya tomorrow.

Ricciardo “expected worse” from handling of F1’s radical new cars
Daniel Ricciardo says he expected to struggle more with the handling of the new-look 2022 F1 cars than he did during his first day of testing.

First pictures:
Haas reveal plain livery after removing Russian flag colours
Haas’s car has appeared in a revised livery after the team removed their Uralkali sponsorship logos and Russian flag colour scheme.

VF22 Blank Livery

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Australian Prime Minister calls for F1 to cancel Russian Grand Prix
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called for Formula 1 to cancel this year’s Russian Grand Prix in wake of the Russian military invasion of Ukraine.

Alpine end test early after hydraulic problem stops Alonso
Alpine have ended their participation in the first pre-season test with half a day still to run after a technical problem stopped Fernando Alonso’s car on Friday morning.

Russell sets new benchmark on softs after five red flags on Friday morning
George Russell finished a disrupted final morning session of testing quickest for Mercedes, while a fire ended Alpine’s running after 12 laps.

Barcelona Pre Season Testing
Day 3
Morning Session
Pos  Car# Driver           Team         Model  Best time Gap    Laps
 1    63  George Russell   Mercedes     W13    1:19.233s  -      66
 2     1  Max Verstappen   Red Bull     RB18   1:19.756s 0.523s  59
 3     5  Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin AMR22  1:19.824s 0.591s  48
 4    16  Charles Leclerc  Ferrari      F1-75  1:19.831s 0.598s  44
 5     6  Nicholas Latifi  Williams     FW44   1:20.699s 1.466s   5
 6     4  Lando Norris     McLaren      MCL36  1:20.827s 1.594s  52
 7    14  Fernando Alonso  Alpine       A522   1:21.242s 2.009s  12
 8    24  Guanyu Zhou      Alfa Romeo   C42    1:21.939s 2.706s  41
 9    10  Pierre Gasly     AlphaTauri   AT03   1:22.469s 3.236s  40
10    23  Alexander Albon  Williams     FW44   1:22.652s 3.419s  21
11     9  Nikita Mazepin   Haas         VF-22  1:26.229s 6.996s   9

Mazepin may lose Haas drive as team will consider future of Uralkali deal next week
Nikita Mazepin may lose his drive at Haas as the team revealed it will make a decision on the future of its Uralkali sponsorship next week.

Formula 1 confirms it will not race in Russia this year
This year’s Russian Grand Prix will not go ahead, Formula 1 has confirmed.

[genius83]

Gasly urges support for Ukraine as drivers praise decision to cancel Russian GP
Pierre Gasly made an impassioned plea for countries to support Ukraine and praised Formula 1’s decision not to race in Russia following the country’s invasion of its neighbour.

Sainz dismisses suggestions Ferrari hold the upper hand
Carlos Sainz Jnr has played down suggestions that Ferrari are one of the strongest teams based on their performance through the opening test in Barcelona.

F1 reports £68m profit in 2021 as revenue recovers
Formula 1 reported annual revenue of $2.136 billion (£1.6bn) in 2021 after increasing the number of races on its calendar to 22.

F1 expects “no problem at all” replacing Russian GP – Domenicali
Formula 1 will be able to arrange a replacement for its cancelled Russian Grand Prix with little difficulty, the series’ CEO Stefano Domenicali has said.

Pietro Fittipaldi will have “first call” on Mazepin’s seat – Steiner
Pietro Fittipaldi is first in line to replace Nikita Mazepin if he is unable to continue driving for Haas.

[genius83]

Hamilton and Russell lead Mercedes one-two as first test concludes
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell put Mercedes on top of the timesheets at the end of the final day of the first pre-season test for the 2022 F1 season.

Barcelona Pre Season Testing
Day 3
Afternoon Session
Pos  Car# Driver           Team         Model  Best time Gap     Laps
 1    44  Lewis Hamilton   Mercedes     W13    1:19.138s  -       94
 2    63  George Russell   Mercedes     W13    1:19.233s  0.095s  66
 3    11  Sergio Perez     Red Bull     RB18   1:19.556s  0.418s  74
 4     1  Max Verstappen   Red Bull     RB18   1:19.756s  0.618s  59
 5     5  Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin AMR22  1:19.824s  0.686s  48
 6    16  Charles Leclerc  Ferrari      F1-75  1:19.831s  0.693s  44
 7    55  Carlos Sainz Jnr Ferrari      F1-75  1:20.072s  0.934s  92
 8     6  Nicholas Latifi  Williams     FW44   1:20.699s  1.561s  94
 9     3  Daniel Ricciardo McLaren      MCL36  1:20.790s  1.652s  13
10     4  Lando Norris     McLaren      MCL36  1:20.827s  1.689s  86
11    14  Fernando Alonso  Alpine       A522   1:21.242s  2.104s  52
12    24  Guanyu Zhou      Alfa Romeo   C42    1:21.939s  2.801s  12
13    10  Pierre Gasly     AlphaTauri   AT03   1:22.469s  3.331s  41
14    23  Alexander Albon  Williams     FW44   1:22.652s  3.514s  40
15     9  Nikita Mazepin   Haas         VF-22  1:26.229s  7.091s   9
16    77  Valtteri Bottas  Alfa Romeo   C42    1:30.433s 11.295s  10
17    18  Lance Stroll     Aston Martin AMR22   -        -         0
18    47  Mick Schumacher  Haas         VF-22   -        -         0
19    31  Esteban Ocon     Alpine       A522    -        -         0
20    22  Yuki Tsunoda     AlphaTauri   AT03    -        -         0

[genius83]

Hamilton says Mercedes have “obstacles to overcome” despite fastest time
Lewis Hamilton said he is drawing no conclusions over the performance of Mercedes or their rivals at the end of the first rest for the 2022 Formula 1 season.

Andretti ‘has deal to use Renault power units and plans UK base’ for F1 team
Mario Andretti says his son is “all in and ready to go” with his F1 team plans and already has a deal in place for a supply of power units.

Tost “really impressed” with Tsunoda’s return to action
AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost says he has been impressed by Yuki Tsunoda over the course of the opening pre-season test.

Porpoising could become safety concern if solution not found – Russell
Grand Prix Drivers Association director George Russell says the problem of ‘porpoising’ in the new 2022 F1 cars has the potential to become a safety concern.

F1 drivers express support for Ukraine after Russian invasion
Many of Formula 1’s drivers have expressed their sadness at the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian military and urged solidarity with the nation’s people.

[genius83]

First pictures:
Alfa Romeo reveals its new livery for 2022
Alfa Romeo has officially revealed the C42, its new car for the 2022 Formula 1 season, in its definitive livery.

C42

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New rules have made DRS more powerful which will aid overtaking – Bottas
Formula 1’s new technical rules have increased the power of the Drag Reduction System, says Valtteri Bottas, who expects it will make overtaking easier.

Bottas is ‘realistic but secretly aiming very high’ at Alfa Romeo
Valtteri Bottas says he is focusing on being “the best version of myself” and not “trying too hard” after moving from Mercedes to Alfa Romeo.

[genius83]

Haas prepared to withstand loss of Uralkali income – Steiner
Haas can withstand the loss of income if its ties with title sponsor Uralkali are severed, according to team principal Guenther Steiner.

Bottas doesn’t share Russell’s safety concerns over ‘porpoising’
Alfa Romeo driver Valtteri Bottas doesn’t believe the ‘porpoising’ phenomenon F1 teams experienced during last week’s test is a potential safety risk, despite concerns expressed by others.

F1 hints at future changes to ‘Drive to Survive’ as season four trailer appears
Netflix has released the first trailer for season four of its fly-on-the-wall Formula 1 documentary Drive to Survive.

Jeddah defines track changes in response to drivers’ safety concerns
Organisers of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix have confirmed the Jeddah Corniche Circuit is being modified to address safety concerns raised by drivers ahead of next month’s race.

FIA urged to block Russian competitors from races over Ukraine invasion
Ukraine’s FIA-affiliated motor club has urged the governing body of world motorsport to block Russian competitors from events following the outbreak of war between the two countries last week.

[genius83]

First pictures:
Bottas, Zhou and Kubica on-track in Alfa Romeo’s race-liveried C42
Alfa Romeo’s drivers had their first chance to drive the team’s new C42 in its definitive livery at the Circuit de Catalunya yesterday.

Valtterri Bottas in C42

Robert Kubica in C42

Guanyu Zhou

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“It’s definitely easier” – drivers describe how new cars can run closer than ever
When Formula 1’s managing director of motorsport, Ross Brawn, first revealed the early concepts for what would ultimately become the technical regulations revolution for the 2022 season, there was one core aim underpinning everything: improving the racing.

FIA calls extraordinary meeting to discuss response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
The FIA will hold an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council tomorrow to discuss the ramifications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for its competitions.

“Unfair” to bar Russian competitors from sports over war in Ukraine – Kvyat
Russian competitors should not be barred from motor racing over the country’s war with Ukraine, former Formula 1 driver Daniil Kvyat has said.

[genius83]

FIA puts restrictions on Russian competitors but stops short of barring drivers
The FIA has confirmed Russian drivers are allowed to continue competing in international motorsport events following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

F1 teams convinced by potential of cryptocurrencies despite concerns
Formula 1 team bosses have justified their sponsorship deals with cryptocurrency brands amid concerns over their stability and impact on the environment.

Russian drivers banned from competing in Britain by Motorsport UK
Motorsport UK, the FIA-recognised governing body of British motorsport, has announced Russian licence holders are forbidden from competing in events in the UK.

Verstappen tipped for lucrative new Red Bull F1 deal
Max Verstappen has agreed a lucrative new deal to continue racing for Red Bull in Formula 1, according to media reports in the Netherlands.

[genius83]

Formula 1 terminates Russian Grand Prix contract
Formula 1 will no longer race in Russia after Formula One Management (FOM) terminated its contract with the race’s promoters.

Uralkali warned Haas it would pull sponsorship in row over Mazepin’s car in 2021
Haas’s title sponsor Uralkali threatened to pull its backing from the team during the 2021 Formula 1 season in an internal row over Nikita Mazepin’s car.

Verstappen signs new deal to stay at Red Bull until 2028
World champion Max Verstappen will remain a Red Bull driver until at least the end of the 2028 F1 season after signing a major contract extension.

[genius83]

FIA bans Russian competitors from expressing support for invasion of Ukraine
The FIA has published new details of the commitment which Russian and Belarusian competitors must uphold in order to participate in events as neutrals.

Why Aston Martin’s new boss sees a “blatant” similarity to his previous F1 team
Aston Martin’s new team principal Mike Krack is returning to Formula 1 with the benefit of the years of motorsport experience he gained in the interim – plus an important lesson he learned during his last stint.

[zia1288]

Mazepin's contract has been terminated.

[genius83]

Mazepin loses Haas seat as Uralkali partnership confirmed terminated
Nikita Mazepin has lost his race seat at Haas and with it his place on the Formula 1 grid for 2022, the team have confirmed.

Mazepin: Haas “ignored” my pleas to continue racing
Nikita Mazepin says that he was prepared to follow the conditions imposed by the FIA on Russian license holders to continue racing in F1.

[saad2006]

any guesses about his replacement?

[pwuser15614554154]

Andretti fittipaldi

[genius83]

Pietro Fittipaldi who is Haas F1's reserve driver will be driving the first few races. Other choices are Alpine's reserve and current F2 champion Piastri but it needs serious discussion between all the parties involved. Hulkenberg again serious talks with Aston Martin. May be some other pay driver who could bring enough sponsorship.

[zia1288]

A pay driver. Haas needs sponsors.