Formula 1 Season 2022 - Start of New Era

[genius83]

Ferrari’s extra wind tunnel runs only worth a tenth of a second per lap – Binotto
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto says the extra development work they were able to do on their 2022 car compared to Mercedes was only worth up to a tenth of a second per lap.

Haas has “several candidates” for Mazepin’s seat but Fittipaldi will test this week
Haas F1 team owner Gene Haas says that there are “several candidates” to fill the vacancy which has arisen in the team’s driver line-up for the 2022 Formula 1 season.

Krack has high expectations from reunion with “very clever” Vettel
New Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack already has a “special link” with driver Sebastian Vettel as they previously worked together at BMW Sauber.

F1 teams urged “very strong position” over Russian Grand Prix – Horner
Formula 1 teams urged the sport to take serious steps in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.

Pirelli chooses hardest tyres for first race and splits selection for Melbourne
Pirelli will bring its hardest combination of tyre compounds for the Bahrain Grand Prix, the first race being run under Formula 1’s new technical rules.

F1 extends deal to race at Imola until 2025
Formula 1 will continue to race at Imola in Italy until at least 2025 after signing a new deal with the race promoters.

Mercedes introduce new F1 safety car and medical car
Mercedes have introduced new safety car and medical car models for the upcoming Formula 1 season.

Safety Car

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Medical Car

[genius83]

Fittipaldi to test for Haas but team will miss start after freight delay
Haas has confirmed it will not be ready to run when Formula 1’s second pre-season test begins tomorrow at Bahrain International Circuit.

Mazepin offering legal aid to Russian athletes barred from competitions
Nikita Mazepin says he will offer legal aid to other athletes who find themselves barred from competitions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Uralkali demands Haas sponsorship refund after Mazepin loses drive
Former Haas sponsor Uralkali has criticised the team for terminating their deal over what it described as political reasons and is demanding the money it paid is refunded.

[genius83]

McLaren evolve their F1 livery ahead of Bahrain test
McLaren has revised the livery of its Formula 1 car ahead of the Bahrain pre-season test, which starts tomorrow.

Mazepin and father hit with EU sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Former Haas Formula 1 driver Nikita Mazepin and his father Dmitry have been sanctioned by the European Union for supporting or benefiting from the Russian state following the country’s invasion of Ukraine two weeks ago.

Haas announce Magnussen as second race driver for 2022
Haas have confirmed that Kevin Magnussen will race for them for the 2022 season in the seat vacated by Nikita Mazepin.

New insights but notable omissions in Drive to Survive’s account of F1’s 2021 finale
This article contains details of the upcoming series of Drive to Survive, which will appear on Netflix on March 11th.

Mercedes’ radical new ‘sidepod-less’ W13 design appears ahead of final test
Mercedes have revealed a radical new development on their W13 ahead of the second pre-season test in Bahrain.

Teams’ driver line-ups set for final test as McLaren replace unwell Ricciardo on day one
Formula 1 teams have confirmed their driver line-ups for the second and final pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Haas reveal revised race livery for 2022 season
Haas have revealed images of the revised livery they will race in for the 2022 season after dropping title sponsor Uralkali.

Brawn – No legality concerns over “extreme” Mercedes sidepod design
Ross Brawn says that he does not believe the Mercedes radical ‘sidepod-less’ design is in breach of the technical regulations.

Leclerc sets morning pace as Mercedes reveal bold new sidepod design
Charles Leclerc put Ferrari on top of the timesheets during the morning session of the first day of the second pre-season test in Bahrain.

Bahrain Pre Season Testing
Day 1
Morning Session
Pos Car# Driver           Team         Model  Best time Gap   Laps
 1   16  Charles Leclerc  Ferrari      F1-75  1:34.531s  -     64
 2   23  Alexander Albon  Williams     FW44   1:35.070s 0.539s 53
 3    5  Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin AMR22  1:35.706s 1.175s 38
 4   11  Sergio Perez     Red Bull     RB18   1:35.977s 1.446s 70
 5   44  Lewis Hamilton   Mercedes     W13    1:36.365s 1.834s 62
 6   31  Esteban Ocon     Alpine       A522   1:36.768s 2.237s 42
 7   24  Guanyu Zhou      Alfa Romeo   C42    1:37.164s 2.633s 54
 8    4  Lando Norris     McLaren      MCL36  1:37.580s 3.049s 21
 9   10  Pierre Gasly     AlphaTauri   AT03   1:37.888s 3.357s 44

Teams differ over extra testing for Haas after freight delay
Formula 1 team principals are at odds over whether Haas should be granted extra testing time after they were unable to begin running in Bahrain on time due to a delay transporting their equipment.

Verstappen won’t change his mind over refusal to participate in Drive to Survive
Max Verstappen says he will never return to participate in Netflix’s Formula 1 series Drive to Survive.

Haas allowed to extend test days to make up for lost running
Haas will be allowed to conduct extra running during this week’s test at Bahrain International Circuit to make up for the time lost due to a freight delay.

Wolff doesn’t fear legality dispute over new Mercedes sidepod design
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is confident they will avoid a legality dispute over the radical sidepod design introduced on their car today.

Gasly leads Ferrari pair at end of first day in Bahrain
Pierre Gasly put AlphaTauri at the top of the times at the end of the first day of the final pre-season test in Bahrain.

Bahrain Pre Season Testing
Day 1
Afternoon Session
Pos Car# Driver            Team         Model  Best time  Gap	 Laps
 1   10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri   AT03   1:33.902s   -      103
 2   55  Carlos Sainz Jnr  Ferrari      F1-75  1:34.359s  0.457s   52
 3   16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari      F1-75  1:34.531s  0.629s   64
 4   18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin AMR22  1:34.736s  0.834s   50
 5   23  Alexander Albon   Williams     FW44   1:35.070s  1.168s  104
 6    4  Lando Norris      McLaren      MCL36  1:35.356s  1.454s   50
 7   77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo   C42    1:35.495s  1.593s   66
 8    5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin AMR22  1:35.706s  1.804s   39
 9   63  George Russell    Mercedes     W13    1:35.941s  2.039s   60
10   11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull     RB18   1:35.977s  2.075s  138
11   44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes     W13    1:36.365s  2.463s   62
12   14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine       A522   1:36.745s  2.843s   24
13   31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine       A522   1:36.768s  2.866s   42
14   24  Guanyu Zhou       Alfa Romeo   C42    1:37.164s  3.262s   54
15       Pietro Fittipaldi Haas         VF-22  1:37.422s  3.520s   47

[genius83]

McLaren’s braking problems won’t be easy to fix – Norris
Lando Norris says the braking problems McLaren encountered during today’s test in Bahrain won’t be solved easily and will limit the team’s mileage in the meantime.

Formula 1 cuts off its television coverage in Russia
Formula 1 has its television coverage in Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

Magnussen “just had to say yes” to second F1 return with Haas
Kevin Magnussen says he could not turn down the opportunity to race in Formula 1 again after his last-minute call up by Haas.

“It would have been amazing” rues Fittipaldi after lost chance to race for Haas
Pietro Fittipaldi admitted he was anticipating the chance to become a full-time Formula 1 driver after a vacancy opened up at Haas.

Norris to continue testing for McLaren as Ricciardo remains unwell
Lando Norris will spend a second consecutive day testing for McLaren as his team mate is unwell.

Ocon quickest on Friday morning as brake fire halts Williams
Esteban Ocon topped the times for Alpine in the morning session for the second day of running at the pre-season test in Bahrain.

Bahrain Pre Season Testing
Day 2
Morning Session
Pos Car# Driver            Team         Model  Best time  Gap    Laps
 1   31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine       A522   1:34.276s   -      59
 2   16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari      F1-75  1:34.366s  0.090s  54
 3    1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull     RB18   1:35.874s  1.598s  45
 4   77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo   C42    1:36.987s  2.711s  25
 5   22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri   AT03   1:36.802s  2.526s  44
 6    4  Lando Norris      McLaren      MCL36  1:36.354s  2.078s  29
 7   63  George Russell    Mercedes     W13    1:38.585s  4.309s  67
 8    5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin AMR22  1:36.020s  1.744s  46
 9   47  Mick Schumacher   Haas         VF-22  1:37.846s  3.570s  23
10    6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams     FW44   1:39.845s  5.569s  12

‘I was in a happy place when Guenther called’: Why Magnussen couldn’t resist F1 return
When Kevin Magnussen climbed out of his VF-20 at the end of the 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, he did so in the expectation he had driven a Formula 1 car for the final time.

Ferrari want clampdown on Mercedes’ wing mirror design
Mercedes’ wing mirror design should not be allowed by the F1 regulations, Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has said.

Albon sees “promising” signs F1 field will be closer this year
Alexander Albon believes the Formula 1 field could be “tighter” this season after four days of testing with the radical new cars for 2022.

Drive to Survive goes “too far” at times but is positive for F1 – Sainz
Carlos Sainz Jnr says Netflix’s Drive to Survive is “good for the sport” despite the show going “too far” in how it portrayed his relationship with Lando Norris.

Ferrari look “extremely competitive” but Mercedes haven’t shown their hand – Horner
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believes Ferrari have got off to a strong start in testing for the 2022 Formula 1 season.

McLaren rushing new parts to Bahrain to solve brake problem
McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl says they face a “race against time” to solve the brake problem which has limited their running since testing began at the Bahrain International Circuit yesterday.

[genius83]

Sainz spars with Verstappen on way to fastest time of day five
Carlos Sainz Jnr put Ferrari back on top of the times for the penultimate day of testing in Bahrain after a brief battle with Max Verstappen on track.

Bahrain Pre Season Testing
Day 2
Afternoon Session
Pos Car# Driver            Team         Model  Best time  Gap    Laps
 1   55  Carlos Sainz Jnr  Ferrari      F1-75  1:33.532s   -       55
 2    1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull     RB18   1:34.011s  0.479s   84
 3   18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin AMR22  1:34.064s  0.532s   69
 4   44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes     W13    1:34.141s  0.609s   47
 5   31  Esteban Ocon      Alpine       A522   1:34.276s  0.744s  111
 6   16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari      F1-75  1:34.366s  0.834s   54
 7    4  Lando Norris      McLaren      MCL36  1:34.609s  1.077s   60
 8    5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin AMR22  1:36.020s  2.488s   46
 9   20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas         VF-22  1:36.505s  2.973s   39
10   22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri   AT03   1:36.802s  3.270s  120
11   77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo   C42    1:36.987s  3.455s   25
12   47  Mick Schumacher   Haas         VF-22  1:37.846s  4.314s   23
13   63  George Russell    Mercedes     W13    1:38.585s  5.053s   67
14    6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams     FW44   1:39.845s  6.313s   12
15   24  Guanyu Zhou       Alfa Romeo   C42    1:39.984s  6.452s   48

Red Bull bringing noticeable car update for final day of test – Perez
Red Bull will bring a significant update for its RB18 on the final day of pre-season testing, Sergio Perez has revealed.

[genius83]

Fire damage ends Williams’ second day after just 12 laps
Williams have been forced to end their second day of running after the fire that stopped Nicholas Latifi in this morning’s session.

Hamilton: Mercedes’ rivals are coping better with ‘porpoising’
Lewis Hamilton says some of Mercedes rivals are coping better than they are with the ‘porpoising’ problem many teams have experienced in testing.

Red Bull say they were ‘competitive without even trying’ on day five
Red Bull declared themselves pleased with how competitive their RB18 was on the penultimate day of testing.

Ricciardo tests positive for Covid, Norris to continue testing for McLaren
McLaren have announced that Daniel Ricciardo has tested positive for Covid-19 in Bahrain and will not participate in the final day of testing.

Vettel removes image of disputed flag from “No War” helmet after complaint to FIA
Sebastian Vettel has removed the image of a disputed flag from the special helmet he is wearing at testing in Bahrain after a complaint was made to the FIA.

Perez looking for a “longer stay” at Red Bull after Verstappen’s contract extension
Sergio Perez says he is looking for a long-term contract extension with Red Bull to provide “stability” for him as a driver.

Williams will give Latifi extra runs to make up for time lost due to fire
Williams have revised their run plan for today to allow Nicholas Latifi the opportunity to make up some of the time he lost yesterday.

McLaren expect Ricciardo will be fit to race but has reserves on standby
McLaren has contingency plans in place after Daniel Ricciardo tested positive for Covid-19 one week before the first race of the new season.

[genius83]

Perez puts new-look Red Bull fastest on final morning session
Sergio Perez set the quickest lap time of the Bahrain test so far during the final morning session as Red Bull ran a revised RB18 with new sidepods.

Bahrain Pre Season Testing
Day 3
Morning Session
Pos Car# Driver            Team         Model  Best time  Gap	 Laps
 1   11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull     RB18   1:33.105s   -      41
 2   24  Guanyu Zhou       Alfa Romeo   C42    1:33.959s  0.854s  79
 3   10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri   AT03   1:34.865s  1.760s  88
 4   55  Carlos Sainz Jnr  Ferrari      F1-75  1:34.905s  1.800s  68
 5   14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine       A522   1:35.328s  2.223s  54
 6    4  Lando Norris      McLaren      MCL36  1:35.504s  2.399s  39
 7    6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams     FW44   1:35.634s  2.529s  73
 8   18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin AMR22  1:36.029s  2.924s  50
 9   44	 Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes     W13    1:36.217s  3.112s  78
10   20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas         VF-22  1:38.616s  5.511s  38

Hamilton plans to leave F1 well before Verstappen’s new contract ends
Lewis Hamilton expects he will retire from Formula 1 long before Max Verstappen’s new long-term deal to race for Red Bull ends.

Alpine offer Piastri to McLaren as substitute driver
Alpine has announced it has made its reserve driver Oscar Piastri available to McLaren to serve as a substitute for Daniel Ricciardo if needed.

Vettel wasn’t aware “No War” helmet included flag of disputed territory
Sebastian Vettel says he did not deliberately intend to feature the flag of a disputed region of northern Cyprus on his anti-war helmet design.

McLaren sign IndyCar’s Herta to test 2021 F1 car
IndyCar race winner Colton Herta has joined McLaren to conduct a testing programme using the team’s 2021 car.

Video footage shows Mercedes’ struggles are genuine – Russell
George Russell says that Mercedes are still searching for a way to “unlock” the potential of their car after pre-season testing came to an end.

Bottas “really starting to like the car” but has reliability concerns
Valtteri Bottas is encouraged by the improvements Alfa Romeo have made with their car but is concerned about whether they can complete a race distance.

Hamilton: People who say Mercedes are talking ourselves down are in for a surprise
Lewis Hamilton doubts Mercedes will bounce back from their troubled start to the season in testing as easily as they did last year.

Verstappen puts Red Bull quickest by six-tenths as testing ends in Bahrain
World champion Max Verstappen capped off the final day of pre-season testing for the 2022 Formula 1 season by setting the overall fastest time.

Bahrain Pre Season Testing
Day 3
Afternoon Session
Pos Car# Driver            Team         Model  Best time  Gap    Laps
 1    1  Max Verstappen    Red Bull     RB18   1:31.720s   -       53
 2   16  Charles Leclerc   Ferrari      F1-75  1:32.415s  0.695s   51
 3   14  Fernando Alonso   Alpine       A522   1:32.698s  0.978s  122
 4   63  George Russell    Mercedes     W13    1:32.759s  1.039s   71
 5   77  Valtteri Bottas   Alfa Romeo   C42    1:32.985s  1.265s   68
 6   22  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri   AT03   1:33.002s  1.282s   57
 7   11  Sergio Perez      Red Bull     RB18   1:33.105s  1.385s   43
 8   47  Mick Schumacher   Haas         VF-22  1:33.151s  1.431s   61
 9    4  Lando Norris      McLaren      MCL36  1:33.191s  1.471s   90
10    5  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin AMR22  1:33.821s  2.101s   81
11   24  Guanyu Zhou       Alfa Romeo   C42    1:33.959s  2.239s   82
12   10  Pierre Gasly      AlphaTauri   AT03   1:34.865s  3.145s   91
13   55  Carlos Sainz Jnr  Ferrari      F1-75  1:34.905s  3.185s   68
14   23  Alexander Albon   Williams     FW44   1:35.171s  3.451s   18
15    6  Nicholas Latifi   Williams     FW44   1:35.634s  3.914s  124
16   18  Lance Stroll      Aston Martin AMR22  1:36.029s  4.309s   53
17   44  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes     W13    1:36.217s  4.497s   78
18   20  Kevin Magnussen   Haas         VF-22  1:38.616s  6.896s   38

[genius83]

McLaren “heavily compromised” by brake problems in test – Seidl
The brake problems McLaren encountered in the second pre-season test “heavily compromised” their preparations for the new season, team principal Andreas Seidl admitted.

Jeddah “could be a little bit quicker” after track changes
Revisions to the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia, which are largely being done for safety reasons, may also increase speeds at Formula 1’s second-quickest track.

Here is the Timing Schedule for this weekend's Season Opening Bahrain GP:

Bahrain GP
Friday
Practice Session 1   17:00 To 18:00
Practice Session 2   20:00 To 21:00

Saturday
Practice Session 3   17:00 To 18:00
Qualifying Session   20:00 To 21:00

Sunday
Race                 20:00 To 22:00

[genius83]

Hamilton changing his name to include mother’s surname, Larbalestier
Lewis Hamilton says he intends to change his name to incorporate his mother’s surname, Larbalestier.

Portions of Drive to Survive are “definitely not correct” – Norris
Lando Norris has raised concerns over parts of the new season of Drive to Survive, which he said do not accurately reflect events as they happened.

Hamilton was clearly struggling at times during test – Gasly
Pierre Gasly is convinced Mercedes will not start the new season as the team to beat after observing Lewis Hamilton’s difficulties in his W13 during testing.

Leclerc encouraged by “one of the smoothest preparations I’ve had for a season”
Charles Leclerc was encouraged by Ferrari’s productive pre-season tests but said he is unsure how competitive the team will be in the first race of the new season this weekend.

[zia1288]

Who do you think will get over porpoising? I think Mercedes has more pace than they showed

[genius83]

Ricciardo fit to race in Bahrain after negative Covid-19 test
Daniel Ricciardo has tested negative for Covid-19 and will be able to return for the Bahrain Grand Prix, McLaren have announced.

F1 keeps same three DRS zones for first race weekend with new cars
Formula 1 will keep its DRS zones unchanged at Bahrain International Circuit as it seeks to understand whether new technical regulations have achieved their goal of making it easier for drivers to overtake.

F1 drivers “optimistic” rules changes will aid overtaking on eve of new season
Formula 1 drivers say the series’ drastic aerodynamic changes for 2022 have made it easier for cars to follow each other closely and should improve overtaking.

FIA changes F1 rule on lapped cars overtaking Safety Car after Abu Dhabi row
The FIA has changed the rule which was at the centre of the controversial outcome of last year’s world championship contest between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

@zia1288
That is the general consensus that Mercedes problems are more or less fake and just a way to hide their pace. But their are some signs that tells that Mercedes are in serious problems and RedBull are the best for the start of the season. Ferrari are the second best and could be the serious title contender as the season progress. McLaren have some problems too but chances are they will find the solution after first 2 or 3 races.

[zia1288]

Mercedes has a good record of catching up with the field. Let's hope there is a 4 way battle between Mercedes, RedBull, McLaren & Ferrari. If it happens then there will be epic show of talent from Russel, Lecrec, Sainz, Ricardo & Norris. We already know that Hamilton is capable but in such a battle his true competitiveness will be shown as he is labelled to be successful only when he has fastest car of the field Fingers Crossed

[genius83]

McLaren put Google brand logo on wheel covers in new sponsorship deal
McLaren will carry logos of Google brands on its bodywork and wheel covers in a new sponsorship deal with the technology giant.

Hamilton pleased by smooth start with “very genuine” new team mate Russell
Lewis Hamilton says the arrival of his new Mercedes team mate for the 2022 Formula 1 season has been handled seamlessly.

Hulkenberg to make race return in Bahrain after Vettel tests positive for Covid-19
Sebastian Vettel will not take part in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend after testing positive for Covid-19, his team have confirmed.

Sainz backs F1’s Safety Car rule change after lost chance to fight for “first win” in Abu Dhabi
Carlos Sainz Jnr has welcomed the FIA’s revision of the Safety Car regulations in the wake of the controversial conclusion to last year’s world championship.

Ferrari drivers urge vigilance against Covid but Sainz “in two minds” over restrictions
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jnr say drivers must be cautious to avoid exposure to Covid-19 after Sebastian Vettel became the latest among them to test positive for the virus.

@zia1288
Certainly Fingers Crossed.

Mercedes don't have the record of catching up with the field as this is the first time they have to really play catch up and because of the rules of less wind tunnel time they have to be accurate in assuming the best solution for the problem.

[zia1288]

Mercedes really caught well in last year in 2nd half of the season and I guess we could say same for 2017.
My opinion about sidepods of Mercedes is that it'll create reliability issue as the season progresses.

[genius83]

@zia1288
Nope, last season was an illusion because Mercedes have the best chassis from British GP onwards when they have bring their first and only major chassis upgrade. What Mercedes struggles with after summer break was the engine and power unit updates as they started testing for the 2022 engine components and that is why they have more power unit penalties for Bottas then Hamilton.

This time its not the engine/power unit that is going to be the deciding factor but rather the chassis upgrades as engine/power unit are freezed from March 1st and this freeze will end with the introduction of new engine formula in 2025/2026.

[genius83]

FIA’s report on Abu Dhabi vital to F1’s “credibility” – Domenicali
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali says the FIA’s process of reviewing how last year’s championship-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was handled is vital to the sport’s credibility.

Wittich simplifies Bahrain track limits rules in first event as F1 race director
FIA Formula 1 race director Niels Wittich has informed drivers of simpler rules on track limits for this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix.

FIA confirms further increase in F1’s minimum car weight to 798kg
The FIA has formally adopted a further increase to the minimum weight F1 cars must adhere to for the 2022 season ahead of the opening race weekend.

Dry but windy conditions await F1’s new era in Bahrain
This weekend, Formula 1 starts anew with what could well prove to be the most open and unpredictable season-opener in recent memory.

Qualifying rules change makes F1 “a lot more fair” – Sainz
Carlos Sainz Jnr has welcomed F1’s decision to drop its Q3 tyre rule, saying it will make races much fairer.

No need for “full report” on Abu Dhabi says Verstappen but Hamilton wants “transparency”
Max Verstappen says there is no need for a full report on the controversial conclusion to last year’s world championship in Abu Dhabi.

[genius83]

Hamilton not expecting “huge change” for Mercedes at first race after testing trouble
Lewis Hamilton is going into the first race of the new season hoping Mercedes have found solutions for the problems they encountered in pre-season testing.

‘Let us judge if we can race with Covid’, some drivers urge
Formula 1 drivers Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas and Carlos Sainz Jnr believe drivers should be given more freedom to participate in races if they test positive for Covid-19.

Hamilton says FIA fine for prizegiving snub will help underprivileged young racers
Lewis Hamilton says he has agreed with the FIA to pay a fine for missing last year’s end-of-season prizegiving ceremony.

Gasly quickest ahead of Ferraris as Formula 1 returns in Bahrain
Pierre Gasly took the honours as the first driver to go quickest in an official session in 2022 during first practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Bahrain GP
Practice Session 1
Pos No Driver           Car                     Best lap  Gap    Laps
 1  10 Pierre Gasly     AlphaTauri-Red Bull     1:34.193s  -	  23
 2  16 Charles Leclerc  Ferrari                 1:34.557s 0.364s  22
 3  55 Carlos Sainz Jnr Ferrari                 1:34.611s 0.418s  23
 4  63 George Russell   Mercedes                1:34.629s 0.436s  23
 5   1 Max Verstappen   Red Bull                1:34.742s 0.549s  22
 6  18 Lance Stroll     Aston Martin-Mercedes   1:34.814s 0.621s  22
 7  44 Lewis Hamilton   Mercedes                1:34.943s 0.750s  17
 8  14 Fernando Alonso  Alpine-Renault          1:35.000s 0.807s  14
 9  22 Yuki Tsunoda     AlphaTauri-Red Bull     1:35.028s 0.835s  20
10  11 Sergio Perez     Red Bull                1:35.050s 0.857s  23
11  24 Zhou Guanyu      Alfa Romeo-Ferrari      1:35.053s 0.860s  20
12  31 Esteban Ocon     Alpine-Renault          1:35.151s 0.958s  15
13   6 Nicholas Latifi  Williams-Mercedes       1:35.644s 1.451s  15
14  27 Nico Hulkenberg  Aston Martin-Mercedes   1:35.815s 1.622s  23
15  23 Alexander Albon  Williams-Mercedes       1:35.923s 1.730s  17
16   4 Lando Norris     McLaren-Mercedes        1:36.304s 2.111s  22
17   3 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren-Mercedes        1:36.402s 2.209s  20
18  47 Mick Schumacher  Haas-Ferrari            1:36.536s 2.343s  23
19  20 Kevin Magnussen  Haas-Ferrari            1:36.804s 2.611s  21
20  77 Valtteri Bottas  Alfa Romeo-Ferrari      No Time

McLarens 16th and 17th in practice as drivers test “interim” fix for brake problems
McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl said the team is running a less-than-ideal braking package on its car for the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend after the problems it encountered in testing.

[genius83]

Verstappen quickest from Leclerc by less than a tenth in second practice
World champion Max Verstappen set the quickest time at the end of Friday practice for the opening race of the 2022 season in Bahrain.

Bahrain GP
Practice Session 2
Pos No Driver           Car                     Best lap  Gap    Laps
 1   1 Max Verstappen   Red Bull                1:31.936s  -      20
 2  16 Charles Leclerc  Ferrari                 1:32.023s 0.087s  20
 3  55 Carlos Sainz Jnr Ferrari                 1:32.520s 0.584s  22
 4  63 George Russell   Mercedes                1:32.529s 0.593s  25
 5  14 Fernando Alonso  Alpine-Renault          1:32.877s 0.941s  24
 6  77 Valtteri Bottas  Alfa Romeo-Ferrari      1:32.951s 1.015s  30
 7  11 Sergio Perez     Red Bull                1:32.958s 1.022s  20
 8  47 Mick Schumacher  Haas-Ferrari            1:33.085s 1.149s  24
 9  44 Lewis Hamilton   Mercedes                1:33.144s 1.208s  23
10  20 Kevin Magnussen  Haas-Ferrari            1:33.183s 1.247s  23
11   4 Lando Norris     McLaren-Mercedes        1:33.280s 1.344s  27
12  31 Esteban Ocon     Alpine-Renault          1:33.360s 1.424s  25
13  10 Pierre Gasly     AlphaTauri-Red Bull     1:33.621s 1.685s  24
14  22 Yuki Tsunoda     AlphaTauri-Red Bull     1:33.789s 1.853s  26
15  24 Zhou Guanyu      Alfa Romeo-Ferrari      1:33.953s 2.017s  27
16  18 Lance Stroll     Aston Martin-Mercedes   1:33.958s 2.022s  25
17  27 Nico Hulkenberg  Aston Martin-Mercedes   1:34.061s 2.125s  28
18   3 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren-Mercedes        1:34.166s 2.230s  12
19   6 Nicholas Latifi  Williams-Mercedes       1:34.486s 2.550s  28
20  23 Alexander Albon  Williams-Mercedes       1:34.735s 2.799s  22

[genius83]

Mercedes are nine tenths off Red Bull, six tenths off Ferrari – Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes’ practice pace proves the team were not bluffing about the problems they are having with their W13.

AlphaTauri ‘struggling massively’ in cooler conditions as Gasly drops from 1st to 13th
Pierre Gasly set the pace during first practice in Bahrain but admitted he was “struggling massively” during the second session, held in cooler temperatures in the evening.

Magnussen says strong start for Haas feels “surreal” nine days into his comeback
Kevin Magnussen admitted he was astonished by the competitiveness of his Haas after the first day of practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The other dissenting voice among the drivers as F1 awaits Abu Dhabi report
Today, almost 100 days since the 2021 Formula 1 season ended in bitter acrimony at Yas Marina, the FIA is due to finally reveal the findings of its investigation into the handling of the now-notorious Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Slow corner weakness hurting Williams in Bahrain say drivers after ending practice last
Williams ended the first day of practice in Bahrain at the bottom of the times sheets but the team’s drivers suspect their problems are amplified by the circuit’s characteristics.

Hamilton “very moved” by support from prisoners in Bahrain after human rights comments
Lewis Hamilton said he was “very moved” to learn Bahraini prisoners have begun showing their support for him in response to his stance on human rights.

Mercedes working on “low hanging fruit” to improve pace in coming races – Wolff
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says the team have identified some quick fixes to their car which can be delivered in the coming races to improve their performance.

FIA publishes full report on Abu Dhabi controversy
The FIA has published its report on the controversial conclusion to the 2022 Formula 1 season in Abu Dhabi.

[genius83]

Verstappen quickest in final practice, but Leclerc is under a tenth behind
Max Verstappen was quickest during the third and final practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix, less than a tenth faster than Charles Leclerc.

Bahrain GP
Practice Session 3
Pos No Driver           Car                     Best lap  Gap    Laps
 1   1 Max Verstappen   Red Bull                1:32.544s  -      15
 2  16 Charles Leclerc  Ferrari                 1:32.640s 0.096s  16
 3  11 Sergio Perez     Red Bull                1:32.791s 0.247s  20
 4  63 George Russell   Mercedes                1:32.935s 0.391s  19
 5  55 Carlos Sainz Jnr Ferrari                 1:33.053s 0.509s  20
 6  44 Lewis Hamilton   Mercedes                1:33.121s 0.577s  15
 7  20 Kevin Magnussen  Haas-Ferrari            1:33.437s 0.893s  15
 8  77 Valtteri Bottas  Alfa Romeo-Ferrari      1:33.733s 1.189s  21
 9  24 Zhou Guanyu      Alfa Romeo-Ferrari      1:33.880s 1.336s  18
10  18 Lance Stroll     Aston Martin-Mercedes   1:33.920s 1.376s  14
11   4 Lando Norris     McLaren-Mercedes        1:33.955s 1.411s  18
12  27 Nico Hulkenberg  Aston Martin-Mercedes   1:33.971s 1.427s  18
13  10 Pierre Gasly     AlphaTauri-Red Bull     1:34.176s 1.632s  18
14  47 Mick Schumacher  Haas-Ferrari            1:34.295s 1.751s  17
15   3 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren-Mercedes        1:34.378s 1.834s  20
16  14 Fernando Alonso  Alpine-Renault          1:34.628s 2.084s  15
17  23 Alexander Albon  Williams-Mercedes       1:34.868s 2.324s  15
18  31 Esteban Ocon     Alpine-Renault          1:34.957s 2.413s  16
19   6 Nicholas Latifi  Williams-Mercedes       1:35.667s 3.123s  14
20  22 Yuki Tsunoda     AlphaTauri-RedBull      No Time

FIA details plans for F1’s ‘VAR’ and new sporting director in wake of Abu Dhabi row
The FIA has revealed further details of its plans for a Remote Operations Centre to support its race control team, similar to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) used in football.

Leclerc beats Verstappen to first pole of the season in Bahrain
Charles Leclerc put Ferrari on pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix by beating Max Verstappen by a tenth of a second.

Bahrain GP
Qualifying Session
Pos No Driver           Car                     Best Lap
 1  16 Charles Leclerc  Ferrari                 1:30.558s
 2   1 Max Verstappen   Red Bull                1:30.681s
 3  55 Carlos Sainz Jnr Ferrari                 1:30.687s
 4  11 Sergio Perez     Red Bull                1:30.921s
 5  44 Lewis Hamilton   Mercedes                1:31.238s
 6  77 Valtteri Bottas  Alfa Romeo-Ferrari      1:31.560s
 7  20 Kevin Magnussen  Haas-Ferrari            1:31.808s
 8  14 Fernando Alonso  Alpine-Renault          1:32.195s
 9  63 George Russell   Mercedes                1:32.216s
10  10 Pierre Gasly     AlphaTauri-Red Bull     1:33.238s
11  31 Esteban Ocon     Alpine-Renault          1:31.782s
12  47 Mick Schumacher  Haas-Ferrari            1:31.998s
13   4 Lando Norris     McLaren-Mercedes        1:32.008s
14  23 Alexander Albon  Williams-Mercedes       1:32.664s
15  24 Zhou Guanyu      Alfa Romeo-Ferrari      1:33.543s
16  22 Yuki Tsunoda     AlphaTauri-Red Bull     1:32.750s
17  27 Nico Hulkenberg  Aston Martin-Mercedes   1:32.777s
18   3 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren-Mercedes        1:32.945s
19  18 Lance Stroll     Aston Martin-Mercedes   1:33.032s
20   6 Nicholas Latifi  Williams-Mercedes       1:33.634s