AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly set the fastest time on the first day of the 2022 Formula 1 pre-season testing session at the Bahrain International Circuit, but it was Scuderia Ferrari who caught the eye thanks to their strong dsiplay on track and Mercedes as a result of their radical new sidepod design.
The final three-day Formula 1 test, two weeks after an opening shakedown at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, represents the final opportunity for teams and drivers to evaluate and better understand their all-new cars before the 2022 Formula 1 season starts in just over a week, and there were certainly plenty of indications that teams were upping the ante on Thursday.
Scuderia Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz shared their thoughts on how the Maranello team’s preparations continued:
Charles Leclerc #16
“Our first day of testing in Bahrain is behind us. The conditions we found here are very different to those in Barcelona, especially as it is much warmer here.
This morning, everything went well. We completed the number of laps we set out to and ran all the tests we had planned to, so I’m happy with how it went.
The lap times are not representative and we are just focusing on ourselves now, keeping our heads down and working well.”
Carlos Sainz #55
“Another good day of testing for us, continuing where we left off in Barcelona, with similar run plans but starting to check different set-up windows. We missed out on a final run on C3s, but in general we managed to test two or three things that were very important for us and we managed to put together a good day of running with no issues. The mechanics are working hard in the heat, which is never easy, so I thank them for the effort. We still have a couple of long days ahead, but hopefully they will be very productive ones.”
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