The first 2022 pre-season Formula 1 testing session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona provided with some indications of the competitive order, but in order to help us understand a little better what the order appears to be, The Race has recalculated all of the best times of every driver to see what their pace would have been adjusted to the C4 tyre.
Actual fastest Barcelona times
| Team | Driver | Time | Tyre | Driver | Time | Tyre | |
| 1 | Mercedes | Hamilton | 1m19.138s | C5 | Russell | 1m19.233s | C5 |
| 2 | Red Bull | Perez | 1m19.556s | C4 | Verstappen | 1m19.756s | C3 |
| 3 | McLaren | Norris | 1m19.568s | C4 | Ricciardo | 1m20.288s | C3 |
| 4 | Ferrari | Leclerc | 1m19.689s | C3 | Sainz | 1m20.072s | C3 |
| 5 | Aston Martin | Vettel | 1m19.824s | C5 | Stroll | 1m21.920s | C3 |
| 6 | AlphaTauri | Gasly | 1m19.918s | C4 | Tsunoda | 1m21.638s | C2 |
| 7 | Williams | Albon | 1m20.318s | C4 | Latifi | 1m20.699s | C4 |
| 8 | Alpine | Alonso | 1m21.242s | C3 | Ocon | 1m22.164s | C3 |
| 9 | Haas | Mazepin | 1m21.512s | C3 | Schumacher | 1m21.949s | C3 |
| 10 | Alfa Romeo | Zhou | 1m21.855s | C3 | Bottas | 1m22.288s | C3 |
Ferrari
Adjusted C4 times: Charles Leclerc 1m18.689s / Carlos Sainz 1m19.072s
2020 test: 4th fastest / 2020 first race: 5th fastest
The Maranello team’s performance from the pre-season testing sessions to the first race did not change much two years ago. So relative to the other top teams, it was perhaps 10kg lighter in testing.
The other quick thing to point out is that Charles Leclerc’s 1m19.683s on the C3 tyre was done on his third timed lap of a 17-lap run, so it seems that Ferrari will be in contention when you consider the fuel he would have been carrying.
If you take the fuel load required for that run and them switch to C4s a 1m17.6s is possible.
Red Bull
Adjusted C4 times: Verstappen 1m18.756s / Perez 1m19.556s
2020 test: 2nd / 2020 first race: 2nd
Red Bull held position in 2020, showing it didn’t go for a glory run.
And similar to Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen’s 1m19.756s on the C3 tyre was his first timed lap on a 15-lap run so was not light-fuel.
McLaren
Adjusted C4 times: Ricciardo 1m19.288s / Norris 1m19.568s
2020 test: 6th / 2020 first race: 3rd
Mercedes
Adjusted C4 times: Hamilton 1m19.538s / Russell 1m19.633s
2020 test: 1st / 2020 first race: 1st
AlphaTauri
Adjusted C4 times: Tsunoda 1m19.638s / Gasly 1m19.918s
2020 test: 8th / 2020 first race: 7th
Aston Martin
Adjusted C4 times: Vettel 1m20.224s / Stroll 1m20.920s
2020 test: 5th / 2020 first race: 4th
Alpine
Adjusted C4 times: Alonso 1m20.242s / Ocon 1m21.164s
2020 test: 3rd / 2020 first race: 6th
Williams
Adjusted C4 times: Albon 1m20.318s / Latifi 1m20.699s
2020 test: 7th / 2020 first race: 9th
Haas
Adjusted C4 times: Mazepin 1m20.512s / Schumacher 1m20.949s
2020 test: 10th / 2020 first race: 8th
Alfa Romeo
Adjusted C4 times: Zhou 1m20.855s / Bottas 1m21.288s
2020 test: 9th / 2020 first race: 10th
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