The first practice session for the 2022 Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix got under way today amid a cloud surrounding Oscar Piastri, Alpine and McLaren off the track, with the transfer saga that has dominated F1 for the last few weeks still rumbling on. The Contract Recognition Board met on Monday to look into Piastri’s contract and whether he is free to join McLaren or if Alpine do in fact have the rights to him in 2023. Their verdict had to be made within 72 hours, meaning they should have ruled on the outcome last night (Thursday).
In Zandvoort, the conditions were looking good, despite the fact that initially there was some rain forecast. After just nine minutes, we had the red flag of the weekend: Max Verstappen suffered problems early on as he stopped in the middle of the track with smoke coming out of the front of his car. He told his team that he thought it was a gearbox issue.
We are then back under way after that problem for Max Verstappen with around 40 minutes left of this first practice session. Scuderia Ferrari started the weekend on a high downforce configuration, with the goal of testing two specs of front wings. With the drivers back out on track, it was Fernando Alonso who was putting in the early quick laps, setting a 1:13.365. Alex Albon put himself second, +1.739s behind the Alpine. Lewis Hamilton also put in a flying lap but didn’t use his DRS so most likely he was doing some high-fuel runs.
Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz then put in a brilliant lap to go under the 1:13s mark with a 1:12.845 and went on top. So far, it was been a nice opening to the session for McLaren with Lando Norris second on the timesheet and Daniel Ricciardo third.
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With Lewis Hamilton and George Russell down in 16th and 17th at this stage of the session it was clear that, so far, Mercedes had not been targeting fast times. They were more than two seconds off the top of the timesheet during the first half of FP1. With everyone changing to the soft tyres, we thens saw some truer reflections of pace with about fifteen minutes to go.
Charles Leclerc put himself 5th, +0.282s off the pace of his teammate, whilst George Russell split the McLarens and was up to third and +0.190s off Carlos Sainz at the top. On his next lap, the British driver, despite not having a great middle sector, set quickest times in sector one and three to go on top of the timesheet, +0.390s quicker than the Ferrari driver’s time. At the same time, Lewis Hamilton seemed to be having issues with his team radio though and not being able to hear the instructions form his race engineer. There have been a few murmurs from other drivers’ on track about Hamilton’s positioning during this session, most likely linked to the faulty radio.
One of the biggest shocks of this session so far was how far Sergio Perez was off George Russell at the top, his Red Bull nearly a second off the pace. With no Max Verstappen to compare his times with, it isn’t yet clear whether it is the car’s suitability to the track or problems for Sergio Perez himself that is causing him to be so much off the top speeds.
It seems that the Mercedes could be in the fight this weekend as George Russell ends practice one at the top of the timesheet. His teammate Lewis Hamilton finished second with the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz in third. It was a decent session for McLaren with Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo finishing 4th and 5th around half a second off George Russell’s pace. There will be questions for Charles Leclerc as the Monegasque driver finished out of the top 5.
Dutch Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the first practice ahead of the 2022 F1 World Championship race at Zandvoort.
Results (Classification):
George Russell Mercedes -1:12.455
Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.240
Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.390
Lando Norris McLaren +0.474
Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +0.622
Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.672
Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.961
Fernando Alonso Alpine +1.178
Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.508
Alexander Albon Williams Racing +1.608
Mick Schumacher Haas +1.708
Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.802
Kevin Magnussen Haas +1.950
Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +2.019
Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +2.045
Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo +2.079
Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +2.175
Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +2.240
Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +2.259
Nicholas Latifi Williams Racing +2.667
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