Ferrari FP1 report: Charles Leclerc P2, Carlos Sainz P3 | 2022 F1 Bahrain GP. Ferrari FP1 report.

New rules and new cars means a clean slate for all Formula 1teams and a chance to completely change their standing in the pecking order.

From testing, Scuderia Ferrari – who are Formula 1’s most successful team but have been battling in the midfield zone during the last few years, were arguably the most consistent, despite the fact that the bar was raised on the final day of testing by Red Bull with an upgraded RB18.

Three long months after the controversy of Abu Dhabi, Formula 1 was officially back with the start of the 2022 season, as the first practice session for the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix took place in Sakhir, yet we must remember FP1 is not exactly representative of the conditions we will see for Saturday’s qualifying and the race on Sunday.

Ferrari hit the track with aero rakes to test an updated diffuser in the first part of the first practice session at the Bahrain International Circuit. And it indeed feel a little like testing, with the fastest time around four seconds down from the quickest of the test for much of FP1. Eventually Gasly topped the first practice session in Bahrain and who would have predicted AlphaTauri were going to top the first practice of F1 2022’s new era?

Gasly used Soft tyres to post a time of 1:34.193s in the opening 60-minute session, which took place in warm and sunny daytime conditions.

However, Scuderia Ferrari can be happy with how things went in this first part of tyhe day. Gasly’s time left him 0.364s clear of Charles Leclerc, who survived a wild spin through Turn 11, while his Maranello teammate Carlos Sainz was third in the other F1-75 car. Both Ferrari drivers clocked their best times on the Medium tyres.

Second practice for Formula 1’s Bahrain Grand Prix is scheduled for 18:00 local time.

PRACTICE 1 – BAHRAIN