There were a lot of enthusiastic reactions in Maranello last weekend at the end of the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix, which was the first round of the new Formula 1 season and also marked the beginning of F1’s new era amid the complex technical changes that should lead to better racing.
Scuderia Ferrari secured a thrilling one-two finish at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, with Charles Leclerc taking an impressive win after starting from pole position and leading the whole race except for a few corners in which the Monegasque driver was involved in a stunning wheel-to-wheel battle against Red Bull Racing Dutch driver Max Verstappen. The two delighted the crowd with some amazing overtaking moves, as the Monegasque driver eventually kept the lead and was able to create a solid gap against his rival. The 2021 Formula 1 world champion then faced engine-related issues in the final stages of the Bahrain Grand Prix, which allowed Carlos Sainz to pass him and claim an incredible one-two result for Scuderia Ferrari in the first round of the new F1 season.
The Maranello team showed an impressive form since the official pre-season testing session which took place one week before the Bahrain race, but as always winter testing is never an accurate and clear factor in predicting the real on-track values given the fact that all teams hold back their true performance until the real action begins. However, several former Formula 1 drivers and current Sky Sports F1 pundits such as Martin Brundle, Damon Hill or Johnny Herbert were quick to point out Ferrari’s great prospects for the 2022 campaign from the early stages of the pre-season testing days. But not many expected the Maranello team to actually be able to capitalize on the pace of its F1-75 car in such a dominant way from the first round of the new championship.
For Ferrari the focus now shifts to the second race of the season, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which takes place in just a few days. After some brief post-Bahrain celebrations, the Italian side is aware it has to keep the momentum going and try to build a gap in this first part of the season. Rivals Red Bull and Mercedes are already hard at work to reclaim their dominant position and have proven time and time again that they have the abilities and resources needed to improve quickly.
The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is rather different than the Sakhir track and it will be interesting to see if the Ferrari F1-75 car can once again immediately adapt to the track characteristics and the Pirelli tyres, which proved to be one of the strengths of Ferrari’s new Formula 1 challenger in the pre-season testing sessions and the Bahrain race. The Jeddah circuit is a very fast one, with average speeds that are set to be 252km/h and will therefore be an even bigger challenge for the power unit designed by Enrico Gualtieri.
There are high expectations for Ferrari in view of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, especially after the memorable Sunday afternoon in Bahrain. Charles Leclerc will be looking to enlarge his overall total at the top of the 2022 Formula 1 standings, while his Maranello teammate Carlos Sainz will be hoping to score his first F1 race win and not lose ground to the Monegasque driver with the ultimate goal of challenging for the world championship this year.
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