The closed season is over! The last test drives before the start of the 2022 Formula 1 season will take place in Bahrain on Saturday. That means: Today is the day! Who shows their real speed? How fast are Lewis Hamilton and Co. really? And how much more can Sebastian Vettel and Mick Schumacher add? sport.de provides the answer in the live ticker.
+++ It’s getting faster and faster +++
After 90 minutes it’s already clear that the teams will actually drop their pants a bit today and show what’s really in their cars. All cards will certainly not be revealed yet, but the coming hours should be the first real location determination.
+++ The rookie accelerates +++
A look back at the track, where the drivers are currently accumulating more kilometers than chasing times. One of the few exceptions is rookie Guanyu Zhou, who is currently setting a new personal best in the Alfa. After 1:33.959 minutes the clock stops for the Chinese.
+++ Anger about Vettel’s helmet +++
As the colleagues from formula1.de report, Sebastian Vettel’s new helmet design has caused trouble. The reason: In addition to the well over 200 flags, the flags of Northern Cyprus could also be seen on the helmet. Since this is an internationally unrecognized state, there have been some complaints. The flag was then removed.
+++ No uniformity +++
Anyone who was worried that the cars would all look the same due to the new regulations has been taught better in the last few days. Here is a small selection of the different designs that the teams rely on for the sidepods alone.
+++ Extra sausage for Williams +++
Because the Williams burst into flames yesterday and had to call it a day early, the team gets additional testing time today. Formula 1 just announced that.
+++ The best times of the first hour in the overview +++
1.Sergio Perez 1:34.733
2. Pierre Gasly 1:34.865
3. Carlos Sainz 1:34.905
4. Guanyu Zhou 1:35.136
5. Lando Norris 1:35.504
6. Lewis Hamilton 1:36.217
7. Nicholas Latifi 1:36.441
8. Lance Stroll 1:37.536
9. Kevin Magnussen 1:38.616
10. Fernando Alonso 1:39.391
+++ From 0 to 100 +++
Wow! Pérez needs exactly one lap to set a new best time of the day. For Checo, the clock stops at 1:34.733 minutes after one lap on the C3 rubbers. You shouldn’t overestimate that, but the other teams will be watching it very closely. Helmut Marko’s facial expression suggests that even the team didn’t expect it.
+++ What can the new Red Bull package do? +++
Now it’s getting interesting. Red Bull has launched a new aero package. Exactly with this Sergio Pérez is going on the track at this moment. And this is what it looks like:
+++ Red at the top +++
If the last two days have shown anything, it’s that Ferrari has built a really fast car. This is also evident in these first few minutes. Carlos Sainz takes the lead after a flying lap and burns a 1:35.222 minutes into the asphalt.
+++ Waiting for Red Bull +++
Eight drivers have completed at least one timed lap so far. After Lewis Hamilton drove back into the garage for the time being, Lando Norris in the McLaren took over the interim best time of the day with 1:35.504. Meanwhile, at Red Bull, the view into the garage is still blocked. Today everything is waiting for what the team of world champion Max Verstappen still has in the quiver on the last day of testing before the start of the season next weekend.
+++ The traffic lights are green! +++
Here we go! The starting shot has been fired and most teams do not want to waste time here. Lewis Hamilton set the first best time of the day with 1:36.217 – the Brit is currently around three seconds slower than Kevin Magnussen, who posted the best time of the day with 1:33.207 in his additional shift yesterday.
+++ Hamilton & Co. in the starting blocks +++
Magnussen will have company on the track in a few minutes. From 8 a.m. the other teams will also be allowed to let go of their drivers. At Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton will take the wheel in the morning, Carlos Sainz will be at the start for the Ferraris, which have been extremely strong so far, and Carlos Pérez will be in the car for Red Bull in the morning.
+++ Magnussen draws first rounds +++
The early bird… As the first car of the morning, Haas comebacker Kevin Magnussen has been doing his laps on the Bahrain International Circuit since 9 a.m. local time (7 a.m. CET), after Mick Schumacher’s racing team had a few extra hours on Saturday and Sunday were awarded after some parts of the team landed late in Bahrain due to a late cargo flight and the team was therefore unable to use Thursday’s morning session.
+++ Will Vettel and Schumacher become the big problem children? +++
Things went pretty well for Lance Stroll at the Aston Martin on Friday. In the time table he is in a very strong fourth place. Team colleague Sebastian Vettel, on the other hand, has to come out of the quark today so that he doesn’t have to travel to the first race of the season with too many worries in his luggage.
It looks very similar for Mick Schumacher. The Haas driver also tried in vain to find his rhythm on Friday. Mick got a little slap from teammate Kevin Magnussen, who hasn’t been in a Formula 1 car for over a year. The Dane was immediately faster than his German teammate, who is determined to find an answer in the next few hours.
+++ Did Mercedes just bluff? +++
The big question facing Formula 1 today: How fast is Mercedes really? The competition firmly believes that the Silver Arrows have only been bluffing and have not shown their full potential. Will that change in the next few hours? More on the subject here -> Carlos Sainz senses a big Mercedes bluff
+++ Good morning and welcome +++
Hello and welcome to the last day of testing before the start of the 2022 Formula 1 season. From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., sport.de will be reporting live on what’s happening on the track in Bahrain!
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