Motorsports
Formula 1: Alpha Tauri’s Gasley faster, top 12 in the same second
Alpha Tauri’s Pierre Gasley was fastest in the first official F1 test of 2022, the first free test of the Bahrain GP, some four tenths of a second behind Charles Leclair and Carlos Sainte’s Ferrari.
If there is one sure conclusion to draw from the first free stages of the Bahrain GP, the opening race of this year’s Formula One championship, it is not the new records at the top of the sport – it is quite the opposite , the fact that no team has yet to reach its full potential.
From Ferrari’s second Charles Leclerc to twelfth Esteban Ocon, eight different equal-numbered cars were found within the same six-tenths of a second, and their drivers used a mix of medium (C2) and soft (C3) tyres.
It is worth noting that the waistline and soft eraser over these three days are not the same as the tests conducted at the same track last week. Back then, teams used the three softest Pirelli erasers (C3-C4-C5), while now they use the three hardest (C1-C2-C3). Therefore, with the differences in the tires, another unknown is added when trying to draw a safe conclusion from the first tests.
Ferrari confirmed it is in good condition this time, as on the day it was in the top three of the year, while fourth year was achieved by George Russell with the currently troubled Mercedes W13 soft eraser. That’s quite a tenth of what C3 has to offer compared to the (average) C2 in which Max Ferstappen turned his best lap – and yet he was only a tenth behind Ferrari F1-75 Russell and Carlos Sainte.
During testing, Mercedes struggled with the gusts of wind and Lewis Hamilton was three tenths slower than his opponent to finish seventh – behind Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll. However, it was particularly evident at Turn 10 that the W13 was struggling with its balance, as well as its corner exit behavior.
So it is safe to say that the RBR confirmed the excellent condition and balance that the RB18 showed in winter testing, and for Mercedes it confirmed the exact opposite for the W13.
What was not confirmed, at least in these tests, was the relatively good image of McLaren and Haas from the Barcelona and Bahrain tests. Because Lando Norris – Daniel Ricciardo and Mick Schumacher – Kevin Magnussen were in the last four places of the years.
Only Valteri Botas was more unlucky than those four, as consecutive (even greater than expected) performance issues from the Ferrari powertrain on his back prevented him from completing a single lap. On the contrary, the newly arrived counterpart of Guanio Chou succeeded and indeed marked the 11th year, just three millimeters behind RBR’s Sergio Perez.
The tests were interrupted for a few minutes in the first half hour when a large part of the surface of 0’s right lateral airway detached from Esteban Ocon’s pink Alpine and the track had to be cleaned. The Frenchman spun and made the 12th while Fernando Alonso scored the 8th, four tenths behind Ferrari but unfortunately with the soft rubber.
The second period of free trials of the Bahrain GP takes place today at 17:00-18:00 Greek time.
The results of the first free trials
Sophia Jhon is a sports journalist and author. He has worked as a news editor for Sportish and is now a sport columnist for the same publication. Alberta’s professional interests lie largely in sports news, with an emphasis on English football. He has also written articles on other sporting topics.