2022 - A Look Ahead

Aerodynamicist worries we only saw ‘tip of the iceberg’.
Jean-Claude Migeot, who used to be the lead aerodynamicist at Tyrell, had a gloomier outlook; “I hope to be wrong, of course, because it will be a nasty surprise.”
Date published: March 5 2022 - Mark Scott

Ex-F1 aerodynamicist Jean-Claude Migeot fears we have only seen “the tip of the iceberg” when it comes to the porpoising effect on the F1 2022 cars

Migeot went on to add that the porpoising effect will only get worse on track surfaces which are bumpy and suspects the FIA may have to intervene. “It’s going to be tragic on a bumpy track, and it’s going to be tragic in racing, because when you’re hard braking for overtaking you’re going to excite this phenomenon a lot,” he said.

“So we’re maybe going to see very bad things. I think the FIA will react before that. If nobody has time to find the best solution, the FIA will have to react. I hope to be wrong, of course, because it will be a nasty surprise.”

‘Going To Be Tragic’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/aerody...ffect-worries/


Why the 2022 F1 pecking order is expected to become clear at Bahrain test.
There have been plenty of mind games since Barcelona, with multiple drivers and teams keen to play down the competitiveness of their cars, even when topping the timesheets.
‎02‎ ‎March‎ ‎13‎:‎40
Author Tom Leach
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Formula 1 is preparing to head to Bahrain for a double-header of events, starting with the official pre-season test before the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix one week later. Ferrari's Mattia Binotto believes that this is when the pecking order may become a little clearer.

Binotto - team boss at Ferrari - is expecting to see teams commit to race runs and qualifying-style laps during next week's official pre-season test in Bahrain.

That would offer fans the chance to see who really has built the quickest car of the bunch ahead of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, which follows just over one week later.

‘Pecking Order Becomes Clearer’;

https://racingnews365.com/why-the-20...t-bahrain-test


Aston Martin continue supplying Formula 1 with safety, medical cars in 2022
By Ashley Cline
March 3, 2022

Aston Martin support cars will be returning for 12 Formula 1 races this year, beginning with the Australian Grand Prix. Specialised versions of Aston Martin’s Vantage and DBX will fill the role of the safety and medical cars, respectively.

Both cars will be running in the brand’s 2022 Aston Martin Racing Green, corresponding with Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One’s 2022 car, AMR22. Influenced by Vantages in GT racing, Aston Martin’s safety car is uniquely adapted for use alongside F1 cars and will continue to be driven by Bernd Mayländer.

‘Aston Martin Safety’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...-cars-in-2022/


Mercedes describe ‘massive terror’ of engine revamp.
Mercedes engine boss Hywel Thomas said the team’s power unit has gone from having “little rearrangements” to something which has been a “massive terror” for them in developing this year’s car.

Date published: March 6 2022 - Henry Valantine

But topping it all off, every power unit manufacturer needs to get their products in as strong a place as possible because, once the season starts, an engine freeze is set to be introduced in the sport that will halt their development until the new engine formula is introduced, which is scheduled for the 2026 season.

With that in mind, in the words of Mercedes chief technical officer James Allison: “All the goodness that you can possibly pack into it has to be packed into it now, or forever hold your peace.”

Thomas, managing director of Mercedes’ High Performance Powertrains division, spoke about how the team’s previous designs had effectively been made redundant in some ways compared to what they have in front of them now.

‘Previous Designs Redundant’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/merced...r-2022-engine/


Interview: how LEGO and McLaren built a Formula 1 car in secret
04/03/2022 Chris Wharfe

The LEGO Group worked in secret with F1 team McLaren for six months to design 42141 McLaren Formula 1 Race Car – here’s how they achieved it.

That was made possible by the fact that both the LEGO set and the real-life car were effectively developed in tandem, allowing the Technic designers to take some of the cues for the set directly from McLaren’s engineers.

McLaren’s Director of Licensing Lindsey Eckhouse: “We knew the level of technical integration and the collaborative process that we had gone through with LEGO Technic to get to the final model, but seeing it virtually and in designs versus seeing it in real life, and seeing the size of it, the amount of pieces, that’s pretty spectacular. There’s something like 1,400 pieces in this LEGO Technic set, which is pretty crazy.”

‘1,400 pieces of a McLaren F1 Car’;

https://www.brickfanatics.com/lego-m.../?nowprocket=1


How These Model Makers Painstakingly Replicate Formula 1 Cars for Your Home
Love your car to pieces? This small-world manufacturer obsesses over every bit of it, just like you.
March 5, 2022
By Janice O'Leary

Sandy copeman wants to make you a Ferrari—or an Aston or a McLaren or a Mercedes—you can park neatly in your living room. His company, Amalgam Collection, got its start in the 1980s as an architectural partnership, but it has gained traction as the go-to source for scale versions of luxury road, race and classic cars.

In the late 1990s, when some of Amalgam’s employees suggested making replicas of Formula 1 cars, however, he had an epiphany. “My interest in F1 cars had been dormant,” he says, “and suddenly it was as if I’d awoken the beast.”

Fast-forward 20 years and Copeman and team have taken their small-world manufacturing to locations around the big world—Bristol, England; Hungary and China—where specialized crews make mini versions of cars, yachts and private jets. The finished products range in price from $1,000 for a 1:18 iteration to $100,000 to $200,000 for a 1:4 scale model of a bespoke project

‘Bespoke F1 Car’;

https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/g...on-1234662511/

Leclerc: ‘We can become champions with five wins’.
Charles Leclerc has predicted that, if Ferrari can remain consistent throughout the year, he could become World Champion with five race victories this season.
Date published: March 6 2022 - Henry Valantine

“The last two years have been complicated,” Leclerc said while speaking on French TV show, Canal Sports Club.

“Ferrari is always under great pressure. But we react well as a team and we have also prepared well for the new rules.

“Achieving five wins would already be great. If we are consistent, we can become World Champions with five wins.”

‘Five wins’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/charle...le-prediction/


F1 teams 'sailing close to the wind' of legality with Bahrain upgrades - FIA
Ben Issatt
Formula 1
06 March 2022

The FIA is warning some upgrades expected to be introduced by Formula 1 teams in Bahrain are "sailing close to the wind" in terms of legality.

The FIA knows this because teams present CAD data for all upgrades to ensure they abide by the regulations, and according to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, what they've seen is causing worry.

A source from the governing body claims some teams are "sailing close to the wind and bringing solutions that do not quite correspond to the spirit of the regulations".

‘Sailing Close To The Wind’;

https://www.insideracing.com/formula...n-upgrades-fia


Podcast: F1 2022 development race begins at test two
The Race.
07/03/2022, 06:36

With the second and final 2022 Formula 1 pre-season test kicking off in Bahrain on Thursday, The Race F1 Podcast asks how different we can expect the cars to be as the 2022 development race ramps up.

Gary Anderson and Mark Hughes join Edd Straw to talk through the expectations of the big three teams – Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari – in terms of new parts and how it might impact the competitive order.

‘F1 2022 Development Race’;

https://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/F1/Pre-Season+Testing


Sainz ‘surprised’ by wide range of rival designs
Date published: March 6 2022 - Henry Valantine

Carlos Sainz admitted his shock at the sheer breadth of different car designs on show in Barcelona, given the new restrictions in place.

“Honestly, I have been surprised by all of them,” Sainz told Marca. “How different we are from each other. They said it was going to be a restricted regulation, at least that’s what the engineers said, when it came to designing cars.”

“But all of a sudden there are 10 cars that have nothing to do with each other. That gives you food for thought and above all it gives you arguments to believe that F1 is beautiful this year. I like to see these differences.”

’10 Different Cars’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/carlos...-car-surprise/


‘It was just going to get worse and worse’: Brawn defends shake-up of F1’s regulations
Formula 1 managing director Ross Brawn has defended the shake-up of the sport's technical regulations.
by Rob Kershaw
6 March 20226 March 2022

Brawn reckons the sheer volume of the changes will segregate some teams from a competitive standpoint, but maintains that the changes were necessary.

“Due to the nature of the regulations, inevitably when we start the season, we may see some scatter in the performance of the teams,” he said.

“I think that’s unavoidable, but I also think it was unavoidable to go that route. I think where we were, it was just going to get worse and worse.”

‘F1 Shake-Up’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/it-was-ju...s-regulations/


New Aston F1 chief’s ideology seems tailor-made for Vettel
7th March 2022, 06:56

Compassion, respect, and transparency – three things always said to be crucial ingredients to get the most out of Sebastian Vettel, and three things that come second-nature to his new Formula 1 team boss.

Asked by The Race’s Mark Hughes about Vettel having a reputation of being quite sensitive to his work and environment, and if he feels that is a big part of his role, Krack said: “Yes, I think it is super important.

“It does not have to be always the island of comfort for everyone. But I think it’s very important for such high-class drivers that they feel the support of the team.”

‘Tailor Made For Vettel’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/new-a...de-for-vettel/


Ferrari’s extra wind tunnel runs only worth a tenth of a second per lap – Binotto
2022 F1 season
Posted on
7th March 2022, 7:20 | Written by Keith Collantine

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto says the extra development work they were able to do on their 2022 car compared to Mercedes was only worth up to a tenth of a second per lap.

“We have some more runs at the wind tunnel but if you look at the amount it’s a couple of sessions in the entire year,” he said. “It’s maybe a tenth per lap if you are very good, I think that’s the amount.”

The so-called ‘sliding scale’ aerodynamic rules are intended to encourage teams to use their development capabilities in a more efficient way, said Binotto.

‘1/10th of a Second’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/07/...r-lap-binotto/

Haas could miss first Bahrain test day due to cargo delay.
As reported by German publication Auto Motor und Sport, Haas’ two cars and spare parts are stranded in the UK as the plane that was scheduled to transport the equipment is stuck in Istanbul with technical issues.
by Fergal Walsh
7 hours ago

AMuS says that Haas’ cargo isn’t expected to touchdown at the circuit until Tuesday evening at the earliest.

“We might be able to write off the first day of testing,” Steiner is quoted as saying by AMuS. “All other teams have a two-day lead in preparation.”

However, testing isn’t covered by a curfew which is enforced during the race season, meaning the team could work through the night to assemble its work area and cars when they arrive.

‘Transportation Stuck In Istanbul’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...o-cargo-delay/


The ‘aggressive’ dark horse of F1 testing so far.
AlphaTauri was the sleeper hit of Formula 1 pre-season testing, only setting the sixth-fastest time of the 10 teams but receiving admiring glances from rivals for a tidy car and a relatively untroubled start to 2022 despite the challenge of the new regulations.
The Race.
08/03/2022, 07:12
By Edd Straw

That would set it up well for the target team principal Franz Tost has set for the team of finishing fifth or better in the constructors’ championship. Not that technical director Jody Egginton is allowing himself or the team to get over-confident.

“Personally, being pessimistic has served me well, especially since picking up this job three years ago,” Egginton tells The Race.

“We’re following our path, we’ve got our processes, we’re doing our thing and we get some things right, we get some things wrong. There’s a momentum in the team. We’re doing good things, we’ve got a good driver line-up, we’ve got quite a stable technical group and a stable team.”

‘Following Our Path’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/weve-...esting-so-far/


Ferrari’s 'porpoising' F1 car made Charles Leclerc feel ill at Barcelona
F1
Lewis Larkam
7 Mar 2022

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc says the porpoising he experienced during Formula 1’s opening pre-season test at Barcelona made him feel “a little bit ill”.

A video shared by F1 on its social media channels demonstrated Leclerc experiencing the bizarre, high-frequency bouncing as he hit top speed at the end of Barcelona’s main straight.

‘Feeling Ill’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/997822...clerc-feel-ill


What each team needs from F1’s second pre-season test in Bahrain
F1
Lewis Larkam
7 Mar 2022

Formula 1 is gearing up for a second and (official) pre-season test in Bahrain this week. But what does each team need from the final three days of running before the 2022 season gets underway?

‘Gearing up for the Second Test’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/feature/997...preseason-test


Red Bull confirm driver plans for Bahrain F1 test
07/03/2022, ‎13‎:‎10
Author Thomas Maher
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Red Bull have confirmed when Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez will be driving over the course of the second pre-season test.

RacingNews365.com understands that the team will run Sergio Perez for the first day of action on Thursday, with the Mexican having set the fastest Red Bull time on the final day in Barcelona.

Reigning World Champion Max Verstappen will take over the RB18 on Friday, while both drivers will share responsibilities on the final day. The exact schedule for Saturday is yet to be confirmed.

‘Red Bull Testing Plans’;

https://racingnews365.com/red-bull-c...ahrain-f1-test


Pirelli Announces Tyre Compound Choices for Opening Three Races of 2022
By Paul Hensby
March 7, 2022

Pirelli Motorsport has announced the compounds of tyre they will bring to the opening three races of the 2022 Formula 1 season in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Australia. The race in Bahrain will herald the debut of Pirelli’s eighteen-inch tyres.

With the season just two weeks away, Formula 1’s sole tyre manufacturer has revealed that the hardest tyres available to the teams – the C1, C2 and C3 – will be available at the Bahrain International Circuit on the 18-20 March. In 2021, with the thirteen-inch tyres, they were a step softer, but with Bahrain traditionally seeing extreme tyre wear, it was decided to go for the hardest options for 2022.

‘Tyre Compound Choices’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...races-of-2022/


The 2022 Formula One race car designs, ranked from pretty-in-pink to a bright red speed machine
Will Martin
2022-03-07 T18:34:08Z

• Formula One returns on March 20 with 2022 curtain-raiser, the Bahrain Grand Prix.
•
• The season is one of the most anticipated in years, with new rules expected to shake up the pack.
•
• A new season means new car designs, and Insider has ranked all the teams' latest efforts.

‘Insider Rankings’;

https://www.insider.com/every-f1-car...-season-2022-2


Schedule for the 2022 F1 Bahrain pre-season test
07/03/2022, ‎12‎:‎30
Author RacingNews365 Staff

With Formula 1's 2022 action getting underway for three days of testing in Barcelona, it's time for the final days of preparation for the new season. With a three-day test scheduled in Bahrain this week, here's the full schedule for the action.

Each day of the three-day test in Bahrain will follow the same schedule. The days are divided into morning and afternoon sessions, with a one-hour lunch break in between. This also gives the teams an opportunity to prepare the car if another driver is taking over for the afternoon session.

The morning session begins at 07:00 GMT and runs until 11:00 GMT. Following the break, testing resumes at 12:00 GMT and draws to a close at 16:00 GMT. Check out the full schedule for the first 2022 F1 pre-season test in Bahrain (IN THE LINK) below.

https://racingnews365.com/schedule-f...re-season-test

5 reasons Bahrain’s Official Pre-Season Test will give us a better sense of where the teams stand in 2022.
The development rate in F1 is extraordinary. Even while the cars were on track in Barcelona for pre-season running, work continued at speed back at base in the wind tunnel and in CFD (or computational fluid dynamics simulations) on upgrades – many of which will head into production and then onto the car over the course of the season in the endless search for performance.
F1 Correspondent & Presenter
Lawrence Barretto
09 March 2022

While Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto said the F1-75 will change very little from Barcelona to Bahrain, with the focus instead on accelerating their understanding of the current package and searching for performance sooner, the rest of the field are likely to bring updates of varying degrees as part of their development plan.

Mercedes and Red Bull are believed to be bringing significantly different packages, the duo preferring to give themselves a few extra days on the development of certain parts. Keep an eye on their garages – via F1 TV Pro – first thing on Thursday morning to see what they’ve produced, but be wary that they may leave some new parts off the car until the final afternoon of testing to reduce the amount of time for rivals to get a glimpse of their innovations.

‘Innovation Watch’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...7XgYxloQi.html


The five big questions that F1's Bahrain test will answer.
Formula 1 will this week return to television screens for the first time since the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as pre-season testing continues in Bahrain.
Today, ‎07‎:‎00
Author Tom Leach

The wait is almost over; Formula 1 action will this week return to television screens as the new cars take to the track for the final three days of testing ahead of the 2022 season.

RacingNews365.com will be trackside in Bahrain, bringing you all the latest from inside the F1 paddock as the show gets well and truly back on the road.

Who will brings the upgrades to Sakhir?

Have F1's bright minds solved their propoising problems?

Will F1 reach a decision over minimum weight limit?

How will F1's new cars cope with Bahrain?

Will we learn the 2022 pecking order?

‘Waiting Is Almost Over’;

https://racingnews365.com/the-five-b...st-will-answer


Do Mercedes have a surprise in store? Is there a clear leader? Six testing talking points
2022 F1 season
Posted on
9th March 2022, 6:058th March 2022, 22:43 | Written by Keith Collantine

There have been various claims one team or another might pull out a surprise for the final three days of testing. But one report captured the imaginations of many. Italian newspaper Corriere della Serra yesterday claimed Mercedes is about to present a drastically overhauled W13 which lacks conventional sidepods. The rumours spread rapidly across social media yesterday.

If any team does have a radical idea up their sleeves, now would be a good time to produce it. After this test the contenders head straight into two races on consecutive weekends, meaning any early advantage will be locked in for the first couple of events.

But how realistic such a design would be is open to debate. Removing or drastically downsizing the sidepods while passing F1’s side impact tests would be a formidable challenge. It would also place far greater demands upon the car’s airbox to provide cooling. However other teams have already pursued aggressive solutions in this respect, notably Red Bull’s ultra-slim sidepods.

‘Early Advantage, ‘Locks In’, First Couple Of Races’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/09/...alking-points/


Willams’ Head of Vehicle Design Dave Robson is looking positively towards Bahrain
By Robert Percy
March 8, 2022

The second round of this year’s pre-season testing starts in Bahrain this weekend and Williams Racing is definitely looking forward to it. After some initially promising running in Barcelona, Williams’ Head of Vehicle Design Dave Robson is looking towards Bahrain with a positive mindset.

“We got a useful preview of the FW44 in Barcelona and although the cars were only back in Grove for a few days before being transported to Bahrain, we were able to do quite a lot of work on them, which should help us to exploit the best performance this week.“

“We were reasonably happy with our work in Barcelona, but we are looking to do even better this week as we seek to push the performance of the FW44 forwards as well as ensuring that the car is fully race ready for the season ahead.”

‘Race Ready’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...wards-bahrain/


Hamilton warns ‘most cars are probably overweight’ ahead of Bahrain test
Sir Lewis Hamilton ended the final day of the first pre-season test in Barcelona fastest ahead of team-mate George Russell.
by Rob Kershaw
8 March 20228 March 2022

Many teams are reportedly pushing for an increase to the weight limit this season, as Alfa Romeo are said to be the only outfit to have managed to get their car below the 795kg limit as outlined by the FIA.

“Most likely, most cars are probably overweight, they are heavier than they have ever been,” said Hamilton of the weight situation.

“I am glad people are able to stop them so far.”

‘Most Cars Overweight!’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/hamilton-...-bahrain-test/


The crucial task Ferrari have been working on between F1 tests
08/03/2022, ‎10‎:‎20
Author Mike Seymour
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Ferrari have been busy correlating their simulator and wind tunnel following the first pre-season test in Barcelona, where 2022's new cars ran together for the first time.

Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto has explained that one of the outfit's main tasks between the Barcelona and Bahrain pre-season tests centred around simulator and wind tunnel correlation.

"The objective of the session was to try to map the car in all the conditions, to try to understand the correlation with the wind tunnel and the simulator. The correlation will be an exercise back at Maranello, really trying to correlate all the data. The car is behaving well, overall, so we're not expecting big issues in terms of correlation. But it's not a matter of finding issues, it's a matter of optimising the final performance."

‘Correlating Wind Tunnel and Simulator’;

https://racingnews365.com/the-crucia...tween-f1-tests


Why F1 is so much more of an ‘efficiency race’ in 2022
The Race
8th March 2022, 12:17
By Edd Straw

Formula 1’s development battle in 2022 is “an efficiency race” given the impact of the cost cap and aerodynamic testing restrictions, according to Williams team boss Jost Capito.

“It’s all about efficiency now,” said Capito. “And we have the cost cap and you have to get the maximum out of the cost curve and that means you have to be able to do the best possible development throughout the year and for next year’s car.”

“So having this in mind, all money you don’t spend somewhere else on fixed costs, for example, you can put into development. That’s the most important thing, Formula 1 becomes an efficiency race.”

‘Efficiency Race’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/why-f...-race-in-2022/


Steiner admits Haas ‘may have to write off’ first day of testing in Bahrain
Haas' cargo was left stuck in the United Kingdom after the plane that was due to carry it to Bahrain broke down in Turkey.
by Rob Kershaw
8 March 20228 March 2022

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has admitted that they will likely miss the opening day of testing in Bahrain this week due to an issue transferring their cargo to Sakhir.

The team’s cars and other important equipment were left stranded at Doncaster airport after the plane that was supposed to come and collect everything to take it to Bahrain broke down in Istanbul.

It is now expected that the team’s cargo will be taken to Germany, where they can then be collected and taken to the Middle East. “According to our information, it should now be flown to Leipzig and from there to Bahrain,” said a report by Auto Motor und Sport.

‘Doncaster Airport!’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/steiner-a...ng-in-bahrain/

Mercedes may be ‘months ahead’; Ricciardo’s next step: What to watch for in final F1 testing.
Formula 1 closes its pre-season campaign this weekend, with three days of testing beginning Thursday (tonight) at the Bahrain International Circuit.
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports
March 10th, 2022 8:29 am

Just 30 hours of crucial track time remains before the first round of the season, and while some teams will be aiming to build on decent foundations laid during February testing, several others are already playing catch-up thanks to reliability problems.

Watching the timing screen during pre-season testing is always ill-advised, but lap times will become increasingly relevant as we progress through the three days.

’30 Hours Remain!’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...4a9724bb5b131c


A ‘completely different’ 2022 F1 engine has quietly impressed.
Renault’s works team willingly compromised its 2021 season by the Viry-Chatillon engine division not developing its power unit and instead focusing its resources on a major development project for 2022.
The Race
09/03/2022, 11:58
By Scott Mitchell

The Alpine Formula 1 team’s massively revised Renault engine should be run at full power for the first time this week after an impressive testing debut in which it was “not even a talking point”.

The organisation conducted a “back to front” review of the power unit, according to Alpine’s new F1 technical director Matt Harman, and “decided to change the architecture of that power unit extensively in all areas including the internal combustion engine, the ERS, the turbo and its positioning in the car”.

‘Back To Front Review’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/a-com...tly-impressed/


Mercedes’ radical new ‘sidepod-less’ W13 design appears ahead of final test
2022 F1 season
Posted on
10th March 2022, 6:25| Written by Keith Collantine

Mercedes have revealed a radical new development on their W13 ahead of the second pre-season test in Bahrain.

The team’s W13 appeared in the paddock at Bahrain International Circuit featuring revised, much slimmer sidepods.

Reports of a ‘sidepod-less’ W13 first emerged in Italian newspaper Corriere della Serra, which is believed to have been alerted to the design by one of Mercedes’ rivals.

‘Radical W13 Sidepod-less!’

https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/10/...of-final-test/


McLaren evolve their F1 livery ahead of Bahrain test
2022 F1 Season
Posted on
9th March 2022, 16:28 | Written by Hazel Southwell

McLaren has revised the livery of its Formula 1 car ahead of the Bahrain pre-season test

The original launch car had a largely papaya engine cover, with flashes of turquoise and black down the sidepods. The livery being run today has a mostly black engine cover with a small orange swoop over the sidepods down the length of the rear. The drivers’ numbers are more prominent, being orange on black instead of blue on orange. The rear wing endplates have also been re-painted black.

The changes to the car are more than just cosmetic. There are also signs of a revised, more heavily contoured floor at the edge of the sidepods, compared to the car that ran at Barcelona. There are significant restrictions to the dimensions of bodywork in that area under the 2022 rules.

‘McLaren Evolution’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/09/...-bahrain-test/


Alonso: Other teams ‘smarter’ than Alpine out the blocks
Date published: March 9 2022 - Jamie Woodhouse

EL PLAN: Fernando Alonso believes that some teams came into the Barcelona shakedown better prepared than Alpine did.

So to Alonso’s mind, while he was generally happy with how the test went, he nonetheless believes that some of Alpine’s rivals outsmarted them.

“With the new regulations there are always a lot of things to test and adjust,” Marca quote him as having said in an interview with Forbes.

“I think we have made progress, the truth is that other teams seemed to be more prepared, they went out from the beginning, they got the time super easy, they did long runs.

‘Alpine’s Rivals Outsmarted Them’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/fernan...ne-outsmarted/


22 Questions with Alex Albon and Nicholas Latifi | Part I
Published on
09 Mar 2022

As we edge ever closer to lights out in Bahrain, we caught up with Williams Racing drivers Alex Albon and Nicholas Latifi to ask them 22 Questions ahead of the 2022 Formula One season.

Alex and Nicky fielded questions on a range of topics, from their go-to coffee order and favourite cheat meal, to the inspiration behind their racing number.

’22 Answers’;

https://www.williamsf1.com/posts/351...-latifi-part-i


Inside Ferrari's Luxury Private Jet Used by Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Between Races
9 Mar 2022, 13:48 UTC ·
by Monica Coman

In 2019, Ferrari announced a partnership with the private jet company, VistaJet, which would fly around its Scuderia Ferrari drivers. Now, the partnership continues, and Carlos Sainz Jr. Just gave us a good look at the interior of the luxury jet while he was on his way to Bahrein with teammate Charles Leclerc.

On his way to Bahrain for pre-season testing, the Ferrari Spanish driver took it to social media to give us a look at how he and Leclerc travel during the season: on a VistaJet private aircraft.

‘Scuderia Luxury Jet’;

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/i...es-183524.html


Mazepin names the four drivers who support him
Date published: March 10 2022 - Jamie Woodhouse

Mazepin has been left feeling extremely hard done by regarding Haas’ decision, while he revealed that only four of the now 19 drivers on the Formula 1 grid reached out to him.

However, for the ones that did, they being Mercedes’ George Russell, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc and Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas, he is grateful for the messages of support.

Speaking in a video conference, Mazepin said: “I appreciated the small number of drivers who expressed their support for me. “Sergio [Perez], Valtteri [Bottas], Charles [Leclerc] and George [Russell] all contacted me. They know how important the situation is, and they showed their support after I lost the opportunity to compete.”

‘Support From Four F1 Drivers’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/nikita...s-support-him/

Brawn: We did not anticipate the Mercedes concept.
Formula 1 chief Ross Brawn was a keen pitlane observer on day one of Bahrain F1 Testing, admitting the radical solutions seen on the Mercedes W13 came as a surprise.
Editor
10 March, 2022

During the morning session at Sakhir, Brawn was also seen touring the garages and pitlane, telling Sky TV: “Some of the solutions quite honestly we never anticipated and I think we will go back in to investigate those solutions and make sure they maintain the objective of the new rules – I think they do.

“There are some very extreme interpretations of the regulations which could lead to a lot of debate. We did not anticipate the Mercedes concept.”

“Our initial impressions are that there’s nothing here that we would be overly concerned about in terms of those objectives in the regulations. The regulators of the sport know what’s going on – I think they’re ok with it so far.”

‘Radical Solutions’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/03...in-f1-testing/


Leclerc leads Albon as F1’s 2022 Bahrain test begins
10/03/2022, 11:10
By Josh Suttill

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was half a second clear on the opening morning of Formula 1’s second 2022 pre-season test in Bahrain.

Leclerc put his Ferrari to the top of the timesheets just before the midway mark in the session with a 1m34.531s on the C3 tyres. This put Leclerc over 1.5 seconds clear until the Williams of Alex Albon jumped into second place and eventually cut that gap to 0.539s on the C4 tyres.

The top three was completed by Aston Martin’s four-time champion Sebastian Vettel who was 1.175s slower than Leclerc’s benchmark.

‘Scuderia top timesheets’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/lecle...n-test-begins/


Leclerc sets the pace, Mercedes sets the tongues wagging
NEWS STORY
10/03/2022

Charles Leclerc sets the pace on the opening morning of the Bahrain test, but it is the Mercedes sidepods - or lack of them - that grab the headlines.

At a time many are complaining that the new rules have left the cars looking more similar than ever, a brave gamble by the German team proves that there is always room for improvement.

As the W13 headed out it appeared to have no sidepods, but on closer inspection it becomes clear that the German team has slimmed them down to an amazing degree with the cooling inlets totally re-sculptured. There are two sets of cooling gills, one on top of the sidepod and the other on the side of the engine cover, leaving the car looking a real work of art and entirely different to its rivals.

‘Real Work Of Art’;

https://www.pitpass.com/71931/Lecler...ongues-wagging


Toto Wolff offers thoughts on Mercedes sidepod debate
By George Dagless
Published: 10 Mar 2022, 12:29

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has said that he is unconcerned about the debate that is rumbling around the design of his team’s new car at Bahrain testing. Speaking in Bahrain at the lunchtime press conference on Thursday, he explained:

“The process is very clear. When you go in a specific development direction, you have the FIA part of it. You’re exchanging CAD and you’re making them part of the process.”

Of course, Wolff is hardly going to sit there and say Mercedes thought they’d get away with a fast one and it’s a fair cop but, at the same time, it does seem pretty clear the FIA were liaised with throughout this process.

‘Mercedes W13 Fair Cop!’;

https://www.givemesport.com/87982486...sidepod-debate


MERCEDES SIDEPODS EXPLAINED
Catherine Micallef
10/03/2022, 10:49

No one knows what to call them yet. Sky Sports F1 came up with a few names.

Maybe “no pods”? Or “zero pods”? Or it can also be “podless”?

Mercedes did say that they would have aggressive upgrades to their car from the Barcelona testing, but some are questioning the changes

Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle explained the car to look “like a bar of chocolate has been left out in the sun and melted.”

‘Melted Bar Of Chocolate’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/me...ods-explained/


The secrets behind Mercedes’ ‘disappearing’ sidepods at F1 testing
The Silver Arrows have unveiled a controversial new version of the W13 in Bahrain on Day 1
Jack Rathborn
10/03/2022, 10:32

Mercedes have created controversy already on day one of Formula 1 testing with the “extreme” innovation to making the sidepods on their 2022 car “disappear”.

And Mercedes High Performance Powertrains boss Hywel Thomas noted a “huge change” in the sidepod design in a video the team put out explaining the biggest changes on the 2022 car.

Thomas and Mercedes F1 technical director Mike Elliott had discussed the car’s initial development, with the original Mercedes sidepods shrinking noticeably at the back, only for the evolution of the W13 to see them almost “disappear”.

‘Sidepod Shrinkage!’;

https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/mer...-b2032736.html


The ‘massive tear-up’ behind Mercedes’ disappearing sidepods
10/03/2022, 07:05
By Scott Mitchell

“I guess when you look at the sidepods – I know you guys! – you’d be worried where that’s going to cool,” Elliott joked.

“A big chunk of work has gone into this car to try and get that cooling and to get that cooling in a more efficient way,” said Elliott.

“The work we’ve done together on the layout of the exhaust, and the cooling systems of the car, are going to pay big dividends in the aerodynamics.”

‘Cooling Concerns!’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/the-m...ring-sidepods/


‘Daniel Ricciardo is feeling unwell’: McLaren driver replaced by Norris for first day of Bahrain test
McLaren were forced to swap out Daniel Ricciardo for Lando Norris after the Australian fell ill overnight.
by Rob Kershaw
10 March 202210 March 2022

Daniel Ricciardo was forced to miss the first day of the second pre-season test in Bahrain after falling ill overnight, with Lando Norris taking the reigns on day one of the morning test.

The Australian was set to get behind the wheel of the MCL36 on day one, but reported to his team that he was feeling under the weather, and was not well enough to go to the paddock and get drive the car on day one.

‘Get Well Daniel Ricciardo’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/daniel-ri...-bahrain-test/

Who’s thriving, and who’s toiling, with F1 2022’s car demands.
How far they have got in controlling the porpoising phenomenon? Ferrari has clearly made good progress with this, Mercedes – regardless of the visual impact of its new sidepods – has not. Bahrain exposed this problem more severely than Barcelona.
10th March 2022, 18:22
By Mark Hughes

Red Bull is keeping its powder dry with no attempt made at a fast lap, just a series of consistent long runs from Sergio Perez. The other team with an apparently good handle on the porpoising – McLaren – was instead floundering around Sakhir with brake problems but in between times still managed to go reasonably quickly.

AlphaTauri set the fastest time after Pierre Gasly did a series of single-lap runs on the softest tyres late in the day. But given the expected gap between his C5 and the C3 tyre compound on which the Ferraris set their times (Charles Leclerc in the morning, Carlos Sainz in the afternoon), the red cars were probably in reality the fastest – at around 3s off the pace of the fastest cars at this stage in last year’s test.

‘He Who Controls The Porpoising Phenomenon, Maybe Wins!’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/whos-...s-car-demands/


Pierre Gasly finishes fastest after day one of F1 pre-season test - with both Ferrari drivers completing the top three and Lewis Hamilton down in 11th as Mercedes' drastically different 2022 car is the talk of the paddock in Bahrain.
By Kieran Jackson For Mailonline
Published: 17:10, 10 March 2022

• The first day of the official F1 pre-season test took place in Bahrain earlier today

• Eyebrows were raised after Mercedes revealed a different design to their car

• AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly was a surprise leader after day one of testing

• Ferrari duo Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc completed the top-three

• Lewis Hamilton finished 11th in the standings - Max Verstappen did not drive

‘Pierre Gasly was a surprise name at the top of the leaderboard after day one of F1 testing’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...drivers-3.html


McLaren's F1 test brake issues not an easy fix, warns Lando Norris
F1
Lewis Larkam
10 Mar 2022

Lando Norris fears the brake issues which hampered McLaren’s start to Formula 1’s second pre-season test in Bahrain is “not going to be an easy fix”.

Norris was seen struggling to slow down at Turn 1 and Turn 10 on multiple occasions as he regularly suffered lock-ups and ran wide. The issue impacted McLaren’s long run plans and Norris is concerned it may take time to solve.

“We just had problems with the brakes today, simple as that,” Norris explained at the end of the opening day of running in Bahrain. “The exact problems I'm not too sure, but just temperatures and stuff. It didn't allow us to do long runs. Things we are trying to fix the next few days, it's not going to be an easy fix, so we'll see what we can do.”

‘Not An Easy Fix!’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/998069...asy-fix-norris


Bottas’s Alfa Romeo F1 life finally starts ‘properly’
10/03/2022, 17:16
By Scott Mitchell

Valtteri Bottas believes the problems that plagued Alfa Romeo’s woeful Barcelona Formula 1 test are now “behind us” after the team’s “first proper day” without issue in Bahrain.

The team and Bottas enjoyed a far more drama-free day on the opening day of the Bahrain test, with Bottas logging 66 laps in the afternoon after his rookie team-mate Zhou Guanyu completed 54 in the morning, only halted briefly by an issue that caused him to stop in the pitlane.

With a combined total of 120 laps, this gave Alfa the third-highest lap tally, only behind 2021 title protagonists Red Bull (138) and Mercedes (122).

‘F1 Life Finally Starts’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/botta...arts-properly/


Alex Albon reacts to Day 1 of testing in Bahrain
Published on
10 Mar 2022

Our No23 gives us his thoughts after hopping out of the FW44

With another day of running under his belt, Alex Albon speaks after recording 104 laps in the FW44.

‘104 Laps For The Williams FW44’;

https://www.williamsf1.com/posts/a10...ing-in-bahrain


Max Verstappen hints Ferrari are the team to beat in Bahrain qualifying next week
By George Dagless
Published: 10 Mar 2022, 16:00

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has hinted that Ferrari could be the team to beat at the Bahrain Grand Prix next week in terms of qualifying, with him saying he hopes that his team can be close to the Scuderia in Q3.

The Prancing Horse is being tipped by many to make a return to the front of the grid and several over the course of Barcelona testing and the start of Bahrain testing have commented that they are looking strong.

Scuderia team boss Mattia Binotto has said that remain outsiders for the championship in a bid to cool expectations but even he cannot deny that the Ferrari has immediately looked solid and consistent during testing so far.

‘Scuderia Cool and Solid’;

https://www.givemesport.com/87982487...ying-next-week


Rivals thwart Haas’ hopes of extra test on Sunday
Date published: March 10 2022 - Jon Wilde

The problem stemmed from a technical issue with a plane in Turkey and meant Haas were behind in their preparations, leaving them unable to get the car onto the circuit until Thursday afternoon rather than the morning.

Therefore, they made a request to extend their testing into a fourth day, Sunday, in order to have the same amount of track time as their rivals.

But the plea was vetoed as three teams are said to have objected, with Haas team principal Guenther Steiner citing one of them as being McLaren. It has been reported the other two were Alpine and Alfa Romeo.

‘Technical Issues’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/haas-s...opes-thwarted/


Wolff on Mercedes’ W13 legality: ‘I think we’ll be ok’
Date published: March 10 2022 - Mark Scott

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is reasonably confident that the sidepod-less W13 is here to stay amid the inevitable questions about its legality.

“It’s clear that sometimes when you come with an innovation, it creates the kind of debate that we are having here,” Wolff told reporters during a press conference in Bahrain.

“That’s why that was expected. We have the new governance with the super majority that’s needed. My opinion is that I would have preferred to stay with the old system and if a team comes up with an innovation, possibly you can’t take it off the car if it’s compliant with the regulations.”

‘No Sidepods Can Be Taken Off The Car!’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/merced...ff-assessment/

Bahrain pre-season test: Day 2 line-ups.
F1 teams head into their second day of pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit on Friday.
Michael Delaney11/03/2022 at 06:15

While some will pick up where they left off on Thursday, others will be looking to boost their lap tally at Sakhir. That will be the case for McLaren whose mileage was limited on the opening day by brake temperature issues, with Lando Norris putting just 50 laps on the board.

Haas will also be looking to recover the ground it lost following its freight issues and forced delayed start to its testing schedule in Bahrain.

‘Pick Up and Recover The Ground’;

https://f1i.com/news/434109-bahrain-...ine-ups-2.html


McLaren will suffer with Ricciardo illness
11/03/2022, 07:18

Naomi Schiff thinks Daniel Ricciardo's illness will be 'tough for the whole' McLaren team as Lando Norris takes on driving duties for the second day of testing in Bahrain.

‘Get Well Daniel Ricciardo’;

https://www.skysports.com/watch/vide...ciardo-illness


Binotto admits Ferrari ‘underestimated’ how big of an issue porpoising would be
The teams are still trying to work their away around the porpoising issue that many of them faced in the first test in Barcelona.
by Rob Kershaw
11 March 202211 March 2022

While the Mercedes of Sir Lewis Hamilton appeared to be doing a lot of bouncing on Thursday morning in Sakhir, Leclerc’s car looked relatively smoother. “We certainly knew, with the ground-effect situation, that it was going to be different. It is a learning process,” he (Binotto) added.

“Solving it can be quite straightforward, optimising the performance because it should not be a compromise but trying to avoid the bouncing by getting the most out of the car, that could be a less-easy exercise.”

“I’m pretty sure that at some stage, each team will get to the solution. How long will it take? I think the ones that get there sooner will have an advantage at the start of the season.”

‘Mercedes Bouncing, Ferrari Smooth’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/binotto-a...sing-would-be/


Gasly sensed rivals were ‘hiding’ in claiming P1
Date published: March 10 2022 - Jon Wilde

Pierre Gasly thought the top teams must have been “hiding” to enable him to finish P1 on the opening day of the official pre-season test.

A driver who excelled over a single lap last year, the Frenchman went top of the timesheet by more than half a second with a 1:34.010 and then knocked off another tenth, with Sainz only able to get within 0.457sec before a red flag ended the session a few minutes early.

But Gasly sensed only his team were really interested in pumping in some qualifying-style laps and that others capable of matching his pace had been piling up the sandbags.

‘Piling Up The Sandbags’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/pierre...ing-helped-p1/


Formula One: Mercedes' new 'extreme' car raises hackles at Bahrain test
The Strait Times.
11/03/2022, 00:51

The new-look W13 car featured dramatically narrower sidepods, with Formula One's motorsport managing director Ross Brawn saying the concept was impressive and a "very extreme interpretation of the regulation" that had not been anticipated.

"Inevitably, there's going to be a lot of debate about their interpretation. That's what happens with new regulations," the Briton told F1 TV. "However hard you try to close off all the options, and believe me, we closed off hundreds of them, the innovation in Formula One is always extreme."

‘Raising Hackles’!;

https://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/F1/Pre-Season+Testing


Ferrari want a Mercedes ban, but not on the zero pods
Date published: March 10 2022 - Jon Wilde

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has also found something on the Mercedes he does not approve of.

In his case, it applies to the mirror assembly, with the Scuderia boss believing the aerodynamic effect goes against the spirit of the regulations which have, of course, been heavily revised for this season.

“I think the way [Mercedes] treated or designed their car, certainly there is a significant aero purpose in the mirrors itself and I think something we need to stop for the future, no doubt, because the risk is we will come in the future that all the teams start designing mirrors that look like spaceships.”

‘Spaceship Mirrors!’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrar...rror-assembly/


Full driver line-up for day two of Bahrain testing
Date published: March 11 2022 - Jon Wilde

McLaren have confirmed that Daniel Ricciardo has not recovered from his illness and won’t be in the car in Bahrain on Friday.

Ricciardo had to withdraw from day one of the official test due to being unwell, also missing the traditional Formula 1 photoshoot as he recuperated in his hotel room.

With each driver limited to one and a half days in the car apiece, that means there will be the first Bahrain running on Friday for their respective team-mates Max Verstappen, Yuki Tsunoda and Nicholas Latifi – all of whom spent Thursday fulfilling media commitments.

‘Day 2 Driver Line-Up’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/bahrai...y-two-drivers/

Ocon tops morning Bahrain F1 test session, fire for Williams.
Esteban Ocon set the pace on the second morning of the final pre-season Formula 1 test at Bahrain, as Williams suffered its first big setback of testing with a small on-track fire.
The Race
11/03/2022, 11:24
By Jack Cozens

Ocon set his best time, a 1m34.276s, on C4 tyres in the second hour of the session, around 20 minutes before the main red-flag stoppage of the morning – shown when the rear brakes on Nicholas Latifi’s Williams caught fire.

Smoke was seen from the rear of the car as Latifi cruised round the track, but the Williams then spun off at Turn 12, with Latifi assisting the marshals in putting out the fire at the start of a recovery process that lasted around 30 minutes.

‘Ocon Top, Williams On Fire!’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/ocon-...-for-williams/


Ocon tops disrupted morning session on Day 2 in Bahrain.
Alpine's Esteban Ocon topped the timesheet midday in Bahrain, the Frenchman edging Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Red Bull's Max Verstappen in a morning disrupted by two red flags.
Michael Delaney 11/03/2022 at 11:21

Ocon achieved his best effort – a 1m34.276s – on Pirelli's softer C4 compound, but the time was several tenths slower than the benchmark time set by AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly on Thursday.

The session's first stoppage and red flag occurred when Nicholas Latifi's was forced to park his car following a dramatic fire that had ignited at the back of the Williams.

‘EL PLAN: Alpine Top Morning Timesheet Midday’;

https://f1i.com/news/434220-ocon-top...n-bahrain.html


WATCH: Nicholas Latifi's Williams stops in flames on the morning of Day 2
11 March 2022

Nicholas Latifi faced an early end to the second day of pre-season testing when his Williams went up in flames, causing him to spin and extricate immediately on Friday in Bahrain.

Latifi's Friday morning running had previously been interrupted when a piece of his floor broke off on the main straight, and when he emerged it was all going smoothly – until smoke started billowing from his rear brakes.

‘Williams Stops In Flames’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...ZKQ2kaYaL.html


Valtteri Bottas gives positive Alfa Romeo update following Barcelona struggles
By George Dagless
Published: 11 Mar 2022, 11:42

Valtteri Bottas has cut a positive figure in Bahrain over the course of the second and final Formula 1 winter test with him saying that the issues Alfa Romeo faced at the first test in Barcelona are now behind them.

Speaking after day one, Bottas said that there’s a much happier feeling in the Alfa garage now with their new C42 car:

“All the issues we had in Barcelona seems like they are now behind us.”

“So that’s positive. To be able to do that in one week, and for the team to be able to do that in one week, it was crucial actually that we got those laps.

‘Issues Behind Us!’;

https://www.givemesport.com/87982860...lona-struggles


Bottas stops on track and ends session
11/03/2022, 11:12


Valtteri Bottas stops his Alfa Romeo on track causing a red flag and ending the morning session of the second Bahrain Test.

‘Morning Session Ends!’;

https://www.skysports.com/watch/vide...d-ends-session


Bahrain F1 Testing - Day 2 Results (Morning times)
11/03/2022, ‎11‎:‎03
Author RacingNews365 Staff

Esteban Ocon and Alpine topped the second morning of F1's pre-season test in Bahrain, while several teams hit issues.

Esteban Ocon posted the fastest time for Alpine during Friday morning's test session at the Bahrain International Circuit.
Ocon's effort of 1:34.276 on the Soft C4 tyre put him just under a tenth clear of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who used the Medium C3.

‘The full times and tyre compounds are listed (in the link) below’;

https://racingnews365.com/bahrain-f1...-morning-times

Carlos Sainz goes quickest in afternoon for Ferrari.
Carlos Sainz tops the timing in the afternoon session of the second Bahrain Test in his Ferrari.
Sky Sports.
11/03/2022

‘Scuderia Numero 1’;

https://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/F1/Pre-Season+Testing


Typical Mercedes, typical George' – Sainz shrugs off Russell's claim that Ferrari are strongest in pre-season testing
11 March 2022

Carlos Sainz has brushed off implications – specifically those of Mercedes’ George Russell – that Ferrari are looking like potential favourites in 2022, calling it “typical” of Mercedes to “hype up the others” before the first race of the season.

Sainz and Ferrari have indeed had a successful pre-season so far, having led the mileage charts in Barcelona before following that up with second and third place on the opening day of the Official Pre-Season Test in Bahrain. Mercedes’ new hire Russell has talked up the Scuderia’s performance, calling the team “globally the strongest” on Thursday, having also pointed them out as threats in Spain.

‘Hyping Up Others!’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...n6YGQruBc.html


McLaren scrambling to rush new brake parts to Bahrain
Phillip van Osten 11/03/2022 at 14:27

McLaren says it's in "a race against time" to manufacture and transport new parts to Bahrain to solve the brake issue encountered by its MCL36 at Sakhir.

"We will make steps with modifications that we could do here in the track, which still allow us to work on the car, working on the understanding of the car as well.”

"We could run some small upgrades on the car as well, in order to extract more performance from the package."

‘Race Against Time!’;

https://f1i.com/news/434259-mclaren-...o-bahrain.html


Williams calls it a day in Bahrain after fire damage
Michael Delaney 11/03/2022 at 14:02

Williams has announced that it will take no further part in Friday's running in Bahrain as its FW44 remains under repair following the damage sustained by the car in this morning's session.

A case of overheating brakes that ignited a fire at the rear of the FW44 forced Nicholas Latifi to park the car to allow track marshals to extinguish the flames.

Unfortunately, part of the Williams' rear suspension and many of its components were consumed by the flames which required a lengthy repair job by the British outfit's crews that spelled the end of the day's running for the team.

‘Overheating Brakes’;

https://f1i.com/news/434257-williams...re-damage.html


Max Verstappen shares two-word joke over Mercedes' new car design
By George Dagless
Published: 11 Mar 2022, 13:48

Max Verstappen was asked for his opinion on the new car, too, and he replied with a short, two-word verdict in a joking matter:

“Ugly huh,” Nos quote him as saying.

‘Ugly huh!’;

https://www.givemesport.com/87982917...new-car-design


Red Bull bringing noticeable car update for final day of test – Perez
2022 F1 season
Posted on
11th March 2022, 15:02 | Written by Keith Collantine

Red Bull will bring a significant update for its RB18 on the final day of pre-season testing, Sergio Perez has revealed.

Perez told the official F1 website that Red Bull’s development schedule is “all according to plan” and the team will have new parts on the car “tomorrow.”

“I think it’s all visually easy to spot,” he added. “You will see it tomorrow.”

‘RB18 Noticeable Upgrade’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/11/...of-test-perez/

https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/11/...of-test-perez/


Horner impressed with Ferrari, but Mercedes 'still to show their hand'
Phillip van Osten 11/03/2022 at 15:19

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner says he's been impressed so far by the performance in pre-season testing of Ferrari's F1-75 but insists Mercedes has yet to "show their hand".

With each passing session since pre-season preparations kicked off in Barcelona two weeks ago, a consensus has slowly emerged in the F1 paddock that Ferrari currently holds an edge over its rivals.

‘W13 Still To Show Their Hand’;

https://f1i.com/news/434263-horner-i...heir-hand.html


Lewis Hamilton brought back down to reality with Mercedes chief cautious on updates
MERCEDES grabbed the attention of the F1 paddock with their radical modification on the W13.
By STUART BALLARD
11:00, Fri, Mar 11, 2022

Mercedes were the talk of the town on Thursday after unveiling their sidepod-less W13 design with reports indicating that they've found the best formula for the new regulations. But Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin insists it remains too early to tell whether they've got it right or not.

The aggressive design has been heralded by many with the cooling system packaged more centrally, creating space for a tightly-packed sidepod which may well significantly help aerodynamic performance.

"We've got quite a lot of work still to do regarding validation of the update kit and will continue the data collection programme over the next few days so it's a bit early to say whether everything is working as expected," Shovlin said.

‘Too Early For The Aggressive Design To Be Right Or Not!’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...lin-Toto-Wolff

Hamilton: ‘Tacky driving’ shows Mercedes’ troubles are real.
Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes Formula 1 drivers’ “oversteer moments and tacky driving” are evidence that the hybrid era’s dominant outfit isn’t hiding its performance in 2022 pre-season testing.
11/03/2022, 17:09
By Valentin Khorounzhiy

Mercedes has looked in subdued form on compound-corrected laptimes throughout both Barcelona and – so far – Bahrain testing, and what looked like a performance run attempted by the seven-time F1 champion on the second day of Sakhir testing was only good enough for fourth-fastest – despite him being on the softest C5 tyres compared to the C4s for the three cars ahead.

Asked about Sainz’s comments, Hamilton said: “We’ll be really, really, really good if we were having all these oversteer moments and tacky driving just to hide our cards! That’s not the case. We have things we’re trying to get through. Others are struggling less. Who knows, maybe when we’ll get to next week we’ll have a better understanding.”

‘Tacky Driving!’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/hamil...bles-are-real/


Analysis: Mercedes’ slimline sidepods and the “rocket” technology behind them.
The wide sidepod design by the likes of Ferrari, Haas, and Aston Martin aims to control this front tyre wake by physically ‘pushing out’ the tyre wake in a similar fashion to what barge boards used to do. With this extremely narrow sidepod, Mercedes have taken the completely opposite approach to control the front tyre wake.
F1 technology
Posted on
11th March 2022, 17:5411th March 2022, 17:54 | Written by Alto Ono

In Formula 1 aerodynamics, controlling the front tyre wake has always been a key performance differentiator. The air disturbed by the front tyres produces an extremely volatile, ‘dirty’ flow, and if left uncontrolled it would ruin the aerodynamic performance of the latter half of the vehicle.

“There’s a way you can do it with a wider sidepod and there’s a way you can do it with a narrow one and we’ve obviously taken that route,” said Mercedes technical director Mike Elliot in an interview with Sky. “Obviously it’s visually very different, but it’s just a small difference in what we’re trying to do aerodynamically.”

“We’ve done that using the narrow sidepod layout to stop the tyre wake sticking to the sidepod and being pulled in, whereas other teams will have gone through a route of pushing the sidepod out as far as they can to try and push it out that way. They’re just two ways of doing the same thing.”

‘Narrow Sidepod & ‘Turning Vane’ Analysis’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/11/...y-behind-them/


Lewis Hamilton: 'Bouncing a bit worse this week if anything'
11 Mar 2022

Lewis Hamilton explains he has found conditions in Sakhir during Bahrain's Official Pre-Season Test especially challenging, with wind, heat, 'porpoising' and getting to grips with Mercedes' new set-up all conspiring to make it "tough out there".

‘Toughing It Out’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...239361474.html


F1 Testing: Lewis Hamilton struggling to 'tame' Mercedes and tips Ferrari as Bahrain GP favourites
Lewis Hamilton gives his verdict on the all-new Mercedes car; Ferrari have impressed during pre-season testing but Carlos Sainz is cautious over the world champions' potential, dismissing the "typical Mercedes hype"
Last Updated: 11/03/22 5:58pm

Lewis Hamilton has admitted he is struggling to "tame" Mercedes' new Formula 1 car at pre-season testing and believes fast-starters Ferrari could be the team to beat come the opening Bahrain GP next weekend.

World champions Mercedes have generated headlines this week with a radical new design for their W13 car but have yet to turn that intrigue into fast times, with Hamilton only fifth on Friday despite a soft-tyre run.

‘Taming the Mercedes W13’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/24...-gp-favourites


Hamilton: Ferrari one-two if Bahrain GP was tomorrow
Date published: March 11 2022 - Jamie Woodhouse

While unsure where Mercedes sit in the pecking order after day two of Bahrain testing, Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari are in a good place.

As for the team that he sees as the leader, if the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix was on March 12 rather than March 20, Hamilton would back Ferrari.

“I think Ferrari, for what I can see, today Ferrari would probably be getting a one-two,” he said. “Maybe Red Bull.”

‘Mercedes Pecking Order ‘Uncertainty!’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-...trong-bahrain/


‘It’s tough out there’ – Hamilton reflects on challenging day of testing but backs Mercedes to bounce back
11 March 2022

Lewis Hamilton was left looking back on a difficult second day of pre-season testing in Bahrain for Mercedes – but backed the team to get the unique W13 performing up to their lofty standards.

“It’s definitely tough out there,” began Hamilton. “It’s windy, and the wind changed around quite a bit today. But yes, generally it’s been tough. Yes, it’s tough at the moment. I mean, you can see on the onboard, tankslappers left, right and centre, and then bouncing and bumping. [The car is] not quite happy at the moment, but we’re trying to tame it.”

As for suggestions that Mercedes are ‘sandbagging’ – hiding their true pace – Hamilton brushed those off and asserted his team would not deliberately put on a “tacky” driving display in pre-season testing.

‘Definitely Tough To Tame!’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...0oWTcMWSc.html

Full driver line-up for day three of Bahrain testing.
In normal circumstances, each of a team’s two drivers would have one and a half days apiece in the car, but obviously that is not possible this time at McLaren.
Date published: March 12 2022 - Jon Wilde

Day Three line-up
Mercedes – Lewis Hamilton (AM), George Russell (PM)
Red Bull – Sergio Perez (AM), Max Verstappen (PM)
Ferrari – Carlos Sainz (AM), Charles Leclerc (PM)
McLaren – Lando Norris
Alpine – Fernando Alonso
AlphaTauri – Pierre Gasly (AM), Yuki Tsunoda (PM)
Aston Martin –Lance Stroll (AM), Sebastian Vettel (PM)
Williams – Nicholas Latifi (AM), Alex Albon (PM)
Alfa Romeo – Guanyu Zhou (AM), Valtteri Bottas (PM)
Haas – Kevin Magnussen (AM), Mick Schumacher (PM)

‘Keeping Fingers Crossed, So The Gremlins Stay Away’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/bahrai...three-drivers/


'A hell of a day' for Kevin Magnussen on return in Bahrain.
11 Mar 2022
Haas driver Kevin Magnussen enthuses that it's "so nice to be back in a Formula 1 car" after setting a 'fastest' lap on Friday following the formal conclusion of running on the second day of pre-season testing in Bahrain.

‘Nice To Be Back!’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...125995870.html


Magnussen Uses Bonus Hour for Haas to Set Fastest Time of Testing on Day 2
By Paul Hensby
March 11, 2022

Kevin Magnussen utilised the extra hour given to the Haas F1 Team at the end of day two of testing at the Bahrain International Circuit to post the fastest time of the day, jumping to the top ahead of Scuderia Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr.

Haas had been given an extra hour after losing all of Thursday morning’s running due to their freight running late and arriving well after it was meant to at the circuit. They will also have additional running on Saturday as well.

‘Bonus Hour’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...ting-on-day-2/


Magnussen jokes about 'broken neck' after setting fastest time of testing
12?03/2022, ‎06‎:‎50

Kevin Magnussen has said he's feeling the pain of the excessive G-forces involved in driving a Formula 1 car, having returned to an F1 cockpit for the first time in 15 months on Friday.

"It was so good to be back in an F1 car and so good to be back with the team – I think it went really well," Magnussen beamed after the day ended, having logged a total of 60 laps during his outing. A fairytale ending to the day for Magnussen. Magnussen created a stir in the hour after the session ended. Magnussen promptly set a lap some three-tenths of a second quicker than Sainz.

"I could feel my neck at the end of it though - it kind of broke - but that's expected! I'll do another day tomorrow, break it even more, and then hopefully get in a little better shape for next week!"

‘I think it went really well’;

https://racingnews365.com/magnussen-...ime-of-testing


Podcast: Our verdict on the F1 testing pecking order
The Race.
11 March 2022, 23:26

Mark Hughes and Scott Mitchell join Edd Straw to delve into the relative pace of Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari – as well as the reason for Kevin Magnussen cropping up on the top of the timesheets on his F1 comeback.
We run through the big stories of the day, including where the porpoising problems stand and the impact that the problem could have on the relative performance in qualifying and the race.
The fiery problem that befell Williams, the “crispy” brakes of McLaren and Alpine’s progress are also discussed – while we also revisit the legality of the Mercedes sidepods after Christian Horner gave his official comment on the situation following Thursday’s confusion.

‘Pecking Order Podcast’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/podca...g-our-verdict/


Leclerc: The time sheets don’t mean anything
Editor
12 March, 2022

Ferrari continue to show impressive form and reliability in the 2022 Formula 1 Bahrain pre-season test, but Charles Leclerc is adamant time sheets don’t mean anything.

Speaking after Friday’s running in Bahrain, Charles Leclerc said: “Another session with a lot of tests completed this morning. We are learning a lot about our car as well as the tyres, which are still relatively new to us.

“The balance seems to be good and I feel comfortable so far, but we have to keep in mind that the time sheets don’t mean anything and there is still a lot more to come from our competitors.

‘Time Sheets’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/03...mean-anything/


Huge sidepods or no sidepods? Mercedes’ and Ferrari’s theories
15 mins ago
By Rosario Giuliana

It had been immediately clear from the launch of the 2022 cars that the greatest design differences might be around the sidepods and how the various designers have sought different paths in managing the airflow in the upper edge of the floor.

The clearest example of this diversity in concept comes from the opposing philosophies of Ferrari and Mercedes. Mercedes is now taking a ‘zero sidepods’ concept to the extreme with how it tapers the bodywork around the radiators. Ferrari, as was clear right from its launch, has relatively massive side bodywork.

Other teams have adopted solutions that are located in the gap between these two paths, or are simply not so extreme. Ferrari and Mercedes at this time represent the extremes of two different airflow management philosophies.

‘Examples Of Diversity’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/huge-...aris-theories/

Sergio Perez quickest on final morning of F1 test as Red Bull lower pace.
Sergio Perez finished comfortably clear at the top of the timesheets as Red Bull offered a glimpse of its potential on the final morning of Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain.
F1
Lewis Larkam
12 Mar 2022

The Mexican wasted no time getting to work as he went quickest on his first push lap out of the box and traded fastest laps with Alfa Romeo’s Guanyu Zhou during the early running.

After focusing on race simulations for pretty much all of the three-day test so far, Red Bull finally switched to some qualifying runs as Perez set a new benchmark time with a 1m33.105s on Pirelli’s C4 compound.

‘RB18 Qualifying Runs’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/998296...ull-lower-pace


Red Bull roll out heavily updated RB18 for final day of testing
12/03/2022, ‎08‎:‎15
Author RacingNews365 Staff

After waiting patiently in the Red Bull garage - with the RB18 hidden behind screens - Sergio Perez finally appeared just under an hour into Saturday morning's session, giving fans and the media their first glimpse of the revisions.

A major update package has been applied to the Red Bull RB18 for the last day of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain, raising eyebrows up and down the paddock.

Verstappen is set to take over the wheel from Perez in the afternoon session.

‘RB18 Behind Screens!’;

https://racingnews365.com/red-bull-r...day-of-testing


Horner gives his take on F1's current pecking order
Today, ‎13‎:‎20
Author Michael Butterworth

"I think the one consistent thing you see is every time the Ferrari is on track, it looks competitive," Horner told F1 TV.

"The McLaren, when it's running, [also] looks competitive. Mercedes, I think, haven't shown their hand yet, and the car looks a bit of a handful to drive.

"But then there's surprises, like the Williams pace on the long run looks quite competitive, so the form book is impossible to predict."

‘Pecking Order And Form Book’;

https://racingnews365.com/horner-giv...-pecking-order


McLaren must wait until Bahrain GP to get proper brake fix
12/03/2022, 13:20
By Scott Mitchell

McLaren is completing the final day of Formula 1 testing with a partial solution to its braking problems but must wait until next week’s season-opener for a final fix.

The team has had to make on-site modifications and fly in upgraded parts to complete race simulations after suffering front brake cooling problems in Bahrain.

That has limited Lando Norris to short runs and left McLaren with the lowest lap tally of any team this week.

LAP COUNT AFTER 2.5 DAYS IN BAHRAIN
AlphaTauri 314
Mercedes 314
Ferrari 298
Alfa Romeo 275
Red Bull 267
Aston Martin 258
Alpine 231
Williams 189
Haas 168
McLaren 149

‘Brake Fixing!’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/mclar...per-brake-fix/


McLaren has back ups but sure Daniel Ricciardo will be fit for F1 opener
F1
Lewis Larkam
12 Mar 2022

McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl says he is confident Daniel Ricciardo will be fit enough to contest next weekend’s Formula 1 season-opener in Bahrain.

Ricciardo’s illness has meant teammate Lando Norris has been forced to carry out all of McLaren’s test programme by himself.

“I’m confident he will be fit again next weekend,” said Seidl. “He’s feeling better already but as we know it simply takes a few days until you are fully back in good shape.”

‘Get Well Daniel Ricciardo’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/998314...1-seasonopener


Hamilton: People who say Mercedes are talking ourselves down are in for a surprise
2022 F1 SEASON
Posted on
12th March 2022, 13:27 | Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham

Lewis Hamilton doubts Mercedes will bounce back from their troubled start to the season in testing as easily as they did last year. Speaking after his final run in the car before next weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix, Hamilton said it was clear Mercedes are not contenders for pole position and victory at the moment.

“No, at the moment we’re not,” he said, “I’m sure everyone can kind of figure that out. We’re not the quickest at the moment.

“I think Ferrari look to be the quickest and perhaps Red Bull and then maybe us or McLaren, I don’t know. But we’re certainly not at the top.”

“But I think people will be surprised, maybe. Or at least the people who keep talking about we’re talking ourselves down. It’s a bit different this year.”

‘In For A Surprise’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/12/...or-a-surprise/


'I hope we get better tyres': drivers criticise grip of F1's new 18in Pirelli rubber
F1
March 12th 2022

Pirelli’s new 18in tyres have come in for criticism on the final day of testing in Bahrain, with Lewis Hamilton criticising their grip level.

“I hope we can maybe get some better tyres at some stage,” said the seven-time world champion after finishing his final run in the car before the first race of the season.

Sebastian Vettel also questioned the durability of the tyres, particularly in hotter climates, such as Bahrain, and warned that it could prevent the close racing that this year’s new regulations are designed to promote.

‘Grip Of The Rubber Criticised’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...pirelli-rubber


Williams brake fire ‘too stupid to talk about’
Date published: March 12 2022 - Frank Parker

Williams CEO Jost Capito has blamed a simple procedural problem as the cause of a fire that cut short their running at pre-season testing on Friday.

“I think 95% it’s clear what it was,” Capito said as quoted by The Race. “Let’s say it was a process that it’s a bit too complicated and that led to a mistake.

“So, very small, but had quite a big defect, it’s too stupid to talk about it!” Capito explained.

‘Too Stupid To Talk About’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/willia...stupid-capito/

Verstappen puts Red Bull quickest by six-tenths as testing ends in Bahrain.
World champion Max Verstappen capped off the final day of pre-season testing for the 2022 Formula 1 season by setting the overall fastest time.
2022 F1 season
Posted on
12th March 2022, 16:23 | Written by Will Wood

Verstappen used the C5 tyres – the softest available – to finish the sixth and final say of pre-season testing fastest of all. Charles Leclerc was second quickest in the Ferrari, with Fernando Alonso third fastest for Alpine.

Sergio Perez had set the early pace in the morning session as Red Bull introduced a revised RB18 for the first time on the final day. As the sun began to set, Verstappen headed out onto the circuit on a new set of yellow-walled C3 tyres and became the first driver throughout the three days to breach the 1’33s barrier, lowering a new fastest time of a 1’32.645.

‘1m,33s Barrier Breached’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/12/...ds-in-bahrain/


F1 Testing: Red Bull bag P1 double on final day
Date published: March 12 2022 - Jon Wilde

Red Bull’s updates, promised the previous day by Sergio Perez, helped them to a P1 double on the final day of pre-season testing in Bahrain.

It had been a relatively quiet test for Max Verstappen before day three in Bahrain but judging by the pace he was displaying as the test drew to a close, the World Champion has to be favourite for next weekend’s curtain-raising grand prix.

Mercedes – although they may be sandbagging – still appeared to be behind Ferrari, who again looked as though they had pushed themselves into contention for at least a podium finish when the serious action gets under way.

‘P1 Double’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-tes...-three-report/


Video footage shows Mercedes’ struggles are genuine – Russell
2022 F1 season
Posted on
12th March 2022, 17:04 | Written by Will Wood

George Russell says that Mercedes are still searching for a way to “unlock” the potential of their car after pre-season testing came to an end.

Mercedes ended the third and final day of the second test in Bahrain with the fourth-fastest overall time. World champion Max Verstappen topped the times for Red Bull ahead of Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari.

Speaking after the final day’s running, Russell shared team mate Lewis Hamilton’s assessment that Mercedes were lacking behind their two common rivals.

‘Struggling To ‘Unlock’ The Potential’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/12/...nuine-russell/


Russell admits Mercedes 'a step behind rivals' as F1 testing ends
F1
Connor McDonagh
12 Mar 2022

George Russell believes Mercedes is a ‘step behind its rivals’ after the conclusion of Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain.

Red Bull ended day three in Bahrain on top with Max Verstappen setting a blistering series of laps at the end of the session.

Up until that point, the general consensus was that Ferrari was the team to beat going into next weekend’s season-opener with both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz consistently competitive in both tests.

‘A Step Behind’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/998355...1-testing-ends


‘We are not the quickest’: Lewis Hamilton plays down Mercedes hopes
• Hamilton downbeat on chances of record eighth title
• ‘Ferrari look to be the fastest, and perhaps Red Bull’
Giles Richards
Sat 12 Mar 2022 16.39 GMT

Hamilton insisted his team faced a serious challenge this time. “We are being told we are talking ourselves down, but it is a bit different this year,” he said. “We have far bigger challenges and they are not one-week turnarounds. They will take a little bit longer. I am told we have a considerable amount of pace to find.”

“We are not the quickest. Ferrari look to be the fastest, and perhaps Red Bull and then maybe us, or McLaren. We are currently not at the top.”

‘Mercedes Hopes Played Down’;

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...mercedes-hopes


Technical Insight: The varied designs of F1’s 2022 sidepods
by Rosario Giuliana

At the moment it is not clear what the winning solution is, but it is nice to finally see Formula 1 full of technical topics, with each car offering interesting insights for analysis. 2022 will finally be able to entertain lovers of technology.

All these differences between the single-seaters on the grid will diminish as the solution that clearly offers more advantages is found. During this season, however, it will be difficult for someone to go and revolutionise their form or to copy an opponent, while it is more likely that they will develop directly on the project that is available.

‘Lovers Of Technology’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...depods-design/

Raging bulls’ new title challenger; is Merc’s era finally over? Winners and losers from final F1 test.
Mad Max’s new title threat; fears for Ricciardo’s McLaren: Winners and losers from final F1 test.
March 13th, 2022 7:26 pm
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports

After six days of testing at two different tracks we can begin to sketch the basic outline of the field ahead of next weekend’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, and some undoubted winners and losers are starting to take shape.

WINNERS: MAX VERSTAPPEN AND RED BULL RACING

Red Bull Racing and reigning champion Max Verstappen leave Bahrain happiest of all after a mighty final day of testing with a brand-new high-functioning aerodynamic kit.

Verstappen used it to set the test’s fastest time at the very end of the session with a comfortable 0.7-second margin over Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc — Mick Schumacher’s interloping time was set during private after-hours testing.

‘Taking Shape’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...70e2d5125a7c5b


Gary Anderson rates the F1 teams’ testing performances
13/03/2022, 07:29
By Gary Anderson

Formula 1 pre-season testing for 2022 is now all over. For every teams, it’s now all about trawling through mountains of data and coming up with the best set-up solutions for next weekend’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

In all 12 pre-season sessions in Barcelona and Bahrain, Ferrari has consistently been up at the front end. If you took the fastest time by each team every day, Ferrari was always in the top four and in the top two for four of the days.

If that is the case, then there is every chance that Ferrari might be able to join that battle at the front – mixing it with Red Bull and Mercedes. It’ll be no easy task, but Ferrari has two competitive, hungry and experienced drivers, so if the car is up to it they will be right in there.

‘Ferrari Hunger!’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/gary-...-performances/


Binotto: Ferrari only 'outsiders' – Mercedes, Red Bull favourites
Phillip van Osten13/03/2022 at 08:12

Mattia Binotto is following Mercedes' lead and playing down Ferrari's performance in pre-season testing, insisting the Brackley squad and Red Bull are the real favourites heading into the 2022 F1 season.

"We are not the favourites," he said after Saturday's final session in Bahrain where Charles Leclerc clocked in second behind pace setter Max Verstappen.

"I think the favourites are the teams that were the best last year because they are strong teams, they have proved they can be very fast, they’ve got a fantastic team. On-track I think they are showing that they are very, very fast. So I think if they are [favourites], we are outsiders.”

‘Playing Down Ferrari’s Performance’;

https://f1i.com/news/434496-binotto-...avourites.html


Russell insists Mercedes ‘performance isn’t there’
Date published: March 13 2022 - Jon Wilde

George Russell insists the “performance isn’t there” from a Mercedes W13 that appeared to have the worst ‘porpoising’ problem in the Bahrain test.

“We do seem a step behind our rivals and we have a lot of work to do between now and next week to understand because in every condition, the Red Bull and Ferrari seem a step ahead of us.”

“I believe there is potential there, we just need to figure a way to unlock that performance.”

‘Unlocking Performance’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/george...s-performance/


The rocket tech behind Mercedes’ cutting-edge F1 coolers
March 13th 2022
Author Lawrence Butcher

Kyle Forster has already given an aerodynamicist’s interpretation of the design, but it is worth summarising the key points. There are three key features that standout: the encapsulation of the upper side impact crash structure in a sculpted shroud, the use of a tall, narrow cooling inlet, set low down on the car, and an outer sidepod edge that flares out to the floor, rather than being undercut.

Mercedes has a long track record of looking to other industrial areas for potential innovation. While the charge cooler is only one element of what is an enormously complex and well-integrated package, it could well be that harnessing of Reaction’s cooling technology has helped enable the pursuit of a decidedly unconventional, and very compact, cooling system and sidepod design.

‘W13 Rocket Tech’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...ge-f1-coolers#


Verstappen scoffs at Mercedes F1 scepticism: ‘It’s always like this’
Max Verstappen scoffed at Mercedes’ scepticism over its performance through Formula 1 pre-season testing and ability to fight for wins, saying it is “always like this”.
By: Luke Smith
Co-author: Ronald Vording
Mar 13, 2022, 9:27 AM

Verstappen also had his doubts that Mercedes was truly on the back foot, agreeing with Sainz that it was “always like this”.

"If someone is doing well or a team that everyone expects to do well, then it’s: 'Oh no, we're definitely not the favourite’,” Verstappen said in Bahrain on Saturday.

“And then a week later, when things do go well, all of a sudden it's: 'Oh no, but we turned it around completely within a week. Not normal, unbelievable work. Thanks to all people in the factory!’”

‘Mercedes Scepticism Scoffed At!’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/v...-this/8953361/


How all 10 teams fared in Bahrain's Official Pre-Season Test
Special contributor
Becky Hart
13 March 2022

Three days of pre-season testing in Bahrain stood between the teams and the opening race of the season. Conditions were vastly different to the cool spring temperatures of Barcelona, and as the heat took hold, reliability issues started to crop up. Add in some pretty major car evolutions since the 2022 machines were last on track, and there was plenty to discuss ahead of the opening race of the season. Here's how all 10 teams got on in Bahrain, in lap count order.

‘Machine Evolution!’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...azGux3FKh.html


Trackside verdict: The visual hints of Red Bull’s superiority
The Race
12/03/2022, 20:16
By Scott Mitchell

Max Verstappen’s eye-catching, test-topping lap time in Bahrain put Red Bull well clear at the end of Formula 1 2022’s pre-season. Watching trackside it is easy to believe it has a real advantage.

Verstappen has no issues carrying speed into the corner, there’s no sign of understeer – the front just tucks in really nicely – and noticeably he is able to get to the inside kerb seemingly at will. The RB18 takes the kerb strike neatly in its stride, too. Its balance barely looks disturbed.

We watch Verstappen on C2s, C3s, C4s and C5s and the Red Bull just has a lot of purpose about it. It’s controlled, responsive and just looks fast.

‘Visual Superiority’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/track...s-superiority/

‘Spaceship’ mirrors set to be challenged in F1 rules meeting.
Mattia Binotto described the Mercedes design as looking “like spaceships” and suggested that they were primarily an aero part rather than mounting the wing mirror.
13/03/2022, 15:26
By Scott Mitchell

“It’s something for the future that needs to be addressed,” said Binotto. “Already in the past, we said the mirrors should have no aero purpose.”
“They should be there just to look behind and I think the way that they [Mercedes] design the cars has a significant aero purpose in the mirrors.”

There is a meeting of the FIA’s technical advisory committee on Tuesday, which will include a discussion over the first “discrepancies” between the rules as written and the cars the teams have designed.

‘Spaceship Mirrors On The W13 Rocket Ship!’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/space...rules-meeting/


Ferrari Looking Strong as Pre-Season comes to a Close
By Nick Golding
March 13, 2022

Scuderia Ferrari are for many the team to beat at the Bahrain Grand Prix next weekend, after the famous team concluded what has been a brilliant test for them at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Ferrari Team Principal & Managing Director, Mattia Binotto, doesn’t want the team to get too far ahead of themselves and draw any conclusions, Binotto believes it’s very difficult to predict where each team will be placed come the season opener next weekend.

‘Strong Scuderia’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...es-to-a-close/


Red Bull upgrades ‘worth more than half a second’
Date published: March 13 2022 - Jamie Woodhouse

The upgrades Red Bull introduced in Bahrain are worth upwards of half a second in lap time, according to Helmut Marko.

That time came on the final day after Red Bull had introduced an upgraded RB18, with those updates mainly focused on the sidepods which are now far more sculpted.

Auto Motor und Sport report the cooling system underneath those sidepods was also modified, while a new underbody was fitted to the RB18, all of which led to immediate progress as the team topped the morning session courtesy of Sergio Perez before Verstappen significantly raised the bar in the afternoon.

‘Sculpted Sidepods’;

https://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/...sonstart-2022/


Alonso finishes with a flourish in final test in Bahrain
Andrew Lewin 13/03/2022 at 17:06

EL PLAN: Alpine's Fernando Alonso was delighted to finish the final day of pre-season testing in Bahrain with the third fastest time on the timesheets.

"It was a good day of testing for us building on Esteban’s strong work yesterday," the 40-year-old from Spain commented. "We’ve learnt a lot with the car and completed many laps, so I’m pretty happy."

Alonso completed a total of 146 laps of Bahrain International Circuit over the course of the three days, with team mate Esteban Ocon adding a further 153 for a total of 299 laps by the Alpine as a whole.

‘Car Lessons, EL PLAN Positive’;

https://f1i.com/news/434543-alonso-f...n-bahrain.html


Aston Martin Complete Pre-Season Programmes as Planned
By Nick Golding
March 13, 2022

Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team enjoyed their most successful day of the Official Pre-Season Test at the Bahrain International Circuit, on the final day of running.

Both Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll had a final chance behind the wheel of the AMR22 on the last day of pre-season, with the pair completing a joint total of 134 laps as the test drew to a close. The final day saw the team complete their most mileage over a single day, it meant that across the entire test Aston Martin completed 352 laps.

‘Aston Martin Complete Their Plans’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...es-as-planned/


McLaren’s Pre-Season “Not what we wanted but good enough” -Lando Norris
By Nick Golding
March 13, 2022

It has been a very difficult Official Pre-Season Test at the Bahrain International Circuit for the McLaren F1 Team, with an absent Daniel Ricciardo and a number of reliability issues.

It has been a very challenging test for McLaren, not helped by Ricciardo testing positive for Covid-19, or by an issue on the MCL36’s front axle. It comes as a disappointment to the team, who enjoyed a successful test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

McLaren Team Principal, Andreas Seidl, noted that the team’s running was heavily compromised across the three days, but is hopeful that the issue with the front axle can be solved before the first race.

‘Front Axle Problems’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...-lando-norris/


Mercedes Complete Plenty of Mileage but Supposedly Struggling for Pace
By Nick Golding
March 13, 2022

It is no question that Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team have been sandbagging during the Official Pre-Season Test at the Bahrain International Circuit, the W13 has been incredibly reliable but has supposedly struggled for outright pace.

The Silver Arrows have sat mid-leaderboard throughout testing, onboard footage of the W13 does show however both drivers avoiding eighth gear at times, resulting in a significantly lower top speed compared to their rivals.

Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director, does believe that there is still plenty of pace to be unleashed from the W13, which as mentioned has proven to be very reliable so far.

‘Sandbagging, Avoiding Eighth Gear’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...ling-for-pace/


WHAT IS SANDBAGGING IN F1 AS TERM EXPLAINED AFTER TESTING?
13/03/2022, 13:40
Jake Nichol

Essentially, sandbagging in F1 involves running your car far below it’s true potential in testing to force your rivals into a false of security about your car.

You then turn up to the first race, with all the sand tipped out (metaphorically speaking), stick it on pole and get a one-two finish, some way ahead of the rest.

Perhaps the most famous example of sandbagging in F1 was in 2019 pre-season testing….

‘Mercedes 2019 Sandbagging Award Winners!’;

https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/03/1...bagging-in-f1/

We predict the 2022 F1 team pecking order after testing.
Some positions were ‘easy’ to fill. There was unanimity on the top four places. But separating that amorphous blob that looks to be the midfield was an unenviable task.
The Race
Mar 14 2022

“We didn’t want to put anybody fifth,” our journalists complained. Their eventual choice might surprise you.

5 HAAS Yeah, yeah, we know what you’re thinking. But this has been a weird pre-season for Haas so why’s it so hard to believe this might be true?

If you’d predicted a few weeks ago that Haas would top a day of testing with Kevin Magnussen, and end it second fastest with Mick Schumacher driving, you’d have attracted some seriously funny looks.

‘Steiner will be pleased!’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/we-pr...after-testing/


Brundle: Red Bull for me came away as clear favourites
Jad Mallak
14 March, 2022

Martin Brundle is convinced after the 2022 Formula 1 pre-season test in Bahrain, that Red Bull are the clear favourites heading into the opening race.

Respected F1 driver turned pundit Martin Brundle was trackside in Bahrain watching and commenting on the test proceeding, and believes Red Bull are the real deal. “Red Bull for me came away as the clear favourites,” he told Sky Sports F1.

“I have absolutely no doubts in my mind that the aero package on the Red Bull took a significant step forward today. Red Bull have moved the game on today in terms of raw pace, long run pace.”

‘Red Bull Favourites’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/03...ar-favourites/


Hamilton dice left Gasly questioning Mercedes
Date published: March 13 2022 - Jamie Woodhouse

After battling with Lewis Hamilton during the Bahrain test, Pierre Gasly believes Mercedes are no longer as strong as they were.

So rather than AlphaTauri suddenly making gains, Gasly concludes Mercedes have in fact slipped back.

“I was kind of surprised to battle with Lewis,” he told reporters after day three of the Bahrain test.

“I think the conclusion is Mercedes probably doesn’t look as good as they were in the past.”

‘Mercedes No Longer Strong’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/pierre...s-look-weaker/


Norris: We know what the problems are, it’s not a simple fix
Jad Mallak
14 March, 2022

McLaren’s Lando Norris claims the team know their problems, the fix not being simple, after struggling at the 2022 Formula 1 pre-season test in Bahrain.

“Less than ideal,” was Norris’ verdict of the team’s Bahrain performance. “It’s not been the smoothest of tests for us. It’s been quite limited in Bahrain. I think Barcelona was a good one but here we’ve encountered quite a few more problems, which have limited the amount of laps we’ve done by quite a huge amount.”

“[We’ve had problems] especially on the long runs – the lower-fuel and shorter runs we’ve been able to do – but not the high-fuel runs,” the Briton explained. “We’re behind where we want to be, where we need to be, and where we can say we’re confident in any way going into the first race.”

‘McLaren Behind’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/03...-a-simple-fix/


F1 Who's Hot, Who's Not After Final Test Sessions at Bahrain
Formula 1 season kicks off March 20 in Bahrain; here's what we learned at the preseason tests.
BY PHILLIP HORTON
Mar 13, 2022

Red Bull Grabs Attention on Final Day
Red Bull and reigning champion Max Verstappen had a relatively subdued preseason campaign as it kept its powder dry—at least until the final day.

Ferrari Looks to Be in Very Good Shape
Ferrari arrives on the cusp of the new season in good shape. It has had a smooth preseason, with a reliable car, that has appeared relatively compliant to set-up changes across various conditions.

Don’t Underestimate Slow-Starting Mercedes
“At the moment I don’t think we’ll be competing for wins,” said Lewis Hamilton, a stark comment for a driver from a team that has been a winning machine for a decade.

‘Hot Or Not!’;

https://www.autoweek.com/racing/form...sions-bahrain/


Tost explains barrier to copying Mercedes design
Date published: March 13 2022 - Jon Wilde

Franz Tost has explained why replicating Mercedes’ eye-catching new design is a non-starter, especially for his AlphaTauri team.

Tost says it would essentially require having to rework the whole car, which would not be feasible under the $140million budget cap each team has for the 2022 campaign.

“If you had to change something, you would have to change the whole aerodynamic philosophy. I don’t think we could make the effort because if you look at the cost cap, we are pretty much at the limit in our calculation at the end of the season.”

‘Copying Mercedes Not Feasible’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/franz-...pying-barrier/

Gary Anderson’s theory on where Mercedes is going wrong.
“They’re just not – in this moment – in a position to compete with either of Red Bull or Ferrari,” said Mark Hughes on The Race F1 Podcast.
The Race
14/03/2022, 11:44

“They’ve got genuine problems. It’s a difficult one to say to what level those problems go.”

“I don’t think they’re trying to run the car in the right window right now. They seem to have gone around the porpoising problems by making the car stiffer. Making the car stiffer then leads to more brake locking and a car that doesn’t ride the kerbs or bumps very well.”

“I think Mercedes has gone the wrong direction to achieve it. It’s tried to keep the downforce levels that it gets out of the underfloor by just tightening the car up, running it stiff, running it low, keep it in one little working window.”

‘Problems Tightening The Car Up!’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/gary-...s-going-wrong/


Hamilton: A lot of work to get Mercedes to 'a better place'
Phillip van Osten 14/03/2022 at 10:42

Both Red Bull and Ferrari have expressed their skepticism regarding Mercedes' conservative stance, insisting they've heard it all before.

But this time, the German outfit's downplaying appears genuine, although Hamilton remains upbeat about his team's ability to improve its performance.

"There's a confidence that we can always work through whatever problem that we're facing," the Briton told the media after Saturday's final day of running in Bahrain.

‘Work To A Better Place’;

https://f1i.com/news/434583-hamilton...ter-place.html


‘It wasn’t that impressive’ – Marko on Mercedes’ ‘extreme’ sidepods
Mercedes introduced a radical sidepod design ahead of the second pre-season test in Bahrain last week.
by Rob Kershaw
14 March 202214 March 2022

Dr Marko agrees that Mercedes’ design is innovative, but he is not altogether sure it will yield the performance gains they are looking for.

“We were looking more at the performance than the sidepod and it wasn’t that impressive,” he told Austrian newspaper Osterreich.

“What Mercedes has brought looks revolutionary. But what matters is the time. And I say – the main thing is that we’re the fastest again. But I also remember last year, when Mercedes was also behind in the tests.”

‘A Revolution In Sidepods’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/it-wasnt-...edes-sidepods/


Where McLaren stands after a test spent ‘firefighting’
14/03/2022, 13:37
By Scott Mitchell

The raw numbers paint a bleak picture at the end of McLaren’s Formula 1 pre-season. It was the eighth fastest-team in Bahrain with the lowest mileage after battling overheating brakes.

Trackside, McLaren had to re-prioritise its tasks. It adjusted run plans to focus on shorter runs. Across day one and day two, Norris’s longest stint of representative times was four laps. By Saturday this increased to 10.

Unsurprisingly McLaren did not get through all it had planned for this test in terms of being fully prepared for this weekend’s grand prix. That was made very clear when Norris declared on Saturday McLaren is “behind where we want and need to be to say we’re in any way confident going into the first race”.

‘Behind After Firefighting’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/where...-firefighting/


Fernando Alonso feeling positive over Alpine car ahead of new F1 season
By George Dagless
Published: 14 Mar 2022, 12:49

Alpine sporting director Alan Permane has said that Fernando Alonso called their new car, the A522, ‘fast’ over the last sessions of testing in Bahrain and that Q3 is a realistic goal for them come qualifying this weekend at the Sakhir circuit.

“The first day in Sakhir because we couldn’t get into a good dynamic, but the next two have gone well,” he told AS. “Especially on Saturday, we started to make progress with a set-up that allows us to turn porpoising on and off whenever we want.”
“We know why it happens and what stops it. We know when it makes us faster or slower. If you look at other cars, Ferrari still keeps it in some circumstances. We’ve played with the suspensions, the camber, slipstreams and so on. And we’re significantly better.”

‘EL PLAN Positive’;

https://www.givemesport.com/87983777...-new-f1-season


Bottas hails ‘clear step’ from Alfa Romeo but concerned over reliability
Hamilton Lyndon-Griffiths
14/03/2022, 13:41

Valtteri Bottas admits completing a full race distance is his “biggest concern” ahead of this weekend’s season opener in Bahrain, after reliability troubles plagued Alfa Romeo in Formula 1 pre-season testing.

And while the Finn is upbeat at the direction Alfa’s performance is going, he conceded reliability was a major concern heading to the first race of the season.

“I’ll be more confident once we speak with the team next week and when I hear that all the issues we understand 100% and we make sure that they don’t happen again,” Bottas said, as quoted by Motorsport.com.

‘Alfa Romeo Reliability?’;

https://readmotorsport.com/2022/03/1...r-reliability/


Albon – Williams ‘Ticked All Their Boxes’ in 2022 Pre-Season Testing
By Joe McCormick
March 14, 2022

Alex Albon and Nicolas Latifi are both optimistic about their chances in the upcoming F1 season, as Bahrain pre-season testing has come to an end. It was an up-and-down handful of days for the British team, after a fire caused damage to the rear of Williams F1 Team’s 2022 challenger, but 142 laps of testing on day three has helped raise morale within the team.

After being forced to make up for Friday’s lost time on Saturday, Latifi was reflective in his statement for Williams, claiming that he is happy with the amount of data they have collected – despite the issues that were overcome from day two.

‘Williams Optimism’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...eason-testing/

Lewis Hamilton fears Mercedes issues will last two months at the least - 'It's crazy'.
Lewis Hamilton has admitted that Mercedes may not be in a position to challenge for race wins until May at the earliest after struggling at pre-season testing in Bahrain.
By STUART BALLARD
06:40, Tue, Mar 15, 2022

LEWIS HAMILTON is far from comfortable in the Mercedes W13 ahead of the new season.

The Silver Arrows entered pre-season testing in Bahrain amid reports that they had found the magic formula in the simulator.

A new, bold sidepod design was unveiled with everybody in the paddock wanting to take a closer look at the W13.

‘W13 Crazy For Two Months!’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ell-Bahrain-GP


Lewis Hamilton warned of 'genuine problems' at Mercedes as ex-F1 designer speaks out
MERCEDES still have plenty of work to get their car up to speed for the first race of the season this weekend.
By STUART BALLARD
17:00, Mon, Mar 14, 2022 | UPDATED: 17:00, Mon, Mar 14, 2022

The new F1 season is just days away now but former F1 car designer Gary Anderson has spelled out the 'genuine problems' Lewis Hamilton and George Russell face ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Pre-season testing results are always taken with a pinch of salt as some teams hold back on their full potential.

Anderson believes Mercedes' issues will only be fixed if they follow the same route of Red Bull. "They’ve got genuine problems. It’s a difficult one to say to what level those problems go," Anderson told The Race.

"I don’t think they’re trying to run the car in the right window right now. They seem to have gone around the porpoising problems by making the car stiffer. Making the car stiffer then leads to more brake locking and a car that doesn’t ride the kerbs or bumps very well.”

‘W13 Genuine Problems’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...la-One-F1-news


Red Bull chief says Mercedes car is ‘not that impressive’ ahead of new F1 season
Daniel AustinMonday 14 Mar 2022 4:49 pm

Red Bull Racing advisor Helmut Marko says the team has the fastest car on the grid heading into the Formula 1 season opener in Bahrain this weekend, and believes that rivals Mercedes’ new car is ‘not very impressive.’

Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and new team-mate George Russell both voiced concerns about the ability of Mercedes new W13 to compete at the front of the field.

37-year-old Hamilton went as far as to say: ‘At the moment, I don’t think we’ll be competing for wins.’

‘W13 Uncompetitive’;

https://metro.co.uk/2022/03/14/red-b...o=newsnow-feed


‘One week’ until 2022 hierarchy revealed – Sainz
ANDREW MAITLAND
MARCH 15, 2022

With mere days until engines fire up on the 2022 world championship in Bahrain, the Formula 1 world is scrambling to figure out the early pecking order.

“We’ve waited months, why can’t we wait one more week before drawing conclusions?” smiled Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, tipped as a potential title contender.

The early analyses appear to show the fabled Maranello team as neck-and-neck with world champion Max Verstappen’s Red Bull camp – and apparently half a second ahead of Mercedes.

‘Hierarchy Revealed In One Week’;

https://grandpx.news/one-week-until-...evealed-sainz/


F1 pre-season testing 2022: Jolyon Palmer's Takeaways
14 Mar 2022

Who's where in the pecking order? What are the drivers' biggest challenges for 2022? Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer draws his first conclusions after Bahrain's pre-season testing.

‘F1 Takeaways’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...630413586.html


Schedule for the 2022 F1 Bahrain GP
15/03/2022, ‎07‎:‎50
Author RacingNews365 Staff

Here's the full weekend time schedule for the Bahrain Grand Prix, which will take place from 18-20 March, as the 2022 F1 season officially gets underway.

Date Event Time (GMT) Time (Local)
Friday 18 March Practice 1 12:00-13:00 15:00-16:00
Friday 18 March Practice 2 15:00-16:00 18:00-19:00
Saturday 19 March Practice 3 12:00-13:00 15:00-16:00
Saturday 19 March Qualifying 15:00-16:00 18:00-19:00
Sunday 20 March Race 15:00 18:00

F1 Schedule;

https://racingnews365.com/schedule-f...-f1-bahrain-gp

Tech Draft: 2022 F1 Pre-Season Thoughts & Analysis.
The flame of F1 innovation burns on brightly. In a ground effect car; the faster you go, the more downforce is generated. A heavier car is more difficult to rotate mid-corner than a lighter one. FIA’s attempt at cost cap is somewhat wanting.
Mark Kay
15 March, 2022

Well, here we go, folks! After an abnormally brief inter-season break, we are but 72 hours away from the first money shots of 2022, a new era, one we are anticipating as the dawn of a more competitively diverse and entertaining stanza in this sport that we all are so passionate about.

So, here I go with my best endeavours in putting together the best and succinct appraisal of the 2022 F1 pre-season.

If you are looking for my opinion on a quantitative comparison that underpins early season predictions, you may as well turn your attention elsewhere, because this is not what this review is about.

‘Seasons Thoughts’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/03...ghts-analysis/


It’s a whole new era for the sport and anything can happen” – Max Verstappen
By Nick Golding
March 15, 2022

Verstappen is very excited for the season to begin, especially with it being the first Grand Prix of the new era of Formula 1.

“We learnt a lot at testing in Barcelona and Bahrain, I’m very excited to turn our attention to racing now, it’s a whole new era for the sport and anything can happen. The focus is to bring the grid together and make it easier to follow, I hope we see that in the first race. Everything is so new so there are a lot of unknowns heading into the first race of the season. “

Pérez is excited for the new season, the Mexican already feels much more settled with the team this season than he was last year, Pérez like many others though has no idea where the team’s car will position come the season opener.

“I am looking forward to the new season, automatically you feel more settled going into your second year with a team. I feel more prepared because I now know exactly how the Team operate and the Oracle Red Bull Racing philosophy, so that makes a difference. Every team is in the same position starting the season, in that we don’t know the car as much because of the shakeup in regulations but we had a really good test, both in Bahrain and Barcelona. “

‘Excitement’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...ax-verstappen/


Marko: ‘Mercedes always whine, then it suddenly goes boom’
Date published: March 15 2022 - Sam Cooper

Helmut Marko does not believe Mercedes’ pre-season complaints are true and still expects their car to go “boom” come the Bahrain Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton said he does not think the team will be “competing for wins”, while his new team-mate George Russell said the Mercedes performance “isn’t there.”

Sandbagging is a technique that has been deployed by Mercedes in the past and it seems this time around, the rest of the grid is not buying it.

‘Sandbagging And ‘Whine’!’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/helmut...es-whine-boom/


Aston Martin car ‘nothing like’ the one in the wind tunnel
Date published: March 15 2022 - Sam Cooper

Aston Martin have said the AMR22 seen on track during testing is “nothing like” the one they are working on in the wind tunnel.

On the final day of testing in Bahrain, Aston Martin were one of the lower teams in terms of time with Sebastian Vettel in 10th position and Lance Stroll in 16th, but they have already been making improvements following the data they gathered both in Bahrain and Barcelona.

Their performance director, Tom McCullough, has said the car Vettel and Stroll drove on track is wildly different to the one they are working on back at the factory in the UK. “The car you are seeing now is nothing like the car we have in the wind tunnel,” he said, as reported by motorsport.com.

‘Nothing Like The Wind Tunnel!’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/aston-...nel-different/


“I’m obviously very excited for the first race of the year” – Alex Albon
By Nick Golding
March 15, 2022

Incredibly with his drive for the season coming in the form of Williams, Albon will have started all three of his seasons in the sport, with a different team! Albon, who remains heavily connected to Red Bull, is very excited for the season to start after all the hours of work put in over the winter.

“I’m obviously very excited for the first race of the year and to be back racing. It will be the result of all the hard work over winter and everything we’ve learnt from six days of testing, so I’m looking forward to seeing that come together and pushing as much as we can. The track is tricky because, as we saw in testing, it’s very windy, sandy and hot which are tough conditions to contend with. It’s a good track for racing though, so it should be an exciting weekend for Formula One.”

‘Williams FW44’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...ar-alex-albon/


Gary Anderson: Every F1 team’s 2022 sidepod design ranked
16th March 2022, 06:05
By Gary Anderson

Given how prescriptive the 2022 Formula 1 regulations are, it’s a surprise to see the most visually-different crop of cars for many years.

It’s always difficult when a small group of engineers sits down to write the regulations then hands them out to the teams. At that point, hundreds, if not thousands, of engineers will scour them intensely to find the grey areas that might just give them that tenth of a second.

The sidepods have been the most visually different. Those differences, combined with the porpoising problem, might just go hand-in-hand. So I thought it would be worth taking a close look at each team’s solution.

‘Porpoising Solutions’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/gary-...design-ranked/


KYLE.ENGINEERS: How the Mercedes W13 works
Editor
16 March, 2022

Mercedes stunned the Formula 1 community during the Bahrain pre-season test with its upgraded W13 and its radical “zero-sidepod” design. How does it work? Kyle Forster explains in another Kyle.Engineers video.

The video is divided into five sections; starting with an introduction, with the second part discussing the the legality of the rearview mirrors on the W13, something that many consider not in line with the regulations.
The third part of the video touches on the side pods’ legality, followed by a fourth that explains the benefits of those slim side pods. The final part is reserved to highlight the drawbacks of the side pods.

‘W13 ‘Zero-Sidepod’ Design’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/03...des-w13-works/


Haas trialled Mercedes’ ‘zero-pod’ concept last summer
Date published: March 16 2022 - Henry Valantine

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has revealed the team already took a look at using Mercedes’ radical sidepod concept in developing their own car last year.

But having started developing their 2022 car earlier than any other team, Haas have had more scope to try out different design routes on their way to building the VF-22, but felt the Mercedes design wasn’t quite for them.

“This exact concept was our first design. We had it in the wind tunnel last July, and we already noticed there that it gives advantages in slow corners,” Steiner said, quoted by Auto Motor und Sport. “But as an overall package, we saw greater potential in wide sidepods.”

‘Haas Rejected the ‘Zero-Pod’ Concept’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/haas-t...depod-concept/

Ricciardo "hungry" for F1 return after illness.
“I’m glad to be back, feeling better and ready for the Bahrain Grand Prix and season ahead," said Ricciardo.
Sam Hall
Wednesday 16 March 2022 11:54

“I’m looking forward to the battles out on track with these new cars, particularly at Bahrain with its overtaking opportunities. Let's get some great results for the team!”

Now recovered and cleared to return to the paddock, Ricciardo is eager to make up for lost time.

"I want to maximise the free practice sessions to better understand the car and fine-tune everything ready for qualifying and lights out on Sunday.”

‘Hungry To Maximise’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/77...after-illness/


Vettel: There’s a lot to play for, that’s F1 at its best
Editor
16 March, 2022

Sebastian Vettel claimed, ahead of the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix that Formula 1 is at it’s best when there is a lot to play for which is the case this season.

“These new Formula One cars are so incredibly different to their predecessors,” Vettel said in a team statement previewing the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix, having previously said the cars feel a bit “lazier” to drive.

“We’ve spent the past weeks learning as much about them as we can and I’m looking to racing a ground-effect car for the first time this weekend,” he revealed.

‘Ground-Effect Cars Lazier To Drive’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/03...1-at-its-best/


Verstappen: Important to have stable weekend in Bahrain
Jad Mallak
16 March, 2022

Verstappen ended pre-season testing in Bahrain last week fastest of all despite not “giving full beans” at the time, while his Red Bull RB18 seemingly a handy piece of kit.

“I’m looking forward to seeing where we are compared to the rest of the grid come qualifying on Saturday. The car looks good and as a Team we are in a good place.”

“The most important thing for us in Bahrain is to have a stable weekend without too many issues and we hope to score a good amount of points,” the Red Bull ace concluded.

‘Stable Weekend’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/03...nd-in-bahrain/


Steiner: We need to focus on going racing
Reuters
16 March, 2022

Haas F1 boss Guenther Steiner has got used to phoning team owner Gene Haas with bad news but Sunday’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix could be the start of something better.

The team’s freight was then delayed due to a technical problem with the aircraft carrying it, forcing them to miss the first half of the opening day of the final test in Bahrain.

“It’s one (thing) after the other,” Steiner told Reuters in an interview. “It’s just like what is next? Every morning when you wake up, it’s like what is the next drama on my telephone?”

‘Racing Focus’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/03...am-bahrain-gp/


Inside Line: Which Mercedes W13 will pitch-up at Bahrain Grand Prix?
Paul Velasco
15 March, 2022

The most furiously debated topic on Formula 1 forums, our comments section and Facebook pages included, is the question of the Mercedes W13 state-of-readiness ahead of the 2022 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday.

My opinion, speculative too, is that they are not in trouble. In fact, they had the audacity to build two packages for the season, the Barcelona ‘conventional’ version and of course the radical sidepod-less which is nothing less than a W13B.

If the Bahrain package is not up to par, Mercedes can switch to the more conservative first edition of the W13, and in tandem develop the B-version as the season progresses, and release it when and if the performance tips towards the extreme version of their 2022 car.

‘To W13 ’B’, Or Not To W13 ’B’, That Is The Question?’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/03...in-grand-prix/


Mercedes relishing the challenge of unlocking W13 potential - Wolff
Phillip van Osten16/03/2022 at 16:27

"The start of a new Formula One season is always exciting, and this year more than most," commented Wolff in Mercedes Bahrain GP preview.

"With new technical and sporting regulations, there is so much to learn and discover as this new season begins.”

"Barcelona was a productive first test of the W13, then we brought a big update to Bahrain for the pre-season test which resulted from a huge effort by the whole team.”

‘Unlocking the W13 With Updates’;

https://f1i.com/news/434742-mercedes...ial-wolff.html


Hill advises Russell: Just make sure you’re fast!
Reuters
16 March, 2022

Asked what advice he would give to the youngster, Hill told reporters: “Just make sure you’re fast!

“You’re going to have to be possibly faster than you’ve ever driven before,” added the 61-year-old, an F1 expert for Sky Sports television, ahead of this weekend’s opening race in Bahrain. “It is a big step.”

“Was it harder than you thought? Is Lewis quicker than you thought? Do you think you can go any faster? Those are the things. I am sure he will be keen to avoid that,” explained Hill.

‘Fast And Faster!’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/03...in-gp-preview/


Alpine testing form suggests Alonso set for career crossroads
16/03/2022, 12:01
By Edd Straw

EL PLAN: When Fernando Alonso signed up to return to Formula 1 with what was then called Renault in mid-2020, but had been rebranded as Alpine by the time he started racing for the team last season, 2022 was always the key year.

“It is an interesting question and we don’t have an answer yet,” said Alonso. “We have to wait and see how the first races develop and see what we need from the car and from the package.”

“I’m optimistic because the team is putting a huge effort into this programme. We have the support from our president, we have the support from everyone at Renault and Alpine came last year to Formula 1 with the mind of this set of regulations and to try to be a contender in the future. If that future will be 2022 or 2025, I have no idea.”

‘EL PLAN: 2022 or 2025?’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/alpin...er-crossroads/


F1 anticipation is building... but do we have to start in Bahrain?
F1
March 16th 2022
Author
Chris Medland

Great facilities, good racing and the teams have just tested there: it makes sense to start the grand prix season in Bahrain, but Chris Medland thinks F1 should be looking for somewhere with more pizzazz

Firstly, my apologies to the Bahrain International Circuit. It’s a really good facility, and a track that provides good racing at sunset in what is often a visually impressive spectacle. But it just doesn’t float my boat as a season-opener, especially when it has hosted a pre-season test.

The opening round needs to be a big deal, just as the final round does. After months without F1 races and with a grid full of new cars and unknowns, that first weekend should be a major event.

‘Pizzazz To Float The Boat!’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...rt-in-bahrain#

The university project that Newey's F1 rivals should not forget.
OPINION: Red Bull's fortunes were transformed prior to Formula 1's last fundamental rules reset in 2009, as Adrian Newey's contribution helped it to emerge from midfield mediocrity to becoming a title-winning force.
By: Jonathan Noble
Mar 10, 2022, 11:27 AM

With ground effect aerodynamics returning in F1's latest shake-up, Newey's insight could again have a pivotal impact

Formula 1 teams were quite open about how they were caught on the hop by the porpoising problems from the first pre-season test.

While F1 historians needed no reminding of the phenomenon that blighted F1 cars during the last ground effect era in the early 1980's, many of those heading up the designs of the 2022 challengers have never really worked on this type of grand prix car before.

‘Adrian Newey’s Pivotal Impact’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/t...orget/8867488/


Exclusive: New Red Bull sees Newey explore a very different design path
23 February, 20:40
Author RacingNews365 Staff

Red Bull managed to keep their real RB18 away from prying eyes until the opening morning of pre-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. What secrets can be revealed as the team's actual 2022 F1 car hit the track?

The new car designed by Adrian Newey and his technical staff is totally different from the other 2022 cars.

In fact, so far we've identified two design routes – notably the one followed by Mercedes, in terms of reduction of the volume of the sidepods towards the rear ends, and the one adopted by Ferrari with medium-length sidepods but a wide cross-section throughout.

However, the RB18 differs clearly from both concepts. In particular, what stands out most is the way in which the lower section of the sidepods is cut out, defining a channel.

‘RB18 Different Design Concept’;

https://racingnews365.com/exclusive-...nt-design-path


Exclusive: Newey on F1's new era, heavy cars and cost cap challenge
15 March, 08:40
Author Dieter Rencken
Co-author Tom Leach

Newey, speaking exclusively to RacingNews365.com, had some praise for the rules reset, confident that revised aerodynamic regulations will bring more overtaking, while the sport's cost cap will prevent an arms race amongst the teams at the top.

"I think that the principle of trying to help overtaking by reducing the sensitivity of the following car to the one in front is... okay," Newey accepted.

"I think it will help overtaking a little bit. I don't think it will be a significant shift, but it will help a little bit. I think there are other ways it could have been done, let's say."

‘Exclusive Adrian Newey Interview’;

https://racingnews365.com/newey-on-f...-cap-challenge


NEWEY: IMPROVED OVERTAKING COULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN OTHER WAYS
Jad Mallak
15 March, 2022

Adrian Newey, Red Bull’s tech boss is fine with the concept Formula 1 pursued in 2022 to improve overtaking, but believes there could have been other ways to achieve the same result.

Newey remains one of the most successful designers in the history of F1 delivering Championship winning cars for Williams, McLaren, then Red Bull, the latest being the RB16B which Max Verstappen steered towards his maiden Drivers’ Crown in 2021.

“The only thing I would say is that this is, in reality, the biggest aerodynamic change we’ve had since Venturi cars were banned in 1982.”

“If you’re going to have such a big regulation change, which inevitably brings all sorts of other changes, it will probably spread the grid apart during the early seasons,” the Briton warned.

‘Spreading The Grid Apart’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/03...in-other-ways/


Berger backing Red Bull as Marko is ‘always smiling’
Date published: March 16 2022 - Jamie Woodhouse

Ex-F1 driver Gerhard Berger expects Red Bull to be the leading team and is assured in that pick by Helmut Marko’s smiling.

And Berger is tipping Red Bull to be the leading team at the Bahrain GP. Speaking on the ServusTV programme ‘Sport und Talk aus dem Hangar-7’, Berger said: “When you can do a lot of laps, it’s always very reassuring. After the tests, as a driver you can already see whether you are well positioned.

“And I’m in good spirits when it comes to Red Bull Racing. Because I always see motorsport consultant Dr. Marko with a smile on his face.

‘Berger Backing The Smiles!’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/gerhar...red-bull-2022/


Verstappen has full faith in Red Bull’s F1 engine project after signing new deal
F1
Connor McDonagh
16 Mar 2022

Max Verstappen says he trusts Red Bull to deliver a competitive Formula 1 power unit after committing his long term future to the team.

Speaking on the opening day of the Bahrain test, Verstappen was confident about Red Bull’s ability to develop its own PU in F1.

"A bit like my previous deal, there was also a few unknown things," he said. "But I trust the team that everything will be fine because they have shown before that they can handle these situations really well.

‘Faith At Red Bull’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/998456...gning-new-deal

Mercedes rivals knew controversial sidepod design was a flop last year after private test.
Mercedes may have caught some by surprise last week in Bahrain testing at the unveiling of their new-look W13 with minimal sidepods, but Haas seemingly weren't that transfixed by their rivals.
By STUART BALLARD
18:40, Wed, Mar 16, 2022 | UPDATED: 18:40, Wed, Mar 16, 2022

MERCEDES are sticking with their 'zero sidepod' design on the W13 for the start of the new F1 season.

However, the Haas team principal went on to state that the team quickly realised after several simulator runs that "wide sidepods" were the best way to go. “Exactly this concept was our first draft," Steiner said.

“We had it in the wind tunnel last July and already realised that it brings advantages in slow corners. As an overall package, however, we saw greater potential in wide sidepods.”

‘Controversial Sidepod Flop’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...Laren-Williams


Hill thinks 'sidepod-less' design could be cause of Mercedes problems
17/03/2022, 11:50
Author Tom Leach

Damon Hill believes that Mercedes are fighting porpoising more severely than many of their rivals due to a by-product of their 'sidepod-less' car design.

"There's so much suck coming from under the car now that I think they're having trouble keeping control of the floor," said Hill, speaking to the F1 Nation podcast.

"That's why they put those floor-stays, or why they petitioned to allow for floor-stays to go in. If you look at the Mercedes, there's a vast area [of the floor], because they've got such slim sidepods. There is not much there to hold the floor up!”

‘Not Much There ‘Sidepod-Less’!’;

https://racingnews365.com/hill-think...cedes-problems


Wolff ‘really proud’ of striking Mercedes sidepod concept after it debuts in Bahrain
10 March 2022

Speaking in the lunchtime press conference on Thursday, Wolff couldn’t hide his satisfaction at Mercedes’ eye-catching design, which was radically different to the one they used at Barcelona pre-season running in February.

“I think we are really proud of what we have achieved in terms of concept,” said Wolff, “but now we need to make it go fast. I think it’s a development direction that we like, and it’s about tuning the car and so we are experimenting a lot, as we’ve done during the day, and approaching it with curiosity.”

“I think there [are still] issues that are… Bahrain-specific,” added Wolff. “It’s very hot, you see a lot of cars still bouncing – some on the straights, others through the corners – so it’s a tuning question. And we haven’t really looked at performance data yet.”

‘Wolff Really Proud Of Sidepod-Less Concept!’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...LfSTaxnYV.html


Brawn: We didn’t anticipate Mercedes’ ‘very extreme’ sidepod design
by Ryan Wood
10th March 2022, 10:13

Brawn worked with a team of engineers and designers within Formula 1 to shape the new technical regulations, in which he says they closed off “hundreds” of loopholes, but admitted such innovations will always come about given the engineering prowess of contained within F1.

“I think it’s impossible to anticipate the creative scope of the teams, once they get the regs, you’ve got thousands of engineers working on all the regulations and how they can use them [to their benefit].”

“So some of the solutions honestly we never anticipated,” he added. “I think there’s no doubt that the Mercedes concept, we didn’t anticipate, I don’t think… it’s a very extreme interpretation of the regulation and I think there’s going to be, inevitably, a lot of debate about their interpretation and that’s what happens with new regs.”

‘NEVER Anticipated ‘Sidepod-Less’ Concept!’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...idepod-design/


Marko unimpressed with Mercedes 'zero-sidepod' concept
Phillip van Osten
15/03/2022 at 14:56

"It looks revolutionary what Mercedes has brought but what matters is the time. We looked more at the performance and it wasn’t that impressive," Marko told Austrian daily OE24, referring to Mercedes' W13.

"The main thing is that we’re the fastest again," he said. "But we are primarily concerned with our car, and we are doing well there."

Although Red Bull's early confidence was upheld by its performance in Bahrain, Marko recalled that last year, Mercedes "was also behind in the test.” “Now I’m just waiting for qualifying on Saturday, when the engine will be revved up and all the cards will be on the table."

‘All The Cards On The Table, Saturday Qualifying’;

https://f1i.com/news/434672-marko-un...d-concept.html


Toto Wolff makes worrying admission for Lewis Hamilton ahead of Bahrain GP
The Mercedes chief is cautious about his team's chances ahead of the season opener in Sakhir, with everyone on the grid apparently keen to talk down their own chances
By Daniel MoxonSports Writer
• 20:18, 16 Mar 2022

Wolff also spoke about how testing had gone for his team, and what has been learned as drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell prepare for competitive action. While the running time will have been invaluable, the 50-year-old claimed that not all had been smooth sailing for Mercedes during testing.

"Barcelona was a productive first test of the W13, then we brought a big update to Bahrain for the pre-season test which resulted from a huge effort by the whole team. We completed good mileage, had solid reliability, and learned a lot about our new car, but it was not a straightforward three days for us.”

"We tried plenty of set-up options and made good progress in understanding our limitations, and there's still plenty of room for us to improve further. There is a lot of potential to unlock in the W13, and we know how much we relish the challenge of understanding the car and extracting the maximum from it, and this will be our focus for the coming days, weeks and months."

‘Not Straightforward, Understanding Limitations, Extracting The Maximum!’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...hrain-26486371

I'm not here to help Lewis! Mercedes new boy George Russell vows to take the fight to his team-mate and seven-time world champion Hamilton ahead of the Bahrain opener - as he admits 'I am up against the greatest of all time'.
“Nobody who finds themselves there (being Wingman) can be upset with anyone else as they are there for a reason. They have not performed.”
By Jonathan McEvoy for the Daily Mail
Published: 22:30, 17 March 2022 | Updated: 23:23, 17 March 2022

• George Russell has made it clear he will not act as Lewis Hamilton's wingman
• The 24-year-old is keen to be a team player, but wants to compete for Mercedes
• Russell has delayed his move to Monaco to prepare for the upcoming season

He was polite and respectful like a new boy at school. But one thing George Russell made as plain as the desert sand: he has not arrived at Mercedes to act as Lewis Hamilton's wingman.

'If I perform, I will not ever be in that position,' declares the Brit. 'It is not whether I am willing to be Lewis' wingman. I would be disappointed if I found myself in that position because I would not have done the job.”

‘Wingman Disappointment!’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...-Hamilton.html


Charles Leclerc: 'It's time for us to be back at the top'
17 Mar 2022

Charles Leclerc says Ferrari have been given a great opportunity to succeed this season, thanks to the new rules and regulations. The Monégasque driver says 'It's time for us to be back at the top' ahead of the 2022 Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix.

‘It’s Time!’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...829427521.html


Leclerc: Red Bull favourite, but 'a lot more to come' from Mercedes
Phillip van Osten17/03/2022 at 17:14

Charles Leclerc says Red Bull will start F1's season this weekend in Bahrain with the status of favourites, but the Ferrari driver believes Mercedes has yet to show its full potential.

"I think Red Bull are [favourite], from what they’ve shown," said the Scuderia charger in Bahrain on Thursday. "But I also think that Mercedes didn’t show their full potential.”

"They’ve done a few laps here and there that were good once they were putting it together but they didn’t really put anything together to be honest.”

‘Full Potential?’;

https://f1i.com/news/434871-leclerc-...-mercedes.html


Hamilton edges Verstappen as bookies’ favourite; F1 gears up for Bahrain opener
17 Mar 2022
By Gambling Insider

The industry is preparing for an exciting season ahead that should see greater engagement from bettors. While formula one is still lower down on the list of operators' most popular sports, the excitement of last season, as well as increased betting industry involvement in the sport, means bookmakers can welcome another source of revenue as the football season comes to a close - and post-Cheltenham.

Sky Bet has odds of 13/8 for Hamilton to win. Meanwhile, Verstappen is second-favourite at 7/4, while 24-year-old George Russell is third-favourite at 13/2. Former world champions Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel have odds of 66/1 and 125/1, respectively.

Interestingly, despite Hamilton’s place as bookies’ favourite to claim the overall prize, Verstappen is seen as the most likely to win the opening race in Bahrain. Verstappen has odds of 4/7 on Sky Bet, while Hamilton is at 5/4. This has perhaps been influenced by the first pre-season testing session, which took place on 16 March.

‘Early Betting: Verstappen for Bahrain GP, Hamilton for World Champion’;

https://www.gamblinginsider.com/news...bahrain-opener


Time to get the sandbags off + 5 things to watch for - 2022 Bahrain GP Preview
Published Mar 18, 2022 4:00 AM

We're getting closer to the start of the 2022 Formula 1 season and soon it will be time to get the sandbags off! On Saturday, we will sort of know the pecking order for the first third of the season.

On Sunday, we will know if the cars and tyres will deliver what we're all waiting in anticipation for - classic wheel-to-wheel battles.

Inside Line F1 Podcast’;

https://omny.fm/shows/inside-line-f1...s-to-watch-for


Ricciardo ‘hungry’ to get back in the car after Covid
Date published: March 17 2022 - Sam Cooper

McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo has said he is “hungry” to get back in the car after recovering from a bout of Covid that ruled him out of Bahrain testing.

“It’s hard to know where we’ll be on the grid but it’s going to be competitive and I’m hungry to get back in the car and go racing.”

“Heading into my second year with the team, I feel more confident and comfortable than ever. I’m determined to build on last year’s performance and use everything the team and I learned from the highs and lows to make this season one of our best.”

‘After Ilness, Daniel Ricciardo Hungry’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/daniel...ry-to-be-back/


Can Ferrari put a halt to Mercedes and Red Bull's recent F1 domination?
17th March 2022, ‎18‎:‎20
Author Thomas Maher

Formula 1's long-awaited new era kicks off this weekend in Bahrain, with Ferrari seemingly ready to rejoin the battle at the front alongside Red Bull and Mercedes.

Looking back over the two pre-season tests in Barcelona and Bahrain, the Scuderia consistently impressed by placing at or near the very top of the timesheets throughout.

Both Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc exploited what appeared to be good inherent speed from the F1-75, with the car adapting well to the two different circuit types. Added to that was metronomic reliability from the Ferrari power unit, with the team regularly amongst the highest mileage figures at the end of each day.

‘Metronomic Engine Reliability’;

https://racingnews365.com/can-ferrar...-f1-domination


Lewis Hamilton insists Mercedes have 'got a LOT of problems' and fears they might not be able to challenge for victories for the first FOUR races, with both Red Bull and Ferrari looking quick ahead of the season opener in Bahrain this weekend
By Kieran Lynch For Mailonline
Published: 08:47, 17 March 2022

'The testing has been difficult,' Hamilton said during a visit to Expo 2020 Dubai.

'It's crazy because, years ago, we used to have a lot of test days and now we only have, literally, three days in the car altogether. So it's not a lot of laps.

'When we go into this race, this week, we're still learning about the car – we probably will be for the first four races at least. We've got a lot of problems.'

‘Difficult Testing, Lot Of Problems’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...r-Bahrain.html


RacingNews365.com's predictions for the 2022 F1 season
18th March 2022, ‎07‎:‎30
Author RacingNews365 Staff

With the 2022 F1 season almost upon us, RacingNews365.com's finest minds have dusted off their crystal balls to bring you their predictions for the coming year.

The cars have been unveiled, pre-season testing is over, and it's finally time for F1's much-vaunted new era to get underway.

RacingNews365.com journalists Dieter Rencken, Mike Seymour, Thomas Maher, Tom Leach, Anna Francis and Michael Butterworth have put their reputations on the line to bring you their predictions for what looks like a notoriously unpredictable season.

‘Predictions’;

https://racingnews365.com/racingnews...2022-f1-season

Gasly leads 1st practice at Bahrain GP, Verstappen 5th.
AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly of France.
BY JEROME PUGMIRE AP AUTO RACING WRITER
March 18, 2022 10:23 AM

AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly was quickest and Formula One champion Max Verstappen only fifth fastest for Red Bull in the first practice session at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on Friday.
Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton made a sluggish start. The veteran British driver was seventh quickest as Mercedes appeared to struggle with grip. Gasly's best time of 1 minute, 34.193 seconds was .364 quicker than Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and .418 better than Leclerc's teammate, Carlos Sainz Jr.
Mercedes driver George Russell was fourth best and trailed Gasly by .436. Verstappen was .549 behind Gasly with Hamilton .75 back from Gasly's time.

‘AlphaTauri Quickest’;

https://www.heraldonline.com/sports/...mainstage_card


McLarens 16th and 17th in practice as drivers test “interim” fix for brake problems
2022 Bahrain Grand Prix
Posted on
18th March 2022, 13:50 | Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham

“Obviously brake ducts are quite complex parts if you look at the entire Formula 1 car,” said Seidl. “So it was a race against time in order to bring an interim solution to here.”

“It’s definitely not the final, ideal solution. But we did what we could, the factory was flat-out in the last seven, eight days in order to provide us with the solutions we have on the cars now, which we have to evaluate now in free practice one and two.”

“Hopefully it allows us then to get back to normal running, to get back into our rhythm as well, which we lost a bit during the last test and then we take it from there.”

‘McLaren In Race Against Time’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/18/...rake-problems/


Hamilton and Verstappen trail as Alpine sidepod disintegrates in opening F1 practice
Ian Parkes
Friday 18 March 2022 13:04

There was drama early on as the session was only seven minutes old when the sidepod on Esteban Ocon's Alpine disintegrated as he hurtled down the start-finish straight with Aston Martin reserve Nico Hulkenberg in close attendance behind.

As Ocon returned to the pits, and a red flag was thrown by one of the FIA's two new race directors in Niels Wittich, TV images focused on the gaping hole in the side of the A522.

The team soon confirmed it was naturally "investigating the issue", revealing it was a "new, upgraded sidepod" that was running for the first time.

‘EL PLAN:
Sidepod Disintegration!’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/77...g-f1-practice/


Bahrain GP: Encouraging FP1 for Williams Racing
By Andrew Hooper
March 18 2022

In the first Friday session of the 2022 Bahrain GP the Williams Racing Team would see their drivers finish the session in 13th and 15th. Both Nicholas Latifi and Alex Albon would essentially complete just two runs one on the hard and the other the soft. It was an encouraging start to the weekend but both drivers still have a lot to learn of their 2022 FW44.


Cla Driver Laps Time Gap
1 Pierre Gasly 23 1'34.193
2 Charles Leclerc 22 1'34.557 0.364
3 Carlos Sainz Jr 23 1'34.611 0.418
4 George Russell 23 1'34.629 0.436
5 Max Verstappen 22 1'34.742 0.549
6 Lance Stroll 22 1'34.814 0.621
7 Lewis Hamilton 17 1'34.943 0.750
8 Fernando Alonso 14 1'35.000 0.807
9 Yuki Tsunoda 20 1'35.028 0.835
10 Sergio Perez 23 1'35.050 0.857
11 Guanyu Zhou 20 1'35.053 0.860
12 Esteban Ocon 15 1'35.151 0.958
13 Nicholas Latifi 15 1'35.644 1.451
14 Nico Hulkenberg 23 1'35.815 1.622
15 Alex Albon 17 1'35.923 1.730
16 Lando Norris 22 1'36.304 2.111
17 Daniel Ricciardo 20 1'36.402 2.209
18 Mick Schumacher 23 1'36.536 2.343
19 Kevin Magnussen 21 1'36.804 2.611
20 Valtteri Bottas 2


‘Williams FW-44 Encouraging Start’;

https://www.sportnetwork.net/main/s107/st203024.htm


What happened in first Bahrain Grand Prix F1 practice
18?03/2022, 13:22
By Valentin Khorounzhiy

AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly topped the first practice session of the 2022 Formula 1 season as the championship’s new era began in earnest in Bahrain.
Key moments:
– Gasly leads Ferrari duo
– Red Bull pace appears hidden by run plan
– Alpine sidepod failure causes red flag
– Bottas limited to two laps

‘F1 New Era Begins’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/what-...x-f1-practice/


FP1 Highlights: Bahrain Grand Prix
18 Mar 2022

Watch highlights from the first practice session ahead of the season-opening 2022 Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit.

‘Highlights’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...580300160.html

Verstappen leads Ferraris in second Bahrain GP practice session.
World champion Max Verstappen set the fastest time in the second Formula One practice session at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on Friday ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
18/03/2022 - 20:18


Mercedes' George Russell was fourth while Fernando Alonso was fifth for Alpine.

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, hampered by a brake problem, was ninth fastest.

The seven-time world champion wound up 1.2 seconds adrift of Verstappen who ended the Briton's reign at last season’s furious finale in Abu Dhabi.

‘Max Verstappen Fastest’;

https://www.france24.com/en/live-new...actice-session


Hamilton: Still calm but we’re not bluffing like some assume
Editor
18 March, 2022

The sidepod-less Mercedes W13 proved to be a handful relative to its rivals, as Max Verstappen set the pace in the Red Bull on Friday evening at Sakhir. He ended 1.2 seconds up on Hamilton, down in ninth, with new Silver Arrows teammate George Russell’s fourth-fastest, half a second shy of the top time. Neither driver happy.

“The bouncing we’re experiencing is losing us downforce compared to the others which is making it much harder out there. We’re not bluffing like people assume we are but we’ll work as hard as we can to get through it and do what we can.”

“At the moment, we’re not going to be in the race for the win here, Red Bull are 0.8/0.9secs ahead and Ferrari are half a second ahead so we’re scrapping with whoever is behind them.”

‘Sidepod-less W13 Losing Downforce’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/03...f1-bahrain-gp/


Mercedes resigned to ‘damage limitation’ focus at Bahrain GP
18/03/2022, 19:38
By Josh Suttill

The Mercedes Formula 1 team is braced for a “tough couple of days” at the 2022 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix where it will focus on “damage limitation”.

“That was a useful test, and we got a clear read on which set-up and floor specification was best for the bouncing.”

“However, we’re still struggling to get the rear of the car much lower and trying to do that gave the drivers a fairly bumpy time of it in the second session.”

‘Damage Limitation’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/merce...at-bahrain-gp/


Ferrari ‘sure’ Mercedes still in the Bahrain GP hunt
Date published: March 18 2022 - Henry Valantine

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto feels Mercedes are “very close” to front-running pace, despite their troubles in Friday practice in Bahrain.

But even with the worries about their pace – Russell going as far as to say Alfa Romeo and AlphaTauri could match Mercedes this weekend – the Ferrari boss is not writing them off.

Ferrari have made it clear their power unit was a priority for them heading into the new season, with an engine freeze taking hold this year until the end of the current engine formula in 2025 – making their current creation even more important than usual.

‘Ferrari Power Unit Priority’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrar...-bahrain-pace/


Mercedes look less of a threat to Red Bull than Ferrari after Friday practice
2022 Bahrain Grand Prix Friday practice analysis
Posted on
18th March 2022, 22:28 | Written by Will Wood

When Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell offered a pessimistic prediction of their performance ahead of the first day of practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix, Max Verstappen refused to buy what his rivals were selling.

Fresh from the cockpit of the W13 after his first day’s work as an official Mercedes race driver, Hamilton judged the deficit his new team lacked compared to their rivals as almost a second slower than Red Bull and over half a second behind the seemingly resurgent Scuderia. And the times from Friday’s evening running appears to back up Russell’s assessment.

Mercedes trackside engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, was frank in his analysis of the team’s potential pace and how likely they might be able to claw back the gap by Sunday. “In terms of pace, we have a significant gap to Ferrari and Red Bull, especially Max on the long run,” said Shovlin.

‘Significant Gap In Pace’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/18/...iday-practice/


Fernando Alonso: Alpine 'surprised' by competitiveness at Bahrain GP practice
18 Mar 2022

Fernando Alonso says that Alpine had some "positive surprises with how competitive we felt" during Friday's practice sessions at the 2022 Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit.

‘Alpine Competitiveness’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...987265964.html

Charles Leclerc insists 'there is MUCH more to come' from Ferrari after taking stunning Bahrain Grand Prix pole position ahead of Max Verstappen... but the world champion hints his Red Bull could have the edge on race day.
By Dan Ripley for MailOnline
Published: 18:36, 19 March 2022

• Charles Leclerc took a surprise pole position for Ferrari at the Bahrain Grand Prix
• Carlos Sainz took an excellent third for the team too behind Max Verstappen
• However, the world champion hinted his Red Bull may be quicker during the race
• The Monegasque though believes Ferrari's front running pace is here to stay

Charles Leclerc believes his surprise pole position at the Bahrain Grand Prix for Ferrari is the real deal, and that his team could become a major force this season.

Leclerc pipped the Dutchman to pole position around the Sakhir circuit, with his team-mate Carlos Sainz in third and only a tenth down to indicate Ferrari are well on the pace at the season opening race.

‘Scuderia Major Force’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...n-GP-pole.html


Leclerc promises 'much more to come' from Ferrari after Bahrain GP pole
Ben Issatt
19 March 2022

Charles Leclerc hopes pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix will just be the start with "much more to come" from Ferrari in 2022.

Following the trials and tribulations the Scuderia has faced in recent years, Leclerc is certainly pleased that the focus on 2022 appears to have paid off.

“It feels good,” he said in Parc Ferme. "The last few years have been incredibly difficult for the team, we were quite hopeful that this [the new car regulations] was an opportunity to be back in the front.”

‘Ferrari Feels Good’;

https://www.insideracing.com/formula...ahrain-gp-pole


Max Verstappen: Second Place Start “A positive start to the season”
By Nick Golding
March 19, 2022

World Champion Max Verstappen had to settle for a second place start for the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix, after narrowly missing out on pole to Charles Leclerc at the Bahrain International Circuit.

The World Champion has looked flawless all weekend and is still the vast majorities favourite to take the win on Sunday, Verstappen is aware though that the Ferrari’s are very close.

“Overall, it’s not a bad position to be in, of course you always want more but this is a positive start to the season. I think we have a good race car which is important and with it being the start of the season, there are still a lot of things to learn. Q2 was good but Q3 was a bit more hit and miss with not really getting the right balance.”

‘A Positive Start’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...to-the-season/


Magnussen “speechless” after qualifying P7 for Haas
Sakhir, Bahrain
by Emer Hedderman
20th March 2022

Two weeks ago Magnussen’s year was set up to see him running in the top categories of both the IMSA SportsCar Championship and the World Endurance Championship, but a call from Haas’ Team Principal, Guenther Steiner, changed all of that.

“It’s crazy,” Magnussen said. “I mean, this is all we could have ever hoped for. I don’t know. I’m speechless. It’s crazy.

“The last couple of weeks have just been insane and getting here, learning about the car, seeing that it, maybe, it’s a pretty good one, but still not really knowing, being so anxious about this qualifying to really see how good it is, and then just finding out that it’s really good – crazy.”

‘Haas P7 Speechless’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/magnussen-...for-haas-78232


“It would be nice to have a battle with Mercedes” – Valtteri Bottas
By Nick Golding
March 19, 2022

It was a welcomed return to Qualifying 3 for Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN, with Valtteri Bottas qualifying an incredible sixth and rookie team-mate Guanyu Zhou in fourteenth at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Very few would’ve predicted that Bottas would be qualifying on the third row for the Bahrain Grand Prix, let alone alongside his former Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team team-mate Lewis Hamilton, or three places ahead of George Russell, the man who replaced Bottas at Mercedes!

Bottas is very pleased to be starting sixth and is hopeful of a strong points haul on Sunday, he also wouldn’t mind a battle against his former team!

‘Bottas To Battle Mercedes’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...ltteri-bottas/


Reaching Q3 is a “relief” for Alpine says Alonso as he urges development push
2022 Bahrain Grand Prix
Posted on
19th March 2022, 17:41 | Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham

Fernando Alonso says qualifying in the top 10 for the first race of the new season was a “relief” for Alpine. However he urged his team to press on with their development programme after lapping 1.6 seconds slower than pole-winner Charles Leclerc in Bahrain.

“To be fighting for the top 10 with both cars I think has been a relief a little bit for Alpine that the job done during the winter has been positive,” said Alonso.

“Now it’s up to us to develop the car as quick as possible. It’s going to be a huge development for everybody and we need to be fast off-track as well on that.”

‘EL PLAN: Alpine Relief’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/19/...elopment-push/


Wolff: We have to be realistic, we are third fastest
Jad Mallak
20 March, 2022

Toto Wolff is trying to be realistic about Mercedes’ form in the 2022 Formula 1 season, after qualifying fifth and ninth for the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday, saying they are the third fastest team right now.

Toto Wolff spoke to Sky Sports F1 after qualifying and said: “I think we have to be realistic about our performance level at the moment.

“That is [being the] third quickest team on the grid, and Lewis has put the car there,” he added, hinting that Lewis Hamilton’s fifth grid position flattered the car a bit: “We are seven-tenths behind with one car, that’s where we are.”

‘Third Fastest Realism’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/03...third-fastest/


Lewis Hamilton in 'despair' with Mercedes star to face two new problems this season
LEWIS HAMILTON has been warned over two new problems he will face this season.
By LEWIS WINTER
13:05, Sat, Mar 19, 2022

Lewis Hamilton had a look of "despair" after the problems Mercedes faced on the first day of the opening practice session of the season, according to 1996 champion Damon Hill. Hamilton was only ninth-fastest in practice ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix.

"Basically they've got a problem," Hill said. "There was a little of a look of despair with Lewis but he knows he's got a good team behind him and they've got a lot of work to do.”

"He is trying to make it clear that he's not sandbagging, they're not just pretending they haven't got the pace, they genuinely don't have the pace. They have issues, you can see that clearly on the car, on the track. Lewis tends to show his feelings and concern.”

‘Look Of Despair’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...d-Prix-F1-news

Leclerc wins season opening Bahrain GP on Formula 1 circuit.
Formula One champion Max Verstappen’s title defense turned into a nightmare when the Red Bull star retired near the end of the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday allowing Ferrari to clinch a 1-2 finish with Charles Leclerc winning ahead of teammate Carlos Sainz Jr.
The Canadian Press

Leclerc was leading comfortably from Verstappen when the back of Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri car caught fire forcing him to park it on the side of the track. It was quickly put out and the Frenchman walked away unharmed.

From the restart, Leclerc got away and Verstappen started complaining about steering problems.

A few minutes later both Red Bulls were out of the race and George Russell's Mercedes moved up into fourth to give Mercedes an unexpected bonus.

‘Charles LecLerc No.1, Carlos Sainz, No.2’;

https://www.tsn.ca/leclerc-wins-seas...cuit-1.1773695


F1 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix - Full Race Results from Round 1
F1
Connor McDonagh
20 Mar 2022

https://www.crash.net/f1/results/999...esults-round-1


Bahrain GP: Charles Leclerc wins F1 season opener ahead of Carlos Sainz as Max Verstappen suffers late retirement
By George Dagless
Published: 20 Mar 2022, 17:04

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc rode through an epic duel with Max Verstappen and a late Safety Car period to take victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon, underlining his early-season title credentials in the process, whilst Red Bull suffered a double retirement. On three consecutive laps, Verstappen overtook Leclerc to take the lead of the Grand Prix and on each occasion the Ferrari man fought back to reclaim P1 moments later.

A Safety Car period caused by Pierre Gasly’s fire left Leclerc needing to once again build his lead but he had no issues doing just that, with Verstappen instead beginning to suffer with power issues.

Indeed, with a handful of laps to go the Dutchman began crawling to the pitlane, with Carlos Sainz taking P2 to seal a Ferrari one-two. And, with just two laps to go, Red Bull’s night was topped off with Perez’s engine cutting out and forcing him out of the race, sealing a podium spot for Lewis Hamilton.

‘Ferrari One Two’;

https://www.givemesport.com/87986371...ate-retirement


Hamilton warns Mercedes has "a long way to go" after "difficult" Bahrain podium
Ewan Gale
Sunday 20 March 2022 17:12

Lewis Hamilton has insisted his Mercedes team will "keep our heads down" after capitalising on Red Bull's misfortune to steal a podium at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The Silver Arrows struggled for pace throughout the opening race of the season and at one point, Hamilton was 47 seconds adrift of eventual winner Charles Leclerc before the safety car was deployed late on to retrieve Pierre Gasly's burning AlphaTauri.

"I know the guys are working really hard back at the factory and it is not going to be a quick turnaround," said Hamilton. "But I know, we all know as a team that we have been the best-unified team for so long, I know that we all will keep our heads down, keep working, there is a long, long way to go."

‘Unified Team’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...ahrain-podium/


Leclerc heads Ferrari 1-2 in Bahrain amid Red Bull meltdown
Andrew Lewin20/03/2022 at 16:59

At the end of lap 54, the final act in Verstappen's Sunday drama came to a head: "What's going on with the battery?!" he said over the team radio, to which he received a funereal response from the Red Bull pit wall: "It's not the battery, there's nothing we can do." Seconds later the car lost drive and limped to pit lane with Verstappen's hopes dashed; Perez was also on air declaring that he too was losing power; as Hamilton lined him up for a last lap pass and an unlikely podium, the Red Bull's engine seized and sent Perez spinning out at turn 1.

Jaws were still dropping at this spectacle as Leclerc crossed the line to claim victory with Sainz now in second to make it a Ferrari 1-2, and Hamilton having salvaged a truly unexpected podium and Russell right behind him in fourth. magnussen confirmed a new era for Haas in fifth followed by Bottas, Ocon, Tsunoda, Alonso and Zhou and Schumacher just missing out.

And if that's the standard of racing for 2022, then it's going to be one heck of a season!

‘Jaws Dropping’;

https://f1i.com/news/435493-leclerc-...-meltdown.html

Leclerc joked to Ferrari he had engine issue on final lap.
Charles Leclerc says that he joked over his team radio on the final lap of the Bahrain Grand Prix that he was suffering from an engine issue.
20/03/2022, 18:43
by Fergal Walsh

As he closed out the second sector on his final lap during the 2022 edition of the race, Leclerc jumped on the radio to declare that once again, he had a problem with his car. “Something strange with the engine, something strange with the engine,” he said, before stating moments later “I’m joking”.

Speaking to Sky F1 after the race, Leclerc said: “I did a bit of a joke on the radio on the last lap saying there was something strange with the engine.”

“The engineers, I’m pretty sure, didn’t like that. But it was fun, I had that in mind for the last 10 or 15 laps of the race, hoping there were no reliability issues.”

‘Something Strange With The Engine… …No Reliability Problems!’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...-on-final-lap/


Charles Leclerc admits it was 'incredible' to drive a car that 'was capable of winning' after Max Verstappen 'challenged' him in 'tough' season opener at the Bahrain Grand Prix
By Charlotte Daly For Mailonline
Published: 01:12, 21 March 2022

• Charles Leclerc secured Ferrari their first win the season at the Bahrain GP
• Red Bull suffered two late retirements from Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez
• Leclerc said Verstappen 'challenged' him during the race on Sunday afternoon
• He also said it was 'incredible' to be 'back in a car that is capable of winning

Charles Leclerc said it was 'incredible' to be 'back in a car that was capable of winning after he secured Ferrari their first win the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday.

Leclerc said he was proud of his performance during the 'tough race' and credited his team for their contribution. While his team-mate, Carlos Sainz Jr, said Ferrari's 'tireless work over the last years' had finally 'paid off'.

‘Incredible To Be Back’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...e-winning.html


Charles Leclerc gave Ferrari engineers 'heart attacks' with last-lap prank in Bahrain
CHARLES LECLERC may well have been in the bad books with his Ferrari engineers had he not delivered a superbly-controlled victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
By DANIEL MOXON
22:07, Sun, Mar 20, 2022

Many drivers in Leclerc's position would probably focus entirely on getting safely across the finish line before allowing their thoughts to head anywhere else. However, the mischievous Monegasque had something brutal in mind for his engineers.

After those fatal mechanical issues for the cars driven by Verstappen and Perez, he pulled a prank over team radio by claiming he was suffering from a similar problem. "I joked on the radio [on the last lap] that there was something strange with the engine, which I am sure gave a heart attack to the mechanics," Leclerc admitted after the race.

‘Last-Lap Prank’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ahrain-F1-news


Binotto surprised by Ferrari race-pace advantage over Red Bull
20/03/2022, ‎18‎:‎50
Author Tom Leach
Co-author Mike Seymour

Ferrari have started the new F1 season in dream fashion, scoring a 1-2 in Bahrain while their closest rivals, Red Bull, suffered a double DNF.

Reflecting on the race result in an interview with Sky Sports F1, Binotto said: "It's fantastic; the 1-2 was unexpected. "I think it has been a great race. I think that Charles defended the position, [and it was] so nice to see him battling and fighting for the position, and for the win.

"We stayed out on our Medium tyres because, making the simulation and calculations, [Verstappen] should have needed two seconds per lap to catch up at the end of the race, and two seconds is a big amount. Somehow, Charles was easy on the tyres and was managing the tyres. He felt comfortable, so for us it was easiest to stay out and try to consolidate the position.”

‘Ferrari Surprise’;

https://racingnews365.com/binotto-su...-over-red-bull


Binotto feared 'heart attack' with late Bahrain safety car
Phillip van Osten20/03/2022 at 20:48

Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto admitted being seized with anguish on his team's pitwall when a late safety car reset the gap between Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen in the closing stages of Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix.

Binotto praised Leclerc's tyre management during the race, with minimal degradation impacting his car. But the Scuderia boss also acknowledged that his team had benefitted from a bit of luck. "Somehow, Charles was easy on the tyres and was managing the tyres," he added.

"He felt comfortable, so for us it was easiest to stay out and try to consolidate the position. In the end, we were a bit lucky. [There was] certainly a heart attack for me on the pit wall when you're consolidating the positions and you've got the Safety Car 10 laps to the end.”

‘Seized With Anguish’;

https://f1i.com/news/435686-binotto-...afety-car.html


“A car that is capable of winning feels incredible” – Charles Leclerc
By Nick Golding
March 20, 2022

Charles Leclerc took Scuderia Ferrari back to where they belong, on the top step of the podium, after winning the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix with team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr making it a Ferrari 1-2 at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Leclerc would’ve been concerned about having Verstappen right on his gearbox all over again, however he had no reason to fear, the World Champion was forced into retirement just as Leclerc was about to restart the race. The Dutchman suffered multiple reliability issues at the exact same time, ending his hopes of victory.

Carlos Sainz Jr ran in third place for the vast majority of the race, the Spaniard found the race difficult and even believed it to be one of the hardest of his career since joining the team. Despite all of this, Sainz Jr made it a 1-2 for the Prancing Horses for the first-time since the 2019 Singapore Grand Prix.

‘Winning Car Feels Incredible’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...arles-leclerc/


Ferrari needs ‘four or five races’ to be sure of title hopes
The Race
20 March 2022, 20:28
By Scott Mitchell

Ferrari believes it needs “four or five races” to assess whether it is a 2022 title contender after claiming a one-two finish in Formula 1’s dramatic season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. However, it believes Red Bull is still the favourite, and wants to wait a few grands prix before deciding whether it has a package capable of fighting for both titles.

“I think that the others are very, very strong,” said Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto when asked by The Race if he felt Ferrari’s team and drivers are ready to mount a championship challenge. They have proved to be very strong yesterday in qualifying. It was really a matter of details.”

“I think today it could have been so good, but maybe they had some reliability issues or something that is not perfect on their car for what we may understand from the radio communications. And they would have been very fast otherwise.”

‘Four Or Five Races’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/ferra...1-title-hopes/


'A day to celebrate for entire team!' declares Sainz
Andrew Lewin20/03/2022 at 19:45

Carlos Sainz was proud to proclaim that Ferrari were finally back at the top of Formula 1, having gone through some tough times in recent seasons.

"This is definitely a day to celebrate for the entire team," the Spanish driver said in parc ferme after the end of the race. “Ferrari are back, and properly back.

"A 1-2, and where the team should have been over the last few years. The hard work is paying off and we are there.”

‘Entire Team Celebration’;

https://f1i.com/news/435717-a-day-to...res-sainz.html

Mercedes to 'take a chainsaw' to W13 for Saudi Arabia.
Toto Wolff has suggested Mercedes will "take a chainsaw" to its W13 for Sunday's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in a bid to rectify the car's issues.
Sam Hall
Monday 21 March 2022 04:00

"It's easier to shed drag off the car because you simply take a chainsaw and cut the rear wing to bits and so that is what we will be doing for Jeddah," said Wolff. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Wolff explained what Mercedes believed to be the cause of its pace problem while conceding the manufacturer may need to look again at its latest power unit.

"I think we were probably over-winged," he added. "We had too much drag and that is just because we are lacking parts at the moment and hopefully we can remedy that.”

"It is half or a little bit more maybe of the top speed advantage but we need to really leave no stone unturned on the power unit side."

‘Chainsaw The W13’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...-saudi-arabia/


Toto Wolff says Mercedes are out of F1 title contention after one race.
Lewis Hamilton believes team have no quick fix for the problem afflicting their car.
21/03/2022, 11:37
Giles Richards in Bahrain

The Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, has conceded his team and their seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton, are not in contention for the Formula One world titles after the season’s opening race in Bahrain. Hamilton has acknowledged the team have no quick fix for the fundamental problem afflicting their car as they struggle to get the best out of it in the season’s initial meetings.

Wolff said it was up to the team to “regain land, centimetre by centimetre”, in what will clearly be a drawn-out fightback and that they could not simply throw parts at the car until they had solved the main issue with the porpoising. Optimism remains that when they do so they will be able to be very competitive, as Wolff was expectant they could “unleash the performance that we hope to be in the car”.

‘W13 Out Of F1 Contention’;

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/oth...race-1.4832207


Kravitz on when Mercedes ‘will get act together’
Date published: March 21 2022 - Jamie Woodhouse

Sky F1 reporter Ted Kravitz believes Mercedes are stuck with their ‘porpoising’-related performance issues until the European phase of the season.

Throughout testing, the eight-time Constructors’ champions had struggled to find a fix for their W13 bouncing down the straights, or ‘porpoising’ as it is termed, which meant Lewis Hamilton could manage only P5 on the grid in Bahrain, while team-mate George Russell started P9.

Ultimately, Mercedes did get a driver on the podium, Hamilton crossing the line P3 thanks to a double retirement for Red Bull, but for both pure one-lap and race pace, Mercedes were not in the same league as Red Bull or Ferrari.

‘Getting Their Act Together’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ted-kr...ement-chances/


Mercedes F1 title bid ‘a very long shot’ to even think about.
The Race
20 March 2022, 20:18

It’s a “very long shot” for Mercedes “to even think about being in contention for any of the championships” in the 2022 Formula 1 season on the evidence of the Bahrain Grand Prix, believes Toto Wolff.

The winner of the last eight consecutive F1 constructors’ championships still ended up third and fourth at Sakhir with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell but owed that result to the last-gasp retirements of the Red Bulls.

Wolff felt that in an uneventful race “fifth and sixth would have been a reflection of where we are”. Mercedes was not on the pace of either Ferrari – which finished 1-2 – or its 2021 arch-rival Red Bull in Bahrain, and effectively used the race weekend as a test.

‘F1 Title A Long Shot’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/merce...n-think-about/


Mercedes highlight the key issue they need to get on top of
21/03/2022, ‎07‎:‎45
Author Thomas Maher

Mercedes' Andrew Shovlin says he expects the team to unlock plenty of performance from their W13 quite quickly. "Our priority has to be to get on top of our current performance issues," Andrew Shovlin, Head of Trackside Engineering at Mercedes, explained after the race.

"We don't have a car to fight for pole or race wins, and that isn't something that we can tolerate for long if we hold ambitions to win the championships.”

"The balance was quite tricky, but the main issue is just a lack of grip, caused by the fact that we have to run the car so high to avoid the bottoming."

‘W13 Car Can’t Fight For Pole Or Race Wins’;

https://racingnews365.com/mercedes-h...-get-on-top-of


Mercedes customer teams express concerns over engine
21/03/2022, 13:00
Author Thomas Maher
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Some of Mercedes' engine customers have suggested that the new power unit from the German manufacturer isn't quite as powerful as they'd like. At one point, the two McLarens, Williams and Aston Martins were the last six cars on track, while the Mercedes factory team were more than 30 seconds behind the leading Ferrari and Red Bull until a late Safety Car brought them back into contention.

With F1 entering an engine freeze for 2022 after quite a lot of work from manufacturers to adjust to the new E10 fuel, the relative lack of performance from the Mercedes power unit was noted by customers.

"This is an observation that we had already quite early," Aston Martin boss Mike Krack told media, including RacingNews365.com, when asked whether Ferrari's power unit appears to be a step ahead of the Mercedes.

‘Mercedes PU Concerns’;

https://racingnews365.com/mercedes-c...ns-over-engine

Haas deliver the 'unwritable story' as "spectacular" Magnussen continues fairytale.
Team principal Steiner was full of admiration for the fairytale turnaround the team has undergone and praised all involved in delivering its first points since the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix.
Topher Smith
Sunday 20 March 2022 21:15

Haas sacrificed its development in 2021 in order to focus on the regulation changes for this year and has been quickly rewarded as Magnussen qualified seventh before bringing home 10 points for finishing fifth in the race.

"What the whole team did, if you think about the last two years and then coming back like this, you cannot write a story like this in my opinion," Steiner told Sky Sports F1.

"The guys on the race track the last two years, they had tough times but kept their heads low, learned and the pit stops today were good.”

‘Team Principal Steiner Un-writable Story’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...ues-fairytale/


Magnussen thrilled with P5: I could see a Mercedes for the whole race!
‎20‎ ‎March‎ ‎18‎:‎20
Author Thomas Maher
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Haas' Kevin Magnussen matched his best-ever finish for the American-led team by claiming fifth in his first race after returning to Formula 1.

"I enjoyed it a lot. It's so good to be back in this position," Magnussen beamed as he spoke with media, including RacingNews365.com, after the race. "A massive well done to the team for getting this car into this position. We were the strongest car in the midfield; I could actually see the Mercedes for almost the whole race.”

"I know we got the Safety Car at the end, so that helped a little with that, but it was just a different story to in the past."

‘Seeing The Mercedes The Whole Race’;

https://racingnews365.com/magnussen-...the-whole-race


Steiner: ‘You cannot write a story like this’
Date published: March 21 2022 - Sam Cooper

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner said “you cannot write a story like this” after Kevin Magnussen capped his return to the sport with a remarkable P5 finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Steiner was told by Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz they had missed his smile and the Italian-American replied: “I’ve missed it as well.

“Kevin did a fantastic job,” said Steiner. “For him, a comeback like this he wouldn’t have dreamt of I think. But things happen in life. A month ago it was a completely different scenario, now all of a sudden we are fifth.”

“He knows how to drive a car. There is a reason why we got him back – we want a little bit of credit for that as well. When we knew we needed another driver I think it was the right choice to make. He came back, he’s full of energy and you must think he didn’t drive an F1 car for 14 months, so it’s even more spectacular.”

‘Kevin Knows How To Drive A Car’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/guenth...in-grand-prix/


F1 Redemption: Haas Crushed the Midfield in Bahrain and Now Look Stronger Than Ever
21 Mar 2022, 10:33 UTC ·
by Sergiu Tudose

The Ferrari-powered Haas looked like the strongest team out there, behind only Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes. Alpine, AlphaTauri and Alfa Romeo did well too, but none could match Kevin Magnussen’s pace in the Haas.

Magnussen finished the race P5, while his teammate, Mick Schumacher, finished a respectable P11. Now, if this was still 2021, the midfield would have looked a little something like this: McLaren, Alpine, AlphaTauri and Aston Martin. This year though, the Mercedes-powered McLaren and Aston Martin cars were nothing more than backmarkers, at least through one race.

‘Ferrari-powered Haas’;

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/f...er-184438.html


How Haas went from last to F1’s midfield benchmark
21/03/2022,
By Edd Straw

After an unconvincing first test in Barcelona, during which a series of problems restricted it to 160 laps over three days – the least of any team – Haas showed genuine promise during the Bahrain test. That wasn’t just with its headline lap times, set when it had the track to itself during its extra running to compensate for a freight delay, but also on its long-run pace.

The Haas led the midfield group, running as best of the rest behind the cars behind the top three teams – Ferrari, Red Bull and the chasing Mercedes.

“I don’t want to understand it – I want to live the dream,” joked team principal Guenther Steiner a few hours after this amazing result. We knew that we have a good car, we saw that yesterday, but you still need to deliver it and. The longest stint we did up until now was 18 laps in a row, so now to do 57 was quite an achievement.”

‘Haas Live The Dream’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/how-h...eld-benchmark/


Russell concerned Haas ‘had quite a pace advantage’
Date published: March 21 2022 - Michelle Foster

Bouncing his way through the Bahrain Grand Prix, George Russell went from P9 to P4 but only overtook one car – Kevin Magnussen’s Haas. And that was not an easy task, the Mercedes driver saying the Haas had “quite a pace advantage”.

“The only person I overtook was Kevin in the Haas and I think they had quite a pace advantage,” he told F1 TV. “I mean, it felt relatively good and easier to follow, but obviously the cars are much heavier and Bahrain is always a tricky race with the surface temperature.”

Mercedes’ pace in the W13 is being sorely hampered by extreme ‘porpoising’, the car’s zero-pod design said to be compounding the situation.

‘Haas Pace Advantage’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/george...ace-advantage/


George Russell says driving Mercedes car is 'like riding a ROLLERCOASTER' and admits that Haas 'had quite a pace advantage' after they ended their 28-race wait for a point in the Bahrain GP
By Olly Allen For Mailonline
Published: 17:37, 21 March 2022

• George Russell has compared driving Mercedes' W13 to riding a rollercoaster
•
• Mercedes struggled with excessive porpoising issues in Bahrain at the weekend
•
• Damon Hill says that the car's zero-pod design has compounded the problem
•
• Russell also admitted perennial strugglers Haas 'had quite a pace advantage'
•
• The US team ended their long wait for a point as Kevin Magnussen finished fifth

‘W13 Rollercoaster, Haas Pace Advantage’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...rand-Prix.html


Why Haas F1 Team Is Biggest Surprise After the First Race of the F1 Season
Kevin Magnussen's incredible month of March continues with unlikely finish in Formula 1 Bahrain GP.
BY MIKE PRYSON
Mar 21, 2022

The Haas F1 Team, which was scoreless in 2021, is third place in the standings after one race with 10 points after Kevin Magnussen's clean run to fifth place in Bahrain that was good for 10 points. Teammate Mick Schumacher finished 11th to just miss scoring his first F1 championship point.

Haas had not registered a point for as much as a top-10 finish since Romain Grosjean's ninth-place finish at the Eifel Grand Prix at Nurburgring, Germany, on Oct. 11, 2020. Magnussen's finish was his best career finish in Formula 1 since a fifth-place finish for Haas in Austria in 2018.

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner also seemed to enjoy the fact that he wasn't asked the same old "what went wrong today" questions after the Grand Prix. After last year's forgettable season and lack of power in his team's cars, it appears that the team might be on the right side of the equation this year. Three of the top four teams in the standings after one race—Ferrari, Haas and Alfa Romeo—are powered by Ferrari engines.

‘Haas F1 Biggest Surprise’;

https://www.autoweek.com/racing/form...ise-f1-season/

Bottas encouraged by run to P6 in Bahrain after 'disaster' start.
Looking at the numbers, one would describe Bottas' race as nothing lost, nothing gained as the Finn crossed the finish line P6, the position in which he had qualified.
Phillip van Osten 21/03/2022 at 07:43

A flawless and consistent drive based on a three-stop strategy propelled the Finn back into the points mid-race, after which he benefitted in the final laps from the double retirement suffered by Red Bull.

A dismal launch off the line saw the Alfa driver conclude his opening lap a lowly 14th, which left him with a heavy workload on his hands for the remainder of the evening.

‘P6 Nothing Lost’;

https://f1i.com/news/435730-bottas-e...ter-start.html


Must-fix Alfa issue nearly ruined Bottas’s dream debut
22/03/2022, 07:13
By Edd Straw

Valtteri Bottas’s sixth place in the Bahrain Grand Prix was a dream result on his Alfa Romeo Formula 1 debut, but a recurring problem with starts almost derailed his race. This was caused by what Bottas described as a “vibration in the clutch” that afflicts the Alfa Romeo C42 on its starts.

Alfa Romeo head of trackside engineering Xevi Pujolar is hoping the team can fix the clutch vibration problem for this weekend’s Saudi Arabia Grand Prix. “We are still facing some issues with the starts with this new car,” said Pujolar. “And it’s something that we made some progress on, but still we are working on this area.”

“Both cars experienced very poor starts and then not only that, but also trying to get the grip and avoiding incidents during lap one [as a result].

‘Alfa Clutch Vibration’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/must-...s-dream-debut/


Wolff reveals Bottas messaged him after qualifying alongside Hamilton for Bahrain GP
Valtteri Bottas was one of the standouts in qualifying on Saturday ahead of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
by Rob Kershaw
21 March 202221 March 2022

Team principal of the eight-time constructors’ champions Mercedes Toto Wolff revealed that Bottas messaged him after qualifying.

“He sent me a WhatsApp that said ‘look forward to racing you guys tomorrow’,” he said.

“I’m happy for him, for Valtteri, that he has made the move to Alfa, and he’s the lead driver. As far as I understand, he’s bringing his great personality to the team, and he’s energising the team.”

‘Bottas Racing The Mercedes’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/wolff-rev...or-bahrain-gp/


Bottas details Bahrain GP start issue that left him "a sitting duck"
Ian Parkes
Monday 21 March 2022 13:25

"I was not so confident going to the grid because 50 per cent of the starts we had in testing and practice were bad so it's something we need to work on," said Bottas.
"I just had big wheelspin, I cooked the rear tyres, still wheelspinning in third gear and then on the first lap I was sliding around and was a sitting duck."
Asked whether it was car related, the Finn replied: "It's a mechanical thing that sometimes we have this vibration on the clutch. It happens 50 per cent of the time, and when it happens it's quite easy to break the traction, so it's on the list and we're working on it."

‘Sitting Duck Clutch’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...-sitting-duck/


Bottas elated with double-points finish for Alfa Romeo after 'disaster' start in Bahrain
21 March 2022

Valtteri Bottas led a double-points finish for Alfa Romeo in the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix – and he was even more pleased with his performance given a “disaster” of a start that saw him fall from P6 to 14th on the opening lap.

“The start was definitely the weak point of the race and a bit of a disaster, just massive wheelspin off the line,” said Bottas. “I pretty much cooked the rear tyres and then I was like a sitting duck after the first lap.”

“Something to learn, something to look into, but when things stabilised it was a good recovery, good strategy, and a smooth race. I think we had decent pace, which is encouraging.”

‘Double-Points Finish For Alfa Romeo’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...7UGri5BPg.html

Alpine upgrade is first hint of teams following Ferrari’s lead.
New sidepods Alpine brought for the first race in Bahrain include a modification right at the rear, with a raised edge that looks like it could be inspired by – and is certainly taking the same direction as – the aerodynamic philosophy of the Ferrari F1-75.
22/03/2022, 07:03
By Rosario Giuliana

It is clear that it is not an identical copy of the Ferrari F1-75 design, but it is a first approach that suggests Alpine is trying to take inspiration from the unconventional shape chosen by Ferrari on the 2022 car.

Is this a first indication that Ferrari’s solution can be copied by the adversaries? Or given the lead times in producing upgrades, that other teams were already coming round to the same conclusions as the team that started 2022 with a 1-2 finish?

‘Ferrari F1-75 Aerodynamic Philosophy’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/alpin...ferraris-lead/


Alonso makes Alpine demands after Bahrain GP qualifying
‎20‎ ‎March‎ ‎11‎:‎30
Author Michael Butterworth
Co-author Dieter Rencken

"Now it's up to us to develop the car as quick as possible. It's going to be a huge development for everybody and we need to be fast off-track, as well as on it.”

"We need to push the button now in the factories and try to make the new parts [come] to the circuit as soon as possible."

"There are good ideas already in the factory, but I think it's the same for everybody with the new cars; we will see in the first couple of months big changes on the cars," said Alonso. "We need to make them work and hopefully close that gap to pole position that is still too much – over one second."

‘Push Those Buttons NOW In The Factories!’;

https://racingnews365.com/alonso-mak...ain-qualifying


Esteban Ocon: “We can take positives from today’s performance”
By Paul Hensby
March 22, 2022

Esteban Ocon left the Bahrain International Circuit with confidence after moving up from eleventh on the grid to claim a seventh-place finish under the floodlights on Sunday evening.

The BWT Alpine F1 Team driver bemoaned contact with Haas F1 Team’s Mick Schumacher on the opening lap that left the Frenchman with a five-second time penalty to serve in his first pit stop, but he was able to put that behind him and drive strongly to score six points.

Team-mate Fernando Alonso admitted it was a tough evening under the floodlights for him, although he was happy to leave Bahrain with two points to his name thanks to a ninth-place finish. Alonso was one of those who struggled more with tyre degradation in Bahrain, with the two-time World Champion one of the earliest to make their first pit stop on Sunday as the performance of his soft tyres fell off the cliff.

‘EL PLAN: Taking Positives’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...s-performance/


Alpine’s Fernando Alonso Says Overtaking in F1 Is Still Difficult, Despite New Regulations
22 Mar 2022, 14:19 UTC ·
by Sergiu Tudose

After this past weekend’s exciting season opener in Bahrain, we now have a pretty good idea of where teams stand with these new F1 regulations in place. Ferrari and Red Bull look strong, Mercedes not so much, while McLaren and Aston Martin seem to genuinely be in trouble, pace-wise.

“Following was definitely easier. We spotted already in the test that it was easier to follow cars, but overtaking is still not as easy as it seems on TV,” said Alonso, as quoted by Motorsport.

“I met cars that I was two seconds faster [than] and I overtook in a few corners. And I also met cars that were two seconds faster than me and they overtook me in two or three corners. I think the tire is the biggest differentiating factor still, not the following. So, we need to see, we need to drive more races.”

‘Still Difficult Overtaking in F1’;

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/a...ns-184574.html


Similar 2022 F1 car designs leave Alpine boss suspicious
Mar 19 2022
By Scott Mitchell

Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer claims to have seen similar 2022 Formula 1 car designs that make him ask “how the hell did two independent teams come up with that?”

He has not named any teams but is sceptical that the unspecified ideas have legitimately been reached through completely independent design processes.

“I’ve seen solutions on a couple of cars, that you think how the hell did two independent teams come up with that?” Szafnauer said when asked by The Race about concerns from some teams that there are alliances on the grid that could circumvent the FIA’s strict rules on collaboration.

‘Similar Solutions Worrying Otmar Szafnauer’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/simil...ss-suspicious/


Alonso confident of "long game" Alpine success
Sam Hall
Thursday 17 March 2022 16:15

Fernando Alonso has explained Alpine is willing to play the "long game this year" with the "huge" developments expected across the season.

Using 2021 as evidence of his willingness to wait for success, Alonso added: “I remember here last year I retired the car and Esteban was P12 or P13 so zero points after Bahrain, and we won a race in Hungary and were enjoying the season.

"This year is going to be a long game to play and I’m confident we are going to have a good season.”

‘EL PLAN: Long Game’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/77...lpine-success/


Alpines’ Laurent Rossi – “What a fantastic way to start the season”
By Darius Needham
March 22, 2022

BWT Alpine F1 Team kicked off their season brightly as both Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso scored points in the season opening Grand Prix in Bahrain.

Alpine scored eight points at Bahrain and head into Saudi Arabia next weekend, sitting fifth in the Constructors Championship.

Alpine’s CEO Laurent Rossi talked about how happy he was with the result, praising the team for their hard work in preparation for the 2022 F1 season and on race day, as well as the drivers performances after a long and very tough race.

‘EL PLAN: Fantastic Start, Preparation and Driver Performances’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...rt-the-season/

AlphaTauri have ‘Clearer Picture’ on what to Focus on after Bahrain Challenges – Egginton.
Yuki Tsunoda climbed from sixteenth on the grid to finish eighth to score points for the Faenza-based team, but Pierre Gasly was forced to retire when on course for the top ten due to a sudden catastrophic failure at the back of his AT-03.
By Paul Hensby
March 22, 2022

Jody Egginton says Scuderia AlphaTauri are ‘looking forward to the challenge’ of getting to the front of the midfield in 2022 after he oversaw a mixed bag of results in the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday.

Gasly’s retirement also compromised Tsunoda, who had just pitted, with several drivers able to jump ahead of him thanks to getting effectively a free pit stop. However, the Japanese racer was able to push until the end and claimed four points for the team.

Jody Egginton: “The competition in the midfield is looking very tight, and with the first weekend under our belt we now have a clearer picture on where we need to focus our attention to improve the AT03 in the coming events. We are looking forward to the challenge.”

‘AlphaTauri Clearer Picture’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...nges-egginton/


Yuki Tsunoda: “I’m quite happy with today, especially with the start”
By Paul Hensby
March 22, 2022

The Scuderia AlphaTauri driver admitted he was lucky to gain a couple of positions in the final few laps as both Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez retired whilst running inside the top four, but overall, he believed his had a strong day at the Bahrain International Circuit.

“I’m quite happy with today, especially with the start as I was able to make up a few places,” said Tsunoda. “I had a little bit of luck near the end, as some cars had failures, but overall I’m pleased with how today went.”

“We’ve still got a lot of work to do to be able to fight consistently at the top of the midfield, but we’re confident that we can develop the car to continue to improve our performance. We’ll go away and analyse the data from this whole weekend to try and find what our main limitations are ahead of the race next week.”

‘Continue To Improve Our Performance’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...ith-the-start/


Yuki Tsunoda 'quite happy' to score points in first race of 2022 season
20 Mar 2022

Yuki Tsunoda is "quite happy" to score points in the first race of the new Formula 1 season, with the AlphaTauri driver securing a P8 finish in the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit.

‘Happy With The Points’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...094667705.html


F1 row: Franz Tost fumed at Yuki Tsunoda amid AlphaTauri struggles: 'This idiot!'
F1 STAR Yuki Tsunoda was criticised by his AlphaTauri boss Franz Tost in Drive to Survive, unearthed accounts show.
By CHARLIE BRADLEY
13:51, Fri, Mar 18, 2022

Tsunoda was inspired by 66-year-old Tost's fitness regime, to abandon his takeaway diet and video game lifestyle for a healthier routine. The Japanese driver jokingly told website The Race that Tost was in much better shape than him.

He said: "Because you guys don't know how fit Franz is. He's running like 10km from 5.30am which I've never done in my life.”

Tsunoda relocated to Italy from England to be closer to the team's Faenza base, and said he had trained harder over the off season and could feel the difference. He added: "If a 60-year-old man can do it, I think I should do, especially as I'm an athlete."

‘Tost's Fitness Regime Inspires Yuki Tsunoda’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...hrain-2022-spt


Yuki Tsunoda Finishes 8th in Bahrain GP
Bahrain International Circuit
Sunday, 20th March 2022

Round 1 of the Bahrain Grand Prix took place at Bahrain International Circuit. HRC, providing technical support to Scuderia AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda finishing 8th place.

‘HRC (Honda) Providing Yuki With Technical Support’;

https://honda.racing/rbr-sat/post/2022-rd01


Gasly’s car was a ‘barbecue’ after Bahrain fire
Date published: March 20 2022 - Henry Valantine

Pierre Gasly likened the back of his AlphaTauri to being like a “barbecue” after a fire stopped him from finishing the Bahrain Grand Prix.

He swiftly clambered out of his stricken car as it caught alight and quickly turned into a blaze towards the back of the AlphaTauri, with marshals on hand nearby with fire extinguishers coming quickly to put it out.

“There was pretty much a barbecue at the back of the car, so not the start we hoped for. It’s a shame because until then the race was amazing.”

‘Barbecue in Bahrain’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/pierre...auri-barbecue/


Gasly baffled by "strange" fiery end to Bahrain GP
Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale
Monday 21 March 2022 09:30

AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly has conceded it "strange" the issues that afflicted Red Bull Powertrains during a catastrophic conclusion to the Bahrain Grand Prix were not foreseen.

Explaining his own problem initially issue, Gasly said: "Just out of turn one, the whole car switched off. I parked it and then after it just caught fire. Clearly, there is something going on but what is strange is we didn't see it coming," he added.

"We need a bit more time to analyse but for us, between Red Bull and AlphaTauri, we lost big points. We were super confident after testing, we didn't have one single issue but it shows that this sport keeps you grounded all the time. You can never be overconfident about anything.”

Keep Grounded, Never Be Overconfident’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...to-bahrain-gp/

Red Bull faced "worst nightmare" in "brutal" end to Bahrain GP – Horner.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has bemoaned the team's "worst nightmare" coming true in a "brutal" finish to the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale
Sunday 20 March 2022 18:30

Red Bull entered the opening weekend of the season clear favourites for the win but having battled with Charles Leclerc for the lead midway through the race, Max Verstappen looked set to finish for second.

But in the laps leading up to a late safety car period, the reigning world champion's RB18 developed an issue that rapidly deteriorated, resulting in Verstappen pulling into the pits and retiring.

Sergio Perez was promoted into third but having fended-off Lewis Hamilton for the final podium position suffered an issue of his own on the final lap to complete a double retirement for Red Bull.

"[It was] a brutal finish to the race for us," said Horner;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...ain-gp-horner/


Mark Hughes explains the roots of Red Bull’s defeat
Mar 21 2022
By Mark Hughes

The suspected reason for the sudden loss of power in the Red Bulls late in the race is fuel cavitation – and, if true, that’s almost certainly a function of the team’s ambitiously compressed programme.

Fuel cavitation tends to occur as the last dregs of fuel are being pumped around near-empty tanks. As can be imaged, the fuel is heavily sloshed around because of the loads being fed into the car and no matter how well-designed the tank’s baffling system, the temperature of the fuel increases when this occurs.

At a certain point of temperature the fuel begins vaporise and there will be a vapour lock in the pump, the fuel pressure dives and the pump is briefly pumping fresh air. The sudden load changes as the system pressurises and depressurises (together with the excess heat inside the pump from the vaporising fuel) will tend to damage the pumps and eventually they can no longer feed fuel to the engine.

‘Fuel Cavitation Prime Suspect For Red Bull Defeat’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/mark-...-bulls-defeat/


Fuel for conspiracy theorists: Ex-Red Bull engineer predicts ‘fireworks’ if fuel pumps caused double DNF
Red Bull suffered a heart-breaking late double retirement at the season-opening 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix.
by Rob Kershaw
21 March 202221 March 2022

A former Red Bull engineer has predicted that there could well be an adverse reaction if it transpires that the fuel pumps are what caused the team’s double retirement at the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix.

If the fuel pump was the fundamental cause of the problems, then a former Red Bull engineer, who worked in F1 for six years, has predicted this will cause quite the storm, as these are issued as standard.

“Ready for this one?” he tweeted. “If both Red Bull failures are the fuel pump, then get ready for fireworks. The fuel pump is a standard part supplied to all teams by the FIA and Magneti Marelli.”

‘Fuel Pump Fireworks’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/fuel-for-...ed-double-dnf/


Red Bull deny rumours about Verstappen and Perez's DNFs
‎21‎ ‎March‎ ‎08‎:‎30
Author Thomas Maher
Co-author Mike Seymour

Red Bull have moved to deny rumours circulating about the reasons behind their double retirement from the Bahrain Grand Prix. Rumours have abounded ever since the end of the race – did both Red Bulls have enough fuel on board their cars?

The official statement from the Red Bull camp is that the issues were linked to the fuel pumps within their power units. These are standardised parts across the entire grid, and are manufactured by Italian company Marelli.

After a race in which Verstappen's car appeared to fall apart, as he encountered a shopping list of issues with his brakes, steering system and the eventually terminal fuel system problem, Red Bull are carrying out extensive investigations before the second race of the season.

‘Shopping List Of Investigations And Remedies’;

https://racingnews365.com/red-bull-d...nd-perezs-dnfs


Red Bull hoping for rapid Saudi recovery from Bahrain "hangover"
Ian Parkes
Monday 21 March 2022 19:30

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has welcomed the fact the next F1 grand prix race is this weekend as he seeks an immediate cure for an horrific "hangover" sustained in Bahrain. The team was on course for a solid two-four finish with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez until late drama with the fuel systems in both cars forced them into retirement.

Suggested to Horner this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was too soon for the team to fully diagnose the problem in Bahrain, he replied: "I actually prefer it this weekend so I don't have to wait two weeks with the hangover of this result.

"The encouraging thing is we were within a tenth [of a second] of pole, we were fighting with Charles [Leclerc] for a win, it was great racing. The regulations look like they've created that better racing, and disappointed not to get the podium."

‘Recovering From A Hangover’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...rain-hangover/


Verstappen warns of the cost of lost points in "very tight" battle
Sam Hall
Wednesday 23 March 2022 07:00

Max Verstappen has warned the points dropped by Red Bull in Bahrain could be "very important" with the F1 title fight "sometimes very tight at the end".

Reflecting on the 18 points lost by way of retirement, Verstappen conceded: “It’s disappointing. "You always say to yourself and to the team as well that we have to score points. It doesn’t matter if it is first or second in the first race weekend.

Verstappen's race had already been made more difficult following his second pit stop when his Red Bull mechanics dropped the RB18 to the ground too quickly and bent a track rod. “The steering issue was not easy to drive [around] because of not having a feeling of what the car was doing because it was not natural," explained Verstappen.

‘Cost Of Lost Points’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...-tight-battle/


Ferrari Team Boss Says Red Bull Are Still Favorites for the 2022 F1 World Championship
23 Mar 2022, 10:13 UTC ·
by Sergiu Tudose

Despite a winning start in Bahrain, Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto still believes that Red Bull are the favorites to win the 2022 Formula 1 World Championship.

It could be that Binotto is just being cautious, seen as how Red Bull have looked just as strong as Ferrari during preseason testing and they employ the reigning F1 world champion in Max Verstappen. “I think that the others are very, very strong,” said Binotto. “They [Red Bull] have proved to be strong in qualifying. It was really a matter of details.”

“I think [on Sunday] it could have been so good, but maybe they had some reliability issues or something that is not perfect on their car for what we may understand from the radio communications. And they would have been very fast otherwise.”

‘Mattia Binotto: Red Bull Still Favourites’;

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/f...ip-184653.html

Norris concedes McLaren ‘a long, long way off’ in 2022.
Norris and team-mate Daniel Ricciardo spent the race circulating among the backmarker group that included Aston Martin and Williams.
by Phillip Horton
20/03/2022

Lando Norris has admitted that McLaren is a “long, long way” off the pace in Formula 1 this season after a dire showing at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

“This is where we are, quite simply, we just have to get a little bit used to it now,” said Norris. “Of course, over the last few seasons, there’s been a lot of expectation from us within the team but also everyone else watching and we just haven’t got it right at the minute.

“We’re a long, long way off, not a little bit, a long way. We’ve got to start fresh, figure things out, find solutions. Solutions don’t mean next week we’re going to be amazing but in months to come we need to understand what’s going on here and how to get better.”

‘McLaren Circulating Among The Backmarker Group’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...y-off-in-2022/


Ricciardo turned Bahrain GP into "test session"
Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale
Sunday 20 March 2022 22:00

Daniel Ricciardo has revealed his focus during the Bahrain Grand Prix was to switch from a race programme to a test schedule given McLaren's woeful struggles. Reviewing his race, Ricciardo said: "[It was] definitely tricky. I think as well, there is a lot to try and understand. I knew there would be.”

"It is the first race distance I have done this year and trying all compounds in the race, I think it was trying to treat it like a test session as well, trying to learn as much as I could each lap.”

"Obviously, we are lacking some pace. I think it is general, I don't think it is necessarily just one area. We lack a little bit of downforce and that is really the key."

‘McLaren Test Session’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...-test-session/


‘I’m expecting pain’: Norris warns things could get even worse for McLaren
McLaren endured a dreadful opening weekend of the 2022 season in Bahrain as they failed to score any points.
by Rob Kershaw
21 March 202221 March 2022

It was an excruciating evening for McLaren, and Norris warns that his team are going to need to brace themselves for more difficult races. “I’m expecting pain, and I think everyone needs to know there’s probably going to be a bit of pain,” he said.

“As McLaren, and myself, we expect a lot more, but it’s not what we have at the minute, we have to get used to it, we’ve been in this position a few years ago but we have to remain optimistic the team and everyone back at MTC [McLaren Technology Centre] can figure things out and we can get back on track.”

‘McLaren Pain’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/im-expect...e-for-mclaren/


Ricciardo concedes 'surprise' over McLaren struggles
Sam Hall
Monday 21 March 2022 18:00

McLaren endured a torrid F1 season-opening weekend with Ricciardo exiting qualifying in the first phase and neither he nor team-mate Lando Norris posing any threat to the top 10 in Sunday's race.

After leaving the first running of pre-season in Spain in February, McLaren had been tipped to take the fight to Ferrari. Asked if he was surprised by the result, Ricciardo conceded: “It is.”

"I’m always pretty reserved in testing and I know the reality of maybe getting to race one and things could look different, but I definitely did think that after Barcelona we would be in better shape. Maybe also this could just be a bogey track for us and maybe in a week’s time we will be looking better, but probably a bit more work to do.”

‘McLaren Have Work To Do’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...ren-struggles/


‘We don’t have a good enough car’ – McLaren drivers downbeat after point-less Bahrain GP showing
22 March 2022

McLaren drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris have been left to rue a poor performance at the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix, with Ricciardo admitting the MCL36 currently has “a few more weaknesses than strengths”.

Ricciardo – now in his second season with McLaren – said that the British outfit are a “long way” away from the podium and explained the challenges that were stopping the team from getting there.

Ricciardo’s team mate Lando Norris added that McLaren have a “lot of work” to do as he looked ahead to this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the second round of the 2022 season. “We just don’t really have a good enough car at the minute to do better,” said Norris. “We have a lot of work, quite simply, between us here at the track but also everyone back at MTC, who will be working hard as possible for next week, to try and bring some improvements, and figure out the car a little bit more, see if there is anything we are missing or we’ve gone away from or whatever.”

‘McLaren Car, Not Good Enough’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...6MLF3rUgK.html


McLaren must "get used to" lowly positon - Norris
Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale
Tuesday 22 March 2022 08:15

Lando Norris has insisted McLaren has to "get used to" its lowly position in F1's pecking order after a troublesome Bahrain Grand Prix.

"We are a long, long way, not just a little bit but a long way so we have got to kind of start fresh and try and figure some things out and at least try and find solutions. Solutions don't mean next week we are going to be amazing but in months to come, we need to understand what is going on here and get better."

"I am hoping this is as bad as it gets. It might not be but it could be. There is a lot of time. We have still got a whole season of development and figuring things out but it is not easy to do so. I think once we figure out what is wrong, it is all about implementing it and bringing upgrades and those parts to the car."

‘A Season Of Development And Upgrades’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...ositon-norris/


Norris has no idea if McLaren can improve
MARCH 23, 2022

Lando Norris says he has "no idea" if McLaren will still be among the slowest cars this weekend in Saudi Arabia.

"The car is difficult to understand and it's so easy to make mistakes, lock up wheels or lose control," top McLaren driver Norris is quoted by Auto Hebdo.

"What was positive? I don't know - the end of the race?"

https://www.grandprix.com/news/norri...n-improve.html


McLaren’s Andreas Seidl: “The team are analysing our performance from Bahrain”
By Paul Hensby
March 23, 2022

Andreas Seidl openly admits that his McLaren F1 Team did not start the 2022 Formula 1 season in the way they would have wanted, with neither Daniel Ricciardo nor Lando Norris finding themselves in the battle for the points in last Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix.

“The Bahrain Grand Prix was not how we wanted to start the season,” said Seidl. “It’s clear that we have work to do, so we’ll be working hard to bring more performance to the car as quickly as possible.

“The team are analysing our performance from Bahrain so that we can learn and improve, already starting in Jeddah.”

‘McLaren Analysis’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...rain%ef%bf%bc/

‘Bulldozer approach’ has led to Aston Martin ‘disaster’.
Ralf Schumacher has dubbed the Aston Martin AMR22 “a disaster” and feels the team’s Toyota-like “bulldozer approach” to reaching the front may not work.
Date published: March 22 2022 - Henry Valantine

“The car is, so we hear, a disaster,” said Schumacher on AvD Motor & Sport Magazin on German TV, quoted by F1-Insider. “It has to be able to do everything you don’t need. And on top of that, apparently the team owner is now also sitting in the meetings and voicing how things should be done. If that’s the case, it gets really, really complicated.

“The team have lost the thread. They wanted to achieve too much too quickly and that simply doesn’t work in Formula 1. You can’t just take a lot of people and a lot of money, put them in a pot, stir it briefly and then something good comes out.

“The team wanted to take a bulldozer approach and that didn’t work at Toyota.”

‘Aston ‘Bulldozer’ Martin’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ralf-s...rtin-disaster/


Aston Martin removed paint in AMR22 weight struggles
Date published: March 24 2022 - Michelle Foster

Such is Formula 1’s weight issue this season that Aston Martin scrapped paint off the AMR22 to save “about 350 grams”. That’s according to the team’s chief technical officer Andy Green.

“Weight is a big, big issue,” Green explained as per Motorsport.com. “These cars are heavy by regulation, and to get down to the regulation weight, it’s a challenge.

“We went through the whole car from front to back, and we took paint off wherever we could. I think in total we saved about 350 grams.”

‘Paint scraping’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/aston-...ght-struggles/


Ralf Schumacher: Stroll should perhaps 'find a different hobby'
Phillip van Osten
23/03/2022 at 16:06

Ralf Schumacher believes Lance Stroll embarrassed himself in Bahrain when he was outqualified by Nico Hulkenberg and says the Aston Martin driver should perhaps consider a different hobby in life than F1.

Schumacher, who has taken over from Jacques Villeneuve as F1's harshest critic of Stroll, didn't hold back when judging the Canadian's performance in the opening race of the 2022 season.

"Stroll should ask himself whether he should find a different hobby," said the former Grand Prix driver. "It was really embarrassing. Nico did a good job."

‘Aston Martin Hobby’;

https://f1i.com/news/435922-ralf-sch...ent-hobby.html


Berger doubts Krack the man for Aston Martin
NEWS STORY
22/03/2022

Based on his experience of him with BMW in DTM, former-F1 star, Gerhard Berger is doubtful that Mike Krack is the man to turn Aston Martin around. "Let's see what can be done," he tells YouTube channel Formel1.de, "but when I watched what was done in DTM, I just don't see the way forward for Aston Martin with him.

"In all the years I've been there now, BMW has never been really consistently competitive," the Austrian continues. "You could see always, they'd be on the starting grid in a good position one day and they didn't know why they are were there today. Next day they would be in the end of the grid and they didn't know why they were at the end of the grid.”

"When you watch it and you see this over a longer period, you question the people behind it, and he was leading it, the project," adds Berger, who contested 210 Grands Prix with ATS, Benetton, Ferrari and McLaren.

‘Krack Aston Martin’;

https://www.pitpass.com/72058/Berger...r-Aston-Martin


Vettel may not return to Aston Martin ‘disaster’
ANDREW MAITLAND
MARCH 22, 2022

One unflattering take on the situation may be that Vettel is not overly incentivised to return to full health this weekend to race the uncompetitive 2022 Aston Martin. “The team has lost the thread,” former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher told Sport1.

“You can’t just take a lot of people and a lot of money, put them in a pot, stir them briefly and then hope something good comes out of it in Formula 1. Ralf says he has heard Aston Martin team members refer to the new green car as a “disaster” – and thinks the problem may be the billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll.

“I hear that the team owner is sitting in on all the meetings and saying how things should be. If that’s the case, then it will get really, really difficult,” he said.

‘Lots of Money + Lots of People (Then Stir Pot) = DISASTER’;

https://grandpx.news/vettel-may-not-...rtin-disaster/


The F1 challenge Aston Martin faces to recover from its poor start to 2022
Aston Martin Formula 1 team owner Lawrence Stroll didn’t have a lot to smile about after a frustrating weekend for the Silverstone outfit in Bahrain.
By: Adam Cooper
Mar 23, 2022, 9:41 PM

This season was supposed to see a resurgence from the team as it benefited from the expansion of the last couple of years, and the new regulations opened up an opportunity for those in the midfield to make a step.

Chief technical officer Andrew Green noted after qualifying the ride height and associated compromises alone are costing three-quarters of a second, even before any other performance deficits are tackled.

Green made it clear at the car’s launch that the AMR22 has been designed with some flexibility in mind, in case the team discovered that rivals had found more effective concepts, and had to copy them. Nevertheless making a significant change of direction won’t be easy.

‘Flexibility Designed For Recovery’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/t...-2022/9253872/


ASTON MARTIN’S F1 CAR COULD CHANGE MORE THAN ANY OTHER IN 2022
Mar 23 2022
By Scott Mitchell

Aston Martin has “all the options open” in developing its 2022 Formula 1 car, increasing the likelihood the AMR22 will undergo one of the biggest transformations this season. Upgrades will be a key theme in F1 this season with all-new cars putting teams on a steep learning curve.

Performance director Tom McCullough recently told media including The Race: “The car you’re seeing now is nothing like the car we have in the windtunnel.”

There is one rumour that Aston Martin could have a completely different sidepod and floor design for the second half of the year to maximise performance in this new ground-effect era.

‘Aston Martin: You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet!’

https://the-race.com/formula-1/aston...other-in-2022/

Report: Alex P13 and Nicky P16 at season opener.
Both cars reached the chequered flag, with Alex Albon coming home in P13 whilst Nicholas Latifi was P16.
Published on
20 Mar 2022

“My first Formula One race with Williams went pretty well,” Alex said after jumping out of his car, adding: “It felt like we did a good job and really maximised what we had. I had a good start and managed to make up a few positions, so I was pushing hard.”

On the Pit Wall, our Head of Vehicle Performance, Dave Robson, was left to reflect on a mixed afternoon at the office. “It has been a tough evening in Bahrain,” Dave said, adding: “But we got both cars to the end, and at times showed some reasonable pace.”

“Alex made a good start and made some places early in the race. Unfortunately, today we didn’t have the pace to hold on.”

‘Williams F1 P13 and P16’;

https://www.williamsf1.com/posts/ac4...22-race-report


“Thirteenth with no reliability issues is something we should be pleased with” – Alex Albon
By Nick Golding
March 22, 2022

On his return to Formula 1, Alex Albon left the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix having finished in thirteenth place, Williams Racing team-mate Nicholas Latifi finished sixteenth at the Bahrain International Circuit.

It was an overall solid weekend for Albon, who after making it to Qualifying 2 qualified in fourteenth place. The Thai driver enjoyed some battling during the race but was unfortunately unable to do anything about the faster cars behind. In the end the best Albon could salvage was thirteenth place, which in the weakest car on the grid is a good result to start the year with.

Albon was happy with how the weekend went, he’s especially happy to have made it to the end of the race without any reliability problems.

‘Williams FW44 Reliability’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...th-alex-albon/


P13 Alexander Albon happy 'to keep the McLarens behind' at Bahrain GP
20 Mar 2022

Williams' Alexander Albon was happy to "keep the McLarens behind" on his pay to a P13 finish in the 2022 Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit.

McLarens In The Rear View Mirror’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...821536737.html


Alexander Albon: “The more running we do, the more we’ll understand this car”
By Paul Hensby
March 23, 2022

Alexander Albon will race at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit for the first time this weekend, with the Thai driver one of only two drivers on the grid not to have raced their previously.

Albon believes the FW44 will suit the Saudi Arabian track better than it did at the Bahrain International Circuit, and he hopes for a much more competitive outing this weekend than last. He also says the more running the team do with the car, the more they will learn and, more important, the better they will be able to make it.

“I think it’ll be a track that is a bit better suited to the characteristics of the FW44; it’s smoother with more medium and high-speed corners, so I’m hoping we go well there.”

Williams FW44 Hoping For A Much Competitive Outing’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...tand-this-car/


“We didn’t have the pace to hold on” – Williams’ Dave Robson
By Nick Golding
March 22, 2022

Williams Racing’s Head of Vehicle Performance, Dave Robson, highlighted after the race the positives which could be taken away from the opening round, as well as areas which need working on.

“It has been a tough evening in Bahrain, but we got both cars to the end, and at times showed some reasonable pace. Alex made a good start and made some places early in the race. Unfortunately, today we didn’t have the pace to hold on. However, we were able to race competitively with both the McLarens and the Aston Martins, which was an improvement from what we saw at the test last week.”

“There is more to come from the drivers and the car over the coming weeks, but this was a solid start for the whole team, and we are now looking forward to the very different challenges posed by Jeddah Corniche Circuit.”

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...s-dave-robson/

Red Bull to strike back as chaos to dictate result - What to expect from Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
There is no doubt all involved with Red Bull would have been deeply hurt by the double retirement at the end of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Ewan Gale
Thursday 24 March 2022 12:30

Verstappen ran Leclerc close during a stunning battle mid-race but the Ferrari driver had enough legs to slowly pull away before the Dutchman's troubles started, initially with the RB18's steering before an apparent problem with the fuel system forced him into retirement.

With Perez experiencing a similar issue, the team will be hoping a deep dive over the past days has rectified the concerns. We saw last year an angry Red Bull tends to be an astonishingly quick Red Bull.

‘Red Bull Strike Back!’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...an-grand-prix/


Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto puts pressure on Max Verstappen and Red Bull ahead of Saudi GP
RED BULL had a nightmare start to the 2022 F1 season, with both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez suffering car problems late in the race.
By FRASER WATSON
15:18, Thu, Mar 24, 2022

Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto has put the onus on Red Bull to perform in Saudi Arabia by insisting they are still "favourites" for the title despite the Scuderia's dream start in Bahrain.

“At first I think the others [Red Bull] are very very strong and proved to be strong in the qualification, it was really a matter of pace,” Binotto was quoted as saying by crash.net. “I think today they could have been stronger, but maybe there are some reliability issues that are not perfect on their car from what we understand from the radio communications.”

“But they would have been very fast otherwise. If you look at the stint of Max on used tyres, he was keeping up with the pace of Charles. We should not forget that they are the world champions and the favourites and what we must try to do is do our best."

‘Scuderia Ferrari Pressure’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...udi-GP-F1-news


Scuderia Ferrari Aiming to Make it Back-to-Back Wins This Weekend
By Nick Golding
March 24, 2022

Scuderia Ferrari go into this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on the back of not only winning the Bahrain Grand Prix, but having claimed their first one-two since 2019. Can they do it again this weekend at the incredibly fast and unforgiving Jeddah Corniche Circuit?

Leclerc’s Race Engineer, Xavi Marcos, is expecting the teams which have paid the most attention to detail with designing this year’s cars, to have an advantage this weekend.

“I think that, putting to one side the different car designs, whoever has done the best job in preparing for the season down to the smallest detail, will have a competitive advantage at the start. There are so many new elements involved and whoever has understood the new format better, especially the limitations involved, could have the edge for at least the first third of the season.

‘Ferrari To The Smallest Detail’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...-this-weekend/


Lewis Hamilton could walk away if Mercedes remain third fastest, Martin Brundle claims
Hamilton couldn’t compete with the pace of the Ferraris in the season-opening race in Bahrain
Dan Austin

Sky Sports F1 commentator Martin Brundle believes Lewis Hamilton could walk away from the sport at the end of the year if Mercedes are unable to catch frontrunners Ferrari and Red Bull.

Despite Hamilton taking a podium in Bahrain last Sunday, Mercedes’ W13 challenger for 2022 is not yet as fast as the machinery developed by their biggest rivals. The Silver Arrows have won eight constructors’

‘Walk Away?’;

https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/lew...-b2043235.html


GARY ANDERSON: MERCEDES’ F1 ENGINE DEFENCE DOESN’T ADD UP
24/03/2022, 17:01
By Gary Anderson

Mercedes keeps saying it and all three of its customer Formula 1 teams ran higher-downforce rear wings in the Bahrain Grand Prix than the other engine manufacturers’ teams did. But from these pictures, I am not 100% sure that is correct.

It’s too big a coincidence for all of Mercedes’ power unit users to struggle with straightline speed just because they ran too high a rear wing level, especially with such visually different car concepts. Personally, I still suspect Mercedes has not got the best from its new power unit just yet.

‘Mercedes PU Doesn’t Add Up1’

https://the-race.com/formula-1/gary-...doesnt-add-up/


‘Definitely lacking’: Norris criticises Mercedes power unit but emphasises one key strength
Mercedes and their customer teams got off to a stuttering start to the 2022 season at the Bahrain Grand Prix last weekend.
by Rob Kershaw

24 March 202224 March 2022

McLaren drivers Lando Norris laments the fact that the Mercedes power unit is struggling in comparison to Honda and Ferrari, but sees the silver lining in the fact that it also appears to be one of the more reliable packages.

He found during the race that the Mercedes engine did not deliver the same performance on the straights as he became accustomed to during his two race appearances with Racing Point in 2020.

‘Mercedes PU Struggling’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/definitel...-key-strength/


Mercedes mystery that needs solving as teams face 254km/h X-factor: F1 Burning Questions
March 25th, 2022 11:25 am
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports

DOES MERCEDES HAVE A POWER PROBLEM?
Approximately 74 per cent of lap time here last year was spent on the throttle, making this a relatively power-sensitive circuit, though aerodynamic performance counted for more than expected based on simulation in 2021. Either way that could be bad news for Mercedes based on what we saw in Bahrain.

The team lacked the straight-line speed advantage it’s enjoyed in years past, and not only that, but so too did all its customer teams, with all the Aston Martin, Williams and McLaren cars the last six to take the chequered flag on Sunday.

Mercedes High Performance Powertrains spent a lot of the second half of last season addressing reliability issues with the power unit — you might remember the litany of engine penalties accrued by Valtteri Bottas and, eventually Lewis Hamilton. With engine development now largely frozen before a full lock-off in September, did the German marque fall behind as a result of its troubles?

‘The mysterious lack of Mercedes power and the greatest qualifying lap that never was’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...4e8e42f3af8ad0

Red Bull expect no repeat of fuel pressure problem behind Bahrain double retirement.
“Both cars suffered from a lack of fuel pressure last weekend,” the RED BULL statement read. “The correct amount of fuel was in both cars, but a vacuum prevented the pumps from drawing fuel and delivering it to the engine."
2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Posted on
25th March 2022, 9:43 | Written by Will Wood

After the race, team principal Christian Horner confirmed that the problem suffered by both cars was one they had not experienced during pre-season testing.

“It’s something that we haven’t seen previously,” Horner said after Sunday’s race. “It looks suspiciously like the failures are related to each other. Looks like potentially an issue within the fuel system.”

The failures led to speculation that Red Bull could see a similar problem this weekend at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. However, in a statement released by the team this morning, Red Bull said that they do not expect the problem to affect them again at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, and also dismissed rumours the team had not put enough fuel in the cars.

‘Red Bull Do Not Expect The Problem To Affect Them Again’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/25/...le-retirement/


Verstappen: I’ve lost wins, not the end of the world
Associated Press
24 March, 2022

Max Verstappen downplayed, ahead of the 2022 Saudi Arabian, Grand Prix the chances of his rivalry with Charles Leclerc turning sour, claiming that he has lost wins before, which is not the end of the world.

The 24-year-old said he and Leclerc had a tense relationship when they were teens but it is much improved now at the top level of motorsports.

“I never speak about these things with other drivers,” Verstappen laughed in a video interview. “I mean, it happens. I’ve lost wins, as well, and it’s not the end of the world, you move on. I think Charles is one of the most talented drivers in Formula 1 and he will win many more races.”

‘Not The End Of The World’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/03...-of-the-world/


Vettel to miss Saudi GP, Hulkenberg subs for Aston Martin
Reuters
25 March, 2022

Aston Martin confirmed that Hulkenberg will once again step in for Vettel, who is expected to be fit for the Australian Grand Prix that is scheduled for April 8-10.

“Hulk Hulkenberg will practice, qualify and race alongside Lance Stroll,” Aston Martin said on Twitter. “Nico coped well in Bahrain and we are sure he will do likewise in Jeddah.”

‘The Hulk Returns’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/03...-aston-martin/


The five big questions heading into the F1 Saudi Arabian GP
25/03/2022, ‎16‎:‎10
Author Tom Leach
Co-author Mike Seymour

Charles Leclerc leads the F1 World Championship for the first time in his career as the sport heads to Saudi Arabia for the second time in just over three months. The new F1 season continues this weekend with the teams and drivers having made the trip across the Middle East from the island of Bahrain to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on the coast of the Red Sea.

The Bahrain Grand Prix provided plenty of answers to the big pre-season questions, but it has also offered up plenty of fresh ones with Ferrari flying, Mercedes struggling and Red Bull leaving empty-handed.

Have Red Bull cured their Bahrain issues?

Are Mercedes heading for two steps back?

Do Ferrari and their customer teams hold the winning formula?

Can Sainz close in on teammate Leclerc?

How will the new track changes alter the Grand Prix?

‘Five BIG Answers’;

https://racingnews365.com/the-five-b...ian-grand-prix


Hamilton urges Mercedes to match rivals’ “amazing performance” as soon as possible
2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Posted on
25th March 2022, 12:25 | Written by Keith Collantine

Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes must make progress with their car quickly after seeing the performance of their rivals in Bahrain.

Hamilton said he is “realistic” about the challenge the team faces having started the season six-tenths of as second off the pace. “We have issues, we’re fighting to fix them. I think there’s a lot of potential within our car and we’re just trying to work as hard as we can to rectify them as quick as possible.”

“We’ve seen the amazing performance of some of the other teams, how close it is between all of us so I’m hopeful that we will improve. I have no doubt that I’ve got the best group of people behind me in order to come up with solutions and fix it and extract performance.”

‘A. S. A. P.’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/25/...n-as-possible/


WEEKEND WARM-UP: Can McLaren and AlphaTauri bounce back in Saudi Arabia?
25 Mar 2022

Will Buxton, Rosanna Tennant and Jolyon Palmer talk through McLaren and AlphaTauri’s ability to bounce back at this weekend’s 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and discuss Kevin Magnussen’s brilliant start to the Formula 1 season with Haas.

‘Bounce Back’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...565716923.html


Gary Anderson: Why Ferrari’s puzzling sidepods really do work
25/03/2022, 09:50
By Gary Anderson

When the Ferrari was launched, I said I didn’t understand its sidepod design as it didn’t appear to ‘join up’ in the middle. In my defence, to some degree neither did eight other teams because, save for Haas, everyone has gone for a more ‘connected’ and flowing design.

The Ferrari sidepod and underfloor leading edge is further rearward than on the Aston Martin, giving a little more space between it and the rear of the front tyre. This will reduce the effect of the turbulent wake behind the front tyre. Also, Ferrari’s outer splitter – or bargeboard replacement vane as it can be called – is much shorter. This means that the inlet to the underfloor is not so defined.

The Ferrari still has a sidepod design that doesn’t quite meet up in the middle, but it was intentional. By doing what it has done, it means Ferrari has a stronger outwash at the front of the sidepods and in effect a stronger in-wash at the rear of the sidepods. It may not have made sense at first, but all you can say about this sidepod concept is ‘forza Ferrari’.

‘Forza Ferrari, Scuderia Ferrari, Enzo Ferrari’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/gary-...eally-do-work/


Sainz says he has tricks up his sleeve in push to catch Leclerc
25/03/2022, 11:50
Author Tom Leach
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Carlos Sainz could soon find himself fighting it out with teammate Charles Leclerc for the F1 World Drivers' Championship crown, should Ferrari claim another 1-2 at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

After spending Tuesday and Wednesday analysing his own performance, the Spaniard is confident that he has a few tricks up his sleeve to help close the gap. "I was right there in the fight for pole in qualifying, and this was good news for me, because of the lack of feeling that I have with this car, and the lack of understanding that I feel I have," he said, speaking to select member of the media, including RacingNews365.com.

"But the fact is, I still need to work on the set-up, I need to work on my car understanding. I've done my analysis in these [last] two days with my guys and we have a couple of very interesting theories and a couple of very interesting things to try here. I don't think it's going to be a matter of [catching up in] one race but, a bit like it was last year, little by little, I'll chip away at it and get there.”

‘Little By Little, Chipping Away’;

https://racingnews365.com/sainz-says...-catch-leclerc