FORMULA ONE is BACK with testing underway in Barcelona.
All the teams have the opportunity to put their vehicles through their paces in Catalunya and Lewis Hamilton is keen to get on with the season underway, before renewing his rivalry with world champ Max Verstappen
The Haas F1 team’s afternoon running was reportedly disrupted by a damaged floor, but thankfully, the crew were able to solve the issue and get Mick Schumacher back on the track to complete his laps.
Unfortunately, Haas will still be playing catch up tomorrow despite being able to resume.
Meanwhile Lando Norris pushed his McLaren vehicle to the limit setting a 1m 19.951s to go two lengths clear of former leader Charles Leclerc who topped the morning session for Ferrari.
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Stay up to date with all the updates from F1 testing in our live blog…
More from Horner
Red Bull boss Christian Horner believes Max Verstappen has nothing to prove and deserves to be champion despite the controversial ending to last season’s Formula One campaign.
Horner told SunSport: “I don’t think it’s anywhere near his mindset. He won more races than any driver last year, he led more laps than the rest of the field combined.
“He had an insane season last year. At the last race in Abu Dhabi, we didn’t have the faster car but we had the better strategy.
“We got a little bit lucky with the safety car and the crash at the end of the race. But Mercedes left Lewis [Hamilton] out on both the virtual safety car and safety car on tyres that were going to have 44 laps on them.
“So he was always going to be a sitting duck, so tactically they misjudged that race”
Seconds out… Round 1
Red Bull chief Christian Horner believes Mercedes new boy George Russell will be another title rival for Lewis Hamilton rather than just a team-mate.
Horner told SunSport: “It’s the first time Mercedes have been beaten in seven years, that’s going to have hurt.
“I’m sure they will come out all guns blazing at the start of this year.
“George is a really talented guy, he’s very quick and I don’t think he will be a subservient second driver. He will get stuck in.
“It’s great that we have so much talent in the sport with Verstappen, Russell, Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz and, of course, Hamilton still at the top of his game”
GETTY IMAGES Verstappen on Day One
Formula One champion Max Verstappen sang the new Red Bull car’s praises on Day One.
Verstappen said: “The car is completely different.
“I think the RB18 looks good but of course it’s about being fast and we hope to see that.
“Everything worked fine, so it was a good start”
Lewis Hamilton on Day One
Lewis Hamilton appeared to have some post-race analysis for Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, who finished second and third respectively on Day One.
Hamilton said: “You would assume that Ferrari perhaps didn’t do much development of that car and just put everything into this year’s car.
“So does that mean that they’re several months ahead? Or a team is several months ahead of everyone?
“We’ll wait and see”
Hamilton still sewing
Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton has called for “non-biased stewards” ahead of the 2022 Formula One season.
Hamilton said: “We need to make sure we get non-biased stewards.
“Race drivers, some are very, very good friends with certain individuals, some travel with certain individuals and tend to take more of a keen liking to some of them.
“I think people who have no bias and are super central when it comes to making decisions”
Rivals looking forward
Mercedes chief Toto Wolff and his Red Bull rival Christian Horner agreed that it’s time to move on from last season’s controversial Formula One finale.
Horner said: “Maybe we have different opinions, but that’s behind us now.
“We saw a great battle last year from the first race to the last. That has been hugely important for the rise in popularity of Formula 1.”
Wolff agreed: “I agree with Christian that we need to move on.
“There has been so much talk about Abu Dhabi that it came to a point that it is really damaging for all of us stakeholders of Formula 1 and we have closed the chapter and moved on.
“Now it is about 2022. The game is on again, all points are back to zero and there are new opportunities and new risks”
GETTY IMAGES Day 1 Full standings
1) Lando Norris (McLaren) 1.19.568
2) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 1.20.165
3) Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) 1.20.416
4) George Russell (Mercede) 1.20.78
5) Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1.20.929
6) Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin) 1.21.276
7) Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) 1.21.638
8) Fernando Alonso (Alpine) 1.21.746
9) Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 1.22.246
10) Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo )1.22.572
11) Alex Albon (Williams) 1m22.760
12) Mick Schumacher (Haas) 1m22.962
13) Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) 1.23.327
14) Nicholas Latifi (Williams) – 1.23.379
15) Nikita Mazepin (Haas) – 1.24.505
16) Robert Kubica (Alfa Romeo) – 1.25.909
Session over
Lando Norris ended the first day of F1 pre-season testing top of the timesheets in Barcelona.
The Brit notched 103 laps on the opening day as he led both Ferraris with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz second and third.
Defending champion Max Verstappen put in a huge shift as he completed 147, more than any other driver on the grid.
20 minutes remain
Lando Norris tops the time sheets with a 1.19.951.
He’s ahead of the Ferrari duo with Leclerc in second who registered a 1.20.165 and Sainz in third who was three tenths slower.
Verstappen putting in a shift
The defending champion has now clocked over 130 laps, more than any other driver on the grid.
Fernando Alonso has registered the second most with 104 laps.
Aston Martin zooms down the straight
Lance Stroll whizzes past the start/finish straight in the new-look Aston Martin.
Stroll is currently 12th on the time sheet with 31 laps under his belt in Spain.
The Canadian is currently over a second slower than his teammate Sebastian Vettel.
Top ten (timing update)
1) Charles Leclerc – 1m20.165
2) Lando Norris – 1.20.474
3) George Russell – 1.20.784
4) Lewis Hamilton – 1.21.032
5) Sebastian Vettel – 1.21.276
6) Yuki Tsunoda – 1.21.638
7) Carlos Sainz – 1.22.134
8) Max Verstappen – 1.22.246
9) Alex Albon -1.22.938 C3
10) Fernando Alonso – 1.23.317
Norris stops in pit-lane
The Brit’s strong start came to halt as he was wheeled back to his garage after stopping at the end of the pit-lane.
Timing update:
1) Charles Leclerc – 1.20.165
2) Lando Norris – 1.20.474
3) George Russell – 1.20.784
4) Sebastian Vettel – 1.21.276
5) Yuki Tsunoda – 1.21.638
6) Max Verstappen – 1.22.246
7) Carlos Sainz – 1.22.516
8) Fernando Alonso – 1.23.317, C3
9) Nicholas Latifi – 1.23.379
10) Lewis Hamilton – 1.23.382
Cars return on track…
The afternoon session is underway but most of the cars have stayed in their garage.
In recent years it’s known teams like to stick around the paddock for a long lunch….
Verstappen is back out on track while Valterri Bottas is getting the first feel of his Alfa Romeo.
Clocking up the miles
Verstappen, Russell and Leclerc have spent the most time on track this morning in Barcelona.
Verstappen with 80, Leclerc with 77 and Russell just crossing the line to complete his 76th lap of the day for Mercedes.
Norris up to second
The Brit is finding his groove with the new McLaren as he’s second behind Charles Leclerc.
Norris trails Leclerc by two tenths as the young guns are looking to steal the show.
Kubica finally sets a time
Kubica has set his first representative lap time of 1:25.909.
The Alfa Romeo is now nine laps in and his time has relegated the Haas of Nikita Mazepin to the bottom of the standings.
20 minute countdown
Charles Leclerc is still top of the time sheets for Ferarri.
Lando Norris has moved up to third fastest behind fellow Brit George Russell.
1) Leclerc – 1:20:165
2) Russell – 1:20:784
3) Norris – 1:21:713
4) Vettel – 1:21:276
5) Tsunoda – 1:21:368Latifi leads the way
Nicholas Latifi is first out for Williams as he exits in the pits having already done 47 laps.
Williams’ new-boy Alex Albon will step foot in the car in the afternoon session.
LECLERC REGAINS TOP SPOT
Leclerc returns to the top of the timesheet with a 1:20:165.
The Ferrari has now clocked up over 50 laps and is looking in good nick.
George Russell slips down to second fastest but improves with a 1:20:784.
Verstappen has done ten more laps than his Mercedes rival Russell with 65 under his belt.
LIMITED TIME FOR ALFA ROMEO
The Camouflaged car hasn’t been able to do much hiding out on track, as Kubica has only managed four laps.
Is it a worrying sign for the Italian team?
RUSSELL IS FASTEST
The Mercedes is looking strong and so is their new star George Russell.
Russell’s hard work over the winter appears to be paying off as he puts in a lap of 1:21:039.
Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferarri make up the top three.
MAX VERSTAPPEN HITS 50
Verstappen has completed his 50th lap of the morning as the current world champion gets to grips with the new RB18.
George Russell currently holds the fastest lap time with a 1:21:039 in his Mercedes.
Verstappen is third on the time sheets with a time of 1:22:246.
Ferarri have split the two Mercedes with Leclerc clocking a time of 1:21:718.
ALL NEW ALFA ROMEO
Alfa Romeo welcome their new driver line up ahead of the new season after bringing in Valtteri Bottas from Mercedes and Chinese rookie Zhou Guanyu.
But this morning, neither of them are in the car as they’ve looked to experienced reserve driver Robert Kubica to pump in the miles in Barcelona.
Bottas is set to be in the car later this afternoon while Zhou will be stepping into the car on Thursday.
Hamilton sets the tone
LEWIS HAMILTON has been pictured peering into Red Bull’s garage on the first day of pre-season testing in Barcelona.
The seven-time British world champion was spotted in the pit-lane examining Red Bull’s car for the 2022 season.
Hamilton was eager to get a glimpse of the RB18 at the first opportunity at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
