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      Alpine driver Fernando Alonso forced to abandon car after it goes up in smoke during F1 testing

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      FERNANDO ALONSO’S Alpine car went up in smoke on the final morning of F1 testing in Barcelona.The 40-year-old Spaniard was forced to pull up in the final sector as marshals raced onto the scene.
      Fernando Alonso’s car went up in smoke in the final morning of F1 testingCredit: AP
      The Spaniard was forced to pull up in Barcelona as marshals raced overCredit: Getty
      Alpine confirmed that Alonso had stopped the car ‘due to a loss of pressure’Credit: AP
      Alpine mechanics are in a race against time to repair it and get it back out in the dryCredit: Getty
      Alpine confirmed that Alonso had stopped the car ‘due to a loss of pressure’. 
      It came after the star had taken a trip through the gravel in his new F1 challenger.
      Alpine mechanics now face a race against the clock to repair the car and get it back out in the dry before this afternoon when the track will be artificially dampened.
      The incident marks the third red flag this week after Red Bull’s Sergio Perez’s gearbox failed and Haas driver Nikita Mazepin’s fuel pump suffered a problem on Thursday.
      It has been an action-packed week in Barcelona after cheeky Lewis Hamilton went on a spy mission peering into Red Bull’s garage on the first day of pre-season testing.
      The seven-time British world champion was spotted in the pit-lane examining Red Bull’s car for the 2022 season.
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      Hamilton was eager to scope out the competition and get a glimpse of the RB18 at the first opportunity at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
      He also took a look at most of the other teams during his stroll following the biggest overhaul of F1 regulations in a generation.
      After contemplating retiring from the sport, Hamilton is back with his eyes set on eclipsing Michael Schumacher’s record by winning his eighth world title.
      But when asked if he fears Mercedes may not provide him with a car worthy of challenging for another title, Hamilton responded: “Why would I ever feel that way?
      “My team don’t make mistakes.
      “Of course that is a risk (with the new regulations) but I trust the team. Whether it is good or bad we will work through it.”
      The Brit is hungry to for success again after cruelly having the title snatched from him on the last lap in Abu Dhabi last season.
      The FIA controversially cleared the cars between Hamilton and Verstappen under a safety car, allowing the Dutchman to have a clear run on Hamilton with fresh tyres to clinch his first championship.
      This dramatic Grand Prix led to a social media blackout from Hamilton for over two months, which led to questions regarding whether or not he would walk away from the sport.
      But Hamilton ended silence with the message: “I’ve Been Gone. Now I’m Back!”
      Here is the full line-up for the 2022 Formula 1 season More

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      Meet mum-of-two Angela Cullen who is Lewis Hamilton’s confidante in the paddock and has a matching ‘Loyalty’ tattoo

      by

      WHEN Lewis Hamilton lost his crown as the king of F1 back in December, he was comforted by confidante and performance coach Angela Cullen.The 47-year-old New Zealand mum-of-two has been a constant presence in the seven-time world champion’s life in the paddock since 2016.
      Lewis Hamilton and Angela Cullen share a special bondCredit: Rex
      Cullen has been a constant presence in the paddock for Hamilton since 2016Credit: Rex
      Their bond is so strong they share matching ‘Loyalty’ tattoos on their wrists.
      If he is to wrestle back supremacy this season from Max Verstappen, he will need to lean on Cullen, who he has called “the greatest thing to happen to him”, for sage advice.
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      The only lady for Lewis
      Last October, Hamilton forced his way into the title reckoning by winning three races in a row.
      After a wretched start to the season, he was back on the trail of Verstappen.
      His attentions for his thrilling comeback to keep his season alive went straight to Cullen.
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      Hamilton revealed: “Angela and I are naturally incredibly close. We pretty much live together.”
      Previously, he said: “People for sure won’t understand it, naturally, because they see it from a distance, but she has been one of the greatest things that’s happened to me in my life.
      “I’ve been fortunate to work with a lot of people… and she’s the single hardest-working woman that I get to be around.
      “She’s focused, selfless, and she makes my weekends peaceful. Every day I wake up, whatever time it is, she’s just positive – never a single day has she been negative, so that’s very, very important.”
      A physiotherapist by trade
      Born and raised in Auckland, Cullen played hockey for New Zealand between the ages of 15 and 21.
      She completed a health science degree, majoring in physiotherapy, in her homeland before moving to the UK.
      When Cullen arrived on our shores, she worked with track and field athletes, cyclists, and triathletes on the British Olympic team and at the English Institute of Sport. 
      Cullen cheers on Hamilton at the Mexican Grand Prix in 2018Credit: Rex
      Hamilton’s beloved bulldog Roscoe is trusted with CullenCredit: Rex
      But it was colleague Peter McKnight who pushed her towards the direction of Hamilton, suggesting the pair should work together.
      “At the time, Angela was mainly working with corporate clients, but when the opportunity to work with Lewis came up we thought, ‘Why not give this a go?'” McKnight told Telegraph Sport.
      “It has worked out perfectly.
      “There’s also just something quirky about it: a woman in her forties, with a family at home, two young kids, and then there’s this mid-thirties racing driver. It might seem a really weird match, but it just works.”
      Glam life
      Now based in Switzerland, Cullen is married to a cycling coach and has two children.
      Although, working in F1 means she enjoys the jet-set lifestyle and is rarely home when the season commences.
      The outdoor adventure-type often shares her exploits on Instagram, where she has an astonishing 320,000 followers.
      “I am so blessed in my job for many things but one of the most significant in terms of well-being is being on the move the entire day,” she once posted.
      “On any given race weekend day I can do up to 18,000 steps, this is such a blessing… and I don’t sit down at all.
      “This is a choice… staying upright, moving keeps my body fit and mobile, in a world where computers and devices are making us more sedentary, to be able to move constantly throughout the day is such a blessing.”
      When she’s not travelling around the world with Hamilton, Cullen enjoys the outdoor life in Switzerland
      Cullen helps Hamilton remain focused and alleviates the pressures of race day
      With Cullen by his side, Hamilton will be hopeful he can retain his title from fierce rival Max VerstappenCredit: Rex
      What she provides Lewis is simple. She blocks out the pressures and demands on him during a race day.
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      She said: “I see my role as removing the noise of the race weekend to ensure things run as smoothly as possible, managing schedules, and timings of travel, nutrition, focusing on energy management to ensure the driver arrives on Sunday with the best possible perpetration to give the optimal performance.”
      If Lewis is successful in overcoming Verstappen this coming season, Cullen will be in some way responsible for his success. More

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      ‘Not right to race’ – Max Verstappen leads calls for F1 to boycott Russian Grand Prix after Ukraine invasion

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN led the calls for an F1 boycott of the Russian Grand Prix.The world champ says September’s race cannot take place after the invasion of Ukraine.
      Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen both called for the Russian Grand Prix to be axedCredit: Getty
      The Russian GP is due to take place on September 25 this yearCredit: Getty
      He insisted: “When a country is at war, it is not right to race there.”
      Four-time world champ Sebastian Vettel has vowed he will not race in Sochi.
      The German said: “It’s horrible to see what is happening. We have a race scheduled in Russia — I will not go. It’s wrong to race in that country.
      “I’m sorry for innocent people who are getting killed for stupid reasons under a mad leadership.”
      Verstappen also slammed Formula One for throwing Michael Masi “under the bus” after he was sacked over last season’s controversial title decider.
      Race chief Masi’s handling of the late safety car in Abu Dhabi allowed Verstappen to overtake Lewis Hamilton on the final lap and claim his first-ever world crown.
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      Mercedes ace Hamilton urged F1 to remove “biased” stewards — becoming “disillusioned” with the sport over the incident.
      But speaking about Masi’s axe, Verstappen, 24, said: “I feel really sorry for Michael as he was a very capable and good race director.
      “It’s very unfair what happened because he’s been thrown under the bus.
      “Everyone always tries to do the best job but everyone can always use help.”
      Verstappen sympathised with Australian Masi over his high-pressure role — accusing teams of making his job almost impossible.
      Masi faced a barrage of radio messages from Red Bull and Merc in Abu Dhabi, which ultimately led to his season-defining decision.
      Verstappen said: “Can you imagine refereeing in whatever sport with the equivalent of the coach screaming in his ear all the time, ‘It’s a yellow card, red card, no decision, no foul.’
      “It’s impossible to make a decision. That team members could talk to him while making decisions is very wrong.
      “It needed to be Michael making the decisions — but he had people screaming in his ear.
      “So the people right now who did sack him allowed it in the first place, it’s unacceptable. I just find it really incredible.”

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      Haas ditch Russian-inspired livery at F1 pre-season testing and have all-white car after outrage over Ukraine invasion

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      HAAS have ditched their Russian title sponsor for the final day of testing in Barcelona.The American owned team will also scrap their Russian-flag inspired livery for an all-white car for the final session.
      Haas will strip the Russian-flag inspired livery from there care design for the new 2022 seasonCredit: Getty
      The title-sponsor Uralkali is a Russian chemical company, owned by Dmitry Mazepin, the father of Haas driver Nikita Mazepin.
      Haas were forced into the drastic change as pressure grows on F1 to turn its back on Russia. 
      F1 chiefs were locked in talks on Thursday night to discuss cancelling the Russian Grand Prix, which is scheduled for September 25th.
      An F1 spokesperson said: “Formula 1 is closely watching the very fluid developments like many others and at this time has no further comment on the race scheduled for September. 
      “We will continue to monitor the situation very closely.”
      Dimitry Mazepine met with Putin last month to discuss his company, Uralkali. 
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      Haas released the following statement statement: “Haas F1 Team will present its VF-22 in a plain white livery, minus Uralkali branding, for the third and final day of track running at Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya on Friday 25 February. 
      “Nikita Mazepin will drive as planned in the morning session with Mick Schumacher taking over in the afternoon. 
      “No further comment will be made at this time regarding team partner agreements.”
      Haas’ team-principal Guenther Steiner was scheduled to speak at Thursday’s press conference but he was pulled out, meaning he faced no questions.
      And Mazepin was also withdrawn from media duties after testing had finished.

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      F1 star Lewis Hamilton shows off cryptic new hand tattoos in now-deleted post on Instagram

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      LEWIS HAMILTON showed off cryptic new hand tattoos… and then deleted the Instagram post.The Formula One star, 37, is preparing for the new 2022 season with testing in Barcelona this week.
      Lewis Hamilton shows off the new tattoos on his fingers to go with the previous ones on the handsCredit: Instagram @lewishamilton
      The fresh inkings including a tiger, rose and a UFO – but he later deleted the Instagram postCredit: Instagram @lewishamilton
      But he found time to upload the two photos of his mitts.
      Both sets of fingers are covered in a number of small new inkings.
      They include a rose, UFO, planet, moon, star, tiger, love heart as well as various other signs and shapes.
      The words ‘love’, ‘mum’, ‘co co’ and ‘live’ were also spotted.
      He captioned the post: “Freshly inked,” and tagged the tattoo artist before swiftly taking it down again.
      It came ten months after another cryptic post of his paws, with other tatts of a sword, burning sun and a complicated web of symbols on the back of his hands.
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      At the time, the seven-time F1 world champ said: “Our Hands Tell A Story – each hand tells a different one.
      “Some of age and wisdom, some of hard work, some of bravery and some of love.
      “They all have a rhythm of their own.
      “What do your hands say about you?”
      Hamilton has an array of other images across the rest of his body, including his chest, back and shoulders.
      That includes a roaring lion, crucifix and compass.
      He opened up about the various body art designs to GQ in 2018.
      Hamilton explained: “I got a big cross on my back, I mean, the idea originally came from Tupac who was my favourite rapper.
      BACK STORY
      “And I wanted to put angel wings around it. And then at the top it says, ‘Still I rise’.
      “It took like, I think ten hours or something like that, just in one go, straightaway. And since then I’ve loved my back.
      “Once you kinda get your first one, you kind of move on to, kind of, what next can I get?
      “What else can I kind of connect with. What else resonates with me?
      “I’ll leave church on a Sunday thinking, wow I’ve really gained my direction where to go.
      “So church is really my compass, so that’s why I got the compass.”
      Hamilton is in Barcelona for 2022 F1 pre-season testingCredit: Rex
      He has been getting to grips with his new Mercedes car on the trackCredit: Getty More

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      Max Verstappen claims Michael Masi was ‘thrown under a bus’ and didn’t deserve sacking after Lewis Hamilton controversy

      by

      MAX VERSTAPPEN says former race director Michael Masi was ‘chucked under the bus’ and did not deserve to be sacked after last season’s controversy. Masi’s handling of the late safety car in Abu Dhabi gave Verstappen a huge advantage which allowed him to overtake Lewis Hamilton on the last lap to win his first world title. 
      Verstappen has hit out at the sacking of MasiCredit: Alamy
      Masi lost his job for the role he played in the F1 title decider back in DecemberCredit: Getty
      Speaking on Masi’s sacking, he said: “I think it’s not correct. Everyone always tries to do the best job but everyone can always use help.
      “I think us drivers also, to try and improve ourselves.
      “But it’s very unfair what happened to Michael because he’s really been thrown under the bus.”
      Verstappen sympathised with the pressure Masi was under, after teams up and down the grid would harass the race director during races while he was making decisions.
      Red Bull and Mercedes both gave Masi a barrage of radio messages in Abu Dhabi which ultimately led to the season-defining decision.
      Verstappen added: “Can you imagine refereeing in whatever sport the coach equivalent, screaming in his ear all the time, ‘it’s yellow card, red card, no decision, no foul’. It’s impossible to make a decision. 
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      “That team members could talk to him while making decisions is very wrong because it needed to be Michael making the decisions but he had people screaming in his ear. 
      “So the people right now who did sack him allowed it in the first place, it’s unacceptable. 
      “And now basically they just sacked him, I find it really incredible. 
      “So I feel really sorry for Michael because I think he was a very capable and good race director.” More

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      Russian Grand Prix in serious doubt after Ukraine invasion with F1 ‘closely watching’ conflict

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      THE RUSSIAN Grand Prix is in serious doubt after Russian forces invaded Ukraine.Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine after a surprise statement on TV.
      The Russian Grand Prix could be taken off the F1 calendarCredit: AP:Associated Press
      Sochi has held the Russia GP since 2014Credit: AFP or licensors
      Lewis Hamilton has the most wins on the circuit with fiveCredit: AFP – Getty
      Formula One are now monitoring the situation after Ukraine that “Putin has launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine”.
      An F1 spokesperson said: “Formula 1 is closely watching the very fluid developments like many others and at this time has no further comment on the race scheduled for September.
      “We will continue to monitor the situation very closely.”
      Speaking the day before the invasion, Russian F1 driver Nikita Mazepin said he expected the race in Sochi to go ahead.
      Speaking on Wednesday, he said: “From the understanding that we’ve had with Formula 1 the race is going ahead. And you will surely see me there.
      “I have always been a big supporter of sport without politics.”
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      The race is scheduled to go ahead on 25th September at the Sochi Autodrom on Sunday, September 25.
      Events over the last few days have also sparked talk of the Champions League final being moved from St Petersburg, with Wembley mooted as a possible venue.
      It has been impossible to separate sport from world events with Manchester City and Ukraine star Oleksandr Zinchenko threatening Putin.
      In a deleted Instagram post Zinchenko said to Putin: “I hope you die the most painful suffering death, creature.”
      F1 World champion Max Verstappen spoke on the situation, saying: “When a country is at war it is not right to race there.”
      And four-time world champion Sebastien Vettel echoed his colleague’s sentiment.
      He said: “In my personal opinion, obviously I woke up again after this morning’s news, shocked.
      “I think it’s horrible to see what is happening. Obviously if you look at the calendar, we have a race scheduled in Russia.
      “For myself, my own opinion is I should not go, I will not go. I think it’s wrong to race in that country. I’m sorry for the people, innocent people who are losing their lives, getting killed for stupid reasons under a very strange and mad leadership.
      “I’m sure it’s something we will talk about, but as I said as GPDA, we haven’t come together yet.” More

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      F1 testing LIVE: All the updates from Barcelona as Lando Norris tops leaderboards

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      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 – 1:20:1652) Russell – 1:20:7843) Norris – 1:21:7134) Vettel – 1:21:2765) Tsunoda – 1:21:368

      Latifi 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.

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