Charles Leclerc tops the timesheets at lunch ahead of Lando Norris and George Russell; Max Verstappen sixth but new Red Bull car turns heads; Lewis Hamilton keen observer in pit-lane and driving Mercedes in afternoon session
Wednesday 23 February 2022 18:04, UK
Charles Leclerc posted the fastest time for Ferrari on the opening morning of pre-season testing as Formula 1 2022 kicked off with stunning all-new cars and plenty of intrigue through the pit-lane in Barcelona.
F1 has embarked on a revolutionary new era following huge rule and car changes and, after a winter full of off-track controversy and new-season expectation, all 10 teams hit the track on Wednesday to start the campaign with a crucial three-day test, less than a month before the first race.
It was an ever-changing leaderboard through the opening hours before lunch but Leclerc, driving a Ferrari that may well lift the sport's most successful team back into title contention, finished the first session on top.
His time, a 1:20.165 on medium tyres, was around four seconds slower than last year's pole time at the Circuit de Catalunya, although the times will certainly ramp up with the new cars not expected to be that far off.
Leclerc was three-tenths of a second faster than Lando Norris in the McLaren and fellow Brit George Russell in the Mercedes, with Russell enjoying the morning session before handing over to Lewis Hamilton in the afternoon.
Hamilton, who was cruelly denied the world title last December, was a keen observer before lunch, watching the cars on-track from the pit-lane while also sneaking a peak at rival Max Verstappen's Red Bull.
And it was Verstappen's Red Bull that grabbed most of the attention on Wednesday, despite finishing sixth on the morning timesheets.
Day One of testing marked the first sighting of Red Bull's 'real' car after their show car launch, and the RB18 featured plenty of innovative features.
"The big story of the morning for me, is this first look of the new Red Bull," said Sky F1's Ted Kravitz. That is a car that has everything.
"It's super impressive to see the design work on that Red Bull. It is something very, very different."
Verstappen was also sporting the Number 1 on his car after winning last year's championship. Both he and Leclerc completed 80 laps in the four-hour session, topping the mileage count.
Alpine, Haas and Alfa Romeo also revealed their real cars for the first time on Wednesday.
But it wasn't an ideal start to F1 2022 for Haas or Alfa. The American team completed 20 laps while Alfa, in a camouflaged test-special livery, had only nine laps completed through reserve driver Robert Kubica.
