The highly anticipated 2022 Formula 1 season kicked off with the Bahrain Grand Prix, and the final practice session (FP3) offered a crucial glimpse into the pecking order ahead of qualifying. As teams and drivers made their last adjustments, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen asserted his dominance, topping the timesheets in a session marked by intense competition and a few on-track dramas. His searing pace set the stage for what promised to be a thrilling qualifying battle under the lights of the Sakhir International Circuit.
Verstappen, the reigning world champion, laid down a formidable benchmark with a lap time of 1’32.544. This impressive performance underscored Red Bull Racing’s strong start to the new regulatory era, showcasing the RB18’s impressive straight-line speed and excellent balance through Bahrain’s challenging corners. Just a whisker behind, at a mere 0.096 seconds, was Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, confirming the Scuderia’s resurgence and their intent to challenge at the very front of the grid. Leclerc’s consistent pace throughout the practice sessions highlighted Ferrari’s significant steps forward with their F1-75 challenger, positioning them as genuine title contenders.
Red Bull’s strong showing was further emphasized by Sergio Perez, who secured the third fastest time. His effort, a quarter of a second shy of his teammate Verstappen, demonstrated the comprehensive performance package of the Red Bull car and its adaptability to the Bahrain circuit. This bodes well for Red Bull’s constructors’ championship ambitions, indicating that they have two drivers capable of fighting for podiums and potentially wins from the outset of the season.
Mercedes, while present in the top tier, appeared to be grappling with the challenges posed by the new regulations, particularly the “porpoising” phenomenon affecting their W13 car. George Russell emerged as the quicker of the two Mercedes drivers, claiming fourth fastest, ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jnr. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was sixth, just over half a second off Verstappen’s pace. Despite their best efforts, Mercedes seemed to be playing catch-up, suggesting that qualifying would be a significant challenge as they sought to unlock more performance from their car and minimize the disruptive bouncing at high speeds.
Beyond the top teams, the midfield battle in FP3 was equally captivating. Kevin Magnussen, making a sensational return to Formula 1 with Haas, continued to impress by setting the seventh-fastest time. This unexpected pace from Haas, powered by a Ferrari engine, was one of the major talking points of the weekend, hinting at a potential resurgence for the American team. Alfa Romeo also showed promising form, with Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu securing eighth and ninth positions respectively. This strong performance from the rebranded Alfa Romeo squad suggested a competitive start to the season for the team.
The session wasn’t without its moments of high drama and tension. Charles Leclerc provided a scare for the Ferrari garage when his car spun at Turn 11, sending the F1-75 skidding into the gravel trap. Fortunately, the Monegasque driver managed to skillfully extract his car from the gravel without any significant damage, allowing him to continue the session and giving his team a collective sigh of relief. This incident served as a vivid reminder of the fine margins and unforgiving nature of pushing these cutting-edge machines to their limits.
Another notable incident involved Carlos Sainz Jnr, who was summoned to the stewards after an unsafe release from the pit lane. The Ferrari driver was sent out directly into the path of Fernando Alonso’s Alpine, forcing the experienced Spaniard to take evasive action and stop his car to avoid a collision. Such incidents are closely scrutinized for safety reasons, and the stewards’ investigation could potentially result in a grid penalty for Sainz, adding another layer of intrigue to the impending qualifying session.
Adding to the list of woes, Yuki Tsunoda’s AlphaTauri suffered a hydraulic fault just as his team attempted to fire up the car at the start of the session. This unfortunate technical issue prevented the Japanese driver from leaving the garage and participating in FP3 at all. Missing the crucial final practice session before qualifying is a significant setback for any driver, especially at the beginning of a new season with new regulations, as it deprives them of valuable track time for setup adjustments and confidence building. Tsunoda’s team would now face a race against time to resolve the issue ahead of qualifying.
With the dust settled on FP3, the focus immediately shifted to qualifying. Max Verstappen and Red Bull had clearly established themselves as the team to beat, demonstrating superb one-lap pace. However, Charles Leclerc and Ferrari were right on their heels, promising a fierce battle for pole position. The slight gap to Mercedes suggested they might have to work harder, but their experience and capacity for rapid improvement meant they could not be entirely counted out. The midfield, led by the surprising Haas and Alfa Romeo, was also shaping up for an intense fight for positions in Q2 and Q3.
The 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix marked a new chapter for Formula 1, with a raft of new technical regulations designed to promote closer racing and greater competition. The cars themselves underwent significant design changes, with a renewed emphasis on ground effect aerodynamics, larger 18-inch wheels, and simplified front and rear wings. These changes were aimed at reducing the amount of ‘dirty air’ created by the cars, theoretically allowing drivers to follow each other more closely and facilitating more overtakes. FP3 provided the first real glimpse of how these new regulations impacted performance and the competitive landscape, setting the tone for what promised to be an exhilarating season opener.
Teams utilized FP3 not only to fine-tune their car setups for qualifying but also to gather critical data on tire degradation and performance over longer runs, which would be vital for Sunday’s race strategy. The Sakhir circuit, known for its abrasive surface and high temperatures, presents a significant challenge for tire management. Understanding how the new 18-inch Pirelli tires behaved under these conditions was paramount, and every lap in FP3 was a valuable data point. The close times at the top indicated that even slight differences in setup or driver execution could yield significant gains or losses during the all-important qualifying session.
As the sun began to set over the Bahrain International Circuit, anticipation for qualifying reached a fever pitch. The stage was set for a dramatic showdown, with the fastest drivers and most finely tuned machines battling for grid position in the first qualifying session of the 2022 Formula 1 season. The competitive margins witnessed in FP3 hinted at a thrilling session, where every tenth of a second would count, and strategic decisions, combined with raw pace, would determine who claimed the coveted pole position.
2022 Bahrain Grand Prix Third Practice Result
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Best lap | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1’32.544 | 15 | |
| 2 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1’32.640 | 0.096 | 16 |
| 3 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | 1’32.791 | 0.247 | 20 |
| 4 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1’32.935 | 0.391 | 19 |
| 5 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Ferrari | 1’33.053 | 0.509 | 20 |
| 6 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1’33.121 | 0.577 | 15 |
| 7 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas-Ferrari | 1’33.437 | 0.893 | 15 |
| 8 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | 1’33.733 | 1.189 | 21 |
| 9 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | 1’33.880 | 1.336 | 18 |
| 10 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 1’33.920 | 1.376 | 14 |
| 11 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’33.955 | 1.411 | 18 |
| 12 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 1’33.971 | 1.427 | 18 |
| 13 | 10 | Pierre Gasly”>Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri-Red Bull | 1’34.176 | 1.632 | 18 |
| 14 | 47 | Mick Schumacher | Haas-Ferrari | 1’34.295 | 1.751 | 17 |
| 15 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’34.378 | 1.834 | 20 |
| 16 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine-Renault | 1’34.628 | 2.084 | 15 |
| 17 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams-Mercedes | 1’34.868 | 2.324 | 15 |
| 18 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine-Renault | 1’34.957 | 2.413 | 16 |
| 19 | 6 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams-Mercedes | 1’35.667 | 3.123 | 14 |
Third Practice Session Gaps to Leader
- Max Verstappen – 1’32.544 (Leader)
- Charles Leclerc – 1’32.640 (+0.096s)
- Sergio Perez – 1’32.791 (+0.247s)
- George Russell – 1’32.935 (+0.391s)
- Carlos Sainz Jnr – 1’33.053 (+0.509s)
- Lewis Hamilton – 1’33.121 (+0.577s)
- Kevin Magnussen – 1’33.437 (+0.893s)
- Valtteri Bottas – 1’33.733 (+1.189s)
- Zhou Guanyu – 1’33.880 (+1.336s)
- Lance Stroll – 1’33.920 (+1.376s)
- Lando Norris – 1’33.955 (+1.411s)
- Nico Hulkenberg – 1’33.971 (+1.427s)
- Pierre Gasly – 1’34.176 (+1.632s)
- Mick Schumacher – 1’34.295 (+1.751s)
- Daniel Ricciardo – 1’34.378 (+1.834s)
- Fernando Alonso – 1’34.628 (+2.084s)
- Alexander Albon – 1’34.868 (+2.324s)
- Esteban Ocon – 1’34.957 (+2.413s)
- Nicholas Latifi – 1’35.667 (+3.123s)
Note: Drivers more than ten seconds off the pace are omitted.
More on the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix
- How “class act” Hulkenberg’s reserve outings showed his readiness for an F1 return
- Alfa Romeo working on fix for Bottas and Zhou’s “very poor” starts
- China is first country to score points on its debut since the championship began
- “I don’t hold back”: Verstappen’s full radio transcript from his luckless Bahrain GP
- Mercedes’ straight-line speed deficit due to drag levels, not power unit – Wolff
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