Max Verstappen beats Charles Leclerc with Red Bull and Ferrari split by a tenth of a second at the front - but Mercedes still can't find pace and Lewis Hamilton finishes ninth and 1.2s off; Watch Bahrain GP final practice and qualifying live on Sky Sports F1 on Saturday
Saturday 19 March 2022 07:30, UK
Max Verstappen finished the first day of Formula 1's 2022 season on top after edging Charles Leclerc in Bahrain GP second practice, with Red Bull and Ferrari moving clear of Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton struggling down in ninth.
F1 got a first look at the grid's 'true pace' in the evening session, in cooler and more representative Bahrain conditions similar to qualifying and the race, and it provided an intriguing pecking order for the season-opening weekend - dominated by two teams, and two drivers in their all-new cars.
Leclerc led for much of the hour in the incredibly consistent Ferrari, but world champion Verstappen stormed to the front for Red Bull come the qualifying simulations on soft tyres - posting a 1:31.936.
It was a benchmark that would not be beaten despite Leclerc's best efforts, with the Monegasque finding more pace on his final fast lap but finishing just 0.087s adrift.
Carlos Sainz was third and half a second off in the other Ferrari, who appear to be a genuine contender at the front and, as predicted by many after pre-season, look set to go toe to toe with Red Bull.
"My gut tells me we've got Verstappen vs Leclerc for pole," said Sky F1's Karun Chandhok.
But the hope of a three-team fight may be fading this weekend, with F1's eight-time champions Mercedes still unable to match their rivals.
While George Russell was reasonably competitive, 0.6s off the front in fourth, Hamilton could only manage a meagre ninth place. Both drivers, meanwhile, were bouncing along in their cars with Mercedes seemingly unable to fix their 'porpoising' issues, nor unlock their W13's speed.
"Some sort of problem with the front brakes man, the front right is pulling," said an increasingly frustrated Hamilton on team radio. He added afterwards: "We're faced with much bigger problems this year."
Fernando Alonso was fifth for Alpine while Hamilton was also beaten by former team-mate Valtteri Bottas in the Alfa Romeo (sixth) and even Mick Schumacher in the Haas (eighth), highlighting F1 2022's clean slate.
Kevin Magnussen was 10th in the other Haas while McLaren were one of the teams dropping down the order, with Lando Norris only 11th and Daniel Ricciardo way down in 18th, only ahead of the Williams.
Pierre Gasly also struggled after surprisingly setting the first-practice pace, finishing 13th for AlphaTauri. Nico Hulkenberg, stepping in for Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin this weekend, was 17th.
Red Bull, with their RB18 which is working nicely following upgrades and Ferrari, in an F1-75 which has always looked fast this year, were expected to make a strong start to F1 2022 in Bahrain.
But Mercedes' pace, or lack of, is certainly a surprise to start the new era. And while their rivals' starts should be lauded considering the giant regulation changes, Merc's opening day was undoubtedly the major talking point.
Despite Mercedes' insistence on the contrary, most suspected the sport's dominant team for the last eight years were 'sand-bagging' with their pace - but Friday proved just where they stood in the pecking order.
"I think it's clear we're certainly not where we want to be," said Russell, who insisted fourth place on the qualy runs flattered him somewhat. "I think we made a bit of progress, but the pace is just not there at the moment.
"We're a long way off the pace of Red Bull, Ferrari, even the likes of AlphaTauri, Alfa Romeo are on our pace or quicker, so got a bit of work to do."
Russell also spoke of "damage limitation" while Hamilton, referencing a car that doesn't look quick or comfortable, stressed: "It appears that it's probably going to be a more longer-term fix, so nothing in the short term."
That has left what could be a Red Bull vs Ferrari fight at the front.
"It's been a positive day for us," said Red Bull boss Christian Horner. "I think Ferrari are very, very quick. I think they could well be the car to beat tomorrow."
Final practice begins at 12pm on Sky Sports F1, with a crucial first qualifying of the year at 3pm.
