The wait is over, the time has come to kick off the 2022 Formula 1 season this weekend in Bahrain which will be hosting the season-opener for the second time! Also the first Middle-Eastern circuit ever to host F1, Bahrain International Circuit’s success was so important that that the aggregate for the asphalt was imported from a quarry in England over 4,000 miles away. Bahrain has given us some great wheel-to-wheel racing over the years and could be the one circuit where being on pole is a disadvantage with the pole sitter winning only 7 of 17 races here. 2022 brings us entirely new cars built around a new set of regulations that favor ground-effect downforce as opposed to topside aero elements in a bid to make close racing more attainable. Early reports indicate there is an improvement in the ability of cars to follow closely.
After a strong showing in pre-season testing Red Bull will enter the season with confidence that it has what it takes to defend the drivers’ title and get a jump on constructors’ points, a championship they narrowly missed out on last year. Honda will continue to power the team but under the “HRC” moniker rather than the brand logo we all know. On the driver side we expect to see continued strength from Max Verstappen and a maturing partnership with Sergio Perez will allow the team to use two-car strategies as they did in the second half of 2021. Expect AlphaTauri to continue strong in the midfield as a determined Pierre Gasly looks to build on a successful 2021 alongside Yuki Tsunoda as he continues to grow as a driver.
Elsewhere on the grid, based on nothing other than speculation from pre-season testing, here is how the teams could stack up for these first couple races until big update packages start entering the fray.
1. Red Bull
2. Ferrari
3. Mercedes
4, McLaren
5. AlphaTauri
6. Aston Martin
7. Haas
8. Alpine
9. Williams
10. Alfa Romeo
US TV SCHEDULE
Practice 1 – Friday, March 18 – 7.55AM – ESPN2
Practice 2 – Friday, March 18 – 10.55AM – ESPNEWS/ESPN3
Practice 3 – Saturday, March 19 – 7.55AM – ESPN2
Qualifying – Saturday, March 19 – 10.55AM – ESPNEWS/ESPN3
Pre-race show – Sunday, March 20 – 9.30AM –
ESPN
Bahrain Grand Prix – Sunday, March 20 – 10.55AM –
ESPN
CIRCUIT INFORMATION
Lap data
Lap length: 5.412km (3.363 miles)
Race laps: 57
Race distance: 308.238km (191.53 miles)
Pole position: Left-hand side of the track
Lap record*: 1’31.447 (213.055 kph) by Pedro de la Rosa, 2005
Maximum speed: 314kph (195.11 mph)
DRS
zone/s (race): Pit straight and third straight
Distance from grid to turn one: 265m
Car performance
Full throttle: 66%
Longest flat-out section: 1205m
Downforce level: Medium
Fuel use per lap: 1.8kg
Time penalty per lap of fuel: 0.054s
Strategy
Quickest complete pit stop in 2013: 21.031s by Red Bull
2023 tyres: Hard (C1, Medium (C2), Soft (C3) (2022: Hard (C1), Medium (C2), Soft (C3))
2021 RESULTS
Race Info.
Pole position: Max Verstappen, 1:28.997
Race laps: 56
Fast race lap: Valtteri Bottas, 1:32.090
Podium
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
CURRENT STANDINGS
Drivers
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Constructors
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