F1 Testing, Day One in Bahrain: Pierre Gasly fastest but Ferrari and Mercedes catch the eye

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Pierre Gasly beats his own time to lead the timings on the first day of the Bahrain Test

Pierre Gasly set the fastest time on the opening day of 2022’s final pre-season test in Bahrain, but it was Ferrari who caught the eye with their pace and Mercedes with their radical new car design.

The crucial three-day test, two weeks after an opening shakedown in Barcelona, represents the final chance for drivers to try out their all-new cars before the season begins in just over a week, and there were certainly plenty of signs that teams were upping the ante on Thursday.

While it is still too early to speculate on a pecking order, it is Ferrari who have got the paddock talking with their speed and consistency and Charles Leclerc led from the first hour of Thursday up until the final hour.

He was only knocked off top spot late on by Pierre Gasly in the AlphaTauri as the Frenchman showed encouraging pace, albeit on the softest tyre.

Gasly’s 1:33.902 was six-tenths faster than Leclerc, and 0.8s quicker than Carlos Sainz, who took over from his team-mate in the Ferrari in the afternoon session and seemingly confirmed the Italian giant’s speed.

“There’s no doubt about it, that Ferrari is looking very handy,” said Sky F1’s Martin Brundle.

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Sky Sports News’ Craig Slater explains why Mercedes’ new car design has caused a stir in the paddock on day one of pre-season testing in Bahrain

But the potential return of Ferrari to F1 contention was arguably not the biggest story on Day 1 at Sakhir, for Mercedes generated plenty of headlines with a new-look W13 and specifically a radical sidepod design.

As predicted, Mercedes brought a significant car upgrade to the final test but nobody could have foreseen the world champions debuting a car that barely had any sidepods at all, instead using fins and a smaller slot to generate cooling.

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Formula 1 managing director Ross Brawn says he did not anticipate Mercedes’ interpretation of the new car design rules

The design had rival teams purring and, perhaps unsurprisingly, also led to questions about legality, which a confident Mercedes have knocked back.

Mercedes, however, still had a quiet day when it came to quick times, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton only placing ninth and 11th and two seconds off Gasly’s fastest lap.

They were sandwiched by Sergio Perez in the Red Bull who were also conspicuous by their absence at the front. Perez completed more laps than anyone on Thursday – 138 – though finished the day in the gravel after a clumsy spin, which led to a red flag and an early finish to proceedings.

More to follow.