F1 Barcelona pre-season test - Day 3
Minute by minute updates on the final day of the 2022 Barcelona F1 pre-season test
After a busy opening couple of days, all 10 teams complete the first test of the new era of F1 under the new technical regulations.
Track action gets underway at 8am GMT and finishes at 5pm GMT. The day will be split by a one-hour lunch break (12pm-1pm GMT) which can be reduced if requested due to lost track time from either red flags or poor weather conditions.
The final day will provide another good look at all of the 2022 F1 cars from every team, to see which teams have got it right and which have work to do. While never fully taken as the true pecking order, due to teams hiding outright performance levels by sandbagging their speeds, the tests still reveal an overview while giving teams which are struggling nowhere to hide.
The Barcelona shakedown test, conducted without live TV coverage or live timing, runs between 23-25 February. A second official test will follow in Bahrain on 10-12 March ahead of the 2022 F1 season opener at the same venue, the Bahrain Grand Prix, on 18-20 March.
Live Text
Here's who is on driving duties for the final afternoon of the Barcelona F1 test:
Mercedes: Hamilton
Red Bull: Perez
Ferrari: Sainz
McLaren: Ricciardo
AlphaTauri: Tsunoda
Aston Martin: Stroll
Williams: Albon/Latifi
Alfa Romeo: Bottas
Alpine withdrawn from the remainder of the test after a car fire.
Fireman Seb
Vettel was the first to leap into action earlier when his car caught fire and caused the morning session to finish prematurely.
Photo by: Motorsport Images
This is how you soak a dry track without sprinklers: Get several water tankers emptying hundreds of gallons of water at slow speeds for an hour. The same plan was used in 2018 during pre-season testing but the track dried out after an hour.
Photo by: Alex Kalinauckas
F1 calls off Russian Grand Prix following Ukraine invasion
And here's the latest on the Russian GP: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-calls-off-russian-grand-prix-following-ukraine-invasion/8487296/Russell tops red-flagged final morning at Barcelona F1 test
Here's the full round-up on a busy morning: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/2022-f1-barcelona-test-russell-tops-red-flagged-final-morning/8486923/
Trackside update
“The marshals are blowing the extinguisher substance off the track now and the Aston Martin car is on the truck, with Vettel also heading back to the paddock.”
Trackside update
"Vettel has been thoroughly dousing his car in extinguisher and directing the marshals for more. A bizarre screaming noise came from the car at one point as they covered it in extinguisher. It smells like an electrical fire."
Bit of an F1 BBQ this morning with the second serious car fire on track. Thankfully all OK, as Vettel helps get the situation under control.
Photo by: Alex Kalinauckas
Trackside update
"Vettel appears to have suffered an engine issue there. There was a puff of smoke from the rear and he was fighting hard to keep the car pointing in a straight line into Turn 10 as the back axle tried to lock on him. He kept it together before pulling up and aiding the marshals with extinguishing the fire."Red flag
We kid you not, a fifth red flag! This time it is Vettel who has caused it.Here's the full statement from Alpine on their early end to the test:
"After further investigations in the garage following Fernando Alonso’s on-track stoppage earlier this morning, the team can confirm the issue was a problem with the hydraulics. A minor sealing issue led to a fire in the back of the car. The team has successfully completed 266 laps during the three days of the Barcelona shakedown. Repairs on the car will continue, and as a result we won’t be running for the remainder of the day. We look forward to be back in action at the next test in Bahrain."
Alpine's day is over
Alpine has announced its Barcelona F1 test has finished early due to a hydraulics issue which triggered a fire on Alonso's car this morning. The team won't return to action later today.Red flag!
Not another one!
Trackside update
“A little bit of racing down at Turn 10 - Verstappen dives by Norris on the inside and surges ahead, but the McLaren stays snapping at his heels until the final chicane. They’re pushing on right now.”
Zhou gets out of the Alfa Romeo once the track marshals arrive on the scene. The restart shouldn't be too far off.
Photo by: Alex Kalinauckas
Trackside update
"That was quite a long spin for Zhou. You could hear the tyres lose the fight for grip quite soon after he turned in but it took until he was two thirds of the way round the bend for Zhou to properly drop it, then continuing on into the kitty litter."
Trackside update
"The Alfa has spun at Turn 10, Zhou was very hot into the apex on his second time around and lost the rear of the car."
Photo by: Alex Kalinauckas
Red flag
Another stoppage - this time it is Zhou who has gone off at Turn 10.Pirelli explains Barcelona F1 wet tyre test
Here's the full story on the Pirelli wet tyre test planned for this afternoon: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/pirelli-explains-barcelona-f1-wet-tyre-test/8485671/Here's Gasly's car on the way back to the AlphaTauri garage, and having just gone by the media centre it appears a few parts are out of place under the cover. That's the level of insight available at this stage until we invent a way to see through the covers.
Photo by: Matt Kew
Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri AT03
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
By: Haydn Cobb
