The state of the early 2022 F1 pecking order as Barcelona testing ends

By:

Alex Kalinauckas

Feb 25, 2022, 10:09 PM

With new rules, new cars and new drivers, plenty has happened over the three days of running at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Here, Autosport takes stock after the first of Formula 1's pre-season tests in 2022

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No matter how interesting the new cars are, Formula 1 is of no significance compared to the horror of war breaking out in Ukraine. But, what it can do, hopefully, is provide the escapism of sport – even during testing.

New designs, new drivers, new rules returning to an old problem – there has been plenty to dig into over the three days of running at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. As ever, the usual caveats of testing apply, as all the teams and drivers are keen to point out at every available opportunity. Everyone is somewhere and everyone is nowhere.

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Alex Kalinauckas

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Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.

A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.