Barcelona Day 2 round-up: Leclerc tops charts for Ferrari

On the second day of F1 2022's first pre-season test, Charles Leclerc set the fastest time, whilst Ferrari ran the most laps of any team

Charles Leclerc Ferrari Barcelona 2022

Leclerc topped the time sheets in Barcelona on Day 2

Ferrari

Ferrari appeared both reliable and not without pace on Day 2 of Barcelona’s pre-season test, on a day which saw two red flags for breakdowns.

Not only did Charles Leclerc use his afternoon session to set the fastest lap – a 1min 19.689sec – but his and Carlos Sainz’s combined total of 147 laps was more than any other team achieved.

They had company in the lap count stakes though. Pierre Gasly set 145 laps on his own, achieving this bumper turn-in with a 1min 19.918sec to boot as the AlphaTauri looked impressive in its reliability. The Frenchman was second-fastest.

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Daniel Ricciardo also had a solid day. A 1min 20.288sec meant the Australian was third, scoring 126 laps in his McLaren.

Mercedes, as is usual in test sessions, kept a low profile, with George Russell using a late burst to record a lap just under a second slower than Leclerc’s headline time, on the way to completing 66 laps. Carlos Sainz recorded 71 laps to Leclerc’s 79, as the Scuderia – as far as any signs so far can indicate – appear a rejuvenated force. Whether it carries on to the first race, when true pace is shown – or even the next test – remains to be seen.

Chalking up 74 laps, Sebastian Vettel was 0.2sec off Sainz, whilst Sergio Perez had a truncated day.

A breakdown at Turn 13 in the morning brought out the first red flag of the test, with Red Bull confirming the issue as gearbox related. The Mexican got back out in the afternoon, still managing to put in 78 laps. His quickest time was almost 2sec off that of Leclerc.

Another man who caused a red flag was Nikita Mazepin, his fuel pump failing in the afternoon, on a day when his team boss Guenther Steiner pulled out of the FIA press conference after Russia invaded Ukraine this morning. The team’s title sponsor – Uralkali, a huge Russian industrial firm owned by Mazepin’s father – could face sanctions from other global powers.

Sainz Leclerc Ferrari 2022 Barcelona

Leclerc and Sainz combined to put Ferrari top of the lap count

Ferrari

The Haas driver was a tenth off Perez, with Williams’ Alex Albon just two hundredths off the Russian.

Guanyu Zhou turned his first laps for Alfa Romeo in this test, the Chinese driver clocking a 1min 21.885sec, whilst Nicholas Latifi was just a whisker behind in his Williams.

Lance Stroll’s morning efforts brought him a 1min 21.920sec, with Mick Schumacher three hundredths away from the Canadian.

Esteban Ocon put in a heavy shift to clock 125 laps, 2.5sec off Leclerc, with Valtteri Bottas again struggling for running in his Alfa – 21 laps was all he could muster.

Keeping the lowest profile was Lewis Hamilton. 40 laps represented only two thirds of Russell’s total, a 1min 22.562sec putting him bottom of the pile.

Position Driver Car Time Laps
1. Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1min 19.689sec 79
2. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri 1min 19.918sec 145
3. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren 1min 20.355sec 113
4. George Russell Mercedes 1min 20.537sec 66
5. Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1min 20.546sec 71
6. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin 1min 20.784sec 74
7. Sergio Perez Red Bull 1min 21.430sec 78
8. Nikita Mazepin Haas 1min 21.512sec 42
9. Alex Albon Williams 1min 21.531sec 47
10. Guanyu Zhou Alfa Romeo 1min 21.531sec 71
11. Nicholas Latifi Williams 1min 21.894sec 61
12. Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1min 21.920sec 55
13. Mick Schumacher Haas 1min 21.949sec 66
14. Esteban Ocon Alpine 1min 22.164sec 125
15. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 1min 22.288ec 21
16. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1min 22.562sec 40