Formula 1 is back and one of the most eagerly anticipated seasons in the sport’s history is about to get underway.
The new regulations for 2022 are set to improve the racing and have the potential to shake-up the pecking order.
Max Verstappen will be looking to keep the number one on his car, after winning a controversial championship against Lewis Hamilton, who will aim to beat Michael Schumacher‘s record of seven titles.
Mercedes have won an unprecedented eight consecutive Constructors Championships, but their remarkable success could be under threat due to the new regulations.
The on-track action will finally begin after an exciting fortnight of car launches, so we will get our first indicators as to who are the teams to beat in 2022.
Where is the first 2022 F1 test?
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will host the first test, which is officially called a shakedown.
Barcelona has long been used as a testing venue for F1 as there are a mixture of high and low speed turns, plus a long straight so all aspects of the car can be tested.
When is the first 2022 F1 test?
The first pre-season test will take place from February 23 to February 25, with eight hours of running each day.
Each test day will begin at 08:00 GMT, with a one hour lunch break at 12:00 GMT, before the afternoon session gets underway at 13:00 GMT until 17:00 GMT.
First 2022 F1 testing schedule (UK time)
| Date | Morning session | Afternoon session |
|---|---|---|
| February 23 | 08:00 – 12:00 | 13:00 – 17:00 |
| February 24 | 08:00 – 12:00 | 13:00 – 17:00 |
| February 25 | 08:00 – 12:00 | 13:00 – 17:00 |
First 2022 F1 testing driver line-up
Teams are allowed just one car during testing, so the drivers will share the driving duties during the test.
Some teams have decided to have one driver in the car all day, whilst other teams have opted to split the running between both drivers each day.
| Team | Wed, Feb 23 | Thur, Feb 24 | Fri, Feb 25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aston Martin | Vettel (AM)/Stroll (PM) | Stroll (AM)/Vettel (PM) | Vettel (AM)/Stroll (PM) |
| Haas | Mazepin (AM)/Schumacher (PM) | Schumacher (AM)/Mazepin (PM) | Mazepin (AM)/Schumacher (PM) |
| Williams | Latifi (AM)/Albon (PM) | Albon (AM)/Latifi (PM) | Latifi (AM)/Albon (PM) |
| Red Bull | Max Verstappen | Sergio Perez | Verstappen (AM)/Perez (PM) |
| AlphaTauri | Yuki Tsunoda | Pierre Gasly | Gasly (AM)/Tsunoda (PM) |
| Alfa Romeo | Kubica (AM)/Bottas (PM) | Bottas (AM)/Zhou (PM) | Zhou (AM)/Bottas (PM) |
| Mercedes | Russell (AM)/Hamilton (PM) | TBA | TBA |
| Alpine | Fernando Alonso | Esteban Ocon | Alonso (AM)/Ocon (PM) |
| McLaren | Lando Norris | Daniel Ricciardo | Norris (AM)/Ricciardo (PM) |
| Ferrari | Leclerc (AM)Sainz (PM) | TBA | TBA |
Will the first F1 test be televised?
Unfortunately for fans who were keen to see the new cars at full pace, there will be no live television coverage of the first test from Barcelona and live timing will not be available. Testing in Spain will also take place behind closed doors.
In the UK, Sky Sports F1 will have a daily round up of each day, along with Ted’s Notebook.
The second pre-season testing in Bahrain on March 10-12 will have full be televised live, including live timing and fan attendance.
F1’s 2022 season opener, the Bahrain Grand Prix, will take place a week after the test in Sakhir on March 18-20.
