F1: Leclerc leads Ferrari 1-2 in opening practice for the Spanish GP

It was a busy first practice session for F1’s 2022 Spanish Grand Prix with all teams except Haas bringing new upgrades to this weekend’s race, but the pecking order really did not change much.

Championship leader Charles Leclerc took the  top spot in the first practice session  with Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen completing the top three.

2nd quick time for Carlos Sainz Jr.

Mercedes fitted new engines to both of their drivers’ cars – both donning brand-new parts surrounding the floor area – Lewis Hamilton also having taken a new gearbox this weekend (no penalty applied). George Russell finished fourth, while Hamilton was sixth as Russell continues to school Hamilton

Between the Silver Arrows was Fernando Alonso, the Alpine driver rounding out the top five at home.

McLaren’s Lando Norris – also testing out a suite of parts – was seventh and two-tenths ahead of eighth-place AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly. AlphaTauri stripped paint off their liveries in an apparent weight-saving exercise, also bringing new rear wings to Spain.

Gasly’s teammate Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the top 10, behind ninth-place McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo. Esteban Ocon previously dubbed Spain his “half” home race, given his father and extended family live here, and finished 11th in FP1 for Alpine.

Practice 1 Results

POS DRIVER NAT. TEAM TIME BEHIND
1 Charles Leclerc MON Scuderia Ferrari 1m19.828s +0.000s
2 Carlos Sainz Jr. ESP Scuderia Ferrari 1m19.907s +0.079
3 Max Verstappen NED Oracle Red Bull Racing 1m20.164s +0.336
4 George Russell GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas 1m20.590s +0.762
5 Fernando Alonso ESP BWT Alpine F1 Team 1m20.768s +0.940
6 Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas 1m20.811s +0.983
7 Lando Norris GBR McLaren F1 Team 1m21.279s +1.451
8 Pierre Gasly FRA Scuderia AlphaTauri 1m21.422s +1.594
9 Daniel Ricciardo AUS McLaren F1 Team 1m21.737s +1.909
10 Yuki Tsunoda JPN Scuderia AlphaTauri 1m21.814s +1.986
11 Esteban Ocon FRA BWT Alpine F1 Team 1m21.891s +2.063
12 Lance Stroll CAN Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant 1m21.920s +2.092
13 Robert Kubica POL Alfa Romeo F1 Team Orlen 1m21.975s +2.147
14 Kevin Magnussen DEN Haas F1 Team 1m22.089s +2.261
15 Mick Schumacher GER Haas F1 Team 1m22.146s +2.318
16 Sebastian Vettel GER Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant 1m22.164s +2.336
17 Valtteri Bottas FIN Alfa Romeo F1 Team Orlen 1m22.614s +2.786
18 Nyck de Vries NED Williams Racing 1m22.920s +3.092
19 Nicholas Latifi CAN Williams Racing 1m23.011s +3.183
20 Juri Vips EST Oracle Bull Racing 1m24.138s +4.310