Formula 1 is back this weekend for the 2022 season opener at the Bahrain International Circuit, for the Bahrain Grand Prix, where Scuderia Ferrari are many peoples favourite to claim an incredible victory.
Pre-season testing proved that Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr have one of the strongest cars on the grid this year, in the form of the F1-75. Early predictions have Ferrari right at the top alongside Oracle Red Bull Racing, will they live up to the hype this weekend?
Reliability hasn’t been an issue for Ferrari over winter testing, in fact they’ve been one of the only team’s not to have suffered any setbacks. This could be crucial come Sunday as it’s highly likely that reliability will be a key factor during the race on Sunday, with the new era of Formula 1 cars to take to the grid for the first time.
Matteo Togninalli, Head of Track Engineering at Ferrari, is very excited for the season opener, with a new era of the sport about to begin.
“The first race of the season is always special, because it’s the start of a new adventure. This time however, it’s even more special because there are many new factors to take into account and I’m keen to find out, if everything we have done in terms of processes and procedures is taking us in the right direction and delivering the benefits we are expecting.
“Of course, we used the test sessions to do a sort of general trial run, but it’s only on a race weekend, with its pressure and expectations, that we can really judge how well we have prepared. Those pressures and expectations can lead to mistakes and we have worked with the entire team so as to be calm in managing all the various aspects of the weekend. We must concentrate on ourselves and work with confidence.”