Feature

Relive 2022 Bahrain F1 testing

Relive Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One™ Team's progress in Bahrain as 2022 F1 pre-season testing concluded at the Bahrain International Circuit.

The Bahrain International Circuit hosted the running, and gave the team further time to get up to speed with the AMR22 ahead of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

Day Three

19:10 - The team completed a total of 134 laps today, equivalent to 725.208km. Across the whole test, the team completed 352 laps and 1905.024km.

We'll see you next week for the Bahrain Grand Prix, thanks for joining.

19:00 - And it's a wrap on testing in Bahrain. Sebastian ends the day with 81 laps completed and a best time of 1.33.821.

18:45 - That's almost 80 laps on the board for Sebastian as we head into the final 15 minutes.

18:40 - As we move ever closer to the end of testing, we wanted to share our gratitude with you.

Thanks for joining us on our journey. Our fans are the heart and soul of everything we do, so keep sharing your support with us at @AstonMartinF1 on Twitter and Instagram, using the hashtags #IAM and #WeClimbTogether.

18:35 - Sebastian heads back out on track.

18:33 - The red flag period ends and the track is open once again.

18:30 - There's just 30 minutes of running left today.

18:22 - It's now a red flag for a car to be recovered.

18:20 - We have a yellow in sector two for a stoppage elsewhere, Sebastian had just passed 70 laps moments before.

18:10 - It's quite the sight, if we do say so ourselves...

18:00 - There's just one hour remaining for Sebastian and the team in this Bahrain pre-season test.

17:45 - Twilight running.

17:30 - Sebastian's quickly approaching the 50-lap mark, he's at 43 currently and is still circulating

17:15 - The sun's starting to set, we'll soon be running in more representative conditions compared to the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend.

We also have a red flag elsewhere.

17:05 - Sebastian begins his latest stint.

17:00 - There's just two hours left of the Bahrain pre-season test.

16:50 - Sebastian's set a new best time on his latest run, lapping in 1.33.821. He's also cleared 25 laps so far.

16:35 - The conditions are better than this time yesterday. The wind has dropped and there's none of the sand being blown across the circuit. Good conditions for Sebastian and the other drivers to add to their lap tallies.

16:20 - This is the final chance for the team to work through its pre-season testing programme, but what are the targets during testing? Performance Director Tom McCullough explains all.

16:00 - We're already through this first hour of the afternoon/evening session.

15:50 - It's a new best lap of 1.34.862 for Sebastian, which puts him third early in the session. He's also cleared 10 laps too.

15:46 - Sebastian's back on track for his second run of the day.

15:45 - We're getting towards the end of six days of pre-season testing in 2022. That might sound like a lot, but it's a huge ask for the teams and drivers to become familiar with his new generation of car.

To understand the scale of the task, join our technical team as they explain the work over the winter to create the AMR22.

15:30 - Five laps on the board for Sebastian so far after an exploratory first run on track. He's currently in the garage.

15:15 - Sebastian's first stint on track has begun.

15:10 - Sebastian's suited and booted and ready to climb into the AMR22.

15:00 - The session begins.

14:50 - We're 10 minutes way from the start of the final running of this year's pre-season testing.

14:00 - The session comes to an end and Lance pits. He's completed 53 laps and set a best time of 1.36.029.

We'll be back in just under an hour to bring you live coverage of Sebastian's spell in the AMR22.

13:58 - And they're away. Lance follows in formation, although there's only a few minutes left of running.

13:55 - The start was abandoned, so now there's an extra formation lap. Lance will line up on the grid for this attempt, too.

13:52 - We're back underway and there will be a practice standing start.

13:46 - And we have a red flag.

13:45 - Just 15 minutes left in the session. Lance is in the garage having completed 50 laps so far today.

13:40 - We've definitely seen him somewhere before...

13:30 - Just 30 minutes left before the hour's break.

13:05 - The AMR22 out on track.

12:55 - Lance is back out with just over an hour left in his Bahrain test. He's moved past 40 laps for the day.

12:50 - Team Principal Mike Krack is trackside with the team for this first time this week. Before travelling to Bahrain, he sat down to explain our long-term goals.

Learn about his relationship with Sebastian, what drew him to Silverstone and more in our long-read feature.

12:30 - Are you ready for the new season?

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Click below to get ready for the new season and show your support for Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll.

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12:18 - Lance begins his latest run on track. As one of only three drivers on circuit, he's got the run of the Bahrain International Circuit to work with the AMR22.

12:10 - Lance's total as he returns to the garage.

12:00 - There's two hours left in the morning session, and it's Lance's final hours in the AMR22 ahead of next weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix.

11:40 - Time to add to the tally. Lance is back out on track.

11:30 - Lance is currently in the garage, having completed 20 laps so far this morning.

11:15 - This is the final day of testing, so the onus is on the team's to maximise every opportunity to complete laps today. Ever more so considering the breadth of the regulation changes this year.

Want to get up to speed with every element of the 2022 cars? We've got you covered...

• Car design philosophy

• Car part production

• Ground effect

• Safety innovations

• Overtaking

• 18-inch wheels

10:50 - It's not from today, but in case you missed it, Lance and Fernando Alonso put on a bit of a show under the lights last night...

10:45 - Lance is back out for his next run at the Bahrain International Circuit.

10:30 - It's not long until the season begins in Bahrain. Are you ready? Register to become an I / AM member today and get access to the most exclusive, rewarding and inclusive fan community on the grid.

This is your ticket to exclusive opportunities such as video calls with our drivers, so sign up today.

10:10 - Exploratory laps complete for Lance.

10:05 - Lance takes to the track for the first time today. It's a little windy out there, but otherwise ideal conditions for running.

10:00 - And today's test begins.

09:55 - Lance Stroll starts the day in the AMR22.

09:50 - Hello and welcome to coverage of the final day of pre-season testing

Day Two

19:05 - Lance ended the day with 70 laps completed. Combined with Sebastian's 46 in the morning, that's a total of 116 for the team today, or 627.792 km completed.

Thanks for joining us today, we'll see you tomorrow for more live updates.

19:00 - The session comes to an end. That's a wrap on Friday in Bahrain.

18:50 - We're about to go back to green for the final 10 minutes or so. Another standing start will be attempted after this morning's was aborted.

18:46 - Not for the first time today, we have another red flag.

18:45 - Under the lights.

18:30 - Are you ready for the new season?

Official Merchandise

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Click below to get ready for the new season and show your support for Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll.

Discover the range

18:20 - Lance has completed 54 laps, which has taken the team's total to over 100 for the day. A productive programme for the team on Friday in Bahrain.

18:00 - Just one hour left in today's running and Lance is on track.

17:40 - Now we're back under green conditions, drivers are back on track. Lance is in the garage for now, preparing for his next run.

18:20 - Lance has completed 54 laps, which takes the team's total to 100 for the day in a productive Friday in Bahrain.

17:58 - There's just over one hour left of testing today, and the session has resumed.

17:48 - Yet another red flag, this time for a car stopped at pit exit. It's been a stop-start spell of track time for the teams.

17:41 - Lance is back out now.

17:40 - Now we're back under green conditions, drivers are starting to head back out on track. Lance is in the garage for now, preparing for his next run.

17:30 - As we're under a red flag, let's do a sit-rep. Lance has completed 36 laps with a best time of 1.34.064, which is the second-fastest lap of the day across the teams.

17:25 - We've got another stoppage for a red flag elsewhere.

17:00 - We're halfway through this afternoon's session.

16:40 - Team Principal Mike Krack is trackside with the team for this first time this week. Before travelling to Bahrain, he sat down to explain our long-term goals.

Learn about his relationship with Sebastian, what drew him to Silverstone and more in our long-read feature.

16:20 - Lance is back in the garage after his latest run, moving clear of 20 laps. Starting to see the first signs of the sun setting as we close in on the two-and-a-half hours of the session.

16:00 - The first hour is complete and Lance is continuing to rack up the laps at the Bahrain International Circuit, reaching 13 laps and climbing.

His best time is 1.35.462, which puts him third for now.

15:40 - And here's the moment of when Lance began his first stint earlier this afternoon.

15:35 - Swift return to the track for Lance, who's closing in on 10 laps completed.

15:27 - Lance ends an exploratory first stint and returns to the pits.

15:18 - Lance is out on track for the first time as he begins his out lap.

15:10 - It's been a quiet start to the session so far, with few drivers taking to the track. A fairly normal occurrence in testing.

15:00 - The afternoon session begins.

14:55 - Your turn, Lance.

14:00 - It's time for lunch. Sebastian has completed 46 laps and ends his time in the car today in fourth with a best time of 1.36.020. We'll be back to bring you coverage of Lance's turn in the AMR22.

13:57 - Never mind, there's a red flag. Anticlimax.

13:56 - It's an extra formation lap so further cars can join the mock restart.

13:55 - The red flag, used by the FIA to test systems, has given the opportunity for a standing start. Sebastian lines up on the grid with the Alfa Romeo and Ferrari.

13:53 - And the session goes green again. Sebastian heads straight out.

13:46 - Sebastian has returned to the track only for a red flag elsewhere to end his latest run immediately. 10 minutes left in the morning's session.

13:40 - For more on the technical revolution, watch our video explaining the scale of the task over the winter. Discover the process of creating the AMR22 and more here.

13:20 - The 2022 cars represent F1's biggest technical revolution in decades. Want to learn more? Our six-part series shines a light on the key areas of change.

• Car design philosophy

• Car part production

• Ground effect

• Safety innovations

• Overtaking

• 18-inch wheels

13:10 - Sebastian has come to a stop on track. He's out of the car and the team is on its way to collect the AMR22. We will share more information when we have it.

13:00 - We're into the final hour of Sebastian's session on track, and he's gained plenty of valuable data. But what's the goal of a testing programme? Performance Director Tom McCullough explains all.

12:50 - Taking a moment between on-track runs.

12:45 - Sebastian's best time so far, set earlier in the session, is 1.36.020. That's marginally faster than his best effort yesterday morning. Again, reading into lap times is a tricky business in testing.

Teams run varying programmes, fuel loads, engine modes and tyres, heavily affecting lap time. Plus, the goal of testing is to validate and understand car design, so fast laps are not the priority.

12:40 - Apologies for the late start to our live coverage. If you've missed it so far, Sebastian has been in the AMR22 and has completed 42 laps, the most of anyone on track.

Day One

19:01 - Thanks for joining us on our journey. We'll catch you tomorrow bright and early for day two.

19:00 - The session officially comes to an end. Lance has completed 50 laps with a best lap time of 1.43.736, the fourth-best time of the day.

Combined with Sebastian's 39 and that's a total of 89 for the team on Thursday, or a distance of 481.668km.

18:52 - There's a red flag, which may well bring the session to a close.

18:45 - We're into the final 15 minutes of today's testing.

18:36 - A bit of wheel-to-wheel 'racing' between Lance and Fernando Alonso out there. It's a good opportunity for understanding how the cars will behave in dirty air if nothing else.

18:30 - The move into night-time running isn't for the aesthetic, it's very useful for data collecting. Firstly, this is more representative conditions compared to next weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix.

Secondly, running in cooler conditions is useful for gaining data across the varying types of conditions that the teams will face this year.

18:10 - It's 36 laps on the board for Lance as he awaits his next run.

18:00 - There's one hour left in today's running.

17:50 - We're heading towards the final hour and Lance continues the team's programme, racing past 30 laps for the day.

17:30 - You've seen the AMR22, but how about hearing it? Click below...

17:10 - Lance is past the 20-lap mark for the afternoon. The sun is beginning to set as we head into dusk running.

17:06 - Lance heads back out on track.

17:00 - We're into the final two hours of today's running.

Thanks for joining us on our journey. Our fans are the heart and soul of everything we do, so keep sharing your support with us at @AstonMartinF1 on Twitter and Instagram, using the hashtags #IAM and #WeClimbTogether.

16:40 - It's not long until the season begins in Bahrain. Are you ready? Register to become an I / AM member today and get access to the most exclusive, rewarding and inclusive fan community on the grid.

This is your ticket to exclusive opportunities such as video calls with our drivers, so sign up today.

16:20 - Lance is quickly back out again as he looks to add to his lap tally early in the afternoon's running.

16:15 - Lance is back in the garage after a productive run.

16:10 - Lance passes the 10-lap barrier, making the most of a clear track and consistent conditions.

16:03 - Lance is back on track again after the session resumed.

15:43 - There is a red flag due to debris. It's the first of this week's test.

15:42 - Lance returns to the pits.

15:41 - Lance completes his first timed lap in the car as he begins his first stint.

15:30 - Six days might sound like a lot, but it's a huge ask for the teams and drivers to become familiar with his new generation of car. To understand the scale of the task, join our technical team as they explain the work over the winter to create the AMR22.

15:25 - Lance is suited and booted and ready to get into the car.

15:10 - The Canadian will take to the Bahrain circuit for the first time in the AMR22.

15:00 - It's now Lance's turn to climb into the AMR22 and the session is green once again.

14:05 - Sebastian ends his day with 39 laps and a best time of 1.35.706, good enough for third. He's completed a practice lap and is now returning the AMR22 to the pitlane.

We'll be back just before the session resumes to continue our live coverage.

14:00 - The session comes to a close.

13:54 - And just like that, we're green again.

13:51 - We have a Virtual Safety Car. It's a common occurrence in pre-season testing – the FIA is checking that the system is working correctly ahead of the season.

13:45 - Sebastian's completed 36 laps so far as we head into the final 15 minutes of the morning session.

13:30 - Just 30 minutes left in the car for Sebastian today.

13:22 - New fastest lap for the day for Sebastian, too. It's a 1.36.166 effort which puts him second for the time being.

13:20 - Sebastian is past 30 laps for the day as he begins a new stint on track.

13:15 - Recently, the team held an AMF1 International Women's Day Event at the Silverstone Interactive Museum, and you can watch the panel discussion here.

The team demonstrated its commitment to celebrating the achievements of women in motorsport, brought attention to their personal stories and challenges, while also inspiring women to take up a career in motorsport and engineering.

13:00 - Sebastian has only hour left in the AMR22 today before the lunch break and Lance's turn in the car.

12:50 - More AMR22 beauty shots? Don't mind if we do.

12:40 - With Sebastian in the garage, why not fill the time with the latest episode of #IAMSTORIES | INSIDER, taking place across the last test in Barcelona.

#IAMSTORIES | INSIDER

Up close with Lance, Sebastian and the AMR22

INSIDER returns to take you behind the scenes in Barcelona, as the F1 grid returned to the track. See the AMR22 from all-new angles and get exclusive insights into the test from Lance, Sebastian and the team. Grab some popcorn, get comfortable, and watch the full film.

Watch now

12:20 - Ever wondered what a test programme looks like for an F1 team? Ahead of pre-season testing across Barcelona and Bahrain, we sat down with Performance Director Tom McCullough to find out.

12:10 - Are you ready for the 2022 season?

Official Merchandise

Shop now

Click below to get ready for the new season and show your support for Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll.

Discover the range

12:00 - Sebastian's best time is 1:36.637, which has him in fourth overall. As always, that'll be an unrepresentative time for various reasons. He's also completed 21 laps as we pass the midway point of the morning's running.

11:55 - Sebastian's continuing on his latest stint in the AMR22.

11:45 - Want to learn more about the technological revolution underpinning the 2022 cars? Our six-part series shines a light on the key areas of change.

• Car design philosophy

• Car part production

• Ground effect

• Safety innovations

• Overtaking

• 18-inch wheels

11:30 - Time to add to the lap total.

11:25 - Sebastian heads back out. He's one of three cars currently on track, so plenty of space to work through the programme.

11:10 - Taking stock ahead of the next run.

11:00 - As the first hour of testing ends, Sebastian has completed a total of 12 laps so far. No one has completed more than 16 to date as the teams have used the opening 60 minutes to complete installation laps among other basic early test tasks.

10:55 - This is the latest step in our journey as we continue our five-year plan. Team Principal Mike Krack joined the team earlier this month, and he sat down to explain our long-term goals.

Learn about his relationship with Sebastian, what drew him to Silverstone and more in our long-read feature.

10:35 - It can be tempting to draw conclusions from lap times in testing, but beware of doing so. All teams can and will run different tyres, run plans and engine modes, while fuel loads can also vary.

All of these factors will affect lap times, and teams have little interest in topping the times in a test session, too.

10:30 - Here's the moment the AMR22 took to the track for the first time this morning.

10:25 - The break between Barcelona and Bahrain has allowed teams to crunch the data and prepare to take those learnings into Bahrain for closer scrutiny, which is why you'll be seeing all the teams running various aero rakes and flo-vis paint to understand their designs.

10:11 - After that first exploratory run, Sebastian is back in the garage.

10:08 - Sebastian is on track for the first time today.

10:05 - Ideal testing weather out there: it's a toasty 27 degrees celsius, with wind recorded at 11mph.

10:00 - And the test gets underway in Bahrain.

09:55 - There's plenty of benefits to testing in Bahrain beyond gaining further mileage. For a start, F1 will begin its season at the Bahrain International Circuit, meaning there's a chance to rack up circuit-relevant data for the race.

Bahrain is also a high degradation circuit, putting a lot of stress on the tyres, which is useful intel for the coming campaign considering the change to 18-inch wheels this season.

09:50 - Are you ready for the next step in our journey to the grid?

09:45 - Sebastian Vettel will be the first to drive the AMR22 in Bahrain before handing over the car to Lance Stroll in the afternoon.

09:40 - Hello and welcome to Bahrain, we're 20 minutes away from the test beginning.