How the new F1 cars look from the Barcelona trackside

OPINION: It's still very early days as the all-new 2022 Formula 1 cars get accustomed to the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona for testing, but already some interesting deductions can be made from watching trackside. Here's what Motorsport.com discovered from the first morning observing F1's brave new era

Lando Norris has an accolade that no one can take away – he was first out of the pits to complete the first official testing lap in the 2022 generation of Formula 1 cars. At 9am precisely at the Barcelona track, the McLaren driver led Mercedes' George Russell out onto the 2.9-mile track under blue, clear skies.

That will of course count for absolutely nothing. And it remains notable because this test – and to be clear, it absolutely is one, despite being labelled a 'shakedown' by F1 – is the first time the new machines can be properly studied on-track by outside observers. The restrictions on running for shakedowns and filming days don't apply – it's just the public that has been shut out. With no rolling TV coverage as was previously the case until the second test in Bahrain next month, this event was billed as the chance for teams to iron out early, and potentially embarrassing, niggles away from extra prying eyes – beyond those of the assembled and privileged media.

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Author Alex Kalinauckas

Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.

A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.