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The first F1 pre-season test recently concluded in Barcelona. As expected, some teams will be leaving the test satisfied while others will be rushing back to their headquarters to try and figure out how they can catch up.
The test was a welcome return to F1 for every fan, but the outcome might not have been as welcome for some as compared to the others. In this piece, let's take a look at the winners and losers after the first F1 pre-season test.
Winner: Ferrari
Ferrari has had two underwhelming seasons in 2020 and 2021. In the 2022 season, it could not afford to do anything similar and the new regulations were an opportunity to get back in front.
It's hard to make a true judgment on whether it has done that already. What does seem clear, however, is that the team has produced a challenger that is looking pretty good on track. With the power unit not proving to be a liability anymore, the team has made all the right noises so far and should be happy with how things have progressed.
Loser: Ferrari customer teams
Alfa Romeo has a new driver line-up this season. To add to this, the team decided to run the first test in a camouflage livery. With such secrecy over the car, it must lead you to believe that the team must have an ace up its sleeve. Sadly, that was hardly the case as the team struggled with poor reliability and completed the second least number of laps in the test.
Haas, on the other hand, had too much on its plate. The team's Russian sponsorship is in jeopardy because of the volatile global political environment. To add to this, the team suffered from multiple teething issues and could not string together a proper run, ending with the least laps covered during testing.
Winner: Pirelli
One of the biggest absentees from the conversation throughout the F1 test has been the tires. That has to be one of the biggest wins for Pirelli. Otherwise, the only time the tire supplier is mentioned in F1 is when there's something wrong.
We saw a lot of it in the 2012 and the 2013 F1 seasons. Fortunately, for this season, despite an entirely new set of regulations in place, Pirelli seems to have done its job and the teams have not had too many complaints (so far).
Loser: Alpine F1
It's hard to make a read on where Alpine stands after the first test. It is, however, safe to say that the team is surely behind schedule as compared to the other teams. The team ran a car that was heavy on fuel and opted not to use the DRS for the first two days. On the third day, an early issue forced them to take the entire day off.
The quality of the French outfit's car is not apparent yet. One thing that does seem obvious, however, is that the team is behind schedule as it is yet to put together even a performance run.
Winner: McLaren
McLaren has been steadily making progress ever since its marriage with Honda ended in 2018. The team even won a race last season at Monza. This season, all eyes are going to be on the team to see whether it can take the next step and join the frontrunners.
Only time will tell whether it has been able to deliver on the expectations. The first impressions from everyone in the paddock, however, point to McLaren and Ferrari as the teams that stand out on the track.
