Arrives the moment of truth: after two weeks of testing and three free practice sessions in which we have been able to draw the first conclusions (albeit with tweezers) of the season, the first classification of 2022 takes place, at which time each team will be obliged to show where it is for performance against its rivals.
After dominating the last two free practice sessions, Max Verstappen is clearly the main candidate to win the first pole position of the year if nobody fixes it. The biggest unknown It lies in knowing if his teammate Sergio Pérez will be able to emulate his pace or if, on the contrary, someone will come between them.
Now or never
The Carlos Sainz’s tire problems on Friday afternoon, some problems that still seemed to drag on Saturday morning, will be the ones that stop the #55 from not solving them in time for qualifying, with excessive wear on the part of his F1-75 that prevents him from squeezing it to background.
Mercedes? Only they know: with an unfavorable difference in top speed of up to 11 km/h against Red Bull and Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will have to deal as best they can against a pouring on the straight that makes the W13 bounce significantly to try not to lose too much ground with respect to the head so that later it is not too late.
From there, anything can happen. Alpine gave no hint of his single lap performance with soft tires in Free Practice 3, joining the back of the grid with medium tyres, while Haas, Alfa Romeo and Aston Martin (with the permission of a sinking McLaren) promise to give the French a war to get a place in Q3.
If everything continues as before, the Williams team has all the ballots to become the initial red lantern, waiting for the investment made by Dorilton Capital in the departure of the Williams family from the premier category of motorsport 40 years later its fruits.