BARCELONA, Spain - A late quick lap from Lando Norris ensured McLaren finished quickest on a fascinating opening day of Formula One's 2022 preseason test at the Circuit de Catalunya.
Norris, driving the striking papaya orange and blue McLaren, set a lap of 1:19.568 in the closing half hour to move ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who had spent most of the day top of the order.
Although it is unwise to read into headline times on the opening day of preseason, McLaren and Ferrari, two famous teams hoping to break out of the F1 midfield and return to the glory days of the past, also had productive days in terms of mileage, which at this stage of preseason is arguably the more important measuring stick of which teams are in a good place and which are not.