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Lando Norris, McLaren MCL36, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB18
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Analysis

What the trackside view reveals about the early 2022 F1 pecking order

Formula 1's new heavyweights are easy on the eye when it comes to looks. But which teams have nailed the revamped 2022 rules package? Motorsport.com went trackside in Bahrain to find out

Subjectively, this new breed of ground-effect Formula 1 racer is a smash hit. For one, design diversity is well and truly back. Paint all the cars white, line them up side-by-side, and Ferrari's concave sidepods are instantly distinct from the minimalist Mercedes and again from the Red Bull, which has seemingly had its savage inlets milled by a meat cleaver.

What's more, this is a good-looking grid. The new front wings, which in photos can look ungainly for how high they sit in a bid to channel air to the floor, are far less objectionable out on track. The wheel covers don't draw attention any more than a conventional alloy – it's all an indecipherable rotating blur at these speeds.

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