Leclerc was one of three drivers to run two of the 2022 Pirelli compounds – along with Valtteri Bottas and Daniel Ricciardo – because he sat out FP1 with Robert Shwartzman driving his F1-75 as part of the rookie practice running mandated in the 2022 rules.
As the rest of the field completed set run plans dictated by Pirelli on two of its prototype compounds for next year – given to the teams in ‘blind’ allocation, with the drivers required to run both types but unaware which was which during their running – that trio duly set the session’s fastest times.
