- The final Formula 1 pre-season test is underway at the Bahrain International Circuit.  In the morning session, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was fastest with a lap at 128.072 mph.  The lap was a little more than a half-second quicker than Williams' Alexander Albon.  Aston Martin's Sebastian Vettel was third, then Red Bull's Sergio Perez and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton.

- Motorsport.com is reporting that former Haas F1 driver Nikita Mazepin, along with his father Dmitry, have officially been sanctioned by the European Union.  This is due to the fact that Dmitry is viewed as being part of the inner circle of Russian Federation president Vladimir Putin, citing a meeting on Feb. 24 where he was of 36 major businessmen who met with Putin to discuss the impact of the ongoing invasion of Ukraine and Uralkali providing substantial revenue to the Russian government.  Nikita was sanctioned due to being Dmitry's son.

This comes after Nikita held a press conference Wednesday where he indicated that he was willing to sign the FIA's pledge that would allow him to race in FIA-sanctioned international series in 2022 under a neutral flag.  The EU sanctions would make it very difficult for Mazepin to continue his racing career due to the fact that he cannot conduct business with anyone (including race teams) in the EU.  In addition, he could be subject to a travel ban from the 27 member states of the EU.  A document from the European Commission regarding what EU sanctions can look like can be found here.

Photos are courtesy of Adam Glanzman of ARCA Racing and our own Phil Allaway.

Have news for Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com with a promising lead or tip.

"I’m not rooting against Cherokee Speedway, as the track has no shortage of history and continues to host big-dollar races that are good for the sport. But I have to wonder how long they can keep packing the stands for races that objectively do not deliver the goods. What’s more, Cherokee Speedway hosting big-league races makes it one of the most visible dirt tracks anywhere in America, with the lion’s share of its events streamed nationwide.

"It does not do the sport any favors to have a marquee track with so many marquee events proving all but impossible to pass on.

"Put new clay down. Add banking. Remove banking. Do something. Dirt racing needs Cherokee Speedway to be better, by any means necessary." - Bryan Keith, on the recent racing at Gaffney, S.C.'s Cherokee Speedway.