rule overhaul
This year Formula One has made its most radical rule changes in decades. The 2022 cars have revised aerodynamics and larger 18-inch wheels. The aim is to generate close-up racing and spice up the wheel-to-wheel action. On test evidence, the new regulations have successfully cleared the turbulent aerodynamic wake generated by cars, making it easier for drivers to follow each other closely. But the new rules have also made cars that are heavy and slow, especially through low-speed corners.
Hamilton on the back foot
Lewis Hamilton went into the season warning rivals, coming back better than ever from his controversial title loss. But his Mercedes team, which is gunning for a ninth consecutive constructors’ title, has struggled to come to terms with the new rules. Hamilton says the car has potential, which was not fully dialed in during the final pre-season test in Bahrain, but has warned fans not to expect it to fight for victory on Sunday. He will also have to push for ambitious youngster George Russell, who will replace Valtteri Bottas with the seven-time champion. Mercedes may be on the backfoot, but they have a strong track record of getting themselves out of problems and that can never be counted.
ferrari resurgent
Ferrari head into the 2022 season with loads of pressure and expectation. The sport’s oldest and most successful team has suffered two no-win seasons, with their last win coming in 2019 courtesy of the now-fired Sebastian Vettel. But that drought may well end this year. The Maranello-based team’s car has been impressively fast and reliable throughout testing and rivals have promoted them as one of the favourites. The team also has a strong driver pair in Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. But can the organisation, which last won the drivers’ championship in 2007 with now-retired Kimi Raikkonen, sustain the season-long title challenge?
To beat the Red Bull team
World champion Max Verstappen offered a glimpse of Red Bull’s raw pace by setting the fastest time of the Bahrain pre-season Test in the final session of the final day. The Dutchman also topped the opening day of practice on the Sakhir desert track. This put Red Bull among the favorites alongside Ferrari and perhaps even slightly ahead of the Maranello-based squad. But, crucially, the team and Verstappen have championship-winning experience that their Italian rivals lack and will give them an added edge.
new referring structure
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year marked a controversial finale for arguably the closest season in decades. Race director Michael Massi’s decision to move only lapped cars out of the way for a safety car restart between Max Verstappen and race-leading Lewis Hamilton allowed the Dutchman to pass the Briton and deny him an unprecedented eighth title on the last lap . A debate broke out over this decision and protests also started. The governing FIA has responded by replacing Messi with two new race directors, who will alternate in the role, establish virtual race control similar to football’s VAR and revamp the safety car rules.
record calendar
The Formula One calendar keeps on expanding. After a 22-race season last year, the 2022 campaign will include a grueling record 23 races. The Russian Grand Prix has been canceled following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, bringing the calendar to 22. But F1 is looking for a replacement and there is no shortage of potential places to fill Russia’s spot. Fans can expect to see major changes in form as the season progresses. The new regulations are still in their early stages, which means there is a lot of potential for development. Teams are unanimous in their belief that the rate of growth this season and the cleverness of those solutions will determine who comes out on top.
level playing field
The 2022 season should create the most level playing field for all the competitors in years. This season’s budget cap has been reduced to $140 million a year. This combined with the rules gives smaller teams the best chance for a while to compete with the big powerhouses of the sport. Will this change the order? Will it at least allow smaller teams to come closer to their bigger rivals as the season unfolds? In theory it should be. But only time will tell.
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