2022 F1: 5 Things to Look Forward to
Before we begin the 2022 season let us acknowledge that 2021 season was mega and we are still not over it. No one had imagined that the title fight will go down the wire, right till the final lap of the final race. In fact the FIA investigation is still going on, so we are not really done with 2021, yet.
However we have move on and look forward to the 2022 season. In around 3 weeks time teams will be unveiling their 2022 cars. So now is a good time to check what is their to look forward to in the coming season.
1. New Regulations :-
The 2022 season marks a new era of Formula 1 with the all-new car designs resulting from sweeping new regulations that will improve the racing spectacle. In addition, several features, including a focus on the ground effect, 18-inch tires, and a redesigned front wing and nose. This means that the cars will race closer to each other, with the potential for more passing on track.
The new cars are also safer, use a higher ratio of sustainable fuel, and look slightly different from previous years. Mercedes has already fired up their W13 engine, and its unveilings will come thick and fast.
2. Ferrari and McLaren pushing to the front
Ferrari and McLaren are hoping to battle at the front, as both teams have shown glimpses of their giant stature and success in 2021. McLaren, having dominated in Italy with a one-two finish in the season, Ferrari clinched the third position in the championship and almost 200 points more than they did in 2020.
Lando Norris had his best season in 2021, but it was unfortunate that he missed out on the P5 standing. On the other hand, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz proved strongest on the grid, taking points in every race in France. So will Ferrari and McLaren be more than a thorn in the side of Mercedes and Red Bull?
3. Hamilton vs Russell
Two Brits in the same team? We haven’t had that since Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton joined forces at McLaren, and we know how that worked out. There’s so much hype around George Russell and him being a champion in waiting, but now is the time for him to prove it. His stellar job covering for Lewis in Bahrain in 2020 proved he’s up to the challenge, but can he take the fight to the seven-time champ (and now actual knight of the realm) over a full season? Dear Mercedes, please let them race. Yours, everyone.
4. Hamilton vs Max
Oh yes, how can we forget this. If 2021 season is anything to go by, 2022 will be a banger. Max is in the form of his life and will put in everything to keep the Championship. Lewis is in top form too, losing the 2021 championship just in the last lap. He will be eager to get the elusive 8th World Championship. Expect Fireworks!
5. Heading into the Great Unknown
Most years, we head into the season with a fairly good idea of what the pecking order will be. Ahead of 2022, nobody has any idea whatsoever what it will look like – and it does not get any more exciting than that.
While the bigger teams are most likely to remain at the front, the budget cap has decreased the advantage they have and there is every chance a midfield outfit or backmarker has nailed the regulation changes far more than anyone else such as Brawn did in 2009 with the double diffuser.
Figuring out whether one team has done so or not will be a lot of fun, just like the season as a whole if the pecking order has been properly mixed up as so many have dreamed of.
Only a few months until we find out…