RULES OVERHAUL
Formula One this year has enacted its most radical rules overhaul in decades. The 2022 cars feature revised aerodynamics and larger 18-inch wheels. The aim is to generate closer racing and spice up the wheel-to-wheel action. On the evidence of testing, the new rules have successfully cleaned up the turbulent aerodynamic wake generated by the cars, making it easier for drivers to follow each other closely. But the new rules have also created cars that are heavier and slower, especially through low-speed corners.
HAMILTON ON THE BACK FOOT
Lewis Hamilton went into the season warning rivals he was coming back from his controversial title defeat better than ever. But his Mercedes team, who are gunning for a record ninth straight constructors’ title, have struggled to come to terms with the new rules. Hamilton says there is potential in the car, which didn’t look fully dialled in during the final pre-season test in Bahrain, but has warned fans not to expect him to be fighting for the win on Sunday. He will also have to assert himself over ambitious youngster George Russell, who replaces Valtteri Bottas alongside the seven-times champion. Mercedes may be on the back foot, but they have a strong track record of engineering themselves out of problems and can never be counted out.
FERRARI RESURGENT
Ferrari head into the 2022 season carrying the weight of pressure and expectation. The sport’s oldest and most successful team have endured two winless seasons, with their last triumph coming courtesy of now-departed Sebastian Vettel in 2019. But that drought could well end this year. The Maranello-based team’s car has been impressively quick and reliable throughout testing and rivals have hyped them up as one of the favourites. The team also has a strong driver pairing in Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. But can the outfit, which last won a drivers’ championship in 2007 with now-retired Kimi Raikkonen, sustain a season-long title challenge?
RED BULL TEAM TO BEAT
World champion Max Verstappen offered a glimpse into Red Bull’s raw pace by setting the quickest time of the Bahrain pre-season test in the final session of the last day. The Dutchman also topped the opening day of practice at the Sakhir desert track. That put Red Bull right in among the favourites alongside Ferrari and maybe even slightly ahead of the Maranello-based squad. But, crucially, the team and Verstappen have championship-winning experience which their Italian rivals lack and will give them an added edge.
NEW REFEREEING STRUCTURE
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix served up a controversial finish to arguably the closest season in decades last year. Race director Michael Masi’s decision to move only the lapped the cars between Max Verstappen and race-leading Lewis Hamilton out of the way at the safety car restart allowed the Dutchman to pass the Briton and deny him an unprecedented eighth title on the last lap. The decision sparked debate and a backlash. The governing FIA have responded by replacing Masi with two new race directors, who will alternate in the role, setting up a virtual race control similar to football’s VAR and rewording the safety car rules.
RECORD CALENDAR
Formula One’s calendar continues to grow. After a 22-race season last year, the 2022 campaign will take in a gruelling record 23 races. The Russian Grand Prix has been cancelled following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, whittling the calendar down to 22. But F1 is looking for a replacement and has no dearth of potential venues to fill Russia’s spot. DEVELOPMENT RACE Fans can expect to see big swings in form as the season unfolds. The new rules are still at an early stage, which means there is plenty of development potential. Teams are unanimous in their belief that the rate of development 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 competitors in years. The budget cap this season has been brought down to $140 million a year. That combined with the rules shake-up offers smaller teams their best chance for a while yet of competing with the sport’s big powerhouses. Will that lead to a reshuffling of the order? Will it at least allow the smaller teams to pull closer to their larger rivals as the season unfolds? In theory it should. But only time will tell.
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