Prior to the Formula 1 summer break, it was tough to choose between opponents Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen as the standout. The Ferrari driver shone bright aboard the first grand prix car that had the potential to take him to a title.
He opened the campaign in Bahrain by deliberately letting his rival overtake, only to regain DRS to surge past on the next straight. Prior to Verstappen breaking down, Leclerc was already poised to triumph after outwitting his opponent. Leclerc ran away to a dominant victory at the Australian GP, and he was simply staggering in Austria also. He had the pace to pass Verstappen three times before nursing a sticking throttle to chalk what would unbelievably be his last win of 2022. The drought from then on reflected how badly Ferrari let the nine-time polesitter down.
