Almost 100 days after last year’s controversial Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the 2022 Formula One season will get underway at the Sakhir International Circuit in Bahrain on Sunday.
This year will feature new cars, new technical regulations and a few driver changes. But the big question is, can it come close to matching the excitement of last year’s championship, with the drivers’ title being decided on the last lap of the last race?
The Hindu explores some of the talking points ahead of a highly anticipated season.
Hamilton vs. Verstappen
Formula One couldn’t have asked for a better season last year. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and the young Max Verstappen were tied on points ahead of the finale.
Hamilton seemed to have the race in his pocket, but a questionable interpretation of the rules by the race director allowed Verstappen to overtake on the last lap and clinch his maiden drivers’ title. The feeling that Hamilton was robbed is prevalent among several fans and even some drivers.
This backstory sets up the 2022 season deliciously — it’s a chance to revisit what has become the sport’s most fascinating rivalry in years, an opportunity to watch the two best drivers on the grid go at it again.
Hamilton will want to right the wrong he believes was done to him. After the final race last year, the Briton maintained radio silence for a few months. There was speculation that he was disenchanted with the sport and could even quit it altogether. However, after ending his self-enforced exile and re-entering the limelight, he has already said that he is more motivated than ever to go and get that record eighth title, breaking his tie with Michael Schumacher.
The Mercedes driver thrives in situations when he feels the world is against him and the events of last year will surely have lit that fire as he nears the final phase of his career.
As for Verstappen, he is no longer the young challenger aiming to reshape the pecking order. He is now the champion everyone wants to dethrone. It will be interesting to see how he goes about it. He has never been one to hold back and even last year went overboard on more than a few occasions.
Will the title calm him down and make him an even more mature driver or will he double down on the aggression knowing he is already a world champion? It will make for fascinating viewing.
With Red Bull looking quick in pre-season testing and Mercedes claiming to not be in a position to win from the beginning, a second title for the Dutchman is not beyond the realm of possibility.
A second title may be important, too, because although he was arguably the better driver last year — despite moments of red mist — you can make the case that there is an asterisk against his first championship. Despite statements from him and his team that the rule-book was fairly applied in Abu Dhabi, Verstappen will want to win a title in clear-cut fashion, leaving no room for doubt.
Ferrari resurgence
After the FIA, the sport’s governing body, issued a technical directive late in 2019 regarding the power unit, Ferrari’s fortunes nosedived. It was believed the team was doing something on the edge of what was allowed; once that route was blocked, the Ferrari engine became the slowest on the grid in 2020 and it had a poor outing. In 2021, Ferrari made some progress to finish third in the constructors’ standings.
This year, Ferrari has looked good in the two pre-season tests, with drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc posting competitive times and the car displaying very good reliability.
It is widely believed that Ferrari has one of the fastest cars on the grid alongside Red Bull and could even challenge for a win on Sunday even though team boss Mattia Binotto has been trying to play down the Italian giant’s chances.
But while the headline times and long-run pace are encouraging, Ferrari has often looked good in pre-season testing only to falter during the season. As recently as 2019, it appeared as if Ferrari would challenge Mercedes, only for the latter to win the first eight races.
If Ferrari’s pace is genuine, it will be a big win for Formula One as no team commands the passion of fans across the world like the Prancing Horse.
Intra-team battles
Even as Hamilton gears up to confront Verstappen, he also needs to keep an eye on the other side of the Mercedes garage. His new teammate George Russell is one of the most exciting young talents in the sport and has produced some splendid performances for uncompetitive Williams over the last three years, especially in qualifying. Russell has already shown what he can do in a Mercedes when he subbed for Hamilton at the Sakhir GP in 2020 where he was on course for a win until a puncture ruined his race.
Similarly at Ferrari, Leclerc is seen as the de-facto team leader after the outfit decided to build its future around him, even replacing Sebastian Vettel with Carlos Sainz last year. However, in 2021, Sainz, who was regarded as someone with a safe pair of hands to bank the points, surprised everybody with his pace and outscored his fancied teammate by 5.5 points. If Sainz continues his form and Ferrari has a quick car, it will be curious to see how the team manages this. Historically, the Italian marque has preferred to put all its money on one driver in a title race.
Wheels within wheels
Formula One has no shortage of off-track intrigue.
Race director Michael Masi was removed from his job last month for his part in the events of the Abu Dhabi GP. In that race, Masi allowed only lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to unlap themselves and ended the safety car on the same lap, instead of the following lap as per the rules.
This was done to ensure the last lap of the race was run under green flag conditions. It gave Verstappen the chance to get close to Hamilton and pass him.
Mercedes and Hamilton were furious with the way the FIA conducted the race and appealed the decision, but this was rejected by the stewards. The team initially lodged an intent to appeal the decision but eventually dropped it after the FIA promised a review of the incident even as Hamilton boycotted the FIA’s annual prize-giving gala.
In February, the FIA announced Masi’s removal as race director, with replacements Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas set to alternate in the role. It is rumoured that Mercedes wanted his sacking.
While Masi lost his job for his problematic handling of a race, Haas F1 driver Nikita Mazepin lost his due to geopolitics, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Mazepin’s father Dmitry is a Russian billionaire with close links to Vladimir Putin, and his company Uralkali was Haas’ main sponsor. The worldwide condemnation of Russia forced the team to drop the sponsor and Mazepin lost his seat.
This led to the return of Kevin Magnussen to Haas, a team he drove for from 2017 to 2020 before he was dropped, along with Romain Grosjean, for Mazepin and Mick Schumacher.
What other off-track developments might we see in 2022?
