After the drama and excitement of George Russell’s first Formula 1 victory in Brazil, usual 2022 service was restored last weekend. Verstappen never looked like losing, while Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc battled for second in the race and the championship – a fight won brilliantly by the Ferrari driver.
As Alex Kalinauckas explains in our in-depth report, the differing strategies between Red Bull team-mates Verstappen and Perez contributed to Leclerc’s success. But Verstappen can hardly be blamed for that, particularly as it was his excellent tyre management that allowed him to be on a one-stopper – and there were several other factors that contributed to Perez falling short by 1.3 seconds.
Verstappen’s victory moved his season-wins record to 15, so we also compare the Dutchman’s year to the best campaigns of previous greats.
In stark contrast to the 2021 season finale, there was a lot of good feeling in the Yas Marina paddock – much of it directed at Vettel in his last GP as a driver.
Vettel has matured into one of motorsport’s finest ambassadors and the high regard with which he is held was clear to see. Autosport wishes the four-time champion well in his future endeavours – while also being bold enough to have a go at finding a place for him in the pantheon of F1 legends.
At the other end of his career is Kalle Rovanpera. Tom Howard talks to key figures about the new World Rally champion’s record-busting rise, while Charles Bradley investigates the Trackhouse team that is taking on the major players in NASCAR.
Lewis Duncan reviews the MotoGP season and picks out the top 10 riders, and the return of the Autosport Three Hours leads our UK motorsport coverage.
Sportscar racing stands on the cusp of another golden era as multiple manufacturers develop new machinery for the Le Mans 24 Hours and other endurance classics. Gary Watkins explains how the crucial cooperation between the World Endurance and IMSA SportsCar championships came about in our latest free 28-page Engineering supplement.
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