Chain keep us together (running in the shadow)! What does 2022 have in store for us F1 fans?

Petrolheads! Start your engines and strap yourselves in for a rollercoaster ride as yet another season of gripping, high-octane motorsport action is just around the bend. In the wake of what was arguably the most nail-biting title race we’ve seen in years, with a dramatic ending truly worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster, the anticipation surrounding the forthcoming Formula 1 season is sky high right now.

Of course, with the advent of a new season, there are a whole host of questions on the lips of F1 fans the world over. Will Hamilton get his revenge on Verstappen after cruelly missing out on a record-breaking 8th Drivers’ Championship? Will any of the chasing pack throw a cat amongst the pigeons? Who will take over from Nikita Mazepin at Haas?

With all of the above in mind, there’s no time like the present to take a look at what 2022 could have in store for us Formula 1 fans.

The champion

It goes without saying that the main talking point for Formula 1 fans the world over is the race to be crowned world champion as arch-rivals Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton go toe-to-toe once again.

Whilst it would be understatement of the century to say that Verstappen broke Hamilton’s iron grip on the Drivers’ Championship in controversial circumstances at last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, winning seems to come naturally for him and he will no doubt be eager to establish himself as the dominant force in the sport after being crowned the first non-Mercedes driver to win be crowned world champion since Sebastian Vettel in 2013.

One thing’s for certain, Red Bull are exceptionally confident of the Dutchman’s ability to lead them to yet more success after they rewarded his historic triumph with a bumper new contract extension, which is rumoured to have made Verstappen the most highly paid Dutch athlete of all time.

The challenger

That being said, neither Red Bull, nor Verstappen will be harbouring any illusions that they’re in for an easy ride this season as both Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton will be champing at the bit to show everyone who’s boss. Whilst the wounds of last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will still be fresh for both Hamilton and his team (as evidenced by Mercedes’ team principal Toto Wolff’s recent public statement that he will never speak to former F1 race director Michael Masi again), the Brit certainly isn’t lacking in confidence ahead of the new season.

The seven-time world champion was recently quoted as saying that the Silver Arrows “don’t make mistakes”. Hamilton also brushed aside suggestions that the sun could be setting on Mercedes’ dominance in the Constructors’ Championship by pointing to the fact they’ve secured no fewer than 8 such titles in a row.

What’s more, you could argue that there’s plenty of grounds for such optimism. After all, Hamilton knows what it takes to win and Mercedes outperformed the competition at the first round of testing in Barcelona recently with a 1-2 finish, followed by, you’ve guessed it, both the Red Bull cars.

The question is: has Mercedes’ main man got what it takes to go one better than Schumacher?

The dark horses

Speaking of Schumacher, his old team might see 2022 as their opportunity to reassert themselves as a force to be reckoned with on the track. Ferrari put a truly underwhelming 2020 behind them last season by placing 3rd in the Constructors’ Championship and many of the Tifosi will be hoping that Charles LeClerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. can recapture some of the glory of the early-mid 2000s when the Prancing Horse dominated the sport thanks to the legendary Michael Schumacher.

That being said, despite the lofty expectations that seemingly every Ferrari driver has to contend with, both LeClerc and Sainz Jr. have been playing down what they are capable of so far. Given that they’ve only won 2 Grand Prix between them, it does seem like making the hunt for the constructors’ title a 3-horse race could be a bridge too far for Ferrari at the moment.

Who will take over?

Finally, we round things off this week with another pertinent question that’s providing food for thought for motorsport fans everywhere: who will take over from Nikita Mazepin at Haas? The Russian recently had his contract terminated, as Haas cut ties with him and sponsor Uralkali, a Russian potash fertilizer manufacturer of whom Mazepin’s father is a major shareholder, in the immediate aftermath of recent tragic events in Ukraine.

Whilst this has, predictably, provoked an angry response from Mazepin, the race to succeed him at Haas is very much on as the start of the season draws ever closer. Although reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi was tasked with filling in for the final round of testing in Bahrain, he’s by no means a shoo-in to get the job permanently as Haas have reportedly drawn up a 3-man shortlist for the role.

Who will take Mazepin’s place permanently? Only time will tell.