2022 F1 Season Beginning Recap

Spring is an exciting time for Formula 1 fans, as the motorsport is back in full swing! The 2022 season has been highly anticipated by spectators world wide, as we’ve all been anxiously waiting for the return of the 2021 World Champion Max Verstappen. The Red Bull Racing driver experienced an all-time high in his Formula 1 career last season, battling ruthlessly with seven time World Champion Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton drives for one of Red Bull’s main competitors, Mercedes AMG, and had been seen as almost unbeatable by all nine other teams. However, Verstappen challenged Hamilton last year, and managed to steal the gold at the final Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi.

Based on last year’s results, fans globally expected 2022 to start off the way it ended in 2021, with Red Bull and Mercedes battling wheel-to-wheel. However, that so far doesn’t seem to be the case. Scuderia Ferrari seemed to shock everyone, as drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished 1st and 2nd at the first Grand Prix in Bahrain. Neither Verstappen nor his teammate Sergio Perez finished the race sadly due to mechanical issues. Fan favorite Hamilton placed 3rd on the podium, despite Mercedes looking unusually slow during practice and qualifying sessions. Team principal and CEO of the Mercedes team spoke out about their struggles, saying, “It’s certainly totally unacceptable where we are on performance.”

Below is a list of the results for both the qualifying round and race of each grand prix. As we can see, Ferrari and Red Bull are tied for wins, having each won two out of the four first races. However, points-wise, Ferrari is in the lead with 124 points, while Red Bull stands at 113. The gap between the two teams is closing rapidly, especially after Red Bull’s maximum points win in Italy. Both drivers placed first and second, with Verstappen claiming the fastest lap, therefore gaining extra points. The next race is the Miami Grand Prix here in our home state, starting on May 6th, with the actual race on May 8th.

Bahrain Grand Prix (Mar. 18-20)
Qualifying:
1st- Leclerc (Ferrari)
2nd- Verstappen (Red Bull)
3rd- Sainz (Ferrari)

Race Result:
1st- Leclerc (Ferrari)
2nd- Sainz (Ferrari)
3rd- Hamilton (Mercedes)

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (Mar. 25-27)
Qualifying:
1st- Perez (Red Bull)
2nd- Leclerc (Ferrari)
3rd: Sainz (Ferrari)

Race Result:
1st- Verstappen (Red Bull)
2nd- Leclerc (Ferrari)
3rd- Sainz (Ferrari)

Australian Grand Prix (Apr. 8-10)
Qualifying:
1st- Leclerc (Ferrari)
2nd- Verstappen (Red Bull)
3rd- Perez (Red Bull)

Race Result:
1st- Leclerc (Ferrari)
2nd- Perez (Red Bull)
3rd- Russell (Mercedes)

Emilia Romagna Grand Prix (Apr. 24-26)
Qualifying:
1st- Verstappen (Red Bull)
2nd- Leclerc (Ferrari)
3rd- Norris (McLaren)

Race Result:
1st- Verstappen (Red Bull)
2nd- Perez (Red Bull)
3rd- Norris (McLaren)