Poll: F1 race of the 2022 season

Zhou Guanyu British GP crash — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 2022

Poll: F1 race of the 2022 season

There are a number of contenders

Ewan Gale

Friday 23 December 2022 10:55

F1 ushered in a new set of aerodynamic regulations for 2022 with the target simple - create more exciting racing by allowing cars to follow more closely.

Whilst Max Verstappen and Red Bull romped to both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships, the racing spectacle was vastly improved across the majority of venues on the calendar.

GPFans has taken a look at which rank as the best of the season, with a chance at the end to vote for your favourite across this Christmas period.

Bahrain Grand Prix

Article continues under video

The very first test for the new regulations saw Ferrari and Red Bull throw down the gauntlet for the season with sublime pace.

We were treated to a spectacle as reigning champion Verstappen and Charles Leclerc instantly went to battle, with numerous overtaking moves seeing the lead change hands between the two title protagonists.

Leclerc won out, with Carlos Sainz second for Ferrari as both Red Bulls retired with reliability issues late on.

Lewis Hamilton took advantage of Red Bull's double blow to finish third, while Haas scored points at the first time of asking through the returning Kevin Magnussen.

But Mercedes’ troubles were on show for all to see as it spent much of its time battling Haas and Alfa Romeo.

British Grand Prix

A classic at Silverstone as Sainz clinched his maiden F1 win from pole. The Spaniard had conceded the lead to Verstappen following an error but the Red Bull picked up floor damage and fell to seventh.

In a frantic final 10 laps, Ferrari strategy left Leclerc a sitting duck as Sainz cantered to victory, whilst Perez and Hamilton fought tooth and nail for the podium.

The already immortal world feed commentary from David Croft as the Monégasque, Mexican and Briton went three wide at Club and Vale will ensure the race will go down as an iconic event.

This was all after Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu flipped into the barriers at Abbey on the opening lap, with a lengthy red-flag delay ensuing as the clean-up operation took place. George Russell and Alex Albon were also caught up in the meleé.

Mick Schumacher was another highlight as he battled Verstappen with all his might before settling for eighth behind the Dutchman.

Austrian Grand Prix

Ferrari may have ended its barren run with Sainz’s win at Silverstone, but Leclerc’s own eight-race drought also finally concluded with a superb drive in Austria.

Verstappen had won the sprint, the second event of the season, but had no answer for the Ferrari driver in the grand prix.

Sainz would have completed a Ferrari one-two had it not been for a spectacular PU failure late in the race, with the Spaniard narrowly avoiding harm in dramatic scenes as his F1-75 ignited.

Hamilton was gifted a podium after he ended qualifying in the barriers.

Racing throughout the field was scintillating, with the ability to follow through the sweeping corners of the Red Bull Ring’s middle sector lending nicely to overtaking opportunities in the three DRS zones.

United States Grand Prix

A weekend that began with a storm over confirmation that Red Bull had breached the 2021 budget cap turned sombre with the news that the energy drink company’s co-founder and owner Dietrich Mateschitz had passed away.

A perfect tribute came with a Verstappen win, though the race to victory was spiced up by a wheel-gun failure for the Dutchman that saw Hamilton take the lead.

But Verstappen’s pace was scintillating in the final stint and he was unbeatable as he scythed his way past Leclerc and then the Mercedes driver.

The most dramatic moment of the race came when Fernando Alonso launched over the back of 2023 Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll.

The Spaniard miraculously continued and finished seventh, which was only confirmed after an appeal against a penalty following a Haas protest.

Brazilian Grand Prix

Russell took a sublime maiden F1 victory at Interlagos in a dramatic race that saw Verstappen and Hamilton renew their rivalry.

The 2021 championship rivals had been side-by-side into turn one after a safety car restart, only for contact to be made with neither willing to yield.

That battle came as a result of an early neutralisation of the race for a crash between Magnussen, who had taken his first pole, and McLaren's Daniel Ricciardo.

Racing was outstanding across the field, with moves being made in the mid-sector for the first time in years, such was the effectiveness of the aerodynamic rule changes.

Russell held on after a final safety car period to take Mercedes’ first win of the year with Hamilton recovering to second.

Sainz completed the podium ahead of Leclerc and a flying Alonso, whilst Verstappen infuriated team-mate Sergio Perez by refusing to obey team orders.

Ferrari driver Leclerc’s result was all the more astonishing when taking into account the F1-75 was embedded in the barriers at turn seven after contact with Lando Norris early on.

So now you've read the short-form race reports, give us your verdict on which grand prix you feel was the best of the season.