What we learned from F1 2022

Hamilton and Verstappen during the press conference — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 2022

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What we learned from F1 2022

It was quite a remarkable season

Ewan Gale

Tuesday 27 December 2022 12:30

Alfa Romeo star signing signals progress as Audi enter fray

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Eyes turned to Valtteri Bottas to see how the Finn would cope with joining 2021’s ninth-place finisher Alfa Romeo from eight-time constructors’ champions Mercedes.

In truth, Bottas excelled with stunning performances in the first half of the season which were instrumental in Alfa Romeo claiming sixth in the constructors' standings.

But what Bottas can also add to the team behind the scenes will be far more evident in the coming years, though progress is already on show.

Audi’s impending presence gives cause for excitement after years of hardship at Hinwil, and with CEO Seidl filling Vasseur’s void partially, there shouldn’t be any setback in operations.

Aston Martin emerge from early-season mire

The first half of the season left Aston Martin’s forecast for the future looking rather ugly and the team in danger of finishing at the foot of the constructors’ standings.

But a switch in aerodynamic philosophy at the Spanish Grand Prix - leading to the car being dubbed the Green Bull - was an instant step forward and further improvements came as the technical team and drivers got on top of their new tools.

A blistering second half of the season - relative to the first 10 races - saw Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll regularly fighting for points, and with infrastructure upgrades awaiting completion, the Silverstone-based team can be happy to have overcome Haas, AlphaTauri and Williams and finish level with Alfa Romeo.

Alonso may be joining, but Vettel’s absence could see long-lasting damage back at base.

Haas overcome uncertainty to spark optimism

A hard season to judge for Haas. Positivity must be seen in the fact it finished in the points on several occasions, allowing it to claim eighth in the championship, whilst a maiden pole position courtesy of Kevin Magnussen in Brazil highlighted progress.

The pre-season chaos caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine left the team without a primary sponsor and driver two weeks before the season opener, whilst the longevity of the Mick Schumacher-Nico Hulkenberg saga for 2023 left many scratching heads.

The fact remains that Haas’ gamble to run without development in 2021 paid off, to an extent, with Magnussen scoring points on his return in Bahrain, both drivers scoring across the season and the team jumping from the foot of the table.

Such exposure has led to a significant sponsorship deal with MoneyGram for next season, finally bringing stability to what has been a rocky period in F1 for Haas.

AlphaTauri weight ruins promise

Ask either AlphaTauri driver what the primary cause of the slump to sixth this year was and both would tell you it was down to an overweight car.

The AT03 failed to build on the promise of its predecessor, which had given the Faenza-based outfit its best championship performance during its F1 tenure [including under the Toro Rosso and Minardi guises].

There was no competitiveness for either driver, with only sporadic points scoring across the year. The bleak outlook is underlined by the fact the combined penalty points for Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda [14] equals more than the total points haul collected by the Japanese driver [12].

Gasly leaves for Alpine with Nyck de Vries stepping into the Frenchman’s shoes. If there is a good car within the concept, the weight has to be shed to see it.

Williams regression costs Capito and Demaison

Since Dorilton Capital acquired Williams and Jost Capito joined as CEO and team principal, the team had improved with consistent performances throughout 2021, suggesting F1’s new regulations could provide an opportunity for a rise through the ranks this year.

But instead, the team went backward, despite the best efforts of Alex Albon, who worked miracles to score points on more than one occasion.

Nicholas Latifi had spoken consistently about a lack of feedback between the FW44 and the driver, and the lack of confidence in the technical aspect of the team seems to have been the nail in the coffin for Capito and technical director FX Demaison, who both left their roles ahead of 2023.