If Lewis retires who is going to challenge Max next year? Doesn't seem like anyone can really compete. Or is Russell very special?
F1 2022 Season
- Thread starter pauldyson1uk
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The whole grid could be shaken up, Red Bull might not even be competitive a la McLaren 2009.
Lewis ain't retiring either.
The quality at the top end of the grid is incredible as well. Russell, Leclerc, Sainz, Ricciardo and Norris could all arguably challenge for wins if given a good enough car.
Half the grid could - if you take out Mazepin and the rookies, you are talking, tops 5 tenth difference.
If Brawn can't see that Masi has to go then there is not much hope for him.
Leclerc
Are Bottas and Perez that bad then, that they are so far behind Lewis and Max or am I once again just missing something...
They already had great cars but couldn't deliver, we're yet to see the young ones in equally competitive cars.
I think Lewis and Max simply are in a league of their own. On their day, almost every driver except for the brats would make fantastic single laps if given the proper car, but the consistency and composure required to grind the results and perform 99% of the time at your absolute peak makes those two exceptional.
Yeah, which is what prompted my original question; should Lewis retire, who will challenge Verstappen over a whole season.
Though surely Lewis will not retire.
Very hard to answer before we see what the new car situation is. If the balance stays the same I guess probably nobody, yet. Unless Russel makes a big leap mentally in his first season in Merc.
Bottas had an average gap of 2 or 3 tenths to Hamilton before he started driving a different car.
Perez in a brand new car/engine so can't be compared. It's also well known that Red Bull tune their car to their first drivers preferences - Verstappen/Vettel etc.
Ultimately though, the car makes the biggest difference. Verstappen wouldn't have become world champion if he drove for any team but RB or Mercedes this year. With all the new regulations, next year is a new world. Mercedes and RB have the money to put so much effort into development that they'll probably be around the top again no matter what, also because the engine isn't really changing (barring major stupidity or a genius discovery at another team); but other teams have been spending a lot of time this season preparing for the next while Mercedes and RB were still working on this season's car. If they did a good job, McLaren and Ferrari might bridge the gap, with Alpine and Aston Martin not far behind. They all have brilliant drivers as well. So at this point in time, all is still up in the air for next season really.
They’re both top midfield drivers in my opinion, but when you’re going up against Max or Lewis, they’re going to make you look bad.
This is why they’ll always be #2’s and not championship contenders. But that shouldn’t be held against them. Coulthard, Barrichello and Webber were all very talented and had incredible careers but always fell short of teammates who were far superior. If anything, it just shows how good the likes of Hamilton, Vettel, Schumacher and Häkkinen are/were.
I wonder how Covid will impact the start of the season as Omicron will be quite dominant by then across the world.
Bahrain and Saudi up first I believe then moves into Europe by Apr/May/June.
Bahrain and Saudi up first I believe then moves into Europe by Apr/May/June.
I have big hopes for Ferrari next year to be honest.
They are probably burning a lot of midnight oil to get there.
Still baffled to this day that 2019 engine fiasco got swept under the rug.
Missed Apex had an insider on the season review who said RBR threw a tonne of development at the 2021 car and would be amazed if they were competative in 2022.
I want close racing, but next season I wouldnt mind of Mercedes were miles ahead of everyone else and lewis gets the title with 5/6 races to spare.23 race season
I heard on Teds notebook earlier he made a comment like "if Mercedes car is as far ahead as is rumoured Hamilton might not have to wait too long for number 8" or something along those lines so I assume Mercedes will still be as competitive as ever.
Really looking forward to seeing what they do now Hamilton has a competent team mate. Really want to see Russell get some wins under his belt.
I want another close season with maybe 3 or 4 teams fighting for the win, but I have to be honest, If Mercedes are way in front and winning each race, I would be happy.23 race season
I heard on Teds notebook earlier he made a comment like "if Mercedes car is as far ahead as is rumoured Hamilton might not have to wait too long for number 8" or something along those lines so I assume Mercedes will still be as competitive as ever.
Really looking forward to seeing what they do now Hamilton has a competent team mate. Really want to see Russell get some wins under his belt.
Watching Horner have another meltdown would be epic.
I was also reading that Mercedes and Red Bull will be 'up there' one way or another, since the new regulations are all about aerodynamics and so their engine advantage will remain. So if Red Bull are behind on car development, they'll still be ahead on engine - which would be fun, as it would pull the grid closer together. (As long as Mercedes don't run away with it.)
Red Bull ahead on engine?! With Honda pulling out ad leaving a skeleton crew to assist RB on their engine I highly doubt it.
Honda have left a team to help run it, and the engines are now frozen for 3 years. The differences won't come from the engine much at all this year.
Where Red bull MIGHT struggle is these cars are now going to be a low rake setup (which is what Mercedes have been running for years, and the opposite of RB).
I imagine though it will be the usual pretenders (RB, Mercedes, Ferrari) along with a few surprises of maybe Alpine, Aston Martin, Mclaren.
Wouldn't it be great if an odd ball like Haas went out and blew everybody away
... just in time for the wheels to fall off in the final lap.Wouldn't it be great if an odd ball like Haas went out and blew everybody away
I wouldn’t be surprised if haas are actually competitive next season, Ferrari looks like they are getting there engine act together, which would help haas and with no development in this years haas the majority of this year’s budget will go in to the 2022 car and then they have the most wind tunnel time of any teamHonda have left a team to help run it, and the engines are now frozen for 3 years. The differences won't come from the engine much at all this year.
Where Red bull MIGHT struggle is these cars are now going to be a low rake setup (which is what Mercedes have been running for years, and the opposite of RB).
I imagine though it will be the usual pretenders (RB, Mercedes, Ferrari) along with a few surprises of maybe Alpine, Aston Martin, Mclaren.
Wouldn't it be great if an odd ball like Haas went out and blew everybody away
It’s be lovely to see Haas up there but unfortunately it’s a bit of a fairy tale. They certainly could make enough improvements to be competing in midfield as could Williams but a jump to the top is just too much to ask. Much more possible though is teams like Aston and Alpine and McLaren surprising everyone early doors.
If HAAS had drivers that were any good, then yes , but Maizpin in a car challenging for the lead, it would be carnage.
2022 hopefully wide open and some new teams at the top. I don't care who wins. Anyone except Red Bull tbh.
I feel the same, would love to see Lewis get his 8th, but so long as its not RB I will be happy.
Does that make me bitter, too right it does.
Nah, we don’t want anyone to be miles ahead at the start of a new regulation period. Means the rest will spend years catching up like the last one.
It is the way of F1 though, so it’ll probably happen.
I think RB are just an unlikeable bunch under Horner and Marko. Max also does not endear himself with his over aggressive driving and brake checking, but I think over time I could warm to Max. Horner and Marko never.
I have said many times, I quite like Max, he has fire in his belly and wants to win, sometimes at any cost, Horner could have managed him better, maybe not have massaged his ego so much, but so many year chasing Lewis and Mercedes clouded his judgement, maybe I would have done the same.I think RB are just an unlikeable bunch under Horner and Marko. Max also does not endear himself with his over aggressive driving and brake checking, but I think over time I could warm to Max. Horner and Marko never.
@pauldyson1uk
https://www.superbru.com/f1/
Was looking at this to run next season. Bit more involved than "buying Hamilton and max as soon as possible".
https://www.superbru.com/f1/
Was looking at this to run next season. Bit more involved than "buying Hamilton and max as soon as possible".
As long as it’s a Ferrari that wins it next year I’m happy, I’d like sainz to win it he’s just smooth operator.
Also the start of the season just looks weird with the aussi gp being the 3rd race and no Malaysian gp
Also the start of the season just looks weird with the aussi gp being the 3rd race and no Malaysian gp
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looks good, set it up , I will join in
Ferrari will pull the covers off its all-new 2022 car in mid-February, in the week that will precede the start of pre-season testing at Barcelona on February 23.
The Scuderia's 2022 charger, designed to the specifications of Formula 1's new regulation platform that aims to bring the racing closer together, has yet to receive its name according to team boss Mattia Binotto.
"The car will be presented middle of February," confirmed Binotto, speaking at Ferrari's annual Christmas media event.
"We have not decided yet the date. From the 16th to the 18th of February, that will be the date, but it’s something that will be finalised in the next weeks."
Elaborating on the Italian outfit's prospects for next season, Binotto said that its car's development was following a positive course.
But the Swiss engineer steered clear of predicting where Ferrari may sit in the pecking order as there were simply too many unknowns regarding the Scuderia's rivals.
The Scuderia's 2022 charger, designed to the specifications of Formula 1's new regulation platform that aims to bring the racing closer together, has yet to receive its name according to team boss Mattia Binotto.
"The car will be presented middle of February," confirmed Binotto, speaking at Ferrari's annual Christmas media event.
"We have not decided yet the date. From the 16th to the 18th of February, that will be the date, but it’s something that will be finalised in the next weeks."
Elaborating on the Italian outfit's prospects for next season, Binotto said that its car's development was following a positive course.
But the Swiss engineer steered clear of predicting where Ferrari may sit in the pecking order as there were simply too many unknowns regarding the Scuderia's rivals.
Really hope the unsubstantiated rumour that Mercedes are way ahead of the pack for next years car are true. I want them to lap the entire field by the end of the opening race.
It that's the case might as well as not watch it then, last thing we need after the last 12 years is another procession.