The big talking points as F1 rivals get back on track

Formula One testing is in Barcelona for the next three days, and while a Mercedes rivalry will be in the spotlight, there are plenty more subplots ahead of the 2022 F1 season.

And one big one involves Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo.

Can George Russell fire a warning to Lewis Hamilton?

Over the past five seasons, Valtteri Bottas has played the role of doting teammate to Lewis Hamilton, reliable but never a genuine threat. To avoid similar comparisons, George Russell will want to make a fast start to his Mercedes career and prove he has not joined to be Hamilton’s wingman. Russell showed tremendous speed in his one previous competitive outing in the Mercedes (Sakhir, 2020) but going toe-to-toe with Hamilton is not easy, as three world champions can attest. The 24-year-old needs to rack up plenty of mileage in the W13 to ensure he arrives in Bahrain for the opening race ready to start strongly.

Mercedes’ decision to focus on 2022 could be justified

When you have such a supremely fast car, it allows you to focus on development, with that extra speed in your pocket. The closeness of Red Bull in 2021, compared to 2020 and 2019, probably owes something to Mercedes shifting their design focus and resource to this year’s car. That could pay dividends. Max Verstappen’s victory in the drivers’ championship will still hurt, but if they steal a march as they did under 2014’s new regulations, it might not be so much of a sore point.

Red Bull’s world champion Max Verstappen (left) and Sergio Perez at their season launch last month.Credit:Getty Images

Are Red Bull on the back foot?

Despite producing their most competitive car in years, Red Bull continued to update throughout 2021 and were rewarded with the drivers’ title. But does that mean they have taken their eye off 2022? Potentially. The Milton Keynes team have the resources to catch up but, with Mercedes predicted to have the fastest car, they face an uphill battle.

Ferrari could finally produce a title-contending car again

It is a big if, but Ferrari’s trajectory means they could be a dark (prancing) horse for the championship. Their 2020 season was appalling, finishing sixth in the constructors’ championship, but last year was a huge improvement, and they strengthened as the season progressed to beat McLaren to third. But it is their focus on the 2022 car – and a greater allocation of resource than their close rivals through F1’s sliding aerodynamic development scale – that means there should be plenty of reason to be optimistic at Ferrari.

Expect Daniel Ricciardo to make a faster start than he did last year

Lando Norris has firmly established himself as one of the best drivers on the grid and is the main man at McLaren having recently signed a contract extension until 2025. However, Daniel Ricciardo secured the team’s only victory last year. It was a mixed campaign for the Australian as he struggled to get to grips with a new car but that excuse simply will not wash in 2022, which means it is imperative he stamps his authority on the MCL36 as soon as possible.

Aston Martin and Alpine – big investment, but are they faster?

The midfield has been a vast and difficult battleground, with the performance gap closing, but two who underperformed last season were Aston Martin (more so) and Alpine (slightly). The new regulations will be a test of their significant investment and recruitment policies.

Will McLaren’s 2015 nightmare be revisited

McLaren’s 2015 season got off to a nightmare start when reliability woes – having switched to Honda power units – resulted in their longest pre-season run lasting just 12 laps. A reliability failure also resulted in a serious accident for Fernando Alonso, and the campaign was a disaster. Though early teething issues can be fixed, they are rarely a good omen going into a new campaign.

Speed difference

F1 has gone through various stages of trying to slow cars down and then speed them up. The 2022 regulations were not designed to do one or the other, but improve the racing and allow cars to follow more closely. It was thought that this season’s cars would be several seconds slower per lap, but F1 teams are canny operators at gaining downforce, and simulations suggest the initial difference may be within a second, which will come down.

Telegraph, London

News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.

Most Viewed in Sport

From our partners

Source: Read Full Article