Abu Dhabi, 12 December 2021. Max Verstappen overtakes Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the year-end Grand Prix to claim his first world title. The Briton, who had led the whole race until the arrival of the extreme safety car, redistributing the cards, blames the impact and speaks “unloading“. That day, “my worst fears came to life“, he admitted Vanity Fair last August, never really getting over the moment when his record-tying eighth title eluded him in one lap.
- Formula 1: 2022 season calendar
- Formula 1: manufacturers classification
- Formula 1: Driver classification
Moving forward, Hamilton is still looking for his first success in 2022 and therefore has one last chance to achieve it at the very site of his painful failure, the Yas Marina Circuit. With Verstappen in with a chance to take his 15th win in 22 races… The return to the Emirates also reminds us how much F1 is struggling to shake off these controversies. The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the championship’s regulator, did a good job of cleaning up, sacking race director Michael Massi, whose recent decision to restart the race was not legal.
The household is still inadequate
But evil remains lurking, as evidenced by the many controversies surrounding the application of the regulations this year. Eduardo Freitas, one of two replacements for Massi alongside Nils Vittich, also paid for his leadership at the Japanese Grand Prix, where Verstappen took the title in grotesque conditions. The FIA, which notably at the start of the season created a virtual race control room based on soccer’s video arbitration (VAR) model, announced a new phase of its restructuring process on Tuesday.
His new “race management development program” summed up the last Grand Prix with the aim of “streamline the operations of race directors and lay the foundation for the development of future race directors“. While it waits to reap the benefits, it should finish the season without a false note, which also preserves some sporting interest. At the forefront of which in 2022 is Mercedes.
Mercedes threatens Ferrari
The once-dominant team, dethroned by Red Bull, won its first Grand Prix in Brazil last week thanks to a maiden win by rookie George Russell. Still empty-handed this season, Hamilton, who finished second in Sao Paulo, has one last chance to break the record by winning at least once in 16 consecutive seasons. Ferrari will be desperate to finish on a high note to maintain their second place among manufacturers, threatened by Mercedes (524 points to 505). The Scuderia, whose boss Mattia Binotto first announced the Gazzetta dello Sport, is also looking to retain second place among drivers with Charles Leclerc level on points with Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez (290 points).
Behind, 4th place seems to be promised to Alpine against McLaren (167 points to 148). It remains to be seen whether the French team’s drivers Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso will put the jets on their wheels before the Spaniard leaves for Aston Martin before the end of their partnership in Brazil. He will replace German Sebastian Vettel, the four-time world champion (2010-2013), who quits F1 on Sunday after three seasons away from his best.
Source: Le Figaro
I am Dylan Hudson, a dedicated and experienced journalist in the news industry. I have been working for Buna Times, as an author since 2018. My expertise lies in covering sports sections of the website and providing readers with reliable information on current sporting events.