2021 provided us with one of the most legendary battles for the title. Emotions were at an all-time high, and the stakes were even higher. Once the dust had settled, it was time to move on to a season with new regulations. The field was supposed to be tighter and the racing was supposed to be harder. While it remained that way for the first half of 2022, what has since followed is anything but.
Red Bull shines, Mercedes Drop the Ball
After the 2022 summer break, Red Bull have won every race except Brazil 2022. On the other hand, Mercedes have not found themselves in title contention even once under these new regulations. This meant Lewis Hamilton, eager to take his crown back, found himself winless in a season for the first time. Hamilton is still driving at the top of his game, but the car is letting him down. He has had to take a seat on the sidelines and watch his nemesis Max Verstappen win his second title.
After Max took his 8th win in a row at the Belgian GP, Hamilton told TV Crews: “Do I want to be as fast as them? Of course. Would I like to have a car that’s as fast as them? Of course. If I was in Sergio’s car… Max would not be having the same time he’s having now.” Lewis’s claims seem to be backed by Helmut Marko. During the Belgian GP, he claimed that Lewis was one of two drivers on the grid capable of beating Max.
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Sergio Perez unable to challenge Max
This year, the RB19 is a class above the rest. This means only Sergio Perez is capable of challenging Max Verstappen for race victories. Sergio managed to win 2 out of the first 4 races and looked like a contender. However, since Miami, it has been an annihilation. Max Verstappen has won every points-paying session in the last 8 weekends: 8 Grands Prix and 2 sprints.
The gap which was just 6 points after Baku is now a whopping 125 points. Pundits are now busy guessing which race will Max win the title in, and we have just reached the summer break.
Will Mercedes be able to build a car capable of challenging Red Bull next year? Will Max Verstappen dominate yet another season? We will have to wait and see.
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