With Abu Dhabi over, so is Formula One for one more season. Whereas Max Verstappen needed to go all the way down to the ultimate lap on the Yas Marina Circuit final 12 months for his first title, it was fairly the alternative this time round. A record-breaking 15 race wins in a single season handed the Dutchman a second championship a month-and-a-half earlier than the finale, making Lewis Hamilton’s runaway titles appear like close-run competitions.

The brand new period of F1, with up to date laws, got here on the unsuitable time, as nothing might match the high-stakes thrill trip that was 2021. If final season was the promenade king or queen, by comparability, 2022 was the final child to get a date — they have been nonetheless there, however only a few will bear in mind what they have been sporting or who they danced with.

Nevertheless, some moments over the season have been standouts, and the regulation change confirmed indicators that the racing is much better than earlier than. The races during which Verstappen needed to combat from the again, like in Hungary and Italy, or when the world champion had automobile harm, like in Nice Britain and Brazil, made for wonderful Sunday viewing. These have been the Grands Prix that stored you guessing all through the race distance for who would possibly win, and the aerodynamic updates aided the unpredictability.

That’s to not take something away from Verstappen, who’s now effectively on his approach to changing into an awesome of the game. Max soundly beat his teammate Sergio Perez, and he rose by way of the order a number of instances within the season to grab P1 from a lowly beginning {position}. Like Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton earlier than him, Verstappen made full use of the instruments at his disposal to decimate his competitors with ruthless effectivity.

There’s the 2022 elephant within the room, although. The 2021-introduced price cap laws began to chew, casting a cloud over all the things Red Bull has achieved over the previous two years. In a traditional instance of the game being as entertaining off-track as it’s on, the furore across the Singapore Grand Prix weekend when rumours a few monetary breach broke was massively entertaining from a impartial standpoint.

The impact of Red Bull’s ‘minor’ price cap overspending is unimaginable to quantify. Nonetheless, it leaves a query mark in regards to the legality of the automobile they gained the 2021 Drivers’ Championship with and, in flip, the monetary spend concerned in designing their 2022 challenger. After all, in actuality, the names are on the championship trophies, and historical past will largely overlook about just a few million {dollars}, however the saga did add seasoning to an F1 12 months that was generally somewhat bland.

Away from the champions, we had the opposite two members of the ‘massive three’ with their tails tucked between their legs. By their very own admission, Mercedes went down the unsuitable growth path with their 2022 automobile, and it took all of them season to get again to the entrance. Alternatively, Ferrari created a sensational machine within the F1–75 and may’ve taken the championship combat to the wire. As an alternative, the reliability woes and hilariously unsuitable technique calls will hang-out the Scuderia and probably lose Mattia Binotto his job, ought to we consider the pre-Abu Dhabi hypothesis.

With the last-minute call-up of Kevin Magnussen for Haas, F1 misplaced one in all its so-called pay drivers, Nikita Mazepin, earlier than the season began. Lance Stroll has proven sufficient along with his podiums and pole {position} to assume he could possibly be in F1 regardless of his father proudly owning a crew. So, with solely Nicholas Latifi as a lame duck within the discipline, the expertise degree in 2022 is likely to be the deepest I can recall.

The midfield combat was as fierce as ever. Alpine getting the higher hand on McLaren was not on my bingo card earlier than the 12 months started, and that was even with the shockingly unreliable automobile Fernando Alonso sat in. However, after all, McLaren acquired their very own again with the cleaning soap opera combat for 2021 F2 champion Oscar Piastri, which was maybe the most important WTF second of the 12 months for me.

2022 would be the final we’ll see of Sebastian Vettel, who dragged his Aston Martin up the order to combine with the higher midfield by the 12 months’s finish. His retirement coincides with the primary Max Verstappen vs. Charles Leclerc title “combat” and marks an precise change of the F1 guard. Alonso and Hamilton will each be over 38 subsequent season, so their careers will naturally come to an in depth earlier than we all know it, too. Nevertheless, with George Russell fulfilling his promise, and Lando Norris claiming the one non-big three podium, the long run is in good fingers.

We’re additionally waving off Daniel Ricciardo, probably ceaselessly, regardless of what extension the Red Bull third driver position entails. And I’m certain we’ve seen the final of Mick Schumacher and Nicholas Latifi, too, with each racers failing to make their mark on the game in any significant method. With Oscar Piastri and Logan Sargeant graduating, Nyck de Vries’ transfer from Formula E, and one more Nico Hulkenberg return, there’s a web acquire in high quality for F1’s 2023 grid.

Whereas I warmly welcome the low season’s arrival after F1’s longest season in historical past, I do know I’ll be as keen as ever for its early March return. 2022 would possibly go down as a set-up season for a greater future. With the up to date laws, a talent-heavy grid of drivers, and curiosity ranges persevering with to rise, I’m optimistic for some nice years forward.