Formula One Season 2022 Highlights: Circuits, Cars, Drivers, Teams and the Year Formula One Reset Itself

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Formula One Season 2022 Highlights: Circuits, Cars, Drivers, Teams and the Year Formula One Reset Itself​

Introduction: A New Era Begins — and Ends a Rivalry​

The 2022 Formula One World Championship was not simply another season on the calendar. It was a hard reset for the sport. New cars, new aerodynamic philosophy, a new competitive order — and the unmistakable sense that Formula One had turned a page.

After the emotional intensity and controversy of 2021, many expected 2022 to deliver another epic duel. Instead, it told a very different story. What began as a Ferrari resurgence evolved into a Red Bull and Max Verstappen masterclass, while Mercedes — the dominant force of the previous decade — found itself unexpectedly adrift.

This article explores the highlights, circuits, cars, drivers and teams of the 2022 season, asking the same essential questions:

• Who truly mastered the new era?
• Who nearly did — and why didn’t it last?
• Which drivers suffered most from regulation upheaval rather than lack of ability?

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The Context: Formula One’s Biggest Regulation Overhaul in 40 Years​

The Return of Ground Effect​

The defining feature of 2022 was the reintroduction of ground‑effect aerodynamics, unseen in their pure form since the early 1980s. The aim was simple in theory but complex in execution:
reduce dirty air, allow closer racing, and create more overtaking opportunities. [formulaone...istory.com], [astonmartinf1.com]

Key regulation changes included:

• Venturi tunnels under the floor as the primary source of downforce
• Simplified front wings and endplates
• Wider tyres with lower profiles
• A cost cap and frozen power unit development

While the regulations succeeded in improving following distances early in the season, they also exposed which teams truly understood the new aerodynamic philosophy — and which did not.

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The Cars That Defined the 2022 Season​

Red Bull RB18: The Perfect Interpretation​

The Red Bull RB18 was not the fastest car on day one — but it became the most complete car by mid‑season. Its strengths included:

• Excellent aerodynamic efficiency
• Outstanding straight‑line speed
• Strong tyre management
• Continuous weight reduction throughout the year

Red Bull’s development focus gradually shifted the aerodynamic balance rearward while removing excess weight, unlocking a performance ceiling Ferrari could not match. [formula1.com]

By the second half of the season, the RB18 was the benchmark everywhere.

Ferrari F1‑75: Fast, Fragile, Frustrating​

Ferrari’s F1‑75 was arguably the fastest car over a single lap early in the season. It delivered pole positions, race wins, and genuine optimism. But the car — and the team around it — suffered from:

• Reliability failures
• Strategic misjudgements
• Driver errors under pressure

Ferrari’s inability to convert early advantage into sustained success turned what could have been a title fight into a cautionary tale. [planetf1.com]

Mercedes W13: Lost in Translation​

Mercedes entered 2022 as eight‑time consecutive Constructors’ Champions — and left it with just one race victory. The W13 struggled fundamentally with the new regulations, particularly with porpoising and aerodynamic balance.

For the first time in his career, Lewis Hamilton failed to secure a pole position or race win across an entire season. Mercedes eventually improved, but too late to challenge for titles. [en.wikipedia.org], [formulaone...istory.com]

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Circuits and Races That Defined 2022​

Bahrain to Australia: A Ferrari Renaissance​

The season opened with Ferrari dominating Bahrain, securing a 1‑2 finish and signalling that the Scuderia had finally nailed the new rules. Victories in Australia reinforced the sense of a genuine title fight between Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen. [pitlane-news.com]

The Turning Point: France and Reliability Collapse​

The French Grand Prix marked the psychological and competitive turning point of the season. Leading comfortably, Leclerc spun into the barriers — a mistake that epitomised Ferrari’s unraveling as Red Bull surged ahead. [pitlane-news.com]

From that moment, the momentum shifted decisively.

Spa, Budapest and the Verstappen Surge​

Verstappen’s victories from P14 at Spa and P10 in Hungary demonstrated not just car superiority, but supreme confidence and racecraft. These performances effectively ended any remaining championship suspense. [planetf1.com]

Suzuka: A Champion Crowned — Confusingly​

The Japanese Grand Prix delivered one of the strangest title confirmations in F1 history. Verstappen clinched his second championship in a rain‑shortened race amid confusion over points allocation — highlighting lingering regulatory ambiguity even in the new era. [espn.com], [nbcnews.com]

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Who Won the 2022 Formula One World Championship?​

Max Verstappen: From Contender to Benchmark​

Max Verstappen secured his second consecutive World Drivers’ Championship, clinching the title with four races remaining. He went on to win 15 races, breaking the record for most victories in a single season — surpassing achievements by Schumacher and Vettel. [planetf1.com], [autosport.com]

Unlike 2021, there was no controversy about his legitimacy. 2022 established Verstappen not just as a champion — but as the defining driver of the new era.

Red Bull Racing: Constructors’ Champions Return​

Red Bull secured their fifth Constructors’ Championship, their first since 2013 and the first by a non‑Mercedes team in the turbo‑hybrid era. It confirmed that the regulation reset had successfully ended Mercedes’ decade‑long stranglehold. [en.wikipedia.org], [formulaone...istory.com]

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Who Nearly Won? Charles Leclerc’s Lost Opportunity​

Charles Leclerc finished runner‑up in the championship after leading early. His pace was unquestionable, but reliability failures, strategy errors, and a handful of costly mistakes prevented him from sustaining a title challenge.

Many observers believe Leclerc’s 2022 season illustrates how raw speed alone is insufficient under modern Formula One’s complexity.

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The Driver Who Suffered Most: Lewis Hamilton and the Cost of Change​

While many drivers struggled with the new regulations, Lewis Hamilton’s 2022 season stands apart. A seven‑time world champion reduced to fighting for podiums, Hamilton endured:

• An uncompetitive car concept
• No wins or poles for the first time in his career
• A season spent adapting rather than attacking

Though George Russell secured Mercedes’ lone win in Brazil, Hamilton’s consistency masked how fundamentally the regulations had shifted the sport beneath him. [en.wikipedia.org]

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The Midfield and Milestones​

First‑Time Winners​

2022 delivered multiple breakthrough moments:

• Carlos Sainz secured his first career win at Silverstone
• George Russell claimed his maiden victory in Brazil
• Sergio Pérez excelled on street circuits, winning Monaco and Singapore

These moments reinforced that the regulation reset did create opportunity — if teams executed correctly.

Farewell to Sebastian Vettel​

The season also marked the retirement of four‑time World Champion Sebastian Vettel, closing one of Formula One’s most successful chapters. [en.wikipedia.org]

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Why the 2022 Season Matters​

The 2022 season will be remembered as:

• The end of Mercedes dominance
• The true beginning of the Verstappen era
• Proof that regulation resets can work — but not evenly
• A reminder that execution matters as much as innovation

It was not the most dramatic season. It was not the closest. But it was one of the most structurally important.

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Conclusion: The Year Formula One Chose Its Future​

The 2022 Formula One World Championship was the year Formula One committed fully to its future — for better or worse. New cars, new champions, new hierarchies. Max Verstappen emerged as the sport’s central figure, Red Bull as the model organisation, and Ferrari as a team still searching for coherence.

If 2021 was chaos, 2022 was clarity.