Best F1 race of the year: 2022 Season Review Awards

The second round of the 2022 championship, it came on the heels of a win for Charles Leclerc and a double retirement for Red Bull in Bahrain. Some off-track drama was provided by a missile strike on Friday at a nearby oil refinery that led to a debate about cancellation, and a lengthy drivers’ meeting. Meanwhile Sergio Perez took pole ahead of the two Ferraris and his team mate Max Verstappen. Perez led initially but just after his pit stop a crash for Nicholas Latifi triggered a safety car, and gave his rivals cheap pit stops. The race thus turned into a battle between Leclerc and Verstappen. The Dutchman got past heading into the last corner, but Leclerc was second across the DRS activation line and used the straightline boost to immediately repass. Both men realised that they didn’t want to hit the DRS line first and a game of cat and mouse followed as Verstappen tried to avoid passing too early. He eventually made a pass stick by waiting and blasting by on the straight, before just holding off Leclerc on the final lap to log his first win of 2022.

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Spanish Grand Prix

The 2022 season quickly developed into a battle between Leclerc and Verstappen, and Barcelona provided the stage for another fight when they qualified together on the front row. Leclerc duly led away, while George Russell jumped up to third. His team-mate Lewis Hamilton was less fortunate, tangling with Kevin Magnussen and dropping to the back with a puncture.

There was drama on lap seven when fifth placed Carlos Sainz spun, and then just two laps later Verstappen had a similar moment at the same corner and slid off the road, losing a place to Russell. Hampered by DRS issues, Verstappen had to chase down Russell. Mercedes had hitherto struggled for performance with the W13, but Russell did a great job of fighting off the Dutchman for a few laps. The complexion of the race changed when Leclerc lost his big lead with a turbo issue on lap 27. After Verstappen pitted Russell did some more good defending from Perez. Verstappen took second when Russell pitted and then caught Perez, who was obliged to let him through to take the win. Russell had the consolation of third place after showing that he could fight with the best.

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British Grand Prix

The British GP started amid high drama when George Russell, Pierre Gasly and Zhou Guanyu tangled, and the Alfa Romeo driver was sent into a spectacular inverted slide across the gravel before flipping over the barrier in what was one of the scariest shunts seen in years. Fortunately he emerged unscathed.

At the restart poleman Carlos Sainz just stayed ahead in a fraught first lap battle at the front that saw Charles Leclerc make contact with both Red Bull drivers. Front wing damage obliged Sergio Perez to make an early stop. Sainz lost the lead to Verstappen on lap 10 when he ran wide and lost momentum. However shortly afterwards the Dutchman run over debris, damaging his floor and taking the edge off his performance, and allowing Sainz to sweep back into the lead. Later the Spaniard was asked to let Leclerc through to the lead. The complexion of the race change when a safety car emerged and Leclerc was unable to stop and take advantage of new tyres, while his immediate rivals did. At the resumption Sainz nipped past his team mate to take his maiden win, leaving Leclerc in a spectacular fight for second with Perez and Hamilton, the Mexican eventually taking the position. Once again the wide open spaces of Silverstone proved the setting for some great racing.

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Hungarian Grand Prix

The Budapest grid had an unusual look about as George Russell secured the first pole of the year for Mercedes, ahead of the Ferrari duo. Power unit problems in qualifying stranded Max Verstappen in 10th, leaving him with a lot of work to do on Sunday.

Russell made a good start and led initially from Sainz and Leclerc, as Verstappen quickly moved up to sixth place by lap 7, with Perez following him through the field. Russell retained his lead through the first pit stop sequence, although by running longer Leclerc jumped Sainz, while Verstappen moved up to fourth and began to look menacing. On lap 31 Russell bowed to the inevitable as Leclerc got by to take the lead. At the second round of stops Verstappen got ahead of Russell and began closing in on Leclerc, passing him at the end of the straight. However a few laps later the Dutchman had a quick spin and had to set about passing Leclerc once more, a target he achieved on lap 45. He went on to score a comfortable win on a day when Red Bull showed just how much pace the RB18 had. Against the odds Mercedes team mates Lewis Hamilton and Russell filled out the podium and Sainz and Leclerc faded to fourth and sixth as Ferrari appeared to lose the plot on strategy.

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