Eight-time Formula 1 constructors champions Mercedes have already caused a stir during preseason testing as they’re out to reclaim lost glory ahead of the new season.
They’ve revealed an aerodynamic upgrade to their W13 recently in Bahrain, which had rivals questioning on whether it is allowed by the FIA.
Elsewhere, there’s major upheaval for Haas due to the world events that are beyond their control and eventually they were reunited with an old friend, while AlphaTauri and Ferrari also grabbed headlines in Bahrain.
The 2021 season was indeed a year to remember so SBOTOP racing fans are naturally excited of what the new campaign has to offer. So today, allow us to keep you up to speed with the most notable Formula 1 2022 updates that have occurred lately.
Mercedes have something up in their sleeve
When Lewis Hamilton drove the W13 and finished the first Bahrain testing at P5, rival teams took notice of their car’s unusual design.
Their minimised sidepods apparently improves the W13’s airflow which generates additional downforce. The said design also turns the mandatory side-impact structures into aerodynamic wing sections and wing mirrors are mounted on them.
Red Bull’s Christian Horner was the first who commented on Mercedes’ sidepod-less concept. In a released article by journalist Michael Schmidt, he reportedly questioned on whether their rivals have gone a step too far.
“From our point of view, Mercedes has gone a step too far. That doesn’t correspond to the spirit of the regulations. For us, these wings are illegal,” said the Red Bull principal.
As for Toto Wolff, he couldn’t care less on the comments made by his rivals and instead offered praise to his team for the striking idea.
“It obviously caught quite a few peoples’ eyes this morning. But I’m proud to be part of a team that’s pushing innovation and all this hard work, blood, sweat, tears going into it, seeing something pretty spectacular being pulled off is pretty incredible,” said the Mercedes boss.
Not too long ago, Lewis Hamilton issued an ominous warning to his rivals ahead of the new season, saying that his “team don’t make mistakes”. Especially with how last year ended, we expect the Silver Arrows to come out strong in the opener.
Big changes for Haas
Haas will feature a new look this season as they had to pull out from their partners in Russia given the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. They terminated their sponsorship deal with Uralkali because of their links to Russian president Vladimir Putin. At the same time, they also cut ties with driver Nikita Mazepin.
Kevin Magnussen is back with his old employers and he picked up where he left off by finishing with the fastest lap during their most recent testing session. The Danish driver is grateful for the second chance that he’s been given and he’s eager to prove himself once again this term.
“When Guenther called me, I said ‘yes’ immediately. I could just feel in my stomach that I want to do this. I can feel it. I didn’t know that I missed F1 that much, but when I got the opportunity, I was like: ‘Yes!’”.
K-Mag spent 2021 in sportscar racing and he admitted that he lacked motivation after Haas finished last in 2019 to 2020. This is going to be his seventh season as a full-time Formula 1 driver and he would certainly look to make up for lost time.
Ferrari and AlphaTauri provide glimpse of what they can do
Ferrari and AlphaTauri have improved their Formula 1 2022 odds ahead of the new season following their solid performances in the most recent sessions in Bahrain.
AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly was the fastest in Day 1 ahead of the Ferrari duo of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc. But yesterday, it was the Prancing Horse who was the quickest overall led by Carlos Sainz.
There’s a growing feeling that the two Scuderias could be the dark horses this term and we wouldn’t be surprised if they can get multiple podiums all throughout the season.
“I think Ferrari, from what I can see, would probably be getting a 1-2 or maybe Red Bull if Bahrain Grand Prix was tomorrow,” remarked Lewis Hamilton.
“I think we need to focus entirely on ourselves and our performance, not on the time screens because the results are meaningless right now. It’ll only matter in qualifying next week,” said Pierre Gasly.
Gasly earned his inaugural F1 victory at Monza last season while Ferrari have had numerous podium finishes. With their bright young drivers leading the way, both Ferrari and AlphaTauri should give their rivals a huge run for their money.
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