Coming into the 2022 F1 campaign, fans were eagerly anticipating the proposed changes to regulations. In 2021, we saw one of the greatest Title battles of all time between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton but there were complaints of races being too boring behind them.
The amount of dirty air generated by cars made it difficult for them to overtake the driver in front. Ahead of the 2022 season, F1 introduced major changes to the aerodynamics of the cars, which were expected to generate lesser dirty air. We also some brilliant racing action between Verstappen and Charles Leclerc in the early stages, but fans still wondered if the changes were significant.
Team principals and drivers did insist that the regulation changes made following other cars a lot easier. Despite the progress made, team bosses like Christian Horner did feel that there was room for improvement. However, he also added that the sport was on the right track to make racing more interesting.
Pirelli themselves introduced newer tires this season. The 13-inch rubber was in use for a long time before being discontinued in 2022. Bigger 18-inch tires were brought to use and according to the Italian company, they made a huge difference.
Also read: How Ferrari tricked Red Bull into mistake and sealed P2 with Charles Leclerc?
F1 drivers made 785 overtakes in 2022 compared to 599 made in 2021
As reported by Motorsport, Pirelli revealed that drivers made overtake this season more than the last. There was a 30% increase in overtakes, which is an encouraging sign moving forward. In 2021, there were 599 overtakes, which increased to 785 this year.
The season as a whole felt very long, especially because of Max Verstappen’s dominance. Leclerc and Verstappen fought closely in the initial stages, but the former fell of massively as the season progressed. This limited the amount of racing action we saw in the front of the pack.
Towards the middle of the grid, however, the likes of Aston Martin, Haas, AlphaTauri and even McLaren produced some great racing action in terms of overtaking each other or putting up a fight.
Fans hoping for a more exciting 2023 campaign
Fans will be hoping for a much more exciting 2023 season, where majority of these overtakes will be made at the front of the grid. Red Bull are expected to pick up where they left off with a winning car. The entire community, however, is hoping for Ferrari and Mercedes to join in the fight.
Verstappen ended the season as Champion, with Charles Leclerc finishing second and Sergio Perez following him in third.
