The much-awaited 2022 Formula One season is almost here! And despite witnessing the two pre-season testing events in Barcelona and Bahrain, the F1 think-tank is hardly coming to a consensus over how the grid would look like heading into the opening race weekend.

While Ferrari looked like the dominant team through most parts of the testing, on the very final day, Max Verstappen pulled off a sterling twist by securing the fastest lap of the three-day event. Mercedes, on the other hand, remained rather unnoticed except for day 1 of Bahrain testing, where they brought in a series of changes to their cars, including the interesting side-pod design.

Neither George Russell nor Lewis Hamilton showcased any sort of breathtaking lap times. But, of course, this is quite expected from the Brackley outfit who are known to sandbag their pace until the first F1 race weekend. Hence, we suggest the fans not be surprised if either of them ends up taking pole position this weekend.

But, for now, let’s look at the wider picture – Who is likely to win the championship title? Well, any question this year comes with a lot of uncertainty. Had one asked this question in 2019 or 2020, Hamilton was quite obviously the favorite. However, this year, the script seems to be a tad different and more complicated.

World Champion of 2022 F1 season?

As mentioned, it is impossible to point the finger at a single driver. Instead, here’s the list of drivers who we think could have a fair shot at the big trophy. First and foremost, the blazing-hot rivals of 2021, Hamilton and Verstappen. The pair is likely to continue with their rivalry heading into the 2022 season. Hence, more bitterly exciting events are in the offing for the viewers.

However, along with the leading favorites, we now have new young drivers seeking a spot in this category of title contenders – George Russell, who finally has his much-yearned Mercedes seat secured, and, the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

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For Russell, his championship hopes reside on how he performs in the early stages of this year. Embrace a good start and Mercedes will most certainly have his back. But, endure a bad start and the Briton will potentially have to play the role that Valtteri Bottas loathed playing over his five-year stint; Hamilton’s wingman.

Meanwhile, for Sainz and Leclerc, it all depends on their Ferrari challenger, which has given them enough promises in the testing. But, can the F1-75 sustain its performance is the big question.

Constructor’s F1 champion of 2022?

As of now, three candidates look well capable of winning this big trophy that comes along with a big paycheck as well. One is obviously the defending champions, Mercedes. The Silver Arrows will be seeking their eighth consecutive title this year.

Red Bull Racing – Almost had the title only for Bottas and Hamilton to secure a chunk of points and steal the title in the end. Hence, the Milton Keynes outfit will be looking to get their redemption on Mercedes. And finally, Ferrari! The Reds are seemingly back in the title race after hibernating for a couple of years.

What’s more, with a couple of young and hungry drivers at the wheel, Ferrari might finally have the strength to go after the championship title.

‘Rookie’ of the Year?

It’s a rhetorical question considering there will only be one rookie this year – Guanyu Zhou. However, along with the Chinese driver, a couple of others will be returning to Formula 1, seeking a fresh start to their careers. One is Kevin Magnussen, and the other is Alex Albon.

There is one similarity between the pair. Both drivers didn’t have a glorious end to their previous F1 stints. While Albon struggled his way throughout his Red Bull spell, Magnussen had to cope with a dead-looking Haas that had no performance whatsoever to offer.

Now, Albon will be restarting his career with Williams partnering with Nicholas Latifi, who is finally starting to pull off decent performances. Hence, a competitive season ahead for the Thai-Brit. On the other hand, Magnussen will line up alongside Mick Schumacher with the latter entering only his second F1 season.

So, ‘Rookie’ of the Year? We’d say Albon. With his colleagues, Russell, Leclerc, and Norris, having cherished the taste of success more often last year, Albon would want to carry himself up to their level in his comeback year. A bad 2022 season could potentially end his F1 career. Hence, with everything to lose, Albon will certainly look feistier than ever.

Surprise of this year?

We’d like to start by saying that this is a huge gamble but, we believe it’s going to be Aston Martin. The British outfit had a rather bitter debut stint in 2021 albeit with a couple of podiums (one ending in disqualification). This year, again, their performance in pre-season testing was hardly noticeable.

However, the team recently affirmed that they have an entirely different AMR22 in the wind tunnel with a rather unique philosophy. And this car could well show up for the opening race weekend in Bahrain. Why such a major change you ask? Well, Aston Martin doesn’t want their current challenger to meet with a dead-end in terms of development.

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So, a refreshing new car and possibly, a faster-looking car is all set to star at the Bahrain Grand Prix. But will they finally be able to produce a strong start to the season? Or are we looking at another disappointing period for the Stroll-led outfit?