2022 Formula1 mid-season report: How teams & drivers have fared so far

While Red Bull and Ferrari are fighting it out, Mercedes-AMG is looking to be a strong 3rd contender for the Constructor's Championship.

BHPian ninjatalli recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

So we are at the halfway mark at an interesting point with regards to the Drivers Championship as well as the Constructors Standings

Technically, Verstappen might already have one hand on the 2022 Championship with a strong 80-point lead that would require a really bad second half for him to allow Charles or any of the other drivers to catch up, but the championship is still up for grabs.

However, the Constructors championship surely looks much more interesting. With only a ~100-point lead and both Leclerc and Sainz doing well, it might not be enough to keep Ferrari away from gaining the top position. But with Mercedes seemingly looking to be a strong 3rd leg of the top contending teams (finally), it will be interesting to see how the situation pans out by the time we reach Abu Dhabi in November.

Having said that, every "expert" in this field is coming out with their own mid-season report on how the drivers have been faring so far - who's doing well, who might have done much better but for the car/team, and who are definitely lagging behind and so on.

Here are a few reports that might tickle your fancy. While everyone has given the importance of the points scored so far, they have factored in the capabilities of the driver and the performance of the driver (so far) irrespective of what points he's been able to score.

The Race: 2022 mid-season F1 Driver Ratings

• Max
• Leclerc
• Norris
• Hamilton
• Alonso

Formula 1: Power Rankings - how the drivers rank

• Max
• Leclerc
• Russell
• Hamilton
• Norris

Autosport: F1 2022 so far - Winners, losers and everything in between

Interesting views on drivers across the top, middle & bottom of the list (e.g. views on Albon & Valtteri)

Formula 1: Our writers pick out their top drivers' best performances

Multiple views with a mix of Max, Russell, Norris & Leclerc being rated high.

So while we wait for the summer break to end (till the end of this month) and the second half of the calendar race year to kick off in Belgium on Aug 28th, here's a survey to find out which driver you felt did much better than what he was capable off (given the condition of the car, the power/speed of the car vs the competition, and also the reliability and other aspects). Whom do you think has really shined so far - for instance, it's quite clear that Alonso might have easily given the top contenders a run for their money if he had a faster and more reliable car (hopefully Aston Martin do that next year!).

Do share your vote on the driver that has shined so far, not necessarily in the points, but beyond the reach of the car & the team he's currently in.

I voted for Russell.

It is a pleasant surprise when I think back that just a year ago, this was a chap driving a Williams and mostly relegated to the last few slots. Bottas last year in the same position (as a partner of Hamilton) was not able to make amends to his car/team as much as his partner, but even with a not-so-great car, Russell has been able to get top 5 positions on most of the races. Tells a lot with regards to the potential he holds.

I expect a lot more from him (and Hamilton) in the second half of the year, and definitely much more next year; so my vote goes for him.

Here's what BHPian Sudarshan42 had to say on the matter:

People may have their opinions about who the best is, but the overarching story of this season will be how Ferrari, through driver, mechanical and strategic failures, repeatedly threw away a legitimate shot at both titles. The only thing worth watching from now on will be if they can somehow recoup their losses to make for at least a semi-competitive end to the season. Else it will be a Max and Red Bull show all the way, with Merc arriving on the scene of Ferrari's inevitable shitshow to pick up the pieces.

Being a Merc and Hamilton fan, I was so desperately hoping for Max to fail this year after the Masi episode at Abu Dhabi 2021. I was cheering Ferrari and Leclerc for the first few races, only to watch in horror as all that good work unravelled. But credit to Max this year - he has been sublime. He's gone from being Worst-happen to Whocanstophim over the last 6-7 races.

PS: Added note about the Piastri-Alpine fiasco (or Piasco) - that was absolutely horrifyingly hilarious!

Here's what BHPian petrolHead_1609 had to say on the matter:

Voted for Leclerc.

I won't say he could've beaten Max for Driver's championship but would have given a good fight if not for the stupid strategic calls from team Ferrari. Right from wrong tire selection to idiotic pitstops and Ferrari's uncertainty of who their top driver is. The reliability of the car is also questionable as Leclerc has a couple of DNFs this season. In one of the races, he had clutch-related issues and still was on the podium. He's making the most out of what he has.

Also, some others are killing it as of now: Russell, Alonso, Norris.

Expecting a bit more from Gasly and Mick.

Here's what BHPian AutoConsultant had to say on the matter:

Voted for Russell

Coming into an 8-time consecutive WCC team (after a few frustrating years at Williams) he would have been expecting to fight for wins straight away. However, he has shown a lot of maturity in getting the best of what he had with the current package, seldom showing frustration either in his words or his driving style.

He has played the team game quite well, scoring points while Hamilton was experimenting with setups to make the package faster. I feel the second half would be the biggest challenge for Russell as Hamilton is much more comfortable with the car now and showed his pace and class in Hungary. Together these two make up the strongest driver lineup on the grid and I feel 2023 could again be a Merc-dominated season.

Other notable mentions:

1. Max - Showing the maturity you would expect from a WDC along with consistency and mostly error-free driving. Currently the fastest driver on the grid IMO
2. Zhou - One of the best rookie seasons in recent times, he has shown that he is a capable driver and not just here because of sponsorships. Reliability has not been on his side though

Here's what BHPian Turbohead had to say on the matter:

Hands down Verstappen.

While Leclerc is also really gifted, Verstappen has truly defined what it means to perform at the highest level consistently which is certainly to the envy of everyone in the grid.

Russell is another upcoming star and I won't be surprised if he takes the battle to Max and Leclerc by the end of the year. Honestly, he's not under any pressure. Let's see how he reacts under pressure.

Leclerc is a case of brilliant talent being wasted by a clueless organization. Feel absolutely sorry for him but he really needs to calm his nerves when under pressure from Red Bull.

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