[Official] Things you're looking forward to in 2022

[Born Racer]

Firstly, I wish to extend a happy new year to all of you.

For me, it's these:

The new cars and seeing whether a design trend will emerge or a variety of philosophies over the season (or only at the beginning).

Seeing whether a lesser-fancied team steals a march and challenges for the championship.

Hamilton VS Russell - the first time since Rosberg that he may face a stern challenge from within, and we know how that one ended.

Hamilton VS Verstappen - Hamilton's still going for the 8th. Will Verstappen be calmer and invincible?

Guayu Zhou. A student of mine from China also told me how to pronounce his name and I don't think it's a pronunciation most commentators will be using.

The question of whether Bottas will be able to overtake or not in the Alfa.

The Ferrari intra-team battle.

The return of some classic circuits.

[steve_r]

Yep, a lot of what you said.

New regs bringing about a shake up and hopefully more / different teams and drivers in the mix for race wins or even the title. Hoping that one or more of Alpine, McLaren or Ferrari can really take the fight to the others at the front.

Looking forward to seeing what George Russell can do in a decent car.

Not sure what to expect from Williams, Haas, Aston and Alpha. Can any of them do a Brawn? Indeed can any of them do what Williams did and be 2nd best team the last time there was a big shake up of the regs?

Hoping that F1 becomes a slightly nicer and less divisive place - but actually I dont expect things to improve significantly on that front.

[Richard C]

In no particular order.

* The result of the new technical and financial regulations (RIP my thread on this topic)
o The new aero
o The new wheels/tires
o The larger teams having a reduced budget
o The results of some teams not doing much R&D on their 2021 cars and instead focusing on 2022 (i.e. Haas... which I think is a make or break year for them. And if it goes poorly they will be sold before end of the season. I am also curious about Williams)
* Russel at Mercedes
* Albon at Williams
* Lando vs Daniel in a car that will be new to both of them (applies to many current driver pairs... in short, which drivers will find the new cars fitting their personal style best)
* Yuki in his second year (can he continue to improve and be more consistent in his performance? I am hoping Yuki might be the new Kimi )
* I plan to attend a race (Austin) for a first time in a long time.
* Race in Miami and back at Suzuka

Originally Posted by steve_r

Hoping that F1 becomes a slightly nicer and less divisive place - but actually I dont expect things to improve significantly on that front.

Along that line... that every thread here is not dominated and derailed by a specific topic that I shall not name (for fear of doing the same here).

Richard

[Greem]

The thing I'm looking to most is us lot managing to keep on topic.

Let's try to not make every thread turn into, for example, a discussion about the pros and cons of the last controversial incident...

Ah, I can dream!

[E.B]

Originally Posted by Greem

The thing I'm looking to most is us lot managing to keep on topic.

Let's try to not make every thread turn into, for example, a discussion about the pros and cons of the last controversial incident...

Ah, I can dream!

Also keen to see what Aston Martin turn up with under the new regs. Will it be a Green Mercedes as we saw in the previously linked teams Pink Mercedes period.

Most of all I would like to see more teams capable of fighting for the win rather than the two we have seen recently

[Alan52]

The history of major regulation changes is that less teams are competitive immediately and it can take a few seasons for the others to catch up.
Will the budget cap change this or will history repeat and that leaves us with 1 competitive team?

[Oldtony]

Originally Posted by Alan52

The history of major regulation changes is that less teams are competitive immediately and it can take a few seasons for the others to catch up.
Will the budget cap change this or will history repeat and that leaves us with 1 competitive team?

Not something I would like to see, but based on past major changes in regulation I would predict that we will have a one team dominance because of the rule changes, and that the dominance will be maintained for the full season because the budget caps will limit catch up spending.


We have probably just witnessed one of the greatest seasons ever and we will go back to processions because us fans keep "holerin for closer racin"

[bathurst77]

I just cant wait to see what the designers have come up with for 22 and if the pecking order changes dramatically. Im really hoping one of the middle to lower ranked teams have found some wrinkle nobody else has and are suddenly winning races.

Imagine if merc have missed a trick and are off the pace, but Williams have found the magic word and are faster than merc. Would really suck to be GR63 then.

And there is no doubt this is make or break year For my man Dan #3.
If he doesnt quickly master the mclaren, I dont think we will see him sitting in a f1 car in 2023.

Im really excited for march.. so far away!!!!

[ascarracinguk]

A less stressful, antagonistic and polarising year.

[chillibowl]

naturally a bit turned off with some of the nastier comments last year but still hoping for a super close season despite the kinds of recriminations that stem from close competition.

Mclaren joining the party out front on a regular basis...ideal scenario is LH and Max taking points off of each other while Lando silently strings together a streak of last season victories and podiums to take the title a la Kimi in 2007!

[GTRMagic]

10 different winners in the season would be most fun
10 teams start the season, 10 teams finish the season
Every constructor scoring points, and being competitive for once

Mr Piastri getting a race or five…

No appearance of the spending cap auditors impacting proceedings
No mention of subjective Race Control decisions all season

McLaren v’s Mercedes for WCC
Mr Ricciardo v’s Mr Hamilton for WDC
Winner takes all final round…

[S griffin]

I don't think we will get multiple winners. I just wish we had a few more teams involved, I don't feel 10 is enough. There will still be a competitive order, but every team should have a moment in the sun, one way or another

As for Piastri, he's eager for a chance in F1, but there is a chance he could miss out and end up in another form of motorsport before too long

I just hope a lot of the controversies happen off track. Just don't hold your breath too much, there's bound to be someone transgressing the rules on track, but hopefully we won't have too many penalties from race control over too many racing incidents. If they breach a rule like passing under a yellow flag that's different

Merc should still be the team to beat, but they can be beaten. Although I think they will probably take another Constructors title. Hamilton is still on top, but can someone take that mantle away from him? Even if he's not defending champion, he is still quite a bit ahead of the others, but signs of vulnerability have started to creep in.

Ferrari should be back on their way up now and watch out for McLaren and Alpine too. They will be interesting to watch, especially Norris.

All in all I'm looking forward to this season, but it's gonna be hard to predict at times and that's great for the sport

[chillibowl]

indeed looking forward to what sort of defense Max can offer for the title and/or if he can take LH's mantel away.

a random observation, but last two sons of F1 drivers to have won a title experienced a shift in motivation after winning their title. Max seems to be a different sort though.

[BTCC frog]

Originally Posted by Oldtony

Not something I would like to see, but based on past major changes in regulation I would predict that we will have a one team dominance because of the rule changes, and that the dominance will be maintained for the full season because the budget caps will limit catch up spending.


We have probably just witnessed one of the greatest seasons ever and we will go back to processions because us fans keep "holerin for closer racin"

I don't remember who said it, but somebody on here said about the current set of regulations that 2021 was one of the greatest seasons of all time, but that doesn't mean the era worked because it took eight years to get there and the start of this era was very much not the best. Despite how great 2021 was, I think it is the right time to move on to new regulations because the amount that cars struggle in dirty air is a big problem for the excitement of the races. Seeing cars running more closely together is what I'm most looking forward to in 2022, and hopefully that will eliminate the need for DRS.

The thing I'm not looking forward to in 2022 is a massive increase in the number of unnecessary red flags designed to increase entertainment, which I expect will happen, but don't think should.

[Skam85]

Originally Posted by S griffin

I just hope a lot of the controversies happen off track. Just don't hold your breath too much, there's bound to be someone transgressing the rules on track, but hopefully we won't have too many penalties from race control over too many racing incidents. If they breach a rule like passing under a yellow flag that's different

Personally I'd prefer the controversies to be on track rather than off... Nothing worse than political *****ing about 5mm wings or something like that.

It's much more entertaining when you have drivers duking it out on track.

[Sodemo]

Is Lewis going to be driving in 2022? Media stories paint a vague picture of whether he will even be driving?

[VIVA GT]

Here are my thoughts and please understand that this is a 'looking forward to/hoping for' list and not necessarily what I'm expecting...
Good close & clean racing.
A championship that goes down to the wire (and not just for the winner).
Different interpretations of the new rules that results in teams producing cars with strengths in different areas whilst having similar overall lap times. (This should make for interesting racing).
The promised ability for the cars to be easier to follow (see my point above).
One previously back marker team doing a Brawn, finding the missing magic potion within the new regulations and becoming a front-runner. (In my heart I would love this to be Williams - sorry George).
Oh well, it won't be long before we know...

[E.B]

I see Nico Hulkenberg is "unsure the new technical regulations for 2022 will totally solve the issue of dirty air due to the "extremely high" cornering speeds."

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/hu...ollow/7213489/

[chillibowl]

a valid concern. following closely down a straight is one thing but then the following car also needs a speed advantage car through the corner in order to facilitate an overtake.

good question he is asking about how comfortable the drivers will be following closely at those high cornering speeds...will it result in more off road excursions, breaches of track limits, more contact?

[coppice]

I am looking forward to seeing a contemporary F1 car live from trackside again. My three days at Grand Prix long weekends (or Thurs /Fri /Sat in the Olden Tymes ) was an annual fixture from the early 70s right until the late 90s but since then I've only seen one GP 'properly' (ie being there ) and a few tyre test days . I'd gone off the increasingly tribal crowd , the access no areas at all policy and the general hysteria and increasingly enjoyed historic and club racing instead .

But but but - this year has been terrific , the cars look seriously fast (and I am sure will be still ) and I am intrigued to see for myself by spending Fri and Saturday at Silverstone . The current iteration of F2 also piques my interest .

Bloody hell fire it costs though ....

[bathurst77]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

Is Lewis going to be driving in 2022? Media stories paint a vague picture of whether he will even be driving?

Lewis will race - they will serve him Massi's head on a plate.
(rightly or wrongly)

PS Sodomo 10,500 posts since Jan 2001.. thems seriouus numbers.. 3 a day.. have you ever gone outside?

[Anyopenroad]

Originally Posted by bathurst77

PS Sodomo 10,500 posts since Jan 2001.. thems seriouus numbers.. 3 a day.. have you ever gone outside?

Mid-pack numbers tbh. We have at least one poster who's managed that many in the last 3 years and >5k since the start of 2021

[Greem]

Originally Posted by Anyopenroad

Mid-pack numbers tbh. We have at least one poster who's managed that many in the last 3 years and >5k since the start of 2021

I keep trying but I guess we'll have to wait and see.

[Skam85]

Originally Posted by bathurst77

Lewis will race - they will serve him Massi's head on a plate.
(rightly or wrongly)

PS Sodomo 10,500 posts since Jan 2001.. thems seriouus numbers.. 3 a day.. have you ever gone outside?

Maths not your strong point?

1.36 posts per day

[bathurst77]

Originally Posted by Skam85

Maths not your strong point?

1.36 posts per day

Just shut your damned mathguru mr calculator mouth. Who are you? The Sesame street count?
Thats "fake maths:. 3 a day is "my truth". These days everyone is allowed their own truth and its true to me.

You just have to squint sorta, and kinda guess and well... ok i was werung wrang wrone.. no I just cant say that word. But I was as correct as LH thinking Max wont try to pass me on this corner, in the last race.

A friend once asked me who my favourite vampire was.
I told him the one on Sesame street, he said "he doesnt count"
"ohhh yes He does" I said "yes, he does indeed"

Ok back to topic...
with First testing due Barcelona, Spain -- Feb. 23-25
I think we are going to see the various new cars start to roll out in 2 weeks or so.. Thats what Im excited about