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Just three months after an epic 2021 season came to a controversial end, Formula 1 is back. The first race of the 2022 season is set to take place at the Bahrain Grand Prix after all teams completed their pre-season testing rituals.
The start of the new season will also bring a new era in F1. With a set of new rules and regulations in place, it will be interesting to see which teams can adapt to the changes quickly to get that added benefit.
With the season opener set to take place at the Bahrain International Circuit, here’s a preview of what promises to be a fascinating weekend of racing action.
The Bahrain international circuit is a 5.412km track that consists of 15 corners. The first race at the circuit was held back in 2004 when Bahrain became the first middle eastern country to host a race.
Last season, Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won the opening race of the season in Bahrain. The Briton managed to hold Red Bull’s Max Verstappen despite some late drama. Valtteri Bottas, who drover for Mercedes, finished on the final step of the podium in Bahrain in 2021.
However, with the new rules and new cars, there may be a change of faces on the podium in Bahrain this year. Hamilton will be eager to fight back after his disappointment last season. The 37-year-old will be looking to win his record-breaking eighth world title and look to get the season started with a win. The seven-time world champion will partner Geroge Russell, who has been known to produce some stunning moments, this year.
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen will also be hungry for more glory after winning his maiden title last year. The Dutch driver did manage to win most of the races last season and has shown that he can really push his limits to the next level. His teammate Sergio Perez has also admitted that he wants to push for the title in a Red Bull.
Ferrari has also looked good in pre-season testing and the Prancing Horse has the drivers that can compete for major honours. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were impressive in their first season last year when they led the team in red to a third-place finish in the Constructors’ championship.
McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo will also want to build on their phenomenal campaign from last year. The Woking-based team managed a 1-2 finish at Monza, which was the highlight of their 2021 season.
While these four teams are tipped to dominate the top half of the grid, Alpine, Alpha Tauri Williams, Alfa Romeo, Haas, and Aston Martin may want to cause a few upsets as well, given the new window of opportunity.
Alpine’s Fernando Alonso knows what it takes to win races and championships. Guanyu Zhou may be a rookie in F1 this year, but the Chinese driver may produce some moments of magic. Kevin Magnussen’s comeback to Haas means that every team has a driver that has finished on the podium in F1. Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda looked to form a great partnership at Alpha Tauri as well last season.
Practice 1: Friday, March 18, 3:00 PM local time (5:30 PM IST UK)
Practice 2: Friday, March 18, 6:00 PM local time (8:30 PM IST)
Practice 3: Saturday, March 19, 3:00 PM local time (5:30 PM IST)
Qualifying: Saturday, March 19, 6:00 PM local time (8:30 PM IST)
Race: Sunday, March 20, 6:00 PM local time (8:30 PM IST)
In the UK, every session from the start of the first practice session to the end of the race will be available to watch on Sky Sports.
In India, the qualifying session and main race will be broadcast live on Star Sports. All practise sessions, qualifying sessions and the main race can be streamed live on Disney+Hotstar.
The season opener in Bahrain will be a thrilling contest. It will be difficult to select a winner given that the drivers are still getting completely used to their new cars. However, Ferrari did look strong during the pre-season testing, along with Red Bull.
Our prediction is a 1st place finish for Charles Leclerc, 2nd place for Lewis Hamilton and 3rd for Max Verstappen.
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