The 2022 Formula 1 season may not be as thrilling as 2021, but it still provided enough memorable moments for the fans.
Red Bull had the biggest reason to celebrate since they clinched their first constructors’ title since 2014 and their star man Max Verstappen won the drivers’ championship for the second consecutive year.
On the other hand, there’s also Sebastian Vettel announcing his retirement, marking the end of one of the most successful careers in Formula 1 history.
These are just some of the top Formula 1 2022 highlights this season, so continue to read on below as SBOTOP reviews them one by one.
Max Verstappen’s record-setting title defence
Max Verstappen silenced his doubters with a dominant campaign this season after he claimed his first world title in 2021 in controversial fashion.
Unlike last year, the Dutchman managed to seal his second world title via a remarkable wet weather victory in the Japanese Grand Prix with four races to spare.
Despite already clinching his back-to-back at Suzuka, that didn’t deter Verstappen from winning three of the final four races in the US, Mexico, and Abu Dhabi for a total of 15 race wins out of 22 – a record for a single season.
Furthermore, he also broke the record for most points in a single season (454), points deficit overturned (46), wins from different grid positions (7), and wins from outside pole position (9).
After crushing the opposition this year, Verstappen is favoured by the Formula 1 2022 odds to win it all again next season – which is plausible if Red Bull can produce another powerful unit like the RB18.
Charles Leclerc’s heartbreak
2022 was supposed to be Ferrari’s year, but now they face question marks ahead of next season.
After winning in Bahrain and Australia, Charles Leclerc looked poised to win his first-ever world championship, but his once-promising campaign was derailed by several strategic mistakes, driver errors, and reliability issues with their machine.
Their lost season prompted changes from the top as long-time principal Mattia Binotto was replaced by Fred Vasseur, and the pressure is on the former Sauber boss to deliver their first championship in more than a decade.
Charles Leclerc still had a solid year with the Scuderia, though, since he had the most pole positions with nine and he had his highest output ever at 308 points. He and teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. should emerge ahead of 2023 in a stronger frame of mind.
Kevin Magnussen’s “Viking comeback”
Kevin Magnussen’s triumphant return to Haas was highlighted by his maiden pole at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil.
The Danish driver qualified P7 and raced to an amazing P5 as he made the most out of Haas’ much-improved VF-22 package.
Magnussen rolled off early in Q3 and put on the fastest lap time in dry conditions, but the clock became his biggest enemy as he anxiously watched the rest of the field try to beat his session.
George Russell from Mercedes spun off the track which brought out a red flag, opening the door for another driver to take the pole position. However, when the rain poured on, no one could catch Magnussen’s lap and it was absolute scenes coming from the Haas dugout.
Haas may have only finished eighth out of 10 teams in the constructors’ standings this year, but that day in Brazil would always be remembered given its historical significance.
Sebastian Vettel the class act
Tributes poured in when Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement on his first-ever Instagram post and the four-time world champion had a unique way of saying goodbye to the Formula 1 paddock.
At Abu Dhabi, Vettel invited everyone to join him on track for a group run – hours after the qualifying – where guests wore “Danke Seb” shirts, while Vettel himself had one that read “Danke F1”.
Following the run, Vettel graciously posed for a litany of photos and his team held a drinks farewell afterwards.
Lewis Hamilton then organised a dinner for Vettel and the seven-time world champion reportedly picked up the tab, totaling a whopping £140,000.
“We’ve come a long way as drivers and continue to grow as men. Despite whatever may happen on the track, we grow and become better each day. Us all coming together to celebrate life and Seb’s amazing career in F1 is truly a night I’ll never forget, “said on his post to document the night.
Seeing all 20 drivers putting their rivalries aside for one night to celebrate Sebastian Vettel is easily the top moment of 2022.
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