The six F1 subplots to watch in 2022 as a new era begins

The 2022 Formula 1 season is expected to be a fitting follow-up to the blockbuster 2021 campaign as all-new technical rules come into force.

We'll have to wait until testing begins next month to have a better idea of how teams will interpret the regulations, and for a first indication of whether we'll see a dramatic shift in the competitive order.

PLUS: Unpacking the technical changes behind F1 2022's rules shakeup

But even before a wheel has turned, there are plenty of subplots to keep an eye on as the season unfolds - with high profile team moves, a welcome returnee and a landmark rookie among them. Autosport picks out six of the themes to look out for in 2022.

1. Can anyone spring a Brawn-like surprise?

Brawn did the best job of interpreting the new-for-2009 rules and launched Jenson Button to title glory

Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images

The change in technical regulations in 2017 largely retained the status quo, given that the aerodynamic components remained much the same in intent (notwithstanding Ferrari’s improved form), but 2009’s change was arguably larger given the restrictions placed on the overall aero package.

Back then, Brawn rose from the ashes of Honda and shocked the F1 field with its highly effective BGP 001, while Red Bull became frontguard mainstays after four years of toiling in the midfield. Conversely, McLaren and Ferrari were perhaps hamstrung by their fight for the 2008 title, and both teams limped out of the gate at the start of the year.

Given the 2022 changes are similar in magnitude to those in 2009, we can assume that there will be a few design ideas that will prove crucial (and controversial) in the early season

Although the success of the Brawn is commonly put down to the double-diffuser, it was also one of the first teams to recognise the importance of the outwash front wing, producing one of the more extreme variants of its front endplate design. Like the double-diffuser, turning the airflow out with the front-wing endplates proved to be one of the most important steps at the start of the season; McLaren and Renault tried to persevere with an inwashing endplate that proved to be ineffective with the wider wing.

Given the 2022 changes are similar in magnitude to those in 2009, we can assume that there will be a few design ideas that will prove crucial (and controversial) in the early season. They’ll be widely copied, sure, but the innovators will have those designs ingrained in the concept of the cars. What chance an unfancied team happens upon one of the key design features, and uses the momentum to carry it to heights it seldom reaches? It’s happened before, and it can happen again. Over to you, Haas…

2. Is the calendar too massive now?

Albert Park will return to the calendar in 2022, with laptimes expected to be five seconds faster than in 2019

Photo by: Australian Grand Prix Corporation

With 23 races on the bill, F1’s 2022 calendar is the largest yet. It’s not the longest, however, with those 23 rounds stuffed into an eight-month window, necessitating the use of seven double-headers and two triple-headers to complete the exhausting schedule.

Following their respective COVID-enforced layoffs, the Australian, Canadian, Japanese and Singapore Grands Prix make provisional returns to the calendar, although Australia concedes its usual status of season-opener to Bahrain. The Turkish and Portuguese races are (for the moment, depending on the whims of a pandemic) off the table after their admirable stints as replacement rounds, and the Red Bull Ring will host just one race. Qatar also takes the year off as it focuses on shoehorning the FIFA World Cup into the winter months.

The United States has finally, following the failure of the expected New Jersey race in 2013, put together a second round for this year’s championship, with Miami hosting F1’s newest event around the Hard Rock Stadium. So the US stages two GPs for the first time since 1984, back when Dallas and Detroit assumed hosting duties. But at what point does the F1 calendar stop its continued growth?

It’s great to see the championship still proving to be an attractive event across multiple continents but, with plans for a third US race along with the desire to complete a continental full-house (Kyalami, anyone?), the ever-swelling race schedule might be reaching saturation point. That said, we suspect F1 has reached it already…

Six of the 23 races will also host sprints, up from last year’s trio of Saturday races at Silverstone, Monza and Interlagos. Of the three, Interlagos was the most spectacular, albeit aided by Lewis Hamilton’s white-knuckle charge through the field after getting thrown out of qualifying for a DRS-related technical infringement. The Brazilian venue is expected to keep its sprint status, while Bahrain, Imola, Montreal, Red Bull Ring and Zandvoort are set to host the other five sprints.

The sprint format is subject to change, with discussions over its effect on the grid for Sunday’s GP believed to be ongoing. It may be that Friday qualifying sets the grid for Sundays and that the Saturday sprints are open to a reversed-grid arrangement in the manner of those seen in Formula 2 and Formula 3, but it depends on the teams’ contentment with that arrangement. Allowances for damages incurred in the sprints are also on the teams’ agendas, complicated by the limitations of the cost cap.

3. Return of the prodigal one

Max Verstappen has pledged to use the #1 on his Red Bull this year, the first time the number will be used since Sebastian Vettel in 2014

Photo by: Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Now that Max Verstappen has deposed Lewis Hamilton as champion, the Dutchman’s title triumph has led nicely to a racing return for the number 1. Hamilton notably felt uncomfortable running #1 following his title-winning years and, following F1’s shift to personal driver numbers, opted to continue with his own number 44.

Nico Rosberg’s sudden retirement after his 2016 drivers’ championship win meant that the #1 sticker has remained unused since 2014, but Verstappen has elected to give the first prime number a revival

Although Hamilton used it for a single Abu Dhabi practice session following his 2018 title win, the #1 sticker hasn’t been seen on F1’s entry list since Sebastian Vettel wore it in 2014. Nico Rosberg’s sudden retirement after his 2016 drivers’ championship win meant that it has remained unused since then, but Verstappen has elected to give the first prime number a revival. With his team-mate Sergio Perez running the number 11, it means that the Milton Keynes squad only has to blow its budget on a single digit.

“How many times can you do that?” Verstappen said. “I don’t know, maybe it’s the only time I can in my life. I think it’s the best number out there. I will definitely put it on the car.”

To add to the number-based trivia, Alfa Romeo rookie Guanyu Zhou has chosen the number 24, as a tribute to basketball great Kobe Bryant.

4. Can Russell ruffle some feathers?

Russell joins Hamilton at Mercedes and won't be content to play second fiddle

Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images

F1’s worst-kept secret was officially unveiled after last year’s Dutch GP, when George Russell earned the promotion of a lifetime to join Mercedes alongside Lewis Hamilton. Following Russell’s hugely impressive one-off for the Brackley squad at the 2020 Sakhir GP, it was only a matter of time before Valtteri Bottas made way for the British youngster, and the sudden glut of results for Williams made getting Russell in for 2022 a no-brainer.

Not predisposed to approaching the media with any semblance of poker face, Russell’s demeanour suggested a deal was struck during the summer break (if not before), so his points-scoring heroics simply proved to be the cherry on the cake. He’ll be hoping that Mercedes is able to make the most of the 2022 regulations and, although the consensus is that he’ll be looking to learn from Hamilton before the seven-time champion eventually calls it a day, there’s no chance that Russell will be content to play second fiddle.

PLUS: How Russell sees his place in the Mercedes-Hamilton F1 superteam

Hamilton enjoyed having Bottas as his back-up, knowing that the Finn probably couldn’t challenge him over a full season, and Russell’s arrival could push Hamilton outside his comfort zone. That can go one of two ways: it might light a fire under Hamilton and catapult him to an even greater echelon, or degenerate into an intra-team war of Rosbergian proportions. Although the latter is great for TV, it’s probably not Russell’s style.

After five years at Mercedes, Bottas takes up a new challenge at Alfa Romeo to lead the Swiss squad back up the order. Alfa was close to an Andretti takeover during the course of 2021, but disagreements over control nipped any sale in the bud, underlining the increasing value that F1 teams are continuing to accrue.

Given his ability to match Hamilton on pace, Bottas is a big coup for Alfa, but must get on top of racing among the pack once more. If the car’s good, Bottas will prove a reliable source of points – perfect for a midfield team with dreams of breaking into the top half of the constructors’ standings.

5. Not your average Zhou

Zhou will become F1's first Chinese driver when he joins Alfa Romeo

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Since Alfa Romeo did away with both drivers – the laconic Kimi Raikkonen called it a day and Antonio Giovinazzi has been let go – Valtteri Bottas partners the incoming Guanyu Zhou, fresh from his third and final Formula 2 campaign. In the process, Zhou will become the first Chinese driver to participate in an F1 race, a lucrative bargaining chip that the championship’s figureheads have been after for years.

PLUS: The ‘underestimated’ 2022 rookie set to make F1 history

And sure, Zhou owes a lot of his burgeoning F1 career to its commercial interests, but that does him a great disservice. Oscar Piastri swept to the F2 title, but Alpine has seen fit to keep him on a very tight leash and prepare him for a future stab at F1 in-house, rather than farming him out elsewhere.

Zhou will be the only rookie kicking off in 2022 (barring any mid-season replacements), which underlines the difficulty in breaking into the top level of international single-seater racing without considerable support

Zhou, meanwhile, proved a much more flexible suitor for Alfa to bring in – he’s quick, he’s got money, and can be a short-to-medium-term option for the Hinwil team, depending on the progress of its F2 junior driver Theo Pourchaire.

Zhou will be the only rookie kicking off in 2022 (barring any mid-season replacements), which underlines the difficulty in breaking into the top level of international single-seater racing without considerable support. But he’s earned his chance and, since 2022’s cars will be a new challenge for the whole grid, he’ll make his debut on a marginally more even playing field.

6. Alex in Wonderland

Albon returns to F1 at Williams after a year on the sidelines as Red Bull's reserve

Photo by: Williams

Following George Russell’s departure from Williams, his vacated seat proved to be yet another piece of real estate for Mercedes and Red Bull to fight over. Red Bull won that one too, allowing Alex Albon to make a welcome return to the F1 grid for 2022 with the caveat that it would relinquish its control over the Anglo-Thai driver to appease engine supplier Mercedes.

Williams chief Jost Capito highlighted Albon’s previous F1 experience as one of the key factors in his signing, although Russell is said to have lobbied for his friend and former F2 title rival from within. Mercedes wanted to try to use the Williams seat to lift Formula E champion Nyck de Vries into F1, but the Dutchman’s wait must sadly continue.

PLUS: The impressive attitude that earned Albon his second F1 chance

With Albon, Williams gets arguably the best like-for-like replacement for Russell available, and reunites its new driver with Nicholas Latifi after the duo raced for DAMS in F2 back in 2018. No longer having to cope with the pressure associated with Red Bull, Albon should prove to be a great asset for Williams.

With renewed vigour and a strengthened technical line-up, the team will be hoping that its 2022 contender can escape the draw of the back of the grid, and give it a springboard to challenge for points on a consistent basis. Albon, having earned plaudits for his part in helping Red Bull turn the difficult RB16 into a title-winning RB16B, will be central to those plans.

Albon will look to continue where Russell left off as Williams continues along its path to recovery

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images