Poll Who will be 2022 Drivers World Champion?

[cider_and_toast]

With testing now over and the first GP of the season only a hop and a jump away, who does Team CTA think will be the world drivers champion for 2022?

I've posted the most likely candidates to compete for the tin pot however, you may feel that Seb or Fernando may still be in with a shout. If that is the case, please answer "other" in the poll and write the name of your chosen driver in a reply below.

The poll will remain open for a week.

 

[F1Brits_90]

after that final session on the final day. head says verstappen as that red bull looks good & i believe Mercedes through body language & how the cars looked on track

but i said Ferrari since October / November, so ive got to stick with it. & leclerc in 2019. shouldve won 10 races

 

[Il_leone]

Off course I want Hamilton to do it after last years farce if not Norris or Russell but I think Red Bull's unhealthy obsession with Mercedes will be their undoing. I want to see Leclerc pull it off they ve had the time to get ready and there appears none of the internal politics that blighted their performances I 2017-2019.

 

[Brogan]

Verstappen will win his first WDC.

 

[F1Brits_90]

im fascinated in the same way as brundle was as he said on the final day of testing, relationship between Leclerc & Sainz will be fascinating, because they are friends now & have a great relationship. but so did Verstappen & Riccardo, Hamilton & Rosberg, Vettel & Webber, technically Ocon & Perez. when the pressure is on , the gloves come off

 

[Il_leone]

im fascinated in the same way as brundle was as he said on the final day of testing, relationship between Leclerc & Sainz will be fascinating, because they are friends now & have a great relationship. but so did Verstappen & Riccardo, Hamilton & Rosberg, Vettel & Webber, technically Ocon & Perez. when the pressure is on , the gloves come off

I have to say of the lot you mentioned only Rosberg and Hamilton had a friendship the others were more they had to be professional for the team's sake

The dynamics at Ferrari will be interesting as Leclerc is the golden boy so surely Sainz would move on if anything happens between the two. Then again Sainz does not seem like a guy who let's it all out in the open

If that happens before contracts are finalised where does Sainz go? I can't see Red Bull or Mercedes as an option

 

[F1Brits_90]

Il_leone well they were all had good relationships, Riccardio & verstappen had fun but then when Red Bull started fighting for wins it went wrong

 

[cider_and_toast]

I think If Hamilton and Rosberg hadn't been friends to start with, their team relationship wouldn't have gotten as far as it did. Look how rapidly Hamilton and Alonso's working relationship fell apart and imagine if Rosberg and Hamilton didn't know each other before hand.

Not sure that Riccardo and Verstappen were ever that close.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Not sure that Riccardo and Verstappen were ever that close.

yeah i doubt they went out for dinner. but they were laughing & joking. but that stopped quickly. same with them 2. because it happens everytime. i cant actually think of teammates that had 2 number 1 competing for wins that didnt end up hating each others guts

 

[cider_and_toast]

yeah i doubt they went out for dinner. but they were laughing & joking. but that stopped quickly. same with them 2. because it happens everytime. i cant actually think of teammates that had 2 number 1 competing for wins that didnt end up hating each others guts

You would have to go back to the 60's for that.

Clark and Hill, Brabham and Hulme, Hill and Stewart.

Plenty of combinations from that era

The interesting thing is, I think a lot of the dynamics of a team changed when they ended the rule that only the highest placed car scored constructors points.

Before that, a team only needed one top driver really. Since that change the best teams always needed the best drivers and it's almost impossible to keep two bulls in a field.

 

[FB]

Back to the question at hand, until we have seen how things line up in Bahrain I really have no idea. I think the times in testing told us absolutely nothing about who is slow or fast, and if you watch any of the on-board of Mercedes they never got in to top gear down the straights. Was this because the car was porpoising, or were they just holding back?

 

[F1Brits_90]

its hard to put some teams in pecking order because mercedes, alpine & aston martin, didnt do a qualifying run on any compound that i can see. but looking at my stats & times from drivers fastest times on C2, C3, C4, C5 times. but it what it looks like is all teams could be within 2-2.5 seconds which is better than the 4.2 seconds in last yrs season opener

ive tried to guessimate what was a long run & what was quick lap & time correct it. so for me this my pecking order, that will make me look stupid come saturday afternoon

Red Bull
Ferrari

(0.5 secs)

Mercedes
Mclaren

(0.7 secs)

Alfa Romeo
Aston Martin
Haas

(0.3 secs)

Alpha Tauri

(0.2 secs)

Alpine
Williams

 

[Greenlantern101]

Merc will be out front in 3 races. We saw this last year. Slow start then out front. The resources they have make it inevitable.

Lewis for champ.

 

[F1Brits_90]

id agree they will be there Greenlantern101 that the Mercedes of Bahrain will not be Mercedes of baku & Canada, but i feel Lewis again will get undervalued & he will out perform that car might be 3rd on the grid when probably should be on the 3rd row. but like his battles with ferrari in 2017 18 & 19, verstappen in 21. because he's in a mercedes it was expected to do that

 

[cider_and_toast]

The only thing I want is anyone but Red Bull.

I think the Ferrari lads may put the cat amount the pigeons this year and a three way battle would make all the difference.

On balance I'm going to say Hamilton for an 8th and almost certainly final time.

 

[Brogan]

I'll go on the record and say that Hamilton will finish 3rd at best.

I expect Hamilton to then retire at the end of the season.

 

[cider_and_toast]

I'm banking on it being a 3 way fight.

Last year, in a two way battle, Verstappen had to "win" cough cough, 10 of the 22 races.

In a 3 way or more scrap, that number would be significantly lower. For example, Vettel only won 5 races in 2010.

Let's really hope that Ferrari and even McLaren are as fast as the early indications suggest.

 

[Hamberg]

The only thing I want is anyone but Red Bull.

I didn’t think I’d see a time that I disliked a team more than Ferrari. But here we are.

 

[Il_leone]

I didn’t think I’d see a time that I disliked a team more than Ferrari. But here we are.

Could not agree with you anymore what is worse is they just wont shut up about last season and starting a mud slinging towards Mercedes already

 

[The Artist.....]

Merc will be out front in 3 races. We saw this last year. Slow start then out front. The resources they have make it inevitable.

Lewis for champ.

I don't think that this is quite so nailed on as in previous years - given the budget cap (and the fact that as reigning constructors champions, their budget is further restricted)...