Ferrari promises fresh upsurge after its grand start to F1 2022 season

The new Formula 1 season that began in Bahrain last weekend had been expected to re-ignite the smouldering embers of rivalry between Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who pipped the seven-time champion and won his first drivers' championship amid a raging controversy in the 2021 finale.

PREMIUM

While the attention of the motor sport world was in that direction, engineers and mechanics in Italy’s sleepy Maranello were quietly giving finishing touches to the car of old champions Ferrari which they were quietly confident would challenge the main rivals for honours this term.

The reason behind the upbeat mood within Scuderia Ferrari was obvious. The massive regulation changes, chiefly in aerodynamics and wheels, were an opportunity for teams to shake up the existing order—seen every time major rule changes were brought into F1 in the past.

Though the Italian outfit came out blazing in pre-season tests at Barcelona and Bahrain in February-March, the experts in the business knew those timings could not be taken seriously as teams never show their true colours before the season gets going.

The picture became clear on March 19, at qualifying for the season’s first race in Bahrain, when Charles Leclerc put the famous red car on pole—their first since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in June 2021—ahead of Dutch world champion Verstappen. Carlos Sainz put the other Ferrari in third, asserting Ferrari’s genuine pace.

Now, being fastest over one lap is one thing, proving that over a race distance of over 300km is another. Ferrari delivered there too with their first 1-2 finish since the 2019 Singapore GP, which was won by Germany’s former world champion Sebastian Vettel.

Ferrari’s pace was evidenced when Leclerc was challenged for lead by Verstappen early in the race. The Red Bull ace overtook the 24-year-old Monegasque a couple of times down the main straight. The Ferrari driver though fought back on the next straight, regaining the lead and staying there till the chequered flag.

Red Bull—it had the fastest car in 2021 with Mercedes—have kept their place at the top of the pace pecking order. They were on course for a podium finish until a technical issue forced both Red Bulls to retire towards the end of the race. Team principal Christian Horner, however, knows the Red Bull is fast and will challenge for victories despite not logging points in Bahrain.

Mercedes, who have dominated F1 since the turbo hybrid era began in 2014, though seem to have dropped behind Ferrari and Red Bull. Team head Toto Wolff has admitted that fighting for the 2022 drivers’ and constructors’ titles would be a struggle for the Silver Arrows.

“At the moment we are fifth and sixth on the track, and we are trying to recover ground. It is not going to come from one day to the other—we’ll keep pushing,” Wolff, who has led Mercedes to an unprecedented eight consecutive constructors’ titles from 2014 to 2021, was quoted as saying by F1.com. “If you look at the pecking order it seems a long shot to even be in contention for any of the championships.”

Porpoising—violent bouncing motion of a car suspension when zooming down a straight—affected most teams at testing, though it has upset the Mercedes of Hamilton and George Russell a lot more. It has created a drag, particularly on the straights, slowing their cars down over laps.

The German team has the experience and history of bouncing back and regaining performance as the season progresses, with the next race in Jeddah this weekend. To bet against them this early will be a risk.

Red Bull though appear to be legitimate title challengers for the second year in a row. Unlike last year, when they won only the drivers' championship, the Austrian outfit would want to clinch the constructors’ title as well.

Ferrari are on a high after developing a car that is finally capable of winning the titles. Though they had cars that were capable of taking on Mercedes in 2017 and 2018, their challenge fizzled out as the season developed with Hamilton hammering in wins week after week to the dismay of the tifosi, as its fans are called.

The last time Ferrari’s challenge went to the last round of a season was in 2012 when Spaniard Fernando Alonso—now driving for Alpine—almost wore the crown until Vettel—then with Red Bull—snatched it away after a brilliant fight back at the season-ending Brazilian GP.

The time Ferrari—F1’s most successful with 15 drivers' championships of which Michael Schumacher alone delivered five—won a drivers’ title was in 2007 with Finn Kimi Raikkonen while 2008 was the last time they bagged the constructors’ title.

The 2022 season has opened with a perfect finish. Can Ferrari finally break the grip of Mercedes and Red Bull and lift the title for the most popular team on the grid? This weekend's Saudi Arabian GP will provide a clearer picture.

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