Mar 16, 2022

  • Nate Saunders

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    Nate Saunders

    F1 Associate Editor

      • Previously worked in rugby union and British Superbikes
      • History graduate from Reading Academy
      • Joined ESPNF1 in February 2014

  • Laurence Edmondson

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    Laurence Edmondson

    F1 Editor

      • Joined ESPN in 2009
      • An FIA accredited F1 announcer since 2011

Struggling with whom to back up in Formula One this year? This is the guide for you.

In compiling this listing, it'due south striking how difficult it is to remember another fourth dimension Formula I had the depth of talent information technology does right now. At that place'due south a combined 14 championships on the grid and 5 or six drivers who wait more than capable of establishing themselves as F1's biggest star in the side by side few seasons.

There's enough of candidates for your favourite squad or driver in 2022. Hither we run down all of them.

The flavor begins with the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday, live on ESPN (10.55 a.one thousand. Eastern time).

TV scheduleb

Mercedes

Mercedes is the benchmark confronting which success is measured in F1 correct now. Sometimes it's easier to root confronting the dominant force simply Mercedes have fabricated winning races an art form since 2014 and information technology is genuinely remarkable how it has continued to raise its ain bar in that time. If Mercedes stays on top or remains competitive through some other big rule change (it did the same affair in 2018) there would exist no denying that this is the greatest F1 dynasty nosotros've ever seen.

44. Lewis Hamilton

Fans of Lewis Hamilton have seen him rewrite F1's history books over again and over again in contempo years and he goes into this year trying to win an unprecedented eighth championship. He was controversially denied that record last yr and comes into this flavor with a score to settle, which is often when he races at his accented best (come across last year'south Brazilian Thousand Prix).

Hamilton, knighted by Queen Elizabeth Two in December, is a spectacular racing driver. He'due south amazingly fast, while his smart race craft and brilliant tyre direction frequently open upwardly strategy options for Mercedes that would not exist for near other drivers. Every bit a bonus, his legacy will non just be divers on the race track. Hamilton, the only Black driver in the sport's 72-year history, has become a real forcefulness for social change worldwide, pumping millions of his ain money into improving diversity in Formula Ane.

63. George Russell

Later on years of waiting patiently for his take a chance, the time is now for George Russell. We saw how good he might exist when he was ane botched pit-stop away from winning as Lewis Hamilton's stand-in at the 2020 Sakhir 1000 Prix and many in the paddock call up Russell is a Formula One megastar in the making. If he lives up to expectations Russell will be the future of Mercedes' F1 project for a long fourth dimension.

This year Russell races alongside one of the best of all time and he could lay a mark down immediately by beating Hamilton across the season. Famously, Hamilton announced his inflow on the scene by doing the aforementioned to reigning two-time champion Fernando Alonso at McLaren in 2007. Could history echo itself in 2022?

Red Bull

Carmine Bull is one of the best teams of the modern era on and off the race rails, a perfect blend of racing pedigree and top level marketing. Whether it'southward the giant floating motorhome it brings to the Monte Carlo harbour for the Monaco Grand Prix, conducting a pit-stop at zero-gravity at an altitude of x,000 metres, or letting Max Verstappen drive one of his cars downward a ski slope, you tin always count on Cerise Bull to practise something completely unlike to the residue.

On track, it also happens to be consistently 1 of the filigree'southward strongest teams, with main motorcar designer Adrian Newey even so as revered at present as he was 15 years ago. Its driver programme remains the best producer of immature F1 talent on the grid by a comfortable distance.

ane. Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen, F1's defending champion, has changed the game since his debut in 2015, non but as F1'southward youngest race winner, but in completely reshaping the sport's rules of cycle to wheel racing. His approach is controversial to some but Verstappen tin do things with a car few others tin can lucifer. Like Ayrton Senna, his refusal to give upwardly a corner when going wheel to wheel with another driver has earned him a legion of support -- a motorsport survey of 167,000 fans conducted last year named Verstappen F1's about pop driver.

Most amazingly with Verstappen is how unaffected he is by the adulation and pressure level which surrounds him. His pace tin exist relentless, almost metronomic, such as his untouchable performance at last year'due south Dutch Grand Prix, the first e'er in his abode country since 1985. Verstappen seemed to be the only person in Zandvoort who didn't see what all the fuss was well-nigh.

11. Sergio Perez

Sergio Perez always seemed like he was going to be ane of F1's unfulfilled talents when he was stuck equally a midfield driver who regularly out-performed his cars for the odd podium here and there. Then, he won in Bahrain last year and moved to Cherry-red Balderdash for 2021, presenting the opportunity of a lifetime. It was hard to contend he didn't deserve the opportunity.

Perez's level of support in Mexico borderlines on religious worship and every bit a racing commuter he remains one of F1'due south about popular. His style is hard to dislike and at the races he could tame the RB17 Blood-red Bull last year he was really good -- he should be fifty-fifty more comfortable at the team this season. Perez also showed his value to Red Bull at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix concluding year, earning himself the nickname of Mexico's Minister of Defence for the style he held off Hamilton at a cardinal betoken in the race.

Ferrari

How tin you not love Ferrari? The Italian team is steeped in history, having been role of every F1 season since the world championship started in 1950, but is entering its 14th straight season without a title. Over the past few years Ferrari's addiction of falling short of expectations and underwhelming racing fans across the world has felt similar a rather savage joke. This could be the twelvemonth that all changes, which is plenty of a reason to root for the Prancing Horse in 2022.

16. Charles Leclerc

Charles Leclerc was on his manner to becoming an superstar in 2019 as a multiple race winner before Ferrari got into trouble with the FIA over its engine and slid down the competitive gild in 2020 and 2021. But Leclerc'due south remarkable talent is impossible to deny. He claimed pole position at the Monaco Thou Prix terminal twelvemonth but a crash at the terminate of qualifying ultimately stopped him from winning his home race.

Leclerc is a special talent, who has won at every level of racing he'south been at and who most everyone in the F1 paddock earmarked every bit a hereafter world champion from the first moment he stepped through its gates.

55. Carlos Sainz

Somehow, Carlos Sainz even so feels like an undervalued and underappreciated talent. He'southward one of many motor racing stars who have struggled to break out of the shadow of a famous racing surname. Rejected by Red Bull before stints at Renault and McLaren, terminal year at Ferrari finally felt similar a proper breakout for the Castilian driver and he is chasing that first F1 win this season.

Only why stop at that place? He out-performed Leclerc, an established acme tier driver, beyond last season. Leclerc seems similar Mr Ferrari and the more than logical pick for 'Ferrari driver who could be champion in 2022', but Sainz thrives all-time when he is being written off. If you lot want to root for the underdog, Sainz is your man.

McLaren

Like Ferrari, McLaren is a sleeping giant and one of the sport'southward about revered teams. However, its concluding constructors' championship victory was in 2007 and it'due south merely merely dragged itself out of the night days of a few years ago when it was struggling to even brand information technology out of the first qualifying session every weekend. McLaren's enormous F1 headquarters in Woking, England looks like something out of a scientific discipline fiction film.

It'due south an exciting era for McLaren and this new regulation change feels similar its opportunity to move back to the big time. CEO Zak Brown has done a great chore rebuilding the F1 team over the past five years while juggling a return to IndyCar and an entry to Extreme E. Chocolate-brown also seems committed to giving young N American talents like Colton Herta an opportunity to become their foot in the door in Formula One.

4. Lando Norris

Lando Norris seems to be on an unstoppable rise to global superstardom. He'due south only 22 merely he'south inbound his fourth season of Formula Ane as ane of the sport's most popular drivers. Norris is similar F1's Gen Z star -- he loves gaming and however regularly streams to huge numbers on Twitch. He'due south happy talking about mental health issues and how he deals with the pressure of arriving in F1 so young and with so many expectations.

Another reason he is so pop away from all that is that his talent matches the hype. He out-performed Daniel Ricciardo last twelvemonth and should take won the Russian Grand Prix. That first win will come, in that location's no doubt about that. Norris seems ready to challenge for a earth championship as before long as he has a car capable of taking him there.

3. Daniel Ricciardo

Australia's Daniel Ricciardo sometimes seems more like he's getting gear up to host Saturday Night Alive than race in Formula One, simply that is all a scrap misleading. In the machine Ricciardo remains one of F1'south top talents, with 8 wins to his proper name since 2014.

Ricciardo is the driver you lot want in the motorcar if you accept even the faintest sniff at victory, equally he seems to find a new level in those moments, similar at final year'due south Italian Yard Prix for McLaren. On his mean solar day Ricciardo is one of F1's all-time drivers. He the sport's best at out-braking another driver into a corner -- "lick the stamp and ship it", as he described it. He risked a lot in moving from Red Bull to Renault in 2018 and at McLaren he hopes to render to the winners' circle more often.

And if all that doesn't convince you, he too drinks champagne out of his shoe when he's on the podium.

Tall

Alongside Ruby Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes, Alpine (a sub-brand of Renault) is one of only 4 F1 teams that builds its ain engines. That makes it a true constructor in F1 terms, and in theory it could also go far F1's sleeping giant. The team based in Enstone has a long history in the sport, dating all the style back to Toleman -- the team that gave Ayrton Senna his F1 debut -- and includes the title-winning outfits of Benetton and Renault, which helped Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso secure their kickoff titles.

Regular leadership changes in recent years have meant long-term plans take been contradistinct on an nigh almanac ground, and it remains doubtful that the team will render to the front of the grid under its electric current five-year programme. One-time Aston Martin team boss Otmar Szafnauer is at present in charge of making that happen and information technology will be interesting to see how the team evolves under his control.

Also, if you like pink cars then Tall is the squad for you. The French outfit will run a striking all-pinkish livery at the first ii races before switching back to a mix of its traditional blueish and pinkish for the remainder of the season.

xiv. Fernando Alonso

He hasn't won a championship in over xv years, merely some say Alonso is all the same the most complete driver in Formula One. The two-time world champion, who secured his titles dorsum in 2005 and 2006 with Renault, is a tenacious competitor and all the same a 18-carat challenger for victories if he ever gets his hands on a car capable of doing so. He can read a race from the cockpit better than some engineers manage from the pit wall, marking him out as a contender for points no matter where he starts on the filigree.

And so at that place's the story of unfulfilled potential. He's the commuter who ended Schumacher's say-so in the early 2000s and looked fix to challenge the 7-time champion'south records, only for a series of dramas and poorly timed team swaps to put a cap on his success. Alonso could easily be a five-time champion by at present, merely for so many reasons he'south stuck on two. It would be a huge story if the 40-year-onetime got one last shot at the title before retiring.

31. Esteban Ocon

Ocon is a true fighter. Unlike many of his contemporaries in F1, he didn't have a racing commuter dad or bucket loads of coin to build his career, and instead had to do information technology purely on raw talent and results. He shell Verstappen to the Formula 3 title in 2014, but nevertheless had to piece of work twice as hard to make his debut in F1 two years afterward with backmarkers Manor.

Just as his career was building momentum at Forcefulness Republic of india in 2018, he was forced into a twelvemonth on the sidelines in 2019 when Lawrence Stroll bought the team and drafted in his son, Lance, to replace Ocon. But the Frenchman fought back and returned in 2020 every bit an fifty-fifty stronger driver before taking the showtime win of his career at the chaotic 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Had the timing of his arrival in F1 worked out differently, his links with Mercedes could have seen him alongside Hamilton in a world championship-winning machine, but for whatsoever reason it wasn't meant to be. All the same, don't rule him out for championship success in the futurity.

AlphaTauri

Information technology may be Red Bull's junior squad, but AlphaTauri is arguably the coolest outfit in F1. Borrowing its name and its style from Red Balderdash'south Austrian way house means it'southward always looking precipitous and the car'south well-baked blueish and white livery is a hit with fans.

But don't write it off equally style over substance; AlphaTauri has a long history of punching above its weight and has twice won its habitation race, the Italian Grand Prix, in 2020 with Pierre Gasly and in 2008 with Sebastian Vettel when the team was known as Toro Rosso. It'due south besides been the first step into F1 for all of Red Balderdash's home-grown talent, including Vettel, Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz and Daniel Ricciardo.

Go farther back in the squad's history and you'll find the legendary Minardi name, which fought adamantly every bit a plucky backmarker in F1 for over 2 decades.

x. Pierre Gasly

Pierre Gasly is one of two great Red Bull pass up redemption stories on the grid. Dropped past the team in summer 2019, he returned to its secondary outfit and won the Italian K Prix in 2020, which remains one of the well-nigh astonishing race victories in F1 history. Rooting for Gasly, you're assured of two things -- he'll qualify well and he'll race hard, with many of the conventionalities he was regularly out-performing the machine in 2021.

Gasly still seems unable to convince Scarlet Bull he deserves a second chance, which is all the more reason to spring onto the Team Gasly bandwagon this yr.

22. Yuki Tsunoda

It's difficult to find reasons to dislike Yuki Tsunoda. He'south the first to crack a joke nearly how small he is (he stands at 5 pes 2 / 1.59m, small even by racing driver standards) and admit he needs to surrender Uber Eats and gaming if he wants to stay in F1 long term. As a rookie, he struggled for consistency, merely gave endearingly frank self-assessments to the media, which is a rarity in a sport every bit cut-throat equally F1 and in an environment as notoriously unforgiving as Crimson Bull.

On track the Japanese commuter tin can be ane of the most exciting wheel-to-cycle racers of the lot and if he lives upwards to all his promises of self-improvement in his spare fourth dimension, he merely might be able to prove everyone what all the hype was about when he joined F1.

Aston Martin

The legendary British sports car brand returned to F1 terminal year afterwards a 61-year absenteeism. If you know the Aston Martin brand, we won't accept to work too difficult to convince you how absurd information technology is, but think James Bond and British applied science every bit the general vibe.

However, the racing team behind the name dates back to Jordan, which scrapped away equally F1'south perennial underdog for nearly ii decades before being bought past Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya. Information technology's latest consortium of owners, led by Lawrence Stroll, have set their sights on buying their mode to the front of the grid, and so if yous want to join a squad at the start of its success journey, Aston Martin is non a bad place to look.

5. Sebastian Vettel

Later Hamilton, Vettel has won the about titles of whatsoever driver on the grid with four to his proper noun from his time at Ruddy Bull. Since then he's driven and won races for Ferrari, where he was adored past the team just struggled to deliver a title, and last twelvemonth switched to Aston Martin where he hopes to rekindle his career.

Vettel is non only a talented driver just also one of the all-time ambassadors for the sport. In the by 12 months he has campaigned for LGBTQ+ rights in Republic of hungary, promoted the importance of recycling after the British Chiliad Prix and shown his support for Ukraine on his helmet following Russian federation's recent invasion.

18. Lance Stroll

The son of team co-owner Lawrence Stroll, Lance looks set to be a permanent fixture at the squad for as long equally he wants to remain in F1. He's about as laid back every bit a driver tin can be, but has shown glimpses of his underlying passion for F1 when results have gone his mode, such every bit his ballsy wet weather pole position qualifying lap at the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix.

Williams

In the 1980s and 1990s, Williams was a powerhouse in Formula I. The team still sits 2d equally the most successful outfit in terms of constructors' championship victories -- with 9 to its proper noun -- just hasn't won a championship since 1997. Even though information technology is no longer owned past the Williams family unit, everyone in Formula One still has a soft spot for the British team. To run into the historic name render to the front of the field would be one of the great experience-good stories in sport, although the chances of that happening this year remain incredibly slim.

23. Alexander Albon

In the space of 3 years, Albon has had a rollercoaster F1 career. At the finish of 2018 after a strong showing in Formula 2, it looked like he was ready to forge a path in Formula East merely for Crimson Bull to come knocking at the concluding infinitesimal and sign him upwardly to fill a gap at its junior team, Toro Rosso, for 2019. He was so impressive in the commencement half of the 2019 season that he was promoted to the senior Red Bull team midway through the twelvemonth and then given a shot at partnering Verstappen for a full season in 2020. Unfortunately things didn't get his way and by the terminate of the year he was back out of F1 and racing in Deutschland'south DTM series in 2021.

But for all the ups and downs, in that location'south no doubt that Albon deserves another shot at the peak of the sport. At Williams he may have found the perfect environs to build his confidence and prove just how skilful he is.

6. Nicholas Latifi

He's one of the nicest guys in F1 and, on his day, has shown the potential to score points in an underperforming motorcar. Over the past two years he struggled to shine alongside Russell at Williams, but that may take been a reflection of how practiced his former teammate was rather than a mark against his own talent.

Going up against Albon is a good opportunity for Latifi to show he can still claiming the best of F1'due south young drivers, and his success in doing so may determine how long he remains in the sport afterwards his current contract expires at the end of the yr.

Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo has i of the longest motor racing histories of any car visitor on the planet. Enzo Ferrari started out racing Alfa Romeos in the 1920s and the proper noun is withal one of the nigh evocative in the motor industry. Nowadays, Alfa Romeo'south presence in F1 is a branding exercise as part of a sponsorship bargain with the Sauber F1 team -- the Swiss-based outfit that still makes and runs the cars. Simply when the branding looks equally good as the livery on this year'south Alfa Romeo C42, that's simply some other reason to become backside the team.

What's more, Sauber is i of F1's most likeable teams, with a long history of punching in a higher place its weight and the quirky fact it's the only squad not based in either the U.1000. or Italy. This yr, it appears to have made a step forrard nether the new regulations, which could make it a regular indicate scorer once more.

77. Valtteri Bottas

For the past five years, Bottas has been best known for being Lewis Hamilton's teammate, and then the switch to Alfa Romeo is a bit similar hit the reset button on his career. He'd still be at Mercedes if he'd had the choice, but the hope is that the new environment volition help re-energise the Finn after and then many years playing second fiddle to Hamilton. On his twenty-four hour period, he'south clearly i of the fastest drivers in F1 and was capable of beating Hamilton in directly fights on more one occasion.

If he can notice more consistency now the force per unit area is off, his career could become a second current of air that propels him back to the front of the grid. Under the straight-talking exterior in that location is a brilliantly dry sense of humour, which will hopefully shine through every bit he leads Alfa Romeo this twelvemonth.

24. Zhou Guanyu

Zhou is China'due south outset full-time F1 driver and arrives in the sport with the expectation of nation weighing on his shoulders. F1 has long tried to fissure the Chinese market, but despite a small and loyal fanbase that attends each race in Shanghai, the sport has not gone mainstream in the land. F1 hopes Zhou, who he is undoubtedly the almost talented driver to emerge from China to date, will alter that.

He is also the only rookie driver on the grid this yr, which comes with a degree of force per unit area but besides a handy excuse if he makes errors. He performed reasonably well in F2 last year, taking 4 victories and finishing third overall, just in that location are many who believe the hazard to race in F1 at Alfa Romeo should have gone to the man who beat out Zhou to the F2 championship, Oscar Piastri. Zhou, naturally, will be trying to testify his doubters incorrect in 2022.

Haas

It's endured a few difficult seasons recently, but when F1's American team is competitive it is the grid'due south equivalent of Scrappy-Doo. A pocket-sized outfit which has at times punched well above its weight on limited resources compared to the rest. Add to that the circumstances this year, where information technology comes into the season without a title sponsor and with a automobile that prepare headline grabbing times in practise, and it might exist another swell underdog tale.

47. Mick Schumacher

This one is easy. Mick Schumacher has the most famous surname in motor racing. His father Michael is one of F1'southward greatest ever and is dear past fans so information technology's natural to desire his son to be a success. Mick feels like an F1 version of Dale Earnhardt Jr in that regard.

Schumacher's race number, 47, is a nod to his dad -- he's said previously he feels similar he'south racing "for number 7", a reference to the number of titles his begetter won in his incredible career.

But similar Dale Jr, Mick is also determined to be his own homo and prove he belongs on merit. He has a great opportunity to practice that in 2022 in what could exist a competitive Haas. It's difficult to find many people in racing who don't desire this to be another Schumacher racing success story.

20. Kevin Magnussen

One of the bully improvement stories in F1's recent history, Magnussen doubted he'd always drive in F1 over again at the get-go of this month, simply to be called upon to come up back to Haas and replace Nikita Mazepin. Magnussen is a hard-racing commuter who battles for every inch of track, which is perfect for what Haas will need in the midfield this year.

When he needs to be, he's outspoken and as his famous run-in with Nico Hulkenberg shows, he'due south never afraid of telling another driver where to go. The Dane'due south scrappy attitude perfectly matches the Haas team, which makes 'One thousand-Mag' very difficult to root against.