The 2022 F1 season

[NicoRosberg.]

The 2022 season will be upon us fairly soon. Driver movements ahead of the big re-set are well underway

What are people most looking forward to?

For me it is seeing who can make the best new-spec car, and how Russell gets on at Mercedes.

Hopefully the whole season can take place without any Covid aggravation.

[Kevan]

Yeah, same for me.
I'd like to see the cars able to chase closely for prolonged periods without having to back off to cool tyres and brakes.
I'd like to see a different team at the back of the grid every week.
I'd like to see less petty rule enforcement.
I'd like to see Lewis win WDC #8 to knock that german cheat off his perch.
I'd like to see GR win a few races.
...and I'd like more than anything to see less hate talk aimed at one driver only but feel that's only going to happen when Lewis retires in 2023...possibly.

[NicoRosberg.]

The hate levels will drop back to 'normal' once he is gone, confirming a lot of it is about race.

Sometimes I have to remind myself that the stuff you and I see on social media is generated by a very tiny number of people compared to the global audience

[Wet Coast Racer]

I look forward to a season where, due to the extensive new rules for the cars, we get closer to that ever-elusive 'even playing field'. Which will hopefully be achieved by allowing closer racing.

The depth of talent amongst most of the current driver lineup is remarkable. 2021 has been terrific in many respects; 2022 could be golden.

[Kevan]

I look forward to a season where, due to the extensive new rules for the cars, we get closer to that ever-elusive 'even playing field'.

71 years in and we still haven't seen it in F1...and doubt we ever will...but the top half is closer than it's ever been.

[downtowndeco]

To tell you the truth, if the 2022 season is similar to the 2021 season I'd be OK with that.

[NicoRosberg.]

....we get closer to that ever-elusive 'even playing field.....

Until 2021 the 'playing field' has always been level - in so much as every team was given the same rule book.

Even in series that use spec cars, from Indycar to F4, you still get teams that are better prepared, better equipped, more skilled and more able to sign the best drivers. They mop up the wins.

The only way to give everyone a shot is to take away merit, like those egg-and-spoon races in schools were everyone get a participation medal. BOP, reverse grids, success ballast all close up the field - but they are the exact opposite of an even playing field.

[downtowndeco]

Until 2021 the 'playing field' has always been level - in so much as every team was given the same rule book.

Even in series that use spec cars, from Indycar to F4, you still get teams that are better prepared, better equipped, more skilled and more able to sign the best drivers. They mop up the wins.

The only way to give everyone a shot is to take away merit, like those egg-and-spoon races in schools were everyone get a participation medal. BOP, reverse grids, success ballast all close up the field - but they are the exact opposite of an even playing field.

You forgot to mention the most important ingredient; money. Money buys better teams that are better prepared, it buys better equipped, it buys innovation and it buys more skilled drivers. True, sometimes the money is wasted, and teams that spend the most don't win the most, but that's rare IMO. Now, how anyone fixes that is above my pay grade.

[Wet Coast Racer]

The only way to give everyone a shot is to take away merit, like those egg-and-spoon races in schools were everyone get a participation medal. BOP, reverse grids, success ballast all close up the field - but they are the exact opposite of an even playing field.

Actually, the funniest 'school participation' game I ever witnessed was an egg throwing contest, where the teams would toss regular eggs back and forth, steadily increasing the distance between them. The potential cricket fielders became obvious, the others merely messy.

But I digress. I have a thought. Let's consider this question:

What are people most looking forward to?

I truly believe that if you wish for our various SCI members to offer their opinion, then once you've asked the question, the only smart thing to do is to stay away from responding to - and critiquing - their responses. There's quite a few SCI members who follow these F1 Threads, and throw in their responses now and then. Personally, I wish there were more of them; I enjoy these threads.
Sometimes, it might be wise just to do some listening without responding, and maybe polish your old trophies.

[NicoRosberg.]

You forgot to mention the most important ingredient; money.

I didn't forget that, but it isn't covered by the rules, or at least it wasn't until this season. The technical and sporting rules, up until 2020, applied to all.

There is a budget cap in place now.

Before the cap, about which I have my doubts, the playing field was even is as much as all teams could spend what they wanted. If there were different budgets in use, and there undoubtedly were, that was the team's choice. None of them were forced to be in the sport, which is why I was always unimpressed by the complaining about costs.

In theory the cap should help with that field spread. The OEM-backed teams will probably find ways around it though, I especially don't trust Ferrari, and the current cap is still above what the small teams can afford.

Will it prevent the common occurrence where one team has an edge? It might, but it could be a double edged sword. Now if one team comes up with a technical trick, a modern equivalent of the Brawn double diffuser, that is 'baked' into their concept, their rivals now can't afford to copy it, and so the advantage that team get is 'baked' in too.

Interesting times.

[Kevan]

F1 can't ever be a level playing field when there's such a huge variety of ability, physical fitness and psychological grit. With all the will in the world mazespin will never match Max Verstappen or a young Lewis Hamilton. Just as the cars, some are just better than others...I've no doubt you can apply that to other various team members.

[NicoRosberg.]

Well, that is the bit you don't ever want to be level, isn't it?

You want the best people to gravitate to the best teams.

I have never understood wanting the field to be level or thinking it can be.

The closest we can get is have a budget cap and the rest of the rules the same for all teams. Sadly, under new-world ownership, F1 abandoned that this season.

[SouthShoreRacing]

If Europeans don't like the current ownership, save your Euros and buy it back.

[NicoRosberg.]

Most of the changes under the latest owners have been positive, as they have given a lot of power to existing F1 heavyweights when it comes to running things.

I do think however think they are itching to use BOP and other nonsense.

I hope not.

[Kevan]

...fanboost for the kids