Pit Walls and Pit Stops

Part of the F1 Reaction Series

The 2022 Formula 1 season has come to a close and I think it’s about time we have a look back at the second half of the season. When I say this season was more dramatic than an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, I mean it. We have so much to talk about and as far as I know all of it happened after the Summer break. Netflix’s new season of Drive to Survive won’t need faked rivalries after everything that happened this season but I’m sure they’ll include some anyway.

Double Dutch Delight

Max Verstappen is now a two time world champion after a dominant season consisting of 17 podiums, 7 poles, 5 fastest laps, 454 points and a record breaking 15 race wins in a single season. Verstappen and the RB18 got off to a rocky start but, once the gremlins were dealt with, the pairing looked unstoppable; winning multiple races comfortably and wrapping up the Drivers’ Championship in the home of Red Bull’s Honda power unit, Japan, with 4 races left in the season.

Return of the Viking

Kevin Magnusson returned as a bit of a wildcard this season which is old news. HOWEVER! K-Mag only managed to put his Haas on pole at a very changeable Interlagos for his and Haas’ first ever pole. The scenes and the face he pulled when he realised he’d put it on pole were crazy. A massive congratulations to Haas and K-Mag for their long awaited first pole position.

He Turned In On Me!

He may have claimed his maiden win this season but some people are more concerned about George Russell’s proclivity for blaming drivers for turning in on him. Blimey! It got to a point where viewers were expecting him to charge into the first corner and take out somebody. Now, if it happened once, I could accept it as an accident but when people keep turning in on you it becomes clear very quickly that you are the problem. Crikey!

The Italian Job

Seems we’re saying Bye Bye Binotto after an almost farcical season for Ferrari that saw them drop more points than you’ve had hot dinners. With multiple DNFs throughout the season, it was clear something needed to be done to return the prancing horses to their dominant, winning ways. Fans are optimistic now that Binotto has resigned but, personally, I don’t see Ferrari’s woes evaporating all of a sudden simply because one person is not the source of all the team’s problems. The team needs to learn from their mistakes and needs to be looked at at the most basic level in order to iron out issues; getting rid of the person in charge isn’t going to teach anyone a lesson.

Red Bull: Civil War

Interlagos was dramatic to say the least but it was also ground zero for what looked like a civil war within Red Bull. Max refused to give Checo sixth place, costing Checo a slim advantage in the Drivers’ Championship going into the final race of the season, and claimed he had his reasons but, honestly, I think everyone wants to know what those reasons are exactly. The team cleared the air apparently and Red Bull and both drivers refused to elaborate on what caused the fall out but, even though the season is over, we are left wondering if this will have lasting effects on the teamwork within Red Bull.

Money Matters

For the longest time, the Red Bull cost cap breach was all anyone was talking about. Red Bull admitted to a minor overspend once the dust settled and, what do you know, the very people who had all sat in a room and agreed on the punishments the year before were baying for blood, demanding harsh penalties and branding people cheaters. Zac Browne (I am fully aware of the misspelling and it is intentional after what he did to DR3) even wrote a letter that can be construed as being about the cost cap breach (ironic given McLaren’s less than exemplary behaviour in the not too distant past) but teams in glass houses, Mr Browne, shouldn’t throw stones.

The French Connection

The rumour mill was proven correct when Pierre Gasly signed a contract to join Alpine for the 2023 season which sadly pulls apart the epic Alpha Tauri bromance between Gasly and Tsunoda. Tensions within Alpine between Alonso and Ocon were already getting to breaking point by the end of the season but things seem set to become even more spicy at the now all French team as Ocon and Gasly have a less than pleasant history together. They have both stated that they have put their differences aside since but that doesn’t stop them from cropping each other out of photos. We can only wait to find out how these Frenchmen fare as teammates in 2023.

Special De-li-Vries

When he’s not being mistaken for debris on the track, Nyck De Vries is signing a contract with Alpha Tauri to fill the vacancy left by Pierre Gasly’s departure. De Vries made waves in Monza filling in for Alex Albon, who was unable to race due to appendicitis and respiratory complications after surgery, by finishing 9th and earning Williams some points within a few hours of being told he would in fact be racing and not just participating in Free Practice for Aston Martin as expected. In Abu Dhabi, the Mercedes team even zip tied De Vries to a wheel trolley and delivered him to his new home for next season so he can become a member of, what is now, the shortest team on the grid. The Tiny Tauri era has begun.

Puff Piastri

All eyes will be on Oscar Piastri next season, as fans try to decide if he was worth all the drama and hardship that occurred. He’ll be teamed up with Lando Norris at McLaren after Daniel Ricciardo was bought out of his contract. However, Oscar’s seat comes with one teensy weensy caveat: He either impresses the McLaren team or he’s out. Will the new Aussies be able to dominate against his more experienced British teammate? Times during Pirelli tyre tests and post season testing suggest Piastri is faster but will that translate when it comes to actual racing?

Honey Badger Homecoming

Daniel Ricciardo was left without a racing seat for 2023 but he wasn’t left without a place to go. Ricciardo signed a deal that will see him don the familiar navy overalls of Red Bull as the Honey Badger makes a welcome return to Milton Keynes as a reserve and testing driver with PR duties for the team as well. It does mean that Danny Ric may not be at every race but he will be taking a well earned break from the sport for at least a year. Now the question is: Will pressure be placed on Perez to keep performing now that Ricciardo can be seen as waiting in the wings to join his former teammate, Max Verstappen, on the grid again.

Big In Japan

The Drivers’ Championship may have been wrapped up during a very rainy Japanese Grand Prix but the real talking point was why there was a crane on the track while cars were still on track. The FIA admitted that the recovery vehicle should not have been deployed until the track was cleared of all racing cars during a very low visibility race but the incident didn’t sit well with many drivers including Pierre Gasly who admitted he feared for his life when he drove past the crane unsighted as he tried to catch up to the pack under the safety car. Numerous drivers noted the situation was similar to the incident that led to the tragic death of Jules Bianchi in 2015.

Lando of All Trades

When you’ve got some free time and all the money you could possibly need in the world, what do you do? Well if you’re Lando Norris you pick up some hobbies like golf, photography and…music production and DJing? As one does. Lando and golf is old news; we all know he loves tee times in his down time but Lando brought us behind the scenes into the world of F1 with his new Instagram photography account Lando.jpg and even inspired Daniel Ricciardo to do the same. However, Lando decided to try his hand on the decks too and, who’d have guessed, he’s pretty good at that too. Keep your eyes peeled for the Riton x Lando (Lanton?) remix of Friday.

Merc Mick

Mick Schumacher may have been growing as a driver this year but apparently he was not helping Haas grow in the process which led to him losing his seat to Nico Hulkenberg. However, there was one team that said they just happen to have a spot for Mick: Mercedes. This isn’t the first time the Schumacher name has been tied to Mercedes and we shall have to wait a while longer to see how Mercedes nurtures Mick’s talent.

Danke Dietrich

At a point where Red Bull looked to be finalising their punishment regarding the cost cap breach, the Red Bull camp went quiet on the Saturday leading up to the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. Media were told it was nothing to do with the cost cap and shortly afterwards the death of Dietrich Mateschitz, founder of Red Bull, was announced. Dietrich’s philosophy was the cornerstone of Red Bull Racing’s DNA and all the drivers who had been affiliated with Red Bull stood at the forefront during the commemoration of Dietrich (which equated to almost half the grid: 8 drivers in total. Verstappen, Perez, Gasly, Tsunoda, Sainz, Vettel, Albon and Ricciardo). Red Bull closed out the weekend by winning the constructors’ championship; a fitting way to celebrate the life of their founder. No risk means no reward

There’s Still a Race to Win

The end of the 2022 season saw the departure of 4 time world champion, Sebastian Vettel. A dinner was held in his honour at which his fellow drivers shared memories of the German driver; while on track, Sebastian and a whole host of fans and well wishers ran a lap of the track while wearing shirts that read Danke Seb. Sebastian’s shirt read Danke F1. He finished his final race the same way that he finished his first, in tenth place, and earned himself and his team a point. Many, Lewis Hamilton included, believe and hope that Vettel will make a return to the sport but Vettel himself has admitted that he will have to wait to find out if he does want to make a return at all. We won’t be forgetting our youngest ever world champion anytime soon or the indelible mark he left on the sport.