F1 line-up 2022: Every team’s drivers for the season
Every team is now set with their driver line-up for the 2022 season, which begins on Sunday in Bahrain
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Your support makes all the difference.The 2022 Formula 1 season is here with the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit on Sunday, 20 March.
Each team has completed their testing and has their driver line-up set with the uncertainty surrounding the new rules and regulations adding an extra layer of intrigue.
The buzz and hype of F1 could not be higher after the tremendous 2021 season, which saw Max Verstappen edge out Lewis Hamilton to land a maiden world title.
Ferrari appear to have elevated their status heading into the new season, which could mean a more open constructors’ title race alongside Red Bull and champions Mercedes.
Here is every team’s line-up, their new car and livery ahead of the season opener this week.
Mercedes
Car: W13
Drivers: Lewis Hamilton, George Russell
Head of Aerodynamics Mike Elliott insists only the steering wheel remains from last year’s car: “Only the steering wheel has carried over. We worked closely with the guys to get the tightness in the bodywork.
“The real work is under the skin. The biggest change is the aerodynamic rule changes. Changes in the flow features, producing the best car in the world. How you can get the performance we want. It takes a lot of group working.”
Red Bull
Car: RB18
Drivers: Max Verstappen, Sergio Pérez
Red Bull announced an enormous new sponsorship deal with American technology company Oracle at their launch event, in an agreement which is set to be worth $100m per season for five years. The Oracle logo is now emblazoned along the side of the RB18, which otherwise sports a very similar navy blue, red and yellow livery design.
The team will defend the drivers’ championship won by Max Verstappen in 2021, but gave very little away at their launch, merely showing off an F1 ‘showcar’ rather than the real challenger which will take to the track in testing.
“I’m really looking forward to driving out the pitlane and driving the first few laps,” Verstappen said. “For me the biggest thing is the view in the cockpit with these bigger tyres, it’s harder to hit an apex in the tight corners. That will make it a little bit more tricky.”
Ferrari
Car: F1-75
Drivers: Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz Jr.
Under the stewardship of team principal Mattia Binotto, Ferrari have been focused development on their 2022 machine for a long time and some pundits believe they could enter the new campaign in a strong position.
The livery Ferrari are going with for 2022 is largely similar to the design from last time out, a predominantly red body being complimented by black colour blocks on the halo, rear wing and front wing. The logo of returning sponsor Santander, the Spanish bank which was associated with the team during Fernando Alonso’s spell as a driver, adorns both the front-wing endplates and the engine cover.
The sides of the engine cover also feature a series of cooling vents akin to the AMR22 revealed by Aston Martin last week.
Car: MCL36
Drivers: Daniel Ricciardo, Lando Norris
McLaren have made some alterations to their livery for the 2022 campaign based on the positive feedback the team received for the one-off Gulf-inspired livery they sported at Monaco last year.
The electric blue with accompanied last season’s papaya is out, and the lighter shade of blue from the Gulf design is in.
“For me the most important thing is that we keep this positive momentum up, that we keep making steps as a team,” said team principal Andreas Seidl. “We want to get back to fighting for race wins regularly and fighting for championships again in the future. But at the same time we know the reality that we still have some important building blocks like the wind tunnel and the infrastructure side to finish in the next two years.”
Alpine
Car: A522
Drivers: Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon
Alpine launched their 2022 livery at an unveiling in Paris, and the key alteration from the French team is a switch from blue-red to blue-pink. The pink highlights are said to be a nod to the team’s new title sponsor BWT. Furthermore, the 2022 Alpine will look completely different once again over the opening two races of the season. The team have announced that they will run a “flipped” edition of their car in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, with pink becoming the dominant colour. Alpine will then revert back to blue-pink for the remainder of the season.
“It’s with great pleasure that we launch our A522 to the world today, marking the next chapter in Alpine’s Formula 1 journey,” said Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi. “We have a clear plan and vision in place at Alpine and we have some of the best people in the business to help drive us forward and realise our ambitions. Our team is stronger now and, we hope, future-proof.”
Car: AT03
Drivers: Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda
The livery Alpha Tauri are going with for 2022 is largely similar to the design from last time out, with an upper white blue colour block topping a field of navy which drops towards the nose. The Italian flag is incorporated for the first time though on the tips of the front wing endplates, reflecting the Faenza-based squad’s heritage.
Driver Pierre Gasly scored a strong ninth-place in the drivers’ championship in 2021, and regularly challenged rivals in faster machinery in qualifying. Now the Frenchman is eager to see how the AT03 handles on track.
“This year sees a huge change to the car as, due to the new regulations, the look and design is completely different, so the team has had to start from a clean sheet of paper,” the 25-year-old said. “We won’t know the true performance of the AT03 until we get it out on track at pre-season testing in Barcelona but so far, I think it looks great and I am very excited to get this new season started.”
Aston Martin
Car: AMR22
Drivers: Sebastian Vettel, Lance Stroll
The Aston Martin livery has undergone some significant alterations. The shade of racing green used for the majority of the body has been brightened slightly to increase visibility on track, while the dashes of pink have been removed after the team’s sponsorship agreement with Austrian water company BWT expired. In place of the pink is a high-vis lime green colour, which the team often runs in other racing categories.
The logo of Saudi Arabian oil company Aramco features prominently after they agreed a multi-year sponsorship deal with the team, with the rear wing seeing green fade into blue under the Aramco logo. On the technical side, one of the most interesting pieces of design on the AMR22 is the section of vents on the sidepods.
“It’s always a big effort [to build a new car],” four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel added. “It’s very difficult to know what to expect this year and impossible to point out where will be this season. We want to be better than last year, and for many reasons we should be. I hope the field will be closer together, that will give us more chances to race. We have to be a little bit more patient. The excitement is very high.”
Car: FW44
Drivers: Nicholas Latifi, Alexander Albon
Williams have a new multi-year sponsorship deal with Duracell, and the battery manufacturer’s logo features prominently on the new FW44. Their new design features various shades of blue with a diamond pattern over the engine cover, with red accents meant to reflect the team’s “proud” British heritage.
British-Thai driver Alexander Albon is returning to the grid with Williams this season, after a year spent serving as Red Bull’s test and development driver.
“It feels like a year out and I’m itching to get going – it makes you hungry to get back in a seat,” the 25-year-old said. “The year out was actually a way to see things from a different perspective, in a way that is not purely focused on the driving side. This is a team that is really on a climb and hopefully we will be able to use what I know to help it on its way.”
Car: C22
Drivers: Guanyu Zhou, Valtteri Bottas
Car: VF22
Drivers: Kevin Magnussen, Mick Schumacher
Haas became the first time to reveal their 2022 challenger when they released renders of their VF22.
They were due to have Nikita Mazepin driving alongside Mick Schumacher but sacked Russian Mazepin following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, with Kevin Magnussen drafted in as a replacement.
Team principal Guenther Steiner said: “We all know what the team is capable of, we’ve proved that in the past, and with this new car – born out of a completely new set of regulations and with our new design team in place – I’m confident we can showcase once again that we can compete on weekends.”
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