When it comes to the 2022 Formula One season, both Mercedes and Red Bull are expected to be the frontrunners once again. It’s not too dissimilar to the current situation in England’s Premier League with the same repeat contenders going for victory and, much like football’s title race this season, the battle for the Drivers’ Championship could go down to the wire once again.
Rivals Out in Front
With teams finished pre-season testing at Spain’s Circuit de Catalunya, everyone is looking for indicators as to how the 2022 F1 campaign might play out. The F1 title race last season could not have been any closer, with a more dramatic finish than anyone in motorsport could have predicted.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen eventually came out on top in controversial circumstances to claim his maiden world title. Meanwhile, Mercedes ace Lewis Hamilton was denied an eighth world title. However, the Englishman looks to be the early favourite going into the first race of the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 20th. With Mercedes newcomer George Russell thrown into the mix for the Silver Arrows, it looks set to be another intriguing battle for the Drivers’ Championship.
Over in the Premier League, if we look at the hum-drum of the chatter today, football prediction articles will show Man City and Liverpool as the two top teams in the race for the crown. With Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp likened to their Team Principals, the two tacticians are going head to head to see who will finish top of the pile in May. It was City who cruised to the Premier League title last season, but this year it could be a much closer affair.
The Chasing Pack
In both F1 and the Premier League there are teams trying to break up the power duos at the top. In the Premier League, Chelsea has been the closest competitors to City and Liverpool, but the West London outfit still finds themselves somewhat off the pace. Behind the Blues, the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and West Ham are all trying to narrow the gap at the business end of the season. Catching either City or the Reds looks highly unlikely, but the chance to secure Champions League football for next season is the ultimate aim.
In Formula One, Ferrari has seemingly become the best of the rest, but this traditional team, which was once used to dominating the sport, has had to readjust ambitions and now aims to climb back to the pinnacle of the competition. In Charles Leclerc, the Scuderia have one of the best drivers on the circuit and, at the age of 24, looks like a man destined to win a world title at some stage. Whether the Frenchman can do that with Ferrari remains to be seen.
As the F1 season gears up to start and the Premier League season draws towards a conclusion, all eyes will be on the top two in both respective sports to see who is triumphant in 2022.