Team analysis | Will Mercedes compete for the world title again in 2022?

F1 season of 2021

At the start of the 2021 season, there was no problem for Mercedes. The German racing team had consecutively won the world title since 2014: six times it was Lewis Hamilton and once Nico Rosberg who drew the longer straw. In 2020, no team succeeded in seriously competing with Mercedes either, but that changed in the new year.

Red Bull Racing suddenly appeared to have a car on the track so that Max Verstappen could make difficult for Hamilton. During the first race in Bahrain, Verstappen had to acknowledge his rival, but in the races that followed it became increasingly clear that Mercedes lacked speed to shake off the Austrians.

After the summer break Mercedes managed to improve the car to such an extent that Verstappen found it increasingly difficult, but to Mercedes' disappointment it was not enough to take the world title. Verstappen won, partly due to decisions made by the race control, at the GP of Abu Dhabi, which afterwards caused great anger in the German formation.

Winter test

Where Mercedes had the better car compared to the competition in recent years, this season is different. Due to the new rules that apply in 2022, the team has to completely rebuild the car and the Germans are clearly struggling to find the right balance. Moreover, porpoising caused major problems during the test days in Barcelona and Bahrain.

With smaller side pods, Mercedes is again trying to beat the competition, but for now the team is mainly searching. The speed is not great and the times during the test days were not great either. Nevertheless, Mercedes seems to hope that Hamilton and George Russell are capable of great things.

Mercedes in 2022

Mercedes clearly wants to go in a new direction in the new season. Whereas in recent years, with Valtteri Bottas and Hamilton, it only had one driver under contract who could compete for the world title, Russell should provide healthy competition within the formation. Russell showed in the past with Williams that he has a lot of talent, but it remains to be seen whether he can handle the higher level as well.

Hamilton seems mainly to want revenge. The British driver is apparently still struggling with the defeat he suffered in Abu Dhabi last December and wants to win his eighth world title in 2022. To do so, however, he is likely to have to contend not only with Verstappen, as Ferrari and McLaren also seem to be competing for the world title.

Expectations

Since the switch to the hybrid engine in 2014, Mercedes was the top team in Formula 1, but those times seem to be slowly changing. The new regulations bring the teams closer together and therefore allow them to connect to the top. Mercedes must therefore seriously consider competition from Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren.

Whereas Hamilton will undoubtedly reach his level, Mercedes will be watching Russell with great interest. The Briton should grow into the team in the coming years and in a few seasons be able to take over Hamilton's role. It is therefore important that Russell shows himself right away in his first season. However, it seems to be complicated for him to beat Hamilton right away, although nothing is impossible.