Formula 1 2022 Season Preview: Trusting Red Bull to Get the Job Done
Last season's finale was shocking and full of controversy. Red Bull's Max Verstappen was crowned champion. Can Lewis Hamilton regain the most coveted title in racing?
Phil Bobbitt - March 16, 2022, 10:22 AM EDT
5 minutesFormula 1 2022 Season Preview: Trusting Red Bull to Get the Job Done
Last season's finale was shocking and full of controversy. Red Bull's Max Verstappen was crowned champion. Can Lewis Hamilton regain the most coveted title in racing?
Nope. Okay, maybe.
The gang at OddsChecker certainly did not hire me because I'm an incredible writer. They took a chance on a guy from Philadelphia because I gamble (a lot) on racing. Formula 1 races are broadcast early on Sunday mornings, so I totally understand if you've never watched. I really like to sleep too. But it is racing, so let's gamble. The television production is fantastic and the announcers have sweet accents.
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It was in the early hours of the season finale that the world came to realize that the invincible Lewis Hamilton was no longer unbeatable. Max Verstappen caught a super lucky late safety car that put him on Hamilton's rear bumper, and he would overtake him just a few corners into the final lap. Verstappen won the race and season championship on that final overtake, while Hamilton was subsequently denied what was his would-be record 8th championship.
It feels like a lifetime ago. Since I ripped up my irresponsibly large Lewis Hamilton win ticket that day, the Formula 1 car has undergone huge changes. The front and rear wings have been redsigned, the tires have bigger wheels with low profile tires and they will run on different fuel. All of the changes were made, in theory, to promote better racing.
As we've found out with the new "Next-Gen" car in the NASCAR Cup Series, even the smallest changes can cause a widespread shake-up. Toss out the historical data, because we're flying blind. The thing we've decided to throw out first is Mercedes' grip on the Constructor's Championship Trophy.
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Red Bull to win the Constructor's Championship (+285) (Bet $100 to win $285)
This one is gonna take a little moxie to hit submit on. Mercedes has cashed this prop eight years in a row. Red Bull undoubtedly has momentum carrying over from 2021, with Verstappen returning as the defending champion. Sergio Perez will be back for year two as Max's wingman. They showed some great rapport as the season wound down. Hamilton, on the other hand, will be breaking in newbie George Russell. Russell is a talented kid, but he was a William's team backmarker last year, and may crumble under the immense pressure of lofty expectations.
It's only fair that since we can no longer lean on historical data, that Merecedes can't either. Are the previous eight years of winning research and development now worthless? I don't know. But I would imagine they have to at least rip out a few pages. Lewis Hamilton was recently quoted saying that he doesn't think Mercedes is ready to be competing for wins. He could be under-selling it, but the practice and simulation data backs up that notion.
Verstappen will continue to be a podium machine. I also would take Perez's experience over the package Russell brings to the table...at least throughout the first half of the season. Red Bull was already Mercedes' biggest competitor, and we're getting almost three to one that they figure out the new design first. In our estimation, this should probably be a coin flip. Let's grab the value now, and buy a loved one a dope gift for the holidays when this one cashes in December!
