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The 2022 F1 season has brought with it some surprises and shocks. We have Ferrari leading the championship while Mercedes is teetering in the midfield. The new regulations have helped with overtaking and have even made tracks like Imola fun to watch.
Having said that, the 2022 F1 season has not been kind to everyone on the grid. Some drivers on the grid are already under pressure after just 4 races into the season. In this piece, we take a look at the top 3 drivers who are already on the backfoot this season.
#1 Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
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Carlos Sainz is 48 points behind his teammate Charles Leclerc after just four races this season. He has had 2 DNFs already but the bigger worry has been the lack of pace from the Spaniard when compared to Leclerc. Sainz might be competitive against the Monegasque, but he has not really looked like the lead driver at Ferrari.
Even though the gap is marginal between the two Ferrari drivers, it nevertheless still exists. After four races and 48 points down on his teammate in a team that is notorious for backing the lead driver over the second driver, things are not looking good for the Spaniard, especially as the title battle intensifies.
#2 Mick Schumacher (Haas F1)
Mick Schumacher has zero points to his name and is currently second last in the championship. If we are honest, that is where he belongs in terms of his performances this season. Not only has the Haas driver been off the pace, but he has also looked, for the lack of a better word, underprepared for F1.
Right upon joining Haas, Kevin Magnussen has virtually taken over all the love, affection, and attention of the team. Meanwhile, Schumacher, who was the team's sole hope last season and a driver destined for great things in F1 in the eyes of many, has been found wanting.
While mistakes and errors can be ironed out, the worry right now is the lack of speed. You can make a fast driver more polished, but how can you make a slow driver fast? The German has been under the pump this season and if he doesn't turn things around at Haas, his F1 career might not last too long.
#3 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
The image of Lewis Hamilton comfortably leading the Abu Dhabi GP last season seems like a distant memory at the moment. The Mercedes is not in the same league as Red Bull and Ferrari. The bigger worry has been the lack of urgency from Hamilton this season. If he is still fighting for the title this season, let's assume he is hoping to once Mercedes gets its act together.
His driving, however, has not reflected that. The Briton has left points on the table in the last three races of the season: be it with the setup issue in Saudi Arabia, losing out on the podium to George Russell, or the disaster in Imola.
As of right now, Hamilton is 7th in the championship standings, 21 points behind his teammate. With 15 years of legacy in F1 to preserve, if he was not serious about the challenge he had on hand, he would now.
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