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The 2022 F1 season saw the rise of a few highly proficient new drivers. But the grass was not so green for everybody else. Several highly skilled drivers performed exceptionally poorly. While some blame can be pinned on the machine they were handling, drivers share equal burdens with every loss the team incurs.
While Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc ended the season without broad scrutiny, the Mercedes, Haas, and McLaren paddocks were usually swirling with controversy and forced into having difficult conversations about dilapidated strategy and lackluster performance.
2022 was not kind to all F1 drivers
1) Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren)
Ricciardo scored less than 1/3rd of the points scored by his teammate. It is an incredible loss in the standings for a driver of his stature. Two years ago, he was considered one of the best drivers on the grid. He thrived with Red Bull and pulled off a decent drive with Renault. But such was not the case this year.
Since moving to McLaren, Riccardo has routinely been outperformed by Lando Norris. As the F1 season progressed, the Aussie slowly lost confidence and ultimately lost his seat for 2023. Problems started surfacing at Monaco, where Ricciardo couldn't push the car as well as Norris. It was clear to McLaren that they had a good car. The driver wasn't a good fit.
While Norris scored a chunk of points for the team, Ricciardo usually finished without points, placing the team in a grossly uncompetitive position. Before the race kicked off in Monaco, Ricciardo was largely tied with Norris, but his season went down a tumble after that.
Ricciardo's performances in the second half of the year made it clear that he won't be able to control the car. Hence, the team decided to part ways for the next season, as Ricciardo landed the third seat at Red Bull. It's a somber moment for the Aussie because he won't return to the grid soon.
2) Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
This was the first season in Hamilton's illustrious career in which he could not score a single pole finish. His P6 finish in the standings is the lowest he has ever ranked. To make matters worse, Hamilton was outscored and sometimes outperformed by George Russell.
Early in the season, there were rumors of Hamilton running experimental setups that compromised him compared to his teammate. However, with George Russell recently quashing those rumors, Hamilton's season looks worse in hindsight. The Mercedes driver suffered a heartbreaking defeat last season, so audiences expected him to return with a vengeance. He started the season with proclamations like his 'team did not make mistakes.' But the year didn't pan out well.
Engineers struggled to level the car's bounce during the first half of the season. It cost Hamilton and Russell precious time. But later, Hamilton's inconsistencies during qualification and race led to disastrous outcomes. Nonetheless, it was quite evident that Russell performed significantly better and stole the spotlight. Hamilton had to make peace with the middle order as he didn't have much to show.
It should be noted that Mercedes significantly improved their car over the season, making it more competitive and often beating the Ferrari. But Hamilton could not pull off a consistent year that is expected from the seven-time F1 world champion.
3) Mick Schumacher (Haas F1)
Mick Schumacher entered the 2022 F1 season with high hopes of proving himself to the paddock. The car was more competitive than he had last season, and all eyes were glued to his performance. However, he ended the season outscored by Kevin Magnussen, who finished the year with double the points of Schumacher.
Several crashes showed how Schumacher was unable to keep pace with the car. He did not finish in Monaco and Canada and did not start in Saudi Arabia.
Although a bright driver, his relationship with Haas slowly soured, as evident by a temperamental team principal, Guenther Steiner, often publicly admonishing Schumacher. This was probably a bit too much and added extra pressure. But Schumacher was expected to silence critics with formidable results, which did not happen. He only secured points in two races.
However, Schumacher improved significantly in the second half of the season and put on decent drives. While his future in F1 remains uncertain, it is possible that a different team with different management could better harness the driver's potential. But Haas is an independent team that needs to direct its RnD towards bettering the car's performance. They could not afford the unpredictability and costly crashes that became a staple of Schumacher's 2022 F1 season.
