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Max Verstappen is now a 2-time world champion after his win at the 2022 F1 Japanese GP. The Red Bull driver made it look easy as he cruised to a win in the wet weather. Sealing the world title with 4 races left in the season is surely a sign of dominance from the driver.
Having said that, the season is not over and there are certainly a few battles that still need to be resolved. With the latest developments in the F1 world, it's safe to say that the season is far from over. Even though Max Verstappen won the driver's title, there are still other battles worth keeping an eye on.
McLaren vs Alpine, Esteban Ocon vs Fernando Alonso, and more battles to look out for
1) Red Bull vs Mercedes and Ferrari (the Cost Cap breach)
The latest controversy around the cost cap breach by Red Bull for the 2021 F1 season is surely going to ruffle a few feathers. Mercedes and Ferrari will do everything possible to inflict maximum damage on Red Bull.
While it cannot be denied that Red Bull breaching the cost cap is a concern, the news certainly gives new life to a season that seemed all but over once Max Verstappen sealed the title at Suzuka. Red Bull will be facing the eye of the storm and it will be interesting to see how it bounces back.
2) The battle for P2 between Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez
While Max Verstappen has sealed the title already, the battle for P2 in the championship is still up for debate. Sergio Perez is currently second in the standings but holds only a 1-point advantage over Charles Leclerc. With 4 races left, expect Red Bull to have a car advantage at all of the tracks, which could tilt the balance in favor of the Mexican.
Having said that, Charles Leclerc is a special driver and he holds the edge over Perez when it comes to consistency. With the drivers' title already sealed in favor of Max Verstappen, this battle is going to keep everyone engaged until the end of the season.
3) McLaren vs Alpine
Arguably one of the more heated battles in the championship this season is between McLaren and Alpine. The French team did not take it too kindly that a driver from its academy was poached by the Woking-based squad. That rubbed the team the wrong way and there is certainly tension among the teams in this battle.
McLaren has been somewhat leading the march in midfield in the last few seasons. Since 2019, speaking about midfield teams (excluding Ferrari in 2021 which tends to have a big budget), McLaren has been the king of midfield. This season it is facing a stern challenge from Alpine. The French squad leads the British squad by 13 points at the moment but this battle will surely go right down to the wire in Abu Dhabi.
4) Esteban Ocon vs Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso is an elite driver. Not only that, he is a driver that has reigned over the sport of F1 as one of the top drivers. Except for Lewis Hamilton (who was level with him on points) and Jenson Button (who did beat Alonso in one of the seasons when he was paired with him), the Spaniard has not been outperformed by his teammate.
This season, Alonso has an underrated French driver in Esteban Ocon as his teammate and that driver leads him in the championship by 13 points. It could be debated that either Fernando Alonso or Esteban Ocon could be considered the better of the two Alpine drivers because both have been very good this season.
Regardless, one thing that cannot be argued is that Alonso trails Ocon by 13 points in the championship. With 4 races left, driving a midfield car, that lead is significant.
Alonso, a competitive beast in his own right, is not going to be happy with this statistic. The two drivers have kept things borderline respectful and neither is going to give an inch as the two battle it out for the honors of being the best driver in Alpine this season.
5) Max Verstappen vs most wins in a session
Max Verstappen is on the verge of immortality in F1 as he stares at the record for most wins in a season by a driver. The Red Bull driver is currently at 12 wins, while the record is jointly held by Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher with 13 wins. Out of the next 4 races, Max Verstappen has to win 2 to break the record. Looking at the form that he has shown, it's hard to bet against him.
There are other records as well, including the most podiums in a season and the biggest gap to the second driver in the championship that Max Verstappen will be trying to overhaul.
