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The 2022 F1 season is going to be pivotal for every team. With new regulations in place, the teams that gain a headstart at the beginning of the season will be able to reap benefits.
This becomes apparent if we look at the last two regulation changes that led to Red Bull's domination from 2010 to 2013 and then Mercedes' domination from 2014 to 2021. In this article, let's have a look at what the pre-season targets will be for each of the teams before the F1 2022 season is underway.
Mercedes
Target: Redemption
For Mercedes, the word that resonates with the team now is redemption. The German team duly won the constructors' title last F1 season but lost out to Max Verstappen in the drivers' title. For the 2022 season, the team will be looking to redeem itself and get back both those titles.
Red Bull
Target: Clinch both the titles
For Red Bull, the 2022 regulations come at a pivotal time. The team has just regained its spot as one of the top teams on the grid. Yet a new set of regulations pose a threat as it could lead to challenges that cannot be predicted.
For the Milton Keynes-based squad, the team will be hoping for more of the same in terms of what they did in the 2021 season and this time clinching both the championships instead of one.
Ferrari
Target: Challenge for the title
Ferrari returned to prominence in the 2021 F1 season. For a team of its stature, however, third in the standings and fighting primarily in the midfield is not what should be expected. The Italian team will be looking to make its way back to the top and challenge for the title after a lean period in the last 3 seasons.
McLaren
Target: Challenge for wins
McLaren has maintained a sustained growth trajectory over the last few years. In 2021, the team picked up its first 1-2 finish in a decade which was further proof of the progress it has made.
For the team, the next goal would be to leave the midfield and challenge for wins consistently.
Alpine F1
Target: Challenge for the title
Alpine is a team that has a lot riding on it in 2022. The team was supposed to be a front runner by now in F1, however, it has been unable to do that. Being just the third works team on the grid, other than Mercedes and Ferrari, excuses for the Enstone-based outfit are running out now.
For the F1 2022 season, the team has great drivers in Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon, great resources, and it started working on the 2022 challenger very early. The team has to target a title challenge this season, especially if it wants to retain Alonso's services for the future.
Alpha Tauri
Target: A more consistent and efficient season
Alpha Tauri was surprisingly impressive in 2021. The car was well entrenched in the midfield and took the fight to McLaren and Ferrari on occasions. For the Italian outfit, however, the lack of consistency was the biggest issue as it cost the team sixth place in the constructors' championship.
To add to this, the performance of Yuki Tsunoda was underwhelming throughout the season. For the team, the target has to be a more consistent front with more contributions from the Japanese driver this season.
Aston Martin
Target: Lead the midfield bunch
Aston Martin suffered immensely from floor regulations in 2021 and was unable to recover from the deficit throughout the season. This season, however, is a clean slate, and the team, inundated with good drivers and a few star signings, will be looking to progress from where it was last season.
The team admits it is not going to be a title challenger for the next few seasons. It will, however, be targeting a move to the front of midfield this season.
Williams F1
Target: Return to midfield
Williams made a return to points and the podium in 2021 with George Russell. With the team losing its priced asset in the Briton, the team will be looking to make further progress on the grid and return to the midfield.
Alfa Romeo
Target: Consistently fight for points
Alfa Romeo had a below-par season with two underperforming drivers last season. After admittedly switching focus to the 2022 challenger very early and with a new lineup of Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou, the team will be looking to make a return to the midfield pack and become a consistent points scorer.
Haas
Target: Return to midfield
Haas had the most underwhelming season of all teams last year. The team had openly claimed that it will not be making any progress on the 2021 car and would focus entirely on the 2022 challenger. That resulted in the team having the slowest car for the entire 2021 season.
For this season, the team needs to deliver if it has to secure its future in the sport. It cannot produce another backmarker and expect to stay in the sport for long. For the 2022 F1 season, the team will be targeting a return to midfield. After a season at the back of the grid, it would show significant progress if the team can consistently fight for points this season.
