There are still six races left in the 2022 Formula 1 season, but it’s safe to say both the drivers’ and the constructors’ title races are all sewn up. Max Verstappen is set to clinch his second world championship in a row in the next couple of races, while Red Bull are well on course to win their first constructors’ title in close to a decade.
But despite Verstappen and Red Bull’s dominance, there is still a lot to look forward to in the final few races of the season, the biggest of which is the race for second between Ferrari and Mercedes.
The Scuderia have a 35-point advantage over the Silver Arrows in the standings ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc seemingly regaining some sort of form.
However, the two Mercedes drivers – George Russell and Lewis Hamilton – have been quite competitive and more consistent than their Ferrari counterparts, so that second spot is still very much up for grabs.
Read on below as SBOTOP breaks down this intriguing battle for second between Ferrari and Mercedes.
The case for Ferrari
The Formula 1 2022 odds have Ferrari as favourites to finish second since they have a significant 35-point advantage at the moment with just six races remaining.
After a rotten run of form, Charles Leclerc has looked like he is getting back to his best in recent races. He returned to the podium with a third-place finish in the Dutch Grand Prix, then had a strong second-place performance in the Italian Grand Prix after starting from pole.
Leclerc, who has three race victories this season, has shown tremendous pace at times this season. He has been particularly strong in qualifying, claiming pole seven times already compared to four by Verstappen.
And while those quick qualifying laps haven’t been enough to overcome Verstappen during the actual race, Leclerc at full tilt is clearly quite capable of being the best of the rest.
As for teammate Carlos Sainz, Checo has gone off the boil a bit since his big win at Silverstone. But he has still been right in the mix in terms of a potential podium place, so he will contribute his share of points.
Sainz and Leclerc were the last drivers to win a race this season besides Verstappen, who has since gone on a five-race win streak. That’s a testament to the pace these Ferraris have and their capability to take the chequered flag – that is, if they don’t get in their own way with poor mistakes and questionable strategies, which is perhaps their biggest impediment to claiming second.
The case for Mercedes
With just six races left in the 2022 season, Mercedes are still searching for their first win. Neither Lewis Hamilton nor George Russell has reached the top step of the podium yet, and the former’s record of winning a race in every season since 2007 is in some jeopardy.
But despite this lack of wins, the Silver Arrows are still in with a shout of finishing in second. It’s a testament to the consistency that the two Mercedes drivers have shown that they find themselves in this position even without claiming a chequered flag.
Russell has been the picture of consistency this season. Just look at his Formula 1 2022 results; bar his unfortunate retirement in his home Grand Prix in Silverstone, the young Brit has finished in the top five in every single race this season, which is an impressive run.
And while he has yet to claim his first career F1 GP victory, he is getting quite close. He claimed his first career pole in Hungary and finished second in Zandvoort during a run of four podium finishes in five races.
With Verstappen in sensational form, Russell may need to wait a bit longer to get that first career win. But Mercedes will be more than happy if Mr Consistency can keep picking up those points as he has for the entire season.
Meanwhile, this has been far from a vintage Lewis Hamilton season, and yet the seven-time world champion has continued to battle despite having far from the best car on the grid. And while the 35-year-old claims he doesn’t care about his record of winning at least one race since 2007, you can be sure that his motivation to win is still alive and well, so he won’t stop pushing till the end.
Prediction
While Mercedes have made a strong push in the second half of the season, their 35-point deficit over Ferrari will be difficult to overcome in just six races. Russell’s season-long consistency has been impressive, but they will need to start picking up maximum points to overtake Ferrari, and it does not appear that they are quite capable of that.
With Leclerc regaining his form, the Scuderia should have just enough to withstand whatever late-season surge the Silver Arrows can muster.
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