Testing is over, the race is 1 week away. Let's hear your predictions for the season.
WCC:
1) Red Bull - They have gone extreme with an aero philosophy that has been proven to work since 2017. Their downwash coke-bottle design has proved to work since the early 2010s. Newey has been around long enough that ground effects likely are not a steep learning curve for him. I saw the most telemetry from Red Bull (mostly Perez) and it suggested even with the fastest times set, they still held back. I haven't seen it myself, but most people are saying the Red Bull now has the least amount of porpoising.
2) Mercedes - I think they have the most potential to develop. I don't think they have the car sorted yet, the porpoising issue is still quite bad for them. The no sidepod design has some aero advantages for sure, but it also shoves the packaging somewhat higher and their COG may not be optimal. It's also very close to the centerline of the car, which is a good thing. The one sure thing Mercedes will have is a strong power unit. No reason not to believe they won't still have the best PU once again. Watching Russell's fast lap in Day 3 testing, the car accelerated the fastest. Reports (even from Ferrari) say Mercedes looks to be the fastest in the slow corners. That's significant.
3) Ferrari - They may actually come out of the gate very strong. I'd have to believe they have the best understanding of their car since it's stayed pretty much the same since launch day. It's been stable, reliable, and appears to be quick. Not bringing any real updates is comforting and concerning at the same time. It can suggest the car is good and the real car correlates with their simulations. That's fantastic. However it may also mean the car is near it's maximum potential already. That is not good. Mercedes and Red Bull both had HUGE, B spec updates before the first race. This suggests the rate of learning on this 2022 Formula was off the charts. Ferrari had loads of CFD and Wind Tunnel time, and the design they went with has yet to evolve. Their PU is still a question mark.
4) Mclaren - Should still enjoy the Mercedes power, but I never saw them looking all that impressive during testing. In fact it seems they struggled more as testing went on. Probably because other teams figured things out better than they did. They should have the team and resources to solidly be in 4th place, but they seem to be a good bit off the top 3.
5) AlphaTauri - No surprise they share a similar design to Red Bull, which as I stated earlier is a design that makes sense to me. Mr 6th place Pierre should still be a star to his team. Yuki remains to prove himself worthy of F1. I ranked him near the bottom in 2021, and I believe his lack of performance will hurt the team in the WCC points. The car isn't as fast as I expected (from what can be judged in testing), but I think the potential is there and it looks better than the following.
Ranks 6-10 are a toss up, which is exciting.
6) Alpine - At times they seem like they could be in the bottom 3, their engine is probably the worst. Reliability could be a huge issue for them. Realistically they could be as low as 9th or 10th by the end of the year. But they have a very solid driver line up and good resources. While I expect more then a few DNF's, I also could see them getting double points here and there.
7) Alfa Romeo - Another long shot perhaps, as they easily could be 9th or 10th. If the Ferrari engine is good, the team can grow and score some good points. They have always been there to scoop up points, even being the 2nd worst team last year. With Zhou money and Bottas experience and good attitude, I think they will have a decent year.
8) Aston Martin - the car has looked pretty bad in testing to me, but they still have that Mercedes power and a big check book to maximize the budget cap. The team should easily be 6th, but it would not surprise me if they finish 10th. Ever since Stroll took over, the bang for buck production coming out of the factory just hasn't been there.
9) Williams - I suspect they could be as good as the 6th best car to start the season. The driver line up is still suspect. Latifi might be the worst driver on the grid. Albon has been out for a year. Since enjoying Mercedes hybrid power from 2014, the chassis and aero departments have been a let down each and every year. No reason to expect anything different in 2022.
10) Haas - The team had some struggles in testing already. Losing their money sponsor will likely have implications on the team as the season goes on. Hopefully the car is at least capable of mixing it up and not just a 19th & 20th paced car. Mick still needs to prove he can compete. Magnussen has been gone for a year too. Should be better than last year, but the team has some issues.
WDC:
1) Verstappen - if he has the best car, he should win it
2) Hamilton - F1 will make sure he's in the hunt for his 8th, if the car is as good as I think
3) Leclerc - give him a winning car and he'll get up there
4) Sainz - most consistent driver last year
5) Russell - hope he beats Hamilton, but it's still Lewis' team.
6) Perez - May finish 3rd if the car is the best, but is still a wingman to Max when necessary.
7) Norris - won't have the car under him.
8) Gasly - MVP of 2021, silently scoopin points.
9) Ricciardo - still will be slower than Norris
10) Alonso - one of the best drivers in an incapable car. Tradition.
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FERRARI FOR EVER !!!!!!!
Originally Posted by Greig
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