Formula 1: Way-too-early 2022 manufacturer power rankings
By Ian Higgins
Formula 1 manufacturer rankings: No. 4 – McLaren
The only manufacturer to post a 1-2 finish throughout the 2021 season (thanks to the inside curb of turn two at Monza), McLaren have been the only team to make public comments about the reality of the development battle for the 2022 season.
With brand new aerodynamic concepts at play and little time to learn about them in the lead-up to the season opener in Bahrain, McLaren technical director James Key has made clear that he expects the development battle to remain intense throughout the first half of the calendar, and it will likely remain as such to the final rounds of the season.
McLaren were one of the manufacturers to push their 2021 development the furthest on the grid, only stopping development in August before the second half of the 2021 campaign. Unable to continue the application of development to the car, Ferrari moved ahead on pace in the second half with their ECU upgrade to the power unit, which will remain on the grid in 2022.
Easily the Formula 1 manufacturer with the most traction off-track, McLaren possess realistic ambitions to be a top three team within this new era before the launch of new power units in 2026. With Mercedes power and the ability to build a car from the ground up around said power unit, Zak Brown has completed the rebuild.