Formula 1: Way-too-early 2022 driver power rankings

Who else?

Following potentially the greatest title fight in the history of Formula 1, both Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton demonstrated unparalleled form on a week-to-week basis, extracting the absolute most from the best machinery on the grid. These two drivers had already essentially established their own category of “Formula 0.5” by the time the Formula 1 circus had arrived in Imola for the second round of the 2021 season.

#2 – Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

For the first time since 2016, Formula 1 had the opportunity to witness a genuinely challenging season for Lewis Hamilton and his garage.

Competing not only with an equally capable rival machine but also a young driver with a seemingly different interpretation of how to go about wheel-to-wheel battles, Hamilton was pushed to the edge on a week-to-week basis, as proven by uncharacteristically frenetic radio messages between him and his team.

Following a dramatic season finale at Yas Marina, Hamilton took a hiatus from social media to reset after such a taxing season. This spurred rumors of a potential retirement due to his frustration with how his team handled the end of the season, despite providing him with far and away the fastest car on the grid.

Quite frankly, there is no way Hamilton will voluntarily step away from the sport until he achieves a record-breaking eighth world championship. Despite a cool demeanor and focuses away from the race track, he is chasing sole possession of the greatest-of-all-time title and will not retire until there is a unanimous consensus across Formula 1.

Hamilton will theoretically excel for some of the same reasons fellow veterans Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso will: he has over a decade of Formula 1 experience and can call back upon cars preceding both 2017 and 2009. Likely able to transition more quickly to the new machinery from prior lessons learned, Hamilton could get out of the blocks quickly with a newfound aggression inspired by last season’s overtaking tendencies.

#1 – Max Verstappen, Red Bull

The reigning world champion statistically outperformed his championship rival throughout the season yet was still forced to perform under pressure in a last-lap duel for the title.

Over the course of the 2021 season, Max Verstappen doubled Hamilton’s pole count and more than doubled his laps led, and he led in average finishing position (1.84 to 2.76) while fighting back from two additional DNFs.

His poor finishes included two hotly contested instances of space not being left between the two protagonists, a tire failure in which the responsibility fell at the feet of Pirelli, and a ninth place finish with a heavily damaged car in Hungary thanks to Valtteri Bottas.

Within these races, Hamilton gained a total of 41 points on the Dutchman, a total that likely would have been 66 points — and an eighth title — without his magic show in Baku.

After finally moving from “rising star” to a certified centerpiece of the world of motorsport, Verstappen carries plenty of positive momentum into the 2022 season following a well-earned break this offseason. Even if Red Bull are unable to provide him with an elite car on the grid, the Dutchman could very likely post a performance reminiscent of Fernando Alonso dragging an underperforming Ferrari to a title decider against Vettel and Red Bull.