Formula 1: The most misleading part of the 2022 season

Through the first two races of the 2022 Formula 1 season, there is one misleading statistic as it relates to the constructor standings.

Two of the 23 races on the 2022 Formula 1 schedule are in the books, and it looks as though we are in for another epic world championship battle between two drivers.

But unlike in 2021, when Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen went back and forth for 22 races over the course of eight and a half months, this year’s battle appears as though it will be between Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Those two drivers have each won one of the season’s first two races, with Leclerc winning the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit and Verstappen winning the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

They exchanged the lead multiple times in both races, but unfortunately for Verstappen, fuel pump issues late in the Bahrain Grand Prix caused him to retire from the race.

Leclerc’s success marks a Ferrari resurgence amid the introduction of the new regulations, and teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. has taken advantage of that resurgence as well.

With Verstappen’s late Bahrain retirement, he was able to finish in second place behind Leclerc, giving Ferrari their first 1-2 finish since the 2019 season. He finished in third behind Verstappen and Leclerc in Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Mercedes, the eight-time reigning world constructor champions, have struggled.

They entered the year anticipating early-season struggles, but many believed that they were simply bluffing (like they usually do). However, through two races, they have indeed been well off the pace of the Ferraris and the Red Bulls, and there doesn’t appear to be a short-term solution to the problems plaguing them.

Yet they sit in second place in the constructor standings behind only Ferrari. Can you find a more misleading statistic through the first two races of the new season?

Hamilton and teammate George Russell took advantage of Red Bull’s misfortune in Bahrain. Just a few laps after Verstappen’s retirement, Sergio Perez joined him with fuel pump issues of his own, and Red Bull ended up with a double DNF and no points. Meanwhile, Hamilton scored 15 points with a surprise podium finish, and Russell scored 12 with a surprise fourth place result.

In Jeddah, Red Bull and Ferrari swept the top four spots. Russell finished in fifth place, with Hamilton down in 10th, netting the Silver Arrows 11 points to bring them to 38 points on the year. With Verstappen winning and Perez in fourth, Red Bull scored 37 points. Ferrari have scored 78 points through two races: 44 in Bahrain and 34 in Saudi Arabia.

But let’s imagine for one second that Red Bull didn’t have their fuel pump issues in Bahrain. Verstappen would have finished in second place with Perez in fourth, leaving Sainz in third with Hamilton in fifth and Russell in sixth.

This would have produced 30 points for Red Bull and just 18 for Mercedes. Meanwhile, Ferrari would have scored 41 (26 with Leclerc and 15 with Sainz) instead of 44 (18 with Sainz).

So after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Ferrari would still be leading the standings with 75 points, but Red Bull would be in second place with 67.

Mercedes would be in a distant third with just 29.

Fortunately for Mercedes, it does appear that they are still the third best team in the sport. But there may be additional reason for concern moving forward.

In Saudi Arabia, excluding Red Bull, Ferrari, and Russell, Hamilton still finished behind drivers from four other teams. Among the 13 drivers who actually finished the race, only two teams were represented behind Hamilton.

Yet here they are, still sitting in second place.

The Mercedes power unit has proven to be inferior to the other three, and that has been demonstrated quite clearly by the weakness of the Mercedes customer teams.

Combined, McLaren, Aston Martin and Williams have scored just six points, all thanks to Lando Norris’s seventh place finish in Saudi Arabia. Each of the other teams have scored at least eight points on their own; Aston Martin and Williams are the only two teams that have yet to score in 2022.

Meanwhile, drivers from Alpine, Haas, Alfa Romeo and AlphaTauri have all shown the ability to be competitive in midfield battles. Late retirements — and multiple instances of “did not start” — have led to these teams not being able to exhibit their full potential.

But regardless of whether or not any of these other teams are truly better than Mercedes at this stage, the Brackley-based team certainly aren’t the second best.

The third race on the 2022 schedule is the Australian Grand Prix, which is set to be broadcast live from Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit on ESPN beginning at 1:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, April 10.