The standout moments of this first half of the season – Part 1

From the first moments of this Formula 1 season, a major twist has emerged. During the pre-season tests in Barcelona, the War in Ukraine broke out. The Russians invaded their neighboring country, creating a global tense situation. Faced with this conflict, many organizations have decided to impose sanctions on the country led by Vladimir Putin. Among these measures, Haas has decided to sever ties with its sponsor Uralkali and its Russian driver, Nikita Mazepin, who has been officially fired.

Discussions at the end of the night

A few weeks later, as the Formula 1 world heads to Saudi Arabia, an explosion occurs in an Aramco oil depot. This incident triggers a wave of panic in the paddock. Important meetings take place to determine whether the Grand Prix weekend should proceed or not. In the end, after discussions that lasted until the early hours of the morning, the decision is made: the race will go on.

Carlos Sainz’s rough patch

In this 2022 season, Carlos Sainz wanted to aim higher. After finishing ahead of his teammate in the championship the previous year, the Spanish driver wanted to replicate that achievement. However, a stroke of bad luck would disrupt the races of the son of the rally world champion. In Australia, he was condemned to starting from ninth place, but he spun off the track on the second lap and had to retire. In the following race at Imola, he was taken out by Daniel Ricciardo and had to give up once again. And all of this happened before the catastrophe in Baku…

The troubles with Ferrari.

It was a bit of a surprise at the start of the season, and the tifosi had high hopes for the Scuderia after the first few races. But, the old demons of the Italian brand quickly resurfaced. In Italy, Carlos Sainz had to retire, and Charles Leclerc, while trying to overtake Sergio Perez, lost control of his SF-75, but managed to get back on track. This is just one of the signs of what was to come in the following races.

In Azerbaijan, the two red cars occupy the first and fourth positions on the grid. While Charles Leclerc is leading, he has to retire due to engine failure, just like Carlos Sainz, who had brake issues a few laps earlier. Outcome? Red Bull wins 44-0, a result they didn’t expect in the title fight.

The mockery of Miami

This year, Formula 1 had a new destination: Miami. The circuit, built around the Hard Rock Stadium, has been subject to many jokes and has attracted the wrath of many enthusiasts.

First, there was the fake marina where boats were resting on parquet flooring imitating water, in order to recreate the Monaco setting. But there is only one Monaco on the calendar. Then, the track itself is interesting, but the lack of grip on the off-track areas was quickly pointed out. It was indeed very difficult to overtake, and if a driver had a small drop of water, they would easily lose several seconds.