It is often said in the Formula 1 paddock that a driver’s main objective every season is to beat your teammate, and over the years we have had many enthralling battles between drivers who have the same car, but who will come out on top in the 2022 F1 teammate battles?
We have had a fair number of driver changes in the off season, with Lewis Hamilton now battling George Russell instead of Valtteri Bottas at one end, while at the other Haas have replaced Nikita Mazepin with Kevin Magnussen, giving Mick Schumacher a real test in 2022.
Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz ended the season as the top Ferrari driver, and with the Scuderia looking like they could be real challengers for both the 2022 Drivers’ Championship and the Constructors Title, Charles Leclerc will be looking to beat his Spanish teammate.
Red Bull – Verstappen vs Perez
The World Champion against the Mexican Minister of Defence! Last season, Sergio Perez was able to raise the bar compared to the Dutchman’s previous teammates, but Max Verstappen will always be the No.1 driver for Red Bull.
Mercedes – Hamilton vs Russell
This could be a battles of the ages with some expecting a repeat of Hamilton’s debut season when was pitted against Fernando Alonso at McLaren. Russell has impressed at Williams and when he took over from Hamilton for one race in 2020. That said, it’s unlikely Hamilton will have his No.1 spot taken away by Mercedes.
Ferrari – Leclerc vs Sainz
Sainz beat Leclerc by five and a half points last season, despite the fact it was the Spaniard’s first season with Ferrari. Leclerc will be working his hardest to make sure it doesn’t happen two years in a row.
McLaren – Norris vs Ricciardo
COVID might mean Daniel Ricciardo doesn’t make the first race of the season, and despite his victory at Monza in 2021, it was a tough year for the Australian in the McLaren. Lando Norris, while still searching for his maiden win, has a long term deal and the full confidence of the team.
Alpine – Alonso vs Ocon
This is the year of El Plan as Alpine expect to make a huge leap in performance. Fernando Alonso already got the better of Esteban Ocon in 2021, even with the latter’s victory in Hungary. Overcoming Alonso will be a mission in itself as the Spaniard has the best points balance over his teammates in F1 history.
AlphaTauri – Gasly vs Tsunoda
Pierre Gasly might not have been suited for Red Bull, but he has outperformed expectations with AlphaTauri and was consistently the best of the rest in qualifying last season. Yuki Tsunoda was no match for Gasly in 2021, but this year he doesn’t have the excuse of being a rookie.
Aston Martin – Vettel vs Stroll
There is a little uncertainty as to how good the Aston Martin car will be in 2022, but after regaining his confidence, Sebastian Vettel will be aiming to keep the edge he has over Lance Stroll.
Williams – Latifi vs Albon
Russell’s departure from Williams leaves the door open for either Alex Albon or Nicholas Latifi to establish themselves as the team’s No.1 driver. Albon isn’t a rookie and after a year away from F1, will be wanting to secure his place on the grid.
Alfa Romeo – Bottas vs Zhou
Valtteri Bottas drops down the grid to become the driver leading the Alfa Romeo team, and he will have a rookie in the form of Guanyu Zhou as his teammate. Everything points to the Finn regaining the performance he showed at Williams, before his move to Mercedes.
Haas – Schumacher vs Magnussen
A turbulent winter say Haas get rid of their title sponsor and driver Nikita Mazepin, replacing him with Kevin Magnussen. It’s Mick Schumacher’s second season in F1, and now he has an experienced driver to measure himself against.
