The best races of the 2022 F1 season

Spanish Grand Prix

Even though it was one of many wins to add to Max Verstappen's record-breaking tally in 2022, the Spanish Grand Prix still delivered an intriguing outcome.

When Charles Leclerc retired from the race with engine problems, George Russell assumed the lead of the race ahead of both Red Bulls.

His defensive driving was a masterclass worthy of Fernando Alonso in the few laps he held Verstappen and Sergio Perez behind, owing to better tyre management from the Milton Keynes-based team.

Given the pace of Russell and a charging Lewis Hamilton – who was coming back through the field after earlier contact with Kevin Magnussen – Mercedes could have won had they elected to run a more aggressive strategy.

They may have been outnumbered up front, but Russell's defensive display, aided by a few DRS issues for Verstappen, was enough to seal the victory. - RM

British Grand Prix

Carlos Sainz's first win in F1 came in eventful style at Silverstone, with the race having to be restarted following a shocking crash for Zhou Guanyu – who thankfully escaped unharmed – at the first corner.

An early challenge from Verstappen slipped away following technical gremlins on the Red Bull, while Charles Leclerc found himself hampered by strategic problems at Ferrari.

A late-race Safety Car added to the excitement as Sainz managed to eke out a lead while Lewis Hamilton, Sergio Perez, Leclerc and even Fernando Alonso got involved in a battle for second.

It was Perez who took the position, followed by home favourite Hamilton. The thrilling down to the wire finish was unforgettable. - AF

Austrian Grand Prix

On Red Bull's home territory, it was clear that the Ferrari were the superior package in terms of race trim.

Max Verstappen admitted that he was suffering from high tyre degradation, which led to him being passed three times by Charles Leclerc on his way to victory.

But it was not all smooth for Leclerc. Teammate Carlos Sainz retired with an engine issue and, with a handful of laps left, the Monegasque started to report an issue with his throttle.

It turned out that the Ferrari was still accelerating as Leclerc braked, so he was having to compensate by braking later, crucially costing him time to Verstappen.

The gap closed towards the end, with Leclerc tolerating the throttle problems in his F1-75 enough to win by a margin of 1.6 seconds to Verstappen. - RM

Hungarian Grand Prix

Hungary usually produces classics when there are changing conditions, as was evidenced by the shock pole by George Russell on Saturday.

It looked like another moment for Mercedes to grab their first victory of 2022, on a circuit that is notorious for being difficult to overtake on.

Max Verstappen started in 10th due to power unit component changes and looked like an outside shot for victory.

Therefore it fell to Charles Leclerc to reinvigorate his title fight after crashing out of the French Grand Prix. It looked like everything was under control when he assumed the lead after the first round of pit-stops.

But a disastrous decision to put him on the Hard tyres for the final stint led to him surrendering first, rather embarrassingly to Verstappen twice after the Red Bull driver spun on his way to victory.

It was an early sign from the Dutchman that this championship could be sealed earlier than anticipated.

In the days that followed, the Piastri-gate saga unfolded, truly leading to one of the most entertaining summer breaks of all time. - RM

Brazilian Grand Prix

There were early signs of the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend being one to remember when Kevin Magnussen secured a surprise pole position in Friday's qualifying.

While the Haas driver couldn't convert this to a victory in Saturday's Sprint race, Mercedes looked to have found some form following a difficult season, with George Russell taking the win.

Russell then started from the front row alongside teammate Hamilton for Sunday's main event. At a Safety Car restart, there were shades of 2021 when Hamilton clashed with Max Verstappen.

After dropping down the order, Verstappen was forced to fight his way back through the field, as was Charles Leclerc who had also suffered an incident with Lando Norris upon the race restart.

It was Russell who claimed victory for the first time in his F1 career, with Hamilton joining him on the podium for the Silver Arrows' best result of the year.

Behind them there was controversy for Red Bull when Verstappen ignored a team order to let Sergio Perez pass him, marking a rare moment of disharmony for the team in 2022. - AF