Our resident F1 writer Nick van der Meulen has been suffering F1 withdrawals these last few weeks, like many other fans around the world. He takes a quick look at some of the big storylines we can expect in the second half of F1 2022 in his latest column.

The first half of the 2022 season has come and gone. A few teams were rubbing their hands in glee, while others were scratching their heads, wondering what went wrong. Now that the summer break is over and batteries are charged, what is expected for the remainder of the season?

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Will Red Bull continue to dominate?

The powers-that-be in F1 decreed that the contentious floor planks will be stiffened from Spa (i.e. the next race). Red Bull Racing (and Ferrari) were aggrieved with this decision, however, some pundits believe both parties were not entirely legal. How will the two teams fare with the new rule in place? We will have a complete picture at the end of qualifying on Saturday.

Sergio Perez has performed strongly in places during 2022 and has indicated his desire to fight for the championship. Will he be the dutiful number 2, should there be a Ferrari challenge? His future at the team, which quite clearly places Perez’s team mate as the lead driver, could well depend on it.

Ferrari strategies, or lack thereof?

Team manager Mattia Binotto, while a brilliant engineer, has shown sketchiness as a manager. He has supported his strategy team, despite some horrendous race calls, while also quietly rebuking his star driver. He has stated that nothing requires changing, despite this and reliability issues. Will Binotto change tact and support his driver? Can Leclerc stand up to management and put his foot down in a race situation if he feels the strategy is the wrong one?

Check out some pics from a historic hillclimb that Nick attended for Double Apex a few days ago.

Will Mercedes win a Grand Prix in 2022?

Mercedes has been showing signs of improvement throughout the year after their disastrous start to the season. Lewis Hamilton has a record of at least one win per season since his debut in 2007. Hamilton has stated that this car is the worst he has driven since 2008. Will this new ruling regarding the floor planks put the Silver Arrows in contention for victories in the second half of the season? Can Hamilton maintain his winning record? He has nine races to try in the second half of F1 2022.

The Piastri saga and how this affects “Honey Badger”

Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement at the end of 2022 at Hungaroring. Fernando Alonso made the unexpected move of signing for Aston Martin for 2023 and beyond replacing the German driver. This led Alpine to assume that they could announce its young star Oscar Piastri as a driver for 2023. Piastri then stunned the paddock a few hours later by announcing he will not be driving for them. Some are reporting that the Australian has signed a contract with McLaren for 2023, although it has not been officially announced.

Learn some interesting facts about Sebastian Vettel at this link.

McLaren has two drivers under contract for next season, but it is strongly rumoured than Daniel Ricciardo will be ousted. The contracts commission has indicated that both contracts Piastri has signed are valid. Alpine has indicated they will go to court to fight the matter. It is also rumoured that the “Honey Badger” is asking over 20 million dollars in compensation should he be moved aside. Strangely, Zak Brown is legally squabbling for two drivers in two categories, the other after signing Alex Palou in Indycar (Palou is contracted to Ganassi Racing). Will McLaren and Alpine settle out of court and swap drivers?

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The first part of the Formula One season has provided plenty of on-track action and off-track drama. That trend looks set to continue in the second half of F1 2022 and we can’t wait for the action to resume.