2022 pecking order speculation

[JPower]

I'm not seeing much difference from last year either. In no order(just tiers) on pace I'll go:

Tier 1
Mercedes
Red Bull
Ferrari

Tier 2
McLaren
Alpine
Alpha Tauri

Tier 3
Aston
Williams
Haas
Alfa

However, I don't see gaps as large as last year's. I fully expect Tier 2 will be able to mix it up on some tracks with Tier 1 especially McLaren.

[continuum16]

I’ll try to remind myself to go back and revise this after the next test, but here is what I feel after T1 (in order, approximate qualifying deficit):

Front runners: within 0.5s
Red Bull
Ferrari
Mercedes

Upper Midfield: +0.5-1s
McLaren
AlphaTauri
Alpine

Lower Midfield: +1-1.5s
Williams
Aston Martin
Haas
Alfa Romeo

No hot takes here, really.

I know regulations typically spread the field out but I think that actually they will be a lot closer from 1st to 10th. All teams will score points and make Q3 at least once.

Especially early races, I expect big swings in performance depending on who nails the setup (I’d say probably almost 1s swing) which should make this very interesting…

[shamyakovic]

I don’t really believe in big shake ups. Team size, finances, engine, influence.

Mercedes
Redbull
Ferrari (closer than last year)
Mclaren
Alpha Tauri
Alpine
Aston Martin
Williams
Alfa Romeo
Haas

I thought there is a budget cap in place?
Unless you mean like some teams have 4 cars on road and can spend double the cap?

Oh please. Some teams have 8 cars on the road. Budget cap, I have not much faith in.

8 cars? are we following the same series?

[Just_a_fan]

I thought there is a budget cap in place?
Unless you mean like some teams have 4 cars on road and can spend double the cap?

Oh please. Some teams have 8 cars on the road. Budget cap, I have not much faith in.

8 cars? are we following the same series?

It's a suggestion that teams which share a PU must be all part of the same team. Silly, of course.

The reality is that there are only two teams that have the same head and that's Red Bull and Alpha Tauri.

[PlatinumZealot]

Too early to tell. Even Haas is in the mix. With this year I don't think there will be a big differentiator between the cars. It will be about who can tease out more grip from the tyres for marginal gains. As such i expect shuffling from track to track.

[Ryar]

Oh please. Some teams have 8 cars on the road. Budget cap, I have not much faith in.

8 cars? are we following the same series?

It's a suggestion that teams which share a PU must be all part of the same team. Silly, of course.

The reality is that there are only two teams that have the same head and that's Red Bull and Alpha Tauri.

Well, there is one team principal who is also a stake holder in another team and that's Toto! Besides, discounts on engines can pretty much align the other teams to sl**p in the same bed when it comes to showing political muscle power when necessary. It's still an amazing situation how Racing Point created the famous, "Pink Mercedes" in 2020!

[Just_a_fan]

8 cars? are we following the same series?

It's a suggestion that teams which share a PU must be all part of the same team. Silly, of course.

The reality is that there are only two teams that have the same head and that's Red Bull and Alpha Tauri.

Well, there is one team principal who is also a stake holder in another team and that's Toto! Besides, discounts on engines can pretty much align the other teams to sl**p in the same bed when it comes to showing political muscle power when necessary. It's still an amazing situation how Racing Point created the famous, "Pink Mercedes" in 2020!

But RB and AT are closer than any two teams on the grid because they're owned by the same man who also has his man over seeing both teams. That's straight up fact, no matter how one tries to make others look the same.

[senja]

Haas following Ferrari, and Racing Point/Aston Martin doing same with Mercedes in last 2 years closer than AlphaTauri following Red Bull...

[dans79]

Haas following Ferrari, and Racing Point/Aston Martin doing same with Mercedes in last 2 years closer than AlphaTauri following Red Bull...

Maybe that's a systemic problem on the part of Red Bull and AlphaTauri.

[Ryar]

Haas following Ferrari, and Racing Point/Aston Martin doing same with Mercedes in last 2 years closer than AlphaTauri following Red Bull...

Maybe that's a systemic problem on the part of Red Bull and AlphaTauri.

May be they play by the rules unlike Haas or AM?

[senja]

I'm not acusing anyone. I think that AlphaTauri should be closer to Red Bull, as much as rules allow.

[dans79]

I'm not acusing anyone. I think that AlphaTauri should be closer to Red Bull, as much as rules allow.

I know, that's why I was suggesting it might be a systemic problem.

[Sieper]

I thought there is a budget cap in place?
Unless you mean like some teams have 4 cars on road and can spend double the cap?

Oh please. Some teams have 8 cars on the road. Budget cap, I have not much faith in.

8 cars? are we following the same series?

The Alpha Tauri is much different to the redbull.

[Just_a_fan]

Oh please. Some teams have 8 cars on the road. Budget cap, I have not much faith in.

8 cars? are we following the same series?

The Alpha Tauri is much different to the redbull.

The two are more similar than any other two designs are. Take the lower lip off the RB and the two would look very similar if entirely painted white.

[Sieper]

There are as much alike as the Aston Martin and the Mercedes. Not talking about the copy and paste one either. Last years AT was closer to the RBR. Even inherited parts.