F1 CEO gives reasons why the 2022 title was wrapped up so early

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali feels that one of the biggest reasons why the 2022 season's title wrapped up so early was because the combination of Red Bull and Max Verstappen performed extremely well. After a scruffy start to the season for the Austrian team and Verstappen, where the reigning champion suffered DNFs in two of the first three races, the comeback was very impressive.

From the 2022 F1 Imola GP onwards, Red Bull turned up the pressure and the competition wilted under it. After a shaky start to the season for Max Verstappen, the Red Bull driver ended up winning as many as 15 races in the 2022 season.

The F1 CEO attributed such clear dominance from Red Bull to the fact that it also didn't have a requisite competition in the form of Mercedes. The Mercedes 'no-sidepod' concept was a major setback for the team in the 2022 F1 season, and it left the German team in a position where it had to play catch-up.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, when questioned on his theory of why the 2022 title was wrapped up early, Domenicali said:

"The season was decided quickly, for two reasons. Max Verstappen and Red Bull combined are the first reason. After a difficult start - don't forget that Max said his title fight was over after four races - they have delivered unique work."

He further added:

"The second reason is the absence of Mercedes. They were competitive only at the end of the year. The new rules have worked well. We saw a lot of wheel-to-wheel battles, which didn't happen before. Some patience is still needed, as always after major technical changes, but there have been very few races this season that have not been fun."

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Could we see a closer F1 battle next season?

There are a lot of factors that come into play when we consider what will happen next season. The first is the fact that Mercedes will be more competitive and could find itself in the thick of things. The second is the expectation from Ferrari to build on the very strong package it had this year, and the third will be the handicap that Red Bull will suffer next season.

The Milton Keynes-based team breached the cost cap for the 2021 F1 season and hence will have a 10% reduced development time on their side. This could help their rivals close the gap in the long run and could prevent the team from stretching its legs further in the development of the car.

All signs do point towards a closer battle next season, whether that will be the case or not is a different question altogether.