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The Brazilian GP will be the penultimate race of the 2022 F1 season and it brings with it a lot of intrigue. Mercedes have challenged Red Bull in the last two races, Ferrari have struggled, McLaren and Alpine keep trading punches while Haas...Well, they still don't know which German to sign for next season.
In all of this, there are prospects of rain causing havoc over the race weekend. With that being the case, what can we expect from a weekend like this? Let's find out as we share our top five bold predictions for the race weekend.
#5 There are elements at play for a shock result
More often than not, a rain-affected weekend tends to mean a reduced race time for the teams and the drivers. During a sprint weekend, no team could afford that.
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Teams and drivers have essentially just the first practice session to learn everything. As soon as the session is done, the teams need to be confident of the type of setup that is going to work on the car for the entire race weekend.
The 2022 F1 Brazilian GP is expected to be heavily affected by rain. The track's unpredictable nature and susceptibility to crashes means that the race has all the makings of a shock result.
Can we see a podium that features a team other than your typical Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull? If there ever was a race where that could happen, it was this one.
#4 Alpine will hold the edge over McLaren at the F1 Brazilian GP
The F1 Brazilian GP circuit in Sao Paulo is divided into two diverse sections. One focuses on straight line speed while the other focuses on slow-speed efficiency.
The setup requirements are for a car that is great in all conditions and that's where Alpine punts McLaren.
Alpine suffered a bit due to the altitude in Mexico but should be able to manage things well in Brazil. Expect Alpine with the experience of Fernando Alonso and the skills of Esteban Ocon to hold an advantage over the Woking-based team McLaren.
#3 Mercedes will have a strong 2022 F1 Brazilian GP
Mercedes could have a struggle on their hands when it comes to the sprint on Saturday or qualifying on Friday. The Mercedes car tends to struggle to generate temperatures fast enough to put together a strong time in wet weather.
Having said that, there is another aspect of the Mercedes machinery that could yield a strong Brazilian GP result.
While the Mercedes car struggles to get the tires up to temperature early, it tends to keep them in the window for longer and does not suffer from tire degradation as much. The Sao Paulo GP is not expected to just have a minor disruption from rain, it is expected to have rain playing a role throughout the race.
What this means is that a car's ability to keep the wet/inters in the window throughout the stint could be helpful. Expect the same to play a key role and Mercedes might just be the dark horse for the race win this time around.
#2 The 'old heads' will have a strong F1 Brazilian GP
The F1 Brazilian GP brings forward a challenge that is not only unique but also requires experience combined with talent. The Sao Paulo track induces errors and hence needs a level-headed approach. The wet weather means you not only have to keep the car on track, but you also have to make sure that the lap times are up to the mark.
On the current grid, there are drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Sebastian Vettel that have been here and done that far too many times in the past.
Vettel is a former winner on this track, Lewis Hamilton won the F1 Brazilian GP last season, and Fernando Alonso sealed both of his titles at this venue.
This year, we've seen the 'old heads' rise to the challenge whenever there have been tricky conditions. Expect something similar this weekend as well as the three veterans have a strong Brazilian GP.
#1 Max Verstappen wins the Brazilian GP
When it comes to picking the winner, it's hard to look beyond Max Verstappen this season. The Red Bull driver is an all-around specialist irrespective of the conditions in play. Whether it's wet weather or dry, the Red Bull driver tends to have all the bases covered.
Having said that, in a wet race there is always uncertainty. You can have a chaotic race that could turn things upside down. You can have mistakes from drivers that affect other drivers' race.
There's a lot that can happen which could influence the result. Having said that, for a driver like Max Verstappen, more often than not, those bases are covered. Expect him to do the same at the Brazilian GP as he picks up win number 15 for the season.
