F1 2022: 3 things that need to happen this season

The 2021 season was arguably one of the best F1 seasons we've had in a long time. The championship battle was close and the battle in the middle had a lot of storylines. We also had quite a few feel-good moments with Daniel Ricciardo winning at Monza and Esteban Ocon winning his first race at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The 2021 F1 season was truly a gift that kept on giving to its fans. So much so that the 2022 F1 season will have to deliver at a very high level to not be considered a disappointment.

Sure, the 2021 F1 season was great, but was it flawless? It was not and this is where the 2022 season needs to deliver. In this piece, we will look at three things that need to happen to make the 2022 F1 season a success.

3 things that need to happen in F1 2022 season

#3 A more consistent handling of on-track incidents

Let's be clear about one thing. The way the Abu Dhabi GP was handled was poor. The safety car procedures were not handled properly and the drama at the end of the race did put a dent in what had been an amazing season until then.

However, the 2021 season did not only have that as the black eye when it came to racing regulations gone haywire. What happened at Spa was another error where the points were given despite not getting a single lap completed.

The inconsistency in terms of penalizing incidents also came into question. Max Verstappen was not penalized for pushing Hamilton off the track at the Brazilian Grand Prix. But then when he did the same at the Saudi Arabian Grand he received a penalty.

Trigger-happy stewards at the Austrian Grand Prix penalized Sergio Perez and Lando Norris for incidents that didn't seem too harsh should be under the scanner.

Drivers and teams have highlighted the inconsistency multiple times in the past as well. But it was the stakes involved last year that brought these incidents into the limelight. After the debacle of the F1 finale last season, it would be interesting to see what steps are taken by the FIA to bring change in the sport.

#2 A mature approach from Toto Wolff and Christian Horner

The clash between Toto Wolff and Christian Horner should have been one of the highlights of the season. But as we saw, this was arguably one of the ugliest sights of the entire season. Things got heated between the two and the consistent potshots the two team bosses took at each other became tedious to watch.

Toto Wolff throwing away his Bose headphones whenever he had the opportunity didn't help either. He came off as a rash leader that had no control over his emotions and temper.

The 2022 season should ideally not feature a repeat of that as both Wolff and Horner should have learned from what they did last season. Wolff had admitted that things did get out of hand in his battle with Horner throughout the season.

For the 2022 season, let's hope that's not the case.

#1 The new regulations need to have the desired effect

The new regulations will be in effect in the 2022 season. There is anticipation around how the new cars will look and how they will be handled and more importantly what will be the pecking order for these cars. However, the regulations will come under scrutiny from the very start of the season.

These were brought in place with two key objectives. The first, was to make the cars easier to follow each other while chasing. The second was the compress the field and reduce the gap between the teams at the front and the chasing pack.

Of course, you don't expect Haas to challenge a Mercedes for the title. But the gap between the teams at the front and the chasing pack should belong in the same ballpark unlike the traditional field spread in F1.

If the new regulations can make that happen, we're going to have a season of close racing action throughout the year. This would make the 2022 season an instant hit amongst the fans.