Red Bull’s Max Verstappen started last week’s Belgian Grand Prix in 14th place. Almost 90 minutes later he was cruising past the black-and-white chequered line in first place. It was his ninth win in 14 races this season.

An incredible statistic by any stretch of the imagination. For context, the most wins to date in a season is 13 – held by Michael Schumacher in 2004 (in an 18-race season) and Sebastian Vettel in 2013 (in a 19-race season).

This season there are 22 races. Verstappen, therefore, needs five first-place finishes in the next eight races to eclipse the feat set by the two F1 icons. This is far from an unrealistic achievement for the dominant Dutchman.

History

F1 has long been dominated by a single team or racer. In the early 2000s, Schumacher claimed five consecutive drivers championships with Ferrari. And Vettel won four between 2010 and 2013 with Red Bull.

More recently, between 2014 and 2020, Lewis Hamilton claimed six drivers championships with Mercedes. He failed to secure the top position in 2015 when his Mercedes teammate, Nico Rosberg, claimed the prize.

The trend of one team dominating in the new millennium seemingly drew to a halt in 2021 in one of the tightest season finishes in recent history.

Verstappen passed Hamilton on the last lap of the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi and in doing so passed him on the drivers’ standings too.

Dutchman Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing in action during the Belgian Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps track in Stavelot on 28 August 2022. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Christian Bruna)

It was a controversial end to the season, but the competitiveness in the race and throughout the season was enjoyed by spectators new and old – an aspect missing from the sport for many years.

Technical changes

For the 2022 season, new technical rules were introduced, leading to new car designs which were aimed at making the series even more competitive and exciting.

The 2022 cars are heavier and have bigger wheels than before. They look very different to the 2021 models thanks to an overhaul aimed at making overtaking easier and the racing more competitive and exciting.

Read in Daily Maverick: “Verstappen hails Belgian weekend as his most dominant yet”

“This is by far the biggest change in regulation I think the sport has ever seen,” commented Aston Martin technical head Andrew Green before the start of the season. “My career goes back to 1991 and it trumps anything from 1991. I think it trumps everything as far as F1 is concerned.

“It’s a completely new concept, a completely different way of approaching a regulation. It’s been a massive challenge. It’s been exciting for sure.”

Formula 1’s managing director for motorsport, Ross Brawn, another veteran whose career dates back to the 1970s and who has run teams and also served as a Ferrari technical director, hailed a real break with the past.

He said the aim was to get a closer competition going for the future while still leaving it a meritocracy.

“I think there’ll be a bit of disparity at the beginning but I’m confident these rules and this regime and this culture will lead to much better racing.”

Even seven-time champion Hamilton was sold before the start of the season. But it soon became apparent his Mercedes was not up to speed, as it suffered severe issues with “porpoising” – when the car bounces violently.

“It’s one of the most exciting and interesting seasons that we’ve ever embarked on,” said Hamilton before the start of this season. “It’s interesting to see where everyone comes out, and where we stand and start off in the first race.”

Teams are now also subject to a cost cap of $140-million per year, meaning the financial power of the bigger teams such as Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull no longer has as big an advantage.

Since the last major rule change in 2014, the three aforementioned teams are the only ones to have won multiple races, while Mercedes has won all eight constructors’ championships in that time.

Read in Daily Maverick: “World champion Verstappen raring to go in Formula 1’s new era”

There were also recent calls to increase the number of teams in F1 in an aim to increase the entertainment value, something CEO Stefano Domenicali believes will not increase competitiveness.

Max Verstappen crosses the finish line to win the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Geert van den van den Wijngaert)

“Personally, I do not believe that the number of teams in Formula 1 today is a limiting factor from the point of view of entertainment,” he said. “I believe it is a priority to work to increase the competitiveness of some teams that are already present. I do not believe that increasing the number of entries brings added value, unless they are teams of the highest quality.”

2022 season

However, despite all the regulation changes in 2022, it appears F1 is as one-team dominant as ever. Additionally, the quality of vehicles appears to be reflected directly on the driver’s standings.

Verstappen and Sergio Pérez, racing for Red Bull, lead the standings in first and second. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr are third and fourth respectively, racing for Ferrari. George Russell and Hamilton are fifth and sixth in their Mercedes vehicles.

Verstappen, still only 24, currently holds his biggest title lead yet – 91 points – over Charles Leclerc.

And while some would argue Verstappen was lucky to clinch the championship last season, there’s no luck involved in how dominant he has been this season – the Belgium Grand Prix is a prime example.

It would not be a surprise to see Verstappen continue to command F1 for years to come and continue the maligned trend of one-team dominance. It seems the only thing that may stand in his way is even more changes to the regulations… a hit-and-miss tactic employed by F1 currently. DM