We’ve just come off a rollercoaster campaign and are already on the verge of a 23-race Formula 1 season that will see a new generation of cars take to the track – and new records be broken. But which records are most likely to be smashed in 2022?
1. Most drivers’ championships
CURRENT RECORD: Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher – 7
The big one to start, and an achievement that narrowly eluded the Mercedes driver in 2021. If Lewis Hamilton wins an eighth drivers’ World Championship, he will set a new record. Currently, the Briton is tied with Michael Schumacher on seven titles. Another one, and history will be made.
2. Longest gap between wins
CURRENT RECORD: Riccardo Patrese – 6 years, 211 days
This record is ongoing, in a sense, as Fernando Alonso has waited since the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix for a victory. A triumph for the Alpine driver this season and it will have been at least eight years and 312 days since his last, eclipsing Riccardo Patrese’s record of six years and 211 days between the Italian’s 1983 South African GP and 1990 San Marino GP wins.
3. Most Grand Prix appearances/most raced laps/most GP finishes
CURRENT RECORD: Kimi Raikkonen – 349 GPs/18,621 laps/278 finishes
Three of retiree Kimi Raikkonen’s records are up for grabs in 2022. Firstly, Fernando Alonso could eclipse him for most Grand Prix appearances; he’s currently on 333 to Raikkonen’s 349.
Alonso should also complete the most F1 race laps as he’s just 586 behind Raikkonen. The Spaniard could conceivably break that record within the first 10 rounds of the season.
The Alpine driver and Mercedes’ Hamilton are in contention when it comes to Grand Prix finishes, however. Hamilton is just five behind Alonso, who in turn is 13 behind Raikkonen. Who will break the record first, and who will hold it by the season’s end?
4. Most races with a single constructor
CURRENT RECORD: Michael Schumacher – 179
This one could be broken very early in 2022 as Hamilton just needs to start two more Grands Prix with Mercedes to beat Michael Schumacher’s tally, which was set with Ferrari.
5. Most wins at the same Grand Prix
CURRENT RECORD: Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton – 8
This won’t be the last accolade you see that Hamilton shares with Schumacher. The German won eight French Grands Prix over his career, while the Briton has had eight wins in Hungary and eight in Great Britain. One more at either venue, and it’s another one for the books.
6. Most podiums in a season
CURRENT RECORD: Max Verstappen – 18
The first Dutch world champion, the youngest to ever win a GP, the youngest to land a podium in F1 and the youngest to ever start a GP, in 2021 Max Verstappen added to his achievements with the most podiums in a season (18).
We’re set to race 23 times in 2022, so will this prove to be a short-lived benchmark?
7. Most consecutive seasons with at least one win
CURRENT RECORD: Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton – 15
It’s that time again: Hamilton has enjoyed 15 consecutive seasons with at least one Grand Prix victory, and the only other driver to have achieved this stunning feat is… Schumacher, from 1992-06. So one more season with a trip to the top step and Hamilton would have 16 consecutive seasons with a win. Would you bet against that?
8. Most podiums from outside the front row
CURRENT RECORD: Kimi Raikkonen – 72
Alonso features again and it might take some doing to beat Raikkonen’s record of podiums achieved from outside the front row, but it’s one to bear in mind given the Spaniard’s last 19 podiums – including his 2013 home win – were achieved from outside the front row. Five more, and the Alpine driver will have a new accolade to add to his burgeoning list.
9. Most frequent pairing on the podium
CURRENT RECORD: Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel – 56
If Verstappen joins Hamilton on the podium 10 times in 2022, the Dutchman will replace former Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel and become half of the most frequent pairing to stand on the F1 podium. Given the defending champion joined Hamilton on the rostrum 15 times in 2021, could we see this one broken?
10. Most consecutive race finishes
CURRENT RECORD: Lewis Hamilton – 48
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz is on a streak of 29 consecutive Grand Prix finishes and has a long way to go to break Hamilton’s benchmark of 47 finishes from the 2018 British GP to the 2020 Bahrain GP. Hamilton’s streak, mind, was only broken by a positive Covid-19 test. If Sainz manages to finish 20 races in a row, he’ll be the holder of this achievement.
11. Most pole positions at the same GP
CURRENT RECORD: Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton – 8
Ayrton Senna took eight poles in the San Marino GP, Schumacher took eight in Japan, and Hamilton has eight in both Australia and Hungary. One more at either event and he’ll have the most pole positions at the same Grand Prix.
12. Most consecutive wins at the same GP
CURRENT RECORD: Ayrton Senna and Lewis Hamilton – 5
Senna and Hamilton share this record once again, the Brazilian having won five Monaco Grands Prix in a row while Hamilton has a streak of five consecutive Spanish GP wins. A tough ask, but six Spanish GP wins in a row will put Hamilton at the top of this particular leaderboard.
13. Most laps led without a win
CURRENT RECORD: Chris Amon – 183
New Zealander Chris Amon, dubbed by many as the ‘unluckiest’ F1 racer of all time, led 183 laps without winning a Grand Prix. Mercedes’ new recruit George Russell led 59 laps, stepping in for Hamilton at the 2020 Sakhir GP but had the win wrenched away. If he leads 125 more laps without winning then this dubious honour will be his. Surely not…
14. Most home podiums
CURRENT RECORD: Alain Prost and Lewis Hamilton – 11
Alain Prost took a whopping 11 French Grand Prix podiums over his career and is matched by, yes, Hamilton, on 11 British GP podiums. One more and it’s another record for Hamilton.
15. Most pole positions for an engine manufacturer
CURRENT RECORD: Ferrari – 231
Ferrari, after a solid pre-season test, have a chance to extend their records as the most successful F1 engine manufacturer in terms of wins (239), pole positions (231), fastest laps (260) and podiums (784) this season. Oh, and constructors’ championships, of which they have powered 16.
Mercedes, second in the charts in all but the championships stakes (where they sit behind Ferrari, Williams and McLaren), can only break the Scuderia’s record of pole positions this season; the Silver Arrows have 220 to their name. Will they have the chance to do that?
