With just over two months until the 2022 Formula One season begins in Bahrain, we're bringing you the lowdown on what's changed since the curtain fell in Abu Dhabi last year.
From driver changes up and down the field to the technical revolution of the 2022 cars, this is your guide to the coming season.
The future starts here…
Let's start with the big one. Before you know it, the F1 teams will be unveiling their 2022 cars, and they will look like nothing that's ever come before.
Described as F1's biggest revolution in decades, a cursory glance will show you exactly why. A simplistic and stylish body belies the mind-blowing aero work that leads to the return of ground effect.
A change of this magnitude can go one of two ways. It could bring the field closer together or reward the team that best exploits the new rulebook.
As we get closer to car launch season, we'll be bringing you all the insight into every key design element of the 2022 cars, so stay tuned for now…
Practice makes perfect…
With such a wide-ranging revolution to the car designs, a return to a more conventional pre-season testing schedule couldn't be better timed.
This year, the F1 teams will have two pre-season tests across Spain (23-25 February) and Bahrain (10-12 March).
Expect pre-season testing this year to be a little different to previous seasons, with teams pushing their radically different car designs to explore the limits of their performance and reliability.
Across hundreds of miles of running, the teams will be looking for any performance gains, evaluating and fixing any gremlins, and getting their drivers up to speed with a brand-new car concept.
While teams keep their cards close to their chests, and differing fuel loads and tyre usage can obscure the picture, pre-season testing will be the first insight into who is leading the way and who has work to do ahead of the first race.
Musical chairs…
While Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team retains the perfect blend of pace and experience for 2022 with Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll, there’s change elsewhere on the grid.
Ex-Formula 2 driver and F1 newcomer Guanyu Zhou will join Valtteri Bottas at Alfa Romeo, forming an all-new line-up
Meanwhile, George Russell replaces the Finn alongside Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, with the returning Alex Albon taking his place at Williams.
There's continuity at Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, Alpine, AlphaTauri and Haas, but with every driver facing a new challenge in 2022, there's a chance for anybody to impress.
Welcome returns…
No Formula One season would be complete without a collection of historic and challenging circuits blended with an increasing number of modern classics.
2022 marks potentially one of the finest calendars yet, as Australia, Canada, Singapore, and Japan all return following pandemic-induced absences.
The four circuits make their comeback for the first time since 2019 after dropping off the calendar due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The 2022 calendar
Around the world from Bahrain to Abu Dhabi across 23 races, the 2022 Formula One season promises to be a spectacle. Discover the brand-new Miami Grand Prix and get up to speed with classics such as Silverstone, Spa and Suzuka with our updated calendar page.
The next generation of F1 machines taking on the likes of Suzuka and Marina Bay will be one of the highlights of the year.
And, of course, with Lance competing in his home race for the first time in several years, the Canadian Grand Prix will be one of our most exciting and important weekends of the season.
The go-fast city…
While F1 has its fill of classic and historic races, the sport is always racing into the future, and the brand-new Miami Grand Prix is the perfect example of that.
F1's ever-growing popularity Stateside makes this the perfect time to expand, with Miami joining Austin's Circuit of the Americas on the calendar.
Racing around the Hard Rock Stadium, the Miami International Autodrome will use a mix of new and existing roads to create a thrilling lap, chosen after over 30 different layouts were simulated.
With tickets snapped up at rapid pace and early promising feedback from drivers who visited the venue, Miami is shaping up to be another fantastic US race.
Any time a new circuit is added, it throws up unpredictability and thrilling races, so start counting down the days until the Miami Grand Prix.
Sprinting forward…
The F1 Sprint trialled in 2021 continues this year, with an expansion in the number of races to host the format expected too.
F1 is currently deciding which Grands Prix will take part and evaluating changes to improve the format.
The F1 Sprint is designed to help create unpredictable wheel-to-wheel racing in a shortened race that sets the grid for Sunday's Grand Prix, which, in turn, should help vary the grid for the main event.
These are the headline changes for the 2022 season, but what are you most excited about this year? Let us know on social media by tagging @AstonMartinF1 and using the hashtag #IAM.
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