Villeneuve expected: 'Next year we are going to see the best Hamilton ever'

The 2022 Formula 1 season is officially over. The last race of the year, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, was won in dominant fashion by Max Verstappen. Jacques Villeneuve believes teammate Sergio Perez was invisible this year.

Will Ricciardo put Perez under pressure?

Perez finished the season in third place in the drivers' championship. The Mexican left for Abu Dhabi with the same number of points as rival Charles Leclerc, but Perez failed to beat the Ferrari driver in the final round of the season. "Pérez was strong at the beginning of the season, after that I found him invisible," Villeneuve wrote in his column for Formule1.nl. In the closing stages of the season, the Mexican driver rebounded and was competitive, but the former Formula 1 driver believes Perez could have performed better over the year as a whole.

It is very likely that Daniel Ricciardo will return to Red Bull Racing as a reserve driver in 2023. The deal is not yet complete, despite confirmation from Helmut Marko, but it looks very likely that the Australian will return to his old team next year. Although Ricciardo will mainly be used for media and marketing activities, 2023 will still be an important year for Perez to prove himself. Indeed, Ricciardo has performed well at Red Bull in the past.

Hamilton back in the fray in 2023

Villeneuve is also expecting a lot from Lewis Hamilton next season. The Brit finished the season in sixth place in the drivers' championship, without a win or pole position. "That will do something to him, I think. We are going to see the best Lewis [next year]," said the Canadian.