Red Bull more kilometres in 2022, Mercedes more laps

Every season in Formula 1 there are quite a few kilometres being run, and what the numbers are per team depends on the number of DNFs and on which circuits they happen. Auto, Motor und Sport figured out how this all worked out in 2022 for Mercedes and Red Bull.

The results are interesting: Mercedes completed more laps, but Red Bull covered more kilometres. "The Mercedes drivers completed the most laps (2,247), but not the most kilometres (12,382). In the end, Red Bull had the highest mileage, although the team was 25 laps short of Mercedes," according to AMuS' statistics. How this could be? Red Bull experienced a double DNF in Bahrain - the first round of the season. So more DNFs do not necessarily mean fewer kilometres, as it depends on the track length per circuit.

Reliability

To make it less mathematical, we can also look at the reliability aspect in 2022. Here, compared to Red Bull, Mercedes really takes the crown: "A single failure, three laps before the chequered flag during the season finale, upset the balance. Lewis Hamilton rolled out with hydraulic damage." Red Bull experienced no less than four defects, although the first three took place in Bahrain. And as we know, that did not affect them in the end.

Mercedes' W13 was ultimately only allowed to finish third in the championship, but it does show from its reliability figures that it is a car the German manufactorer can build on. However, Red Bull has proved that more DNFs need not mean a worse result at the bottom of the line - although it is obviously not the most soothing way to get through the season.