Our 2022 F1 Driver Line Up Predictions

We’ve officially reached the summer break, and as per usual, it’s the time of the silly season.

Before we start predicting who will fill the empty seats, which drivers are already confirmed for next year?

Lewis Hamilton will be staying at Mercedes, whilst the McLaren pair of Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo will stay together. Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso will look to build on their performances at Hungary, and Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher will hope for better fortunes for Haas.

Max Verstappen unsurprisingly will stay at Red Bull, Ferrari have kept their current line-up, whilst Sebastian Vettel is the only Aston Martin driver confirmed so far.

So, there are still nine seats left to fill, let’s get to those all-important predictions, starting with the obvious ones.

Aston Martin - Lance Stroll

Technically, Lance Stroll doesn’t have a contract for 2022 yet, but with his dad providing the cash for Aston Martin, he’s guaranteed to be lining up alongside Sebastian Vettel next year.

Known as a pay driver when he first arrived in F1, I think it’s fair to say that Stroll has more than earned his place in the sport ever since. Sure, the only teammate he’s actually beaten during his time in F1 was Sergey Sirotkin in 2018, but he’s a very solid driver, and adds far more value than just money.

One of the more underrated drivers on the grid in my opinion, Stroll certainly hasn’t had luck on his side this season, but I back him to come good next year, if Aston Martin can develop a better race car.

Red Bull - Sergio Perez

Another driver without a contract, Sergio Perez is all-but confirmed to be racing for Red Bull once more in 2022. Sure, he hasn’t exactly ripped up any trees at the team, and he’s still way off Max Verstappen in both qualifying and race pace, but he’s an experienced driver, with speed; he’s almost the perfect second driver.

Talk of Pierre Gasly returning to the top team has been bubbling for a little while, but I just can’t see Helmut Marko giving the Frenchman another shot just yet.

It’ll be Perez for the time being.

AlphaTauri - Pierre Gasly

Speaking of Gasly, we think he’ll stay put and continue to develop at AlphaTauri. Many had linked him with Alpine, but Ocon’s contract extension put those rumours to bed quickly, while some have even suggested he could move to Williams.

However, he’s comfortable where he is, and having qualified in the top six on eight occasions this season, he’s a good shout for driver of the season.

In my opinion, he’s one of the top drivers on the grid, but a move away from AlphaTauri doesn’t seem likely.

AlphaTauri - Alexander Albon

Now moving away from the obvious ones, we reckon that it will be Alex Albon, not Yuki Tsunoda pairing up with Gasly next year. Both have been dumped by Red Bull, but only Gasly had a chance at redemption. Albon never had the chance, and he fully deserves it. His rookie season was immense, and while his consistency faltered at the top team, he’s still a talented driver.

As mentioned earlier, Gasly has been immense in qualifying, but Tsunoda simply hasn’t. He’s failed to reach Q2 on five occasions, despite his teammate being right at the front. That’s simply not good enough, and he may need to take a step back, and just like Ocon, return in the future. 

I personally really like Albon, but if our prediction isn’t correct, then I can’t see him ever returning to F1 with the juniors coming through. But, for 2022, we think he’ll get another chance to show his mettle.

Alfa Romeo - Antonio Giovinazzi

Gio’s seat is seriously under threat for next year. Both him and Kimi Raikkonen could leave the team, but Gio’s qualifying pace, as well as his Italian links may keep him in a seat.

As an Italian company, Alfa Romeo will want to have an Italian driver if at all possible, and Giovinazzi as a second driver for one of the slowest teams on the grid isn’t the worst option in the world.

His first lap speed is genuinely good, and while he’s a slightly uninspiring choice, we think he’ll just edge out Callum Ilott for this seat.

It’s also worth noting that if Robert Schwartzman makes a comeback in F2 and wins the Championship, he’ll most likely get this seat.

Alfa Romeo - Valtteri Bottas

Yes, that’s right, we believe Valtteri Bottas will lose his seat at Mercedes. He’s been a solid option alongside Lewis Hamilton, but this year in particular he’s failed to live up to the potential of the car.

That means we think he’ll join a new team, and we reckon it’ll be Alfa Romeo. These links came slightly out of nowhere, but reports suggest Bottas is in talks with Frederic Vasseur’s team, and it could be a perfect match. 

He’ll immediately be the number one driver, and we can really see this working out. A move back to Williams is also on the cards, but with so many options for Jost Capito’s team, we predict that Bottas will be lining up for Alfa in 2022.

Mercedes - George Russell

Bottas to Alfa Romeo means we think it’s time for George Russell to step into that Mercedes on a full-time basis.

He deserved to win the Sakhir Grand Prix when he filled in for Hamilton last year, and he has managed to put his Williams into Q3 on two occasions this season, despite it being the third slowest car at best.

Mr Saturday needs a Merc seat to perform on a Sunday, and I genuinely believe he’ll immediately compete with Hamilton and Verstappen for the world title next year.

The dynamic between Russell and Hamilton will be intriguing, but I, for one, can’t wait.

GR63 as the 2022 world champion anyone?

Williams - Nicholas Latifi

Williams have stated that thanks to new investment, they no longer require the presence of pay drivers on their roster, and it’s potentially a sly dig at Nicholas Latifi.

The Canadian could quite easily lose his seat, and in fact, this is the prediction I’m least confident about, but his performance at the Hungarian Grand Prix, and improvement this year could convince the team.

He’s halved the gap to Russell in qualifying this year, and on a Sunday, his race pace isn’t that much slower than the Brit’s. 

He’s far from the best driver on the grid, but his experience at the team could be vital, and two new drivers is risky, hence why we reckon Latifi will stay put.

Williams - Nyck de Vries

The only ever F2 winner to not be rewarded with a seat in F1, Nyck de Vries deserves a chance. Now, Nico Hulkenberg is heavily rumoured for a seat at Williams, and it’s a little controversial for us to leave him out, but he’s had his chance in F1, De Vries hasn’t.

He won the 2019 F2 championship, was only 17 points behind Lando Norris in 2018, and is currently leading the Formula E championship.

His ties with Mercedes will also certainly help his chances for a seat with Williams.

At 26, it’s now or never for De Vries’ potential F1 career.