6 Friday March 18 2022
the times
FORMULA ONE
2022Pressure on Lando
Daniel Ricciardo has been a key
contributor to Drive to Survive since the
first season started filming in 2018 but
this year Lando Norris, his McLaren
team-mate, should command plenty of
attention.
After four podium finishes last season,
Norris has been knocking on the door
for his first win but the 22-year-old will
be under even more pressure this year.
Norris has signed a bumper contract
worth £20 million a year and McLaren
have looked strong in testing. Like
Ferrari, they started work on their car
for 2022 early last season and seemed to
reap the rewards.
Fresh legions of
followers want
more fireworks
They were the only team to not suffer
significantly from “porpoising” —
downforce making the cars bounce up
and down along straights — though how
drivers cope with the phenomenon itself
should make for compelling viewing.Return of Magnussen
After a torrid 2021 in which they could
not get off the back of the grid, Haas
were forced to make a late switch to
their driver line-up when Russia’s Nikita
Mazepin was sacked after the invasion
of Ukraine.
Enter Kevin Magnussen, the former
McLaren and Renault driver, who
was bumped for Mazepin before the
2021 season.
Not only will his experience help
the development of his team-mate,
Mick Schumacher, but the straight-
talking Dane could be box office for
the cameras.
Drive to Survive producers will be
hoping for a repeat of the scenes after
the 2017 Hungarian Grand Prix, when
Magnussen was confronted by NicoHülkenberg after running the German
off the track. “Suck my balls,” was
Magnussen’s curt response.Crowded midfield
Behind Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and
McLaren, there is also serious
competition among the teams in the
middle of the pack, with the former
world champions Sebastian Vettel (Aston
Martin) and Fernando Alonso (Alpine)
still going strong.
It will be fascinating to see if the
cameras capture Vettel in the state-of-
the-art simulator Aston Martin built for
him using an old prototype car.What will Tsunoda try next?
With his unfiltered language and messy
bedroom, Yuki Tsunoda was an
unexpected breakout star of series four.
After describing Milton Keynes (where
the AlphaTauri driver was based as a
Red Bull junior) as “the most boring
place in the world”, Tsunoda is captured
wincing as he tries mushy peas for the
first time before giving a thumbs up. Will
he brave a saveloy for series five?Norris celebrates a podium finish in Monza but with McLaren looking
strong in testing, the 22-year-old is under pressure to deliver moreThe Netflix series Drive
to Survive has brought F1
new fans. James Restall
looks at the storylines the
new season could bring
Tsunoda tries out mushy peas in Drive to
Survive where he became a breakout starMATTEO BAZZI/EPA/SHUTTERSTOCK