# Lewis Hamilton — 2022 season

Source: https://www.thef1formula.com/seasons/lewis-hamilton-2022
Last updated: 2026-07-01

> Lewis Hamilton's 2022 season was defined by adapting to Mercedes' challenging W13 under new ground-effect regulations, resulting in his first winless F1 campaign.

Lewis Hamilton's 2022 Formula 1 season, his 16th in the sport, represented a significant departure from his dominant prior years, as he navigated Mercedes' complex W13 under the sport's new ground-effect regulations, ultimately concluding without a race victory.

## Going in

Following the contentious conclusion to the 2021 season, 2022 ushered in a new era for Formula 1 with sweeping technical regulations focused on tunnel-floor ground-effect aerodynamics, 18-inch wheels, and simplified aero components. Mercedes, having dominated the preceding hybrid era, aimed to continue their success. Hamilton, a seven-time World Champion, entered the season with expectations of challenging for an unprecedented eighth title. However, the radical design of their W13 car, particularly its 'zeropod' concept, quickly revealed significant challenges, most notably severe porpoising and a narrow operating window.

## How it played out

The season began with a deceptive podium finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix, where Hamilton secured 3rd place. This early result, however, masked the W13's fundamental issues. The subsequent races at Saudi Arabia, where he finished 10th, and Emilia Romagna, where he placed 13th and was lapped by eventual champion Max Verstappen, underscored the car's performance deficit. Mercedes struggled to mitigate the porpoising, which severely impacted both driver comfort and car performance, especially on bumpy circuits.

As the season progressed, Mercedes gradually understood and improved the W13. Hamilton's performance trajectory showed a marked improvement from the Canadian Grand Prix onwards, where he began a consistent run of podium finishes. He secured 9 podiums in total, including a strong sequence of five consecutive top-three finishes from Canada through Hungary. Despite these efforts, the car's inherent limitations meant challenging Red Bull for wins was largely out of reach. His only DNF came at the Belgian Grand Prix due to collision damage.

A key aspect of Hamilton's 2022 season was the internal team dynamic. While Hamilton finished 6th in the Drivers' Championship with 240 points, his new teammate George Russell finished 4th with 275 points and secured Mercedes' sole victory of the season at the São Paulo Grand Prix. This marked the first time Hamilton had been outscored by a teammate over a full season since 2016, and his first winless season in Formula 1.

## Defining moments

The early season struggles, particularly the 13th place finish at Imola, highlighted the scale of the challenge Mercedes faced in adapting to the new [Formula 1 technical regulations](https://www.fia.com/events/fia-formula-one-world-championship). Conversely, his strong drive at the British Grand Prix, battling for the lead at Silverstone and taking 3rd, demonstrated both his enduring capability and the W13's potential once its issues were better managed. The São Paulo Grand Prix was another pivotal moment, with Hamilton finishing 2nd behind Russell, showcasing Mercedes' strongest performance of the year and their ability to extract maximum performance as a team.

## What it meant

For Lewis Hamilton, 2022 represented a profound test of resilience and adaptability. It was his first season without a victory since his debut in 2007, a statistic that underscores the W13's competitive position rather than a decline in his driving. The season was a critical learning phase for Mercedes in the new [ground-effect era](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_One), providing valuable data for future car development. Hamilton's extensive experience was instrumental in guiding the team through these challenges, much like how other veteran drivers navigate difficult car developments, a situation that can be seen in retrospect when looking at seasons like [Nico Hülkenberg — 2017 season](/seasons/nico-hulkenberg-2017) where consistent points were the goal rather than wins.

Despite the lack of wins, Hamilton's consistent points scoring and numerous podiums ensured Mercedes finished 3rd in the Constructors' Championship. The season also set the stage for a revised approach from Mercedes in subsequent years, as they sought to reclaim their competitive edge. The raw championship data, available through sources like [Jolpica/Ergast — F1 season data](https://api.jolpi.ca/ergast/f1/2026.json), clearly illustrates the performance landscape Hamilton operated within during this transitional year for the sport and his team. Read the full editorial