Lewis Hamilton's 2022 Formula 1 season marked a significant departure from his previous campaigns, characterized by the Mercedes W13's inherent aerodynamic challenges and, for the first time in his career, the absence of a race victory.
Going in
Following the intense 2021 championship battle, Hamilton entered 2022 under entirely new technical regulations. The sport transitioned to a tunnel-floor ground-effect era, featuring 18-inch wheels and simplified aerodynamic surfaces, designed to promote closer racing. Mercedes, having dominated the hybrid era, was expected to contend immediately. Hamilton, alongside new teammate George Russell, aimed to adapt swiftly to the W13 and challenge for the championship, a familiar objective after years of consistent front-running performance.
How it played out
The reality of the 2022 season for Mercedes, and consequently for Hamilton, was a stark contrast to expectations. The W13 suffered from severe porpoising, a high-frequency vertical oscillation caused by the ground-effect aerodynamics, which significantly hampered performance and driver comfort. Early races saw Hamilton struggling to extract pace, often qualifying outside the top five and finishing behind Russell, who seemed to adapt quicker to the car's unpredictable nature. The car's limitations meant Mercedes was often the third-fastest team, behind the dominant Red Bull RB18 and, for much of the first half, Ferrari's F1-75.
As the season progressed, Mercedes engineers worked to understand and mitigate the W13's issues. Updates throughout the year gradually improved the car's stability and pace, particularly in the second half. Hamilton's performance trajectory mirrored this improvement, with a series of strong podium finishes accumulating from Silverstone onwards. He secured nine podiums in total, demonstrating consistent racecraft even when outright pace for victory was absent. The intra-team battle with Russell was notable, with Russell ultimately finishing P4 in the Drivers' Championship, two positions ahead of Hamilton, and securing Mercedes' sole victory of the season in Brazil. This represented a rare instance of Hamilton being outscored by a teammate over a full season, a scenario not seen since Nico Hülkenberg — 2017 season where a driver like Hülkenberg was tasked with leading a team's development in a new era.