by Alex Johnston
Just for fun!
If each driver on the 2022 grid was a circuit off this year’s calendar, which circuit would they be?
Max Verstappen - Red Bull - Suzuka, Japan
It’s exciting, it always throws up a surprise or two, and there’s a massive following no matter where you look.
📸 Verstappen made his practice debut at Suzuka at just 16 years old in 2014.
Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes - Circuit de Monaco, Monaco
Still F1‘s crown jewel, there’s no escaping it.
📸 Hamilton battled Verstappen for his last win in Monaco(2019).
Valtteri Bottas - Alfa Romeo - Silverstone, UK
Fast, kind of popular, and well liked. I’ve never seen Silverstone’s arse though. Can’t say the same for Valtteri, can we?
📸 Bottas’ puncture in 2020 started a dramatic end to the British GP.
Sergio Perez - Red Bull - Autodromo
Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico
There’s never a lot of fanfare about this one but it always throws up something exciting. Always one to watch.
📸 Perez took a home podium for the first time in 2021.
Carlos Sainz - Ferrari - Interlagos, Brazil
Capable of the spectacular, but often is surprising in his little it gives you. Was a lot better in 2019 too.
📸 Sainz went P20 to P3 for McLaren in 2019.
Lando Norris - McLaren - Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Canada
You always want to know what it’s got planned well in advance. Very unpredictable this one.
📸 Lando retired from his only race in Canada to date with suspension failure.
Charles Leclerc - Ferrari - Monza, Italy
Plain and simple, it’s fast and everyone loves it. Old school speed.
📸 “He won in Spa, he wins in Monza!”Leclerc celebrates his second win for Ferrari.
Daniel Ricciardo - McLaren - Spa Francorchamps, Belgium
This one’s simple, everyone likes it. Easy as you like.
📸 Ricciardo won the 2014 race in Spa after drama from the Mercedes duo of Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.
Pierre Gasly - Alpha Tauri - Sakhir Circuit, Bahrain
It’s just kind of always there. Also doesn’t come with much fanfare. Well, unless it comes first.
📸 No Red Bull, no wing for Pierre Gasly.
Fernando Alonso - Alpine - Imola, Italy
Old fashioned and entertaining. Might not see either in F1 after this year if we’re being honest.
📸 Alonso being chased by Michael Schumacher in Imola(2005).
Esteban Ocon - Alpine - Paul Ricard, France
I struggle to decide whether I like it or not. I think I do then it throws up something stupid. It’s alright. Liable to give you a headache too.
📸 Ocon goes wheel to wheel with Vettel at Paul Ricard.
Sebastian Vettel - Aston Martin - Red Bull Ring, Austria
It’s just nice isn’t it? A relaxed aura about it all. Classic, smooth.
📸 Vettel takes his Ferrari round the Red Bull Ring in 2018.
Lance Stroll - Aston Martin - Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi
Like it or not, it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Enjoy it.
📸 Stroll chases Ocon in Abu Dhabi.
Yuki Tsunoda - Alpha Tauri - Marina Bay, Singapore
It’s fast, and features a fair amount of crashes. Not much else.
📸 Tsunoda is yet to race in Singapore.
George Russell - Mercedes - Baku City Circuit, Azerbaijan
Its exciting, there’s still a freshness to it, and it recently beat Lewis Hamilton.
📸 Russell took an F2 win in Baku back in 2018.
Nicholas Latifi - Williams - Barcelona
The less said the better. Needs improvements before we can really enjoy it.
📸 Latifi laps the Barcelona circuit.
Mick Schumacher - Haas - COTA, Texas, USA
Ilike it, I really do. I just want to see it be a bit more exciting.
📸 Haas or Mick Schumacher haven’t had much luck in Austin.
Kevin Magnussen - Haas - Albert Park, Australia
Went away for a while and came back. We’re very happy with it too, always throws up some excitement.
📸 KMag took a podium in his first ever race, at Albert Park with McLaren in 2014.
Zhou Guanyu - Alfa Romeo - Zandvoort
It’s new, it’s exciting, it…might not last very long we don’t see something special soon.
📸 Zandvoort returned to the F1 calendar last year for the first time since the 1980’s.
Alex Albon - Williams - Hungaroring, Hungary
Popular. Shows up and provides something different to everything else, all while entertaining.
📸 Albon previously went wheel to wheel with then teammate Daniil Kvyat in Hungary.
Bonus:
Nico Hulkenberg - Aston Martin - Hockenheim, Germany
Not actually been planned, but there’s always talk it’ll come back.
📸 One of The Hulk’s ‘almost’ podiums came in the 2019 race at Hockenheim.
Image credit(s): Formula Motorsport Limited, Williams Racing
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