Formula 1 introduced the biggest change to its technical regulations in multiple decades a few years ago that went into effect for the first time this season. The brand new cars look and operate drastically differently than those in years past and with that, the FIA (the governing body of motorsport) were hoping that the order of the 10 teams would be shaken up from the last seven years where the same teams have been contenders and others on the outside. The FIA also introduced a cost cap for the first time in the sports history to further try and shrink the gaps between the top teams who spend 100s of millions more than some of the smallest teams.

The F1 season has a summer break in August to give teams a breather from the season that runs for nine months from March to November, and it seems as good a time as any to see if the idea to shake up the order has worked thus far.

At the Break

The first part of the 2022 season has given fans and drivers some great moments with two teams rising to the top from the outset. Red Bull and Ferrari have led from the jump, getting on top of their new car designs faster and more efficiently than any other team.

The giant that surprised everyone was Mercedes and their lack of performance. The Silver Arrows, as they are known, won the last seven straight Constructors' Championships and six Drivers' Championships from 2014-20 and were expected to keep their form once the new cars came around. That did not happen and the team was left reeling up until a couple of races ago. That left the door open for teams like McLaren and Alpine to be the third best team but with some bad luck and Mercedes having some things fall their way, neither team could get a hold on it.

Out in front, Red Bull is having wild success:

• Winning nine of 13 races

• Building a 97-point lead

• Max Verstappen leading the Drivers' Championship by 80-points with 258 total

Ferrari is second with 334-points

• Taking the other four race wins not accounted for on the season

• Nearly always finishing second or third behind a Red Bull and getting a haul of points

Mercedes, with a recent run of success, sit just 30-points back of Ferrari and a very comfortable third-place. A full 205 points ahead of Alpine and any of the other six teams. So let's see how the new regulations have fared.

Have They Worked?

The top three teams of Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes have scored 1,069 points which accounts for over 76 percent of the total possible points for the season. That means that the other seven teams have combined to score the last 24 percent.

In 2021, the last year of the turbo-hybrid era, Mercedes and Red Bull were the clear best with over 52% of the points scored between them, and tacking on Ferrari and McLaren who were battling for third, the top four teams totaled 82% by the summer break.

So the question, have the new regulations made things more competitive? Not really. They have changed the order of the top teams and allowed for better racing because the cars can follow one another significantly closer but the big teams from last year are still the big teams this year. They have the best personnel, support systems, drivers, and experience which translates to some great results.

The cars look completely different, there's a cost cap, Red Bull reigns supreme but as a whole, the new season hasn't leveled the playing field and allowed for a wide open field like one might hope. Nevertheless, as time goes on, there's greater chances that the teams who got the new regulations wrong can get it right but for now, it's looking like a two, possibly three horse race at the top like always.

Mound Visit

Saints Sports Network is a Christian group that brings you interesting sports coverage. Our name comes from Ephesians 2:18-21 where it notes that all Christians are saints in God's eyes. Therefore we are saints who write about sports but also want to make sure to share the Gospel. That's where Mound Visit comes into play because we all need a visit to the mound from God in good times and bad to recenter our lives and trust in him. We'll do that by highlighting a Bible verse for you to think and pray about in each newsletter that you receive from us.