- Watch the Bahrain Grand Prix live on Sky Sports F1<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>
RB:<\/strong> I\u2019m really excited because the teams don\u2019t know who has come up with the right idea with these new rules. All the teams are saying, \u2018We\u2019ve gone with this concept\u2026 but we\u2019ve left it open to go with that concept if it\u2019s not quite right.\u2019<\/p>\n
They\u2019ve worked incredibly hard already, but everyone is predicting a really, really hard season for the teams to just keep developing all the way through. And I think it\u2019s really exciting. I think it means we\u2019re in for a really competitive season\u2026<\/p>\n
Title contenders<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\""Max\"]( "\\"\"Max\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Expect more fireworks between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton<\/span><\/figcaption> Getty Images<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n RB:<\/strong> I think the top four will be the same top four. I don\u2019t think we\u2019re going to get anyone else getting into that territory at the start of the season but I do think they will catch up really quickly. Looking at Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, they definitely all seemed to come away from testing with answers and also reasonably happy.<\/p>\n
Red Bull are up there but it\u2019s really hard to know where they slot in at the moment. They\u2019re the most curious one of all because I can\u2019t work out whether they\u2019re up there with Mercedes, whether they\u2019re just in behind or whether they\u2019re in with McLaren and Ferrari at the moment.<\/p>\n
- Pierre Gasly Big RT Interview: Form and bullish ambitions for 2022<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
I always feel that the fastest Lewis Hamilton<\/strong> on track is when he\u2019s been knocked down. He\u2019s faster than ever when he comes back, and that\u2019s what I feel we will get this season. I can\u2019t, at this moment, see past him for the title this year. The way last season happened means that there will be no stone unturned in making sure he wins that eighth title this year. I think Max Verstappen<\/strong> is going to find a different Lewis this season.<\/p>\n
I think if there is [any challenge to Verstappen and Hamilton], it\u2019ll come from outside of Red Bull and Mercedes. I would put Lando Norris<\/strong> down because I saw in him last year a growth, both mentally and technically, that I think surpassed anyone else. And I think that McLaren is capable of getting on the podium this year. He could be winning races and disrupting that battle between the two of them. He\u2019s an incredible driver who I think for the first couple of years, everyone looked at him as a young kid on the grid, he was fine and always joking around, but then if you look at what he actually did last year, he put in phenomenal performances.<\/p>\n
I think if anyone is going to creep in there, it will be him or potentially Carlos Sainz<\/strong>. I rate Charles Leclerc and think he\u2019s up there, but there was just something about Carlos last year.<\/p>\n
Midfield stars to look out for<\/strong><\/h2>\n
RB:<\/strong> Throughout the rest of the field, there\u2019s much more scope now for them to all be way more competitive. I think Aston Martin look like they could be entering into that top four battle a little bit. They\u2019ve made so many changes of personnel and they\u2019ve brought some brilliant minds into the team to try and help that along. Once those guys are over their gardening leave and can actually start working on the car and helping develop, I think they will be in amongst that mix. Sebastian Vettel<\/strong> will be amongst it.<\/p>
I would like to think Fernando Alonso<\/strong> would be there. You saw his defending last year, it was insane, and it shows you that he\u2019s still got all the attributes he had when he was winning titles but I\u2019m just not sure about the Alpine. They had a disappointing test [in Spain] and I think they have a lot of work to do there. They\u2019re a bit under pressure at the moment.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d like to think Mick Schumacher<\/strong> won\u2019t just be fighting at the back anymore, but until we know what that Haas car can do, it\u2019s hard to say really.<\/p>\n
Pierre Gasly<\/strong> always surprises people and I feel like he\u2019s so embedded in that AlphaTauri team now, he\u2019s leading that team and I think they\u2019re building the car around him because he\u2019s there and he\u2019s settled and he\u2019s happy. If that\u2019s the case, I think you\u2019ve got to keep an eye out for him this season. He is a fantastic driver. Whatever happened at Red Bull, it just didn\u2019t fit with him. But this AlphaTauri team fits with him. He is quick and he will get points where he\u2019s not expected to. Watch out for him.<\/p>\n
Drivers under pressure<\/strong><\/h2>\n
RB: <\/strong>It\u2019s always hard for someone like Guanyu Zhou<\/strong>. It\u2019s always gonna be hard when you\u2019re coming up from F2 and you come with a lot of money because people don\u2019t expect you to actually have the talent. They think you just bought a seat. I really want him to have a good season, he\u2019s a really great guy, he\u2019s a great driver but I want him to hit the ground running and then silence all of that so he can just get on with the season. He\u2019s also got Valtteri Bottas as his teammate, so he\u2019s got a big job on his hand. I hope people let him just get used to the whole Formula 1 circus.<\/p>\n
I also think Yuki Tsunoda<\/strong> had some great races at the end of last season but he had such a tough year up to that point. He\u2019d have a great race and then a poor race, a great race, a poor race. I hope he\u2019s settled, I hope he feels happier and calmer now in the team and can just concentrate on the driving. It always felt like he took two steps forward and one step back. Hopefully his progression will be upwards because I think there\u2019ll be a bit of pressure on him this year if he can\u2019t turn in the results. It\u2019s a high pressure environment in that Red Bull\/AlphaTauri.<\/p>\n
Watch every race of the 2022 F1 season exclusively live on Sky Sports F1 and NOW \u2013 sign up for Sky Sports here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
If you\u2019re looking for something else to watch, check out our\u00a0<\/b>TV Guid<\/b>e<\/strong><\/span><\/a> or visit our Sport<\/a> hub.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
The latest issue of Radio Times is on sale now \u2013\u00a0subscribe now<\/a>\u00a0to get each issue delivered to your door. For more from the biggest stars in TV, l<\/strong>isten to the\u00a0Radio Times podcast<\/a>\u00a0with Jane Garvey.<\/strong><\/p><\/body><\/html>\n
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- Pierre Gasly Big RT Interview: Form and bullish ambitions for 2022<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
![\""Max\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/01\/Max-Verstappen-Lewis-Hamilton-742e414.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Max\\"\/")
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