The Year F1 Tried to Stop Max Verstappen (And Failed)

Abu Dhabi 2021: was Max Verstappen's first title won, or handed to him? The 2022 F1 season was the cleaner test, and he answered it with a record 15 wins, a record 454 points and his second world championship. This is the full story of Max Verstappen's 2022 season. After the Abu Dhabi 2021 controversy, Formula 1 reset almost everything: new ground effect cars, a spending cap and a new race director after Michael Masi was removed. The new rules were meant to bring a more balanced championship. Three races in, Verstappen had retired twice, sat sixth in the standings and was 46 points behind Charles Leclerc, even behind his own Red Bull teammate, Sergio Pérez. Then came the comeback. Imola, Miami and Barcelona took him from 46 points behind to the championship lead in 42 days. Then the win streak: France, Hungary, a win from 14th on the grid at Spa, Zandvoort and Monza, closing in on Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel's record for most wins in a season. But 2022 was never a clean run. Singapore slipped away after a fuel call in qualifying. Suzuka crowned him world champion in the rain, in a race so short that even Verstappen wasn't sure full points applied. The next day, the FIA found Red Bull in a minor overspend of the 2021 cost cap, and McLaren's Zak Brown called it cheating. In Austin, Red Bull lost co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, and Verstappen dedicated the win to him. Then came Ted Kravitz's "robbed" movie script on Sky, the Mexico City Grand Prix that set a new record of 14 wins, and the Brazil team radio with Pérez that his own team later called a mistake. We also answer the biggest objection: was it just the car? The Red Bull RB18 won 17 of 22 races, but Ferrari took more poles, and in the same car Pérez won two. By the final race, Verstappen had 15 wins and 454 points, both records at the time, and finished 146 points clear. So, won or handed? The 22 races of 2022 are the evidence. Tell us in the comments whether they settle the Abu Dhabi 2021 argument, or whether his 2023 season makes the stronger case. Watch next: Why Max Verstappen vs Lewis Hamilton Is F1's Greatest Rivalry Ever [https://youtu.be/MAVvYCjUk30] CHAPTERS: 0:00 Won... or Handed? 0:26 Numbers No Champion Reached 0:58 The FIA Called It "Human Error" 1:35 6th and "Miles Behind" 2:37 46 Points Gone in 42 Days 3:39 Started 14th. Won by 17.8s. 4:44 Called In on His Final Lap 5:26 Crowned by a Single Word 6:18 McLaren Called It "Cheating" 7:44 "Gets Robbed": Red Bull vs Sky 8:21 He Refused His Own Team 9:20 Was It Just the Car? 10:10 A 192-Point Swing Subscribe to F1 Reveal for more Formula 1 stories, rivalries and record seasons. #f1 #maxverstappen #formula1 #redbull