Verstappen vs Leclerc 2022: the rivalry of the present
The first races of 2022 promised the rivalry of the next decade. What would have happened without Ferrari's failures?
The simulation's verdict
Max Verstappen would have won the 2022 title in 95% of the 200 simulations.
Max Verstappen
Charles Leclerc
Who finished ahead
Based on 200 simulations of the 2022 season. Numbers can vary each time you play.
Historical context
The first 4 races of 2022 were an epic duel: Leclerc won 2, Verstappen 2. Ferrari had the fastest car in qualifying. But engine failures and strategy errors sank the Monegasque. Without those problems, who would have won the championship?
The real 2022 season
The 2022 season ushered in a technical revolution: the return of ground effect, with cars designed to follow each other more closely and encourage overtaking. The new rules reshuffled the grid and gave Ferrari its best car in years, the F1-75. Charles Leclerc started flying, winning two of the first three races and leading the championship with authority. But the season unravelled completely for Ferrari: a string of failures — like retiring while leading at home in Bahrain and in France — and a chain of strategy errors squandered a lead that had looked solid. Max Verstappen and Red Bull capitalised on every slip with relentless consistency. The Dutchman fought back, strung together wins to reach fifteen in the year — a matched record — and sealed his second world title with four races to spare.
Real champion: Max Verstappen in the Red Bull RB18. Leclerc retires in Valencia while comfortably leading — the symbol of Ferrari's cursed season. See the full 2022 season →
The drivers
Max Verstappen is the driver who defines Formula 1's current era. Son of former driver Jos Verstappen, he debuted in 2015 aged just 17, becoming the youngest ever to start a Grand Prix and to score points. Full profile →
Charles Leclerc carries an enormous weight: being Ferrari's great hope in a title chase that has eluded them since 2007. The Monegasque grew up in Monaco, close to family friend Jules Bianchi, whose tragic death shaped his career. Full profile →
How it's simulated
The engine recreates qualifying (Q1, Q2, Q3) and every Grand Prix with the ~20 real drivers of 2022, weighing each car's performance, driver skill, weather, safety cars and tyre wear. Learn how the simulator works →
Season
2022
Mode
Free duel
Tags
Choose driver, car and season. The engine simulates the full championship with real drivers.