Ferrari hoped to compete for a World Championship before the start of the 2023 Formula 1 season.
Even though the Italian team didn't live up to its early-year champion potential, its four race victories during the 2022 campaign was a welcome relief after a dismal run of seasons.
For the third year in a row, Ferrari began the season with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, but they quickly fell behind their rivals after Leclerc retired from the first round in Bahrain due to engine problems.
The Monegasque driver decided to withdraw again in Australia, but like he has done so many times in Formula One, he showed off his speed by finishing the year with five pole positions to Sainz's two.
Generally speaking, the Ferrari's aggressive tyre strategy and unpredictability at turns caused it to lose ground to the dominant Red Bull-built RB19 on race day.
Ferrari, however, took advantage of a rare off-week for the World Champions, as Sainz seized the chance that was handed to him in Singapore to win, the first time Red Bull had been defeated this year.
Ferrari's disastrous season came to an end when, towards the end of the season, the team narrowly lost out to Mercedes for second place in the Constructors' Championship by three points.
The Drivers:
Although it was Leclerc's fifth year with Ferrari, he experienced a recurring sense in his most recent stint with the team.
Renowned for being one of the best qualifiers on the circuit, the 26-year-old beat Sainz 15–7 this year to win the head-to-head match.
Although Leclerc wins the race 10-9, the standings adjust for Sainz's non-start in Qatar and Leclerc's disqualification in Brazil owing to reliability difficulties. Although the race is a little closer, the statistics show Ferrari's deficiencies.
For the pair, it was a rough season filled with more poor strategic decisions and performance shortfalls, but there were also moments of genius.
Sainz won the pole positions in Singapore and Italy back-to-back. He engaged Leclerc in a late-race battle for the podium in Monza, and he emerged victorious to take his place on the renowned podium in front of Ferrari's home supporters.
One round later in Singapore, he produced an even more remarkable effort as he held on for the win while masterfully handling the pressure from Lando Norris and the Mercedes duo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton who were pursuing him.
With three pole positions in the final five rounds of the campaign, Leclerc was especially impressive in the final quarter of the competition. Technical issues befell him in the USA and Brazil, but his strong drives put him ahead of the pack every time. And who can forget his thrilling last-lap pass of Sergio Perez in Las Vegas?
Leclerc and Sainz have few weapons at their disposal to fight this year, and with their contracts set to expire in 2024, it wouldn't be shocking if one of them took on a new challenge should Ferrari face more difficulties in 2024.