Leclerc on pole position for 2022 season opener

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Charles Leclerc will start the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix on pole position edging out world champion Max Verstappen by 0.123 seconds.

His Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz qualified in third position, while the Mercedes drivers of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell could only get fifth and ninth.

After the first runs in Q3 it was Sainz who led the way by 0.044 seconds ahead of Leclerc, with Verstappen, who had topped Q2, facing a deficit of 0.056 seconds and complaining that his first out lap in the final segment of the session was too slow, which cost him tyre temperature.

On the final fliers, Leclerc led the trio around and recorded the best time in the track’s middle sector on his way to a one minute, 30.558 seconds.

Sainz could only manage a personal best time in the final sector, which meant he slotted in 0.129 seconds behind his Scuderia teammate, with Verstappen the last to cross the line.

He had gone quickest in the first sector but lost time as the lap wore on and eventually missed out on repeating his pole from the 2021 season opener at the same venue.

Sergio Perez made it a Red Bull 2-4, with Hamilton leading the Mercedes charge ahead of his former teammate Valtteri Bottas, who took sixth on this first appearance for Alfa Romeo.

Kevin Magnussen got his Formula 1 return off to an excellent start with seventh for Haas, despite having to deal with a power steering hydraulics problem at the end of Q2, with K-Mag pulling over at the first corner after crossing the line one his sole run at the end of Q3.

Fernando Alonso took eighth for Alpine, with Russell ninth after losing a chunk of time at the first corner on his final Q3 run, and Pierre Gasly finishing P10 for AlphaTauri.

His last-gasp improvement at the end of Q2 knocked out Esteban Ocon in the other Alpine, with Mick Schumacher recording his best Formula 1 qualifying result in P12 for Haas.

Lando Norris was in eliminated in P13 for McLaren, reporting as he returned to the pits that it was “the best we could do today”.

Alex Albon made it through Q1 in his first qualifying for Williams and then ran a contra-strategy in Q2 – heading out early to sample the track solo and then doing likewise for his final run when the rest made their final preparations for the end of the middle segment.

Albon’s effort would have left him finishing P15, but a few minutes later Alfa’s Zhou Guanyu lost his best time – one minute, 32.387 seconds versus the one minute, 32.664 seconds that Albon had set – for running beyond track limits at Turn 5, the fast left kink that precedes the swooping right and left corners that feed down to the hairpin in the Sakhir track’s middle sector.

In Q1, Yuki Tsunoda’s final lap personal best could not get the second AlphaTauri driver higher than P16, while Sebastian Vettel’s temporary replacement Nico Hulkenberg slotted in behind in P17.

Hulkenberg’s last effort pushed him ahead of McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo, who missed all of the pre-season test in Bahrain after he contracted COVID-19, and Lance Stroll in the other Aston Martin.

Nicholas Latifi was the only driver to be knocked that did not set a personal best time on their last lap in the opening segment, which meant he remained last at the foot of the times.

So congratulations to Ferrari and Charles Leclerc in scoring pole position. The pre-season testing went well for the Italian-based team and getting this qualifying result is a step in the right direction. World champion Max Verstappen is in P2 and it’s going to be a fascinating race. Game on.

Bahrain Grand Prix, qualifying results:
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:30.558
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:30.681
3 Carlos Sainz Jr. Ferrari 1:30.687
4 Sergio Perez Red Bull 1:30.921
5 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:31.238
6 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 1:31.560
7 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:31.808
8 Fernando Alonso Alpine 1:32.195
9 George Russell Mercedes 1:32.216
10 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri 1:32.338
11 Esteban Ocon Alpine 1:31.782
12 Mick Schumacher Haas 1:31.998
13 Lando Norris McLaren 1:32.008
14 Alex Albon Williams 1:32.664
15 Guanyu Zhou Alfa Romeo 1:33.543
16 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 1:32.750
17 Nico Hulkenberg Aston Martin 1:32.777
18 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren 1:32.945
19 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:33.032
20 Nicholas Latifi Williams 1:33.634

Alfa Romeo reveals the new C42 colours

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This is the final Formula 1 team reveal as Alfa Romeo showed off their new 2022 livery for the upcoming championship, following the C42’s first extended on-track outing in testing earlier.

Alfa Romeo announced earlier this month that it would be formally launching its car after the first three-day test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, making it the last on the grid to hold an official unveiling.

Drivers Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou took part in testing previously using a black-and-white camouflage livery, but the final design for this year’s car has now been revealed.

The team retains the traditional colours of the Alfa Romeo brand for this season, but has switched from a majority white livery to a chiefly red design.

The majority of the nose, the bulkhead and the halo have all turned red on this year’s car, while the engine cover also turns red, with the addition of ‘Alfa Romeo’ written in an old-fashioned font.

The livery was created by Alfa Rome’s Centro Stile design centre. According to the team, it is “a stunning yet subtle nod to the past, recalling historical designs of years past and the heritage of Alfa Romeo and Sauber Motorsport, in the Hinwil team’s 30th year in Formula 1.”

“The start of the season is always an exciting time, one in which we see the fruit of the work of hundreds of people over a long period of time,” said team principal Frederic Vasseur.

“The C42 is a car we look forward to seeing racing, not just because it is the first we built in this new regulations cycle, one in which racing should be closer and more thrilling, but because we have the utmost confidence in this car helping the team make a big step forward towards the front of the grid.”

The official launch of the C42 car comes after a difficult outing for Alfa Romeo in Barcelona, where it slumped towards the rear of the lap distance charts.

The three days of running were interrupted by a number of issues, limiting the team to just 175 laps between Bottas, Zhou and reserve driver Robert Kubica. Only Haas completed fewer laps during the test.

Bottas joined the team from Mercedes for the 2022 season, and said earlier this week that he was enjoying his early days with Alfa Romeo despite only managing 54 laps in the first test.

“The size of the team is quite a bit smaller, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing, and at least so far I’ve been enjoying it,” Bottas said.

“There are so many new people and new things to get used to and learn, and still I would say I am in the adaptation phase of actually getting properly to know the team and how everything works. But that’s part of learning.

“I would say it’s been a pretty quick process getting used to it. But there are good vibes. I’ve been really, really enjoying it, and with a bit more track time, I would be even happier, but at least it’s been fun.”

The Alfa Romeo C42 will make its next on-track appearance in the second pre-season test, which takes place in Bahrain from March 10-12, before the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on March 20.

Alpine goes pink and blue with the A522

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Alpine has revealed a visually-striking new blue and pink look for the A522, featuring a new title sponsor with water company BWT.

The French car manufacturer has changed its colour schemes for this season, thanks to new BWT, whose branding and iconic pink corporate colour features on the front wing, sidepods and rear wing.

The A522 features a push-rod suspension at the front, with pull-rod at the rear. The nose is more raised in relation to the front wing than some other rival cars, with very narrow inlets at the sidepods, which feature cooling gills that some other teams have adopted.

The new livery and car comes after a winter of wider change at the outfit, following a management shake-up undertaken by CEO Laurent Rossi.

He has brought in former Aston Martin team boss Otmar Szafnauer as team principal, with former FIA man Bruno Famin joining to help head up Renault’s engine division at Viry-Chatillon.

Rossi says that the minimum target for Alpine this year is fifth position in the constructors’ championship, but he is eager to go one better.

“We have multiple ambitions,” he said about the target for the season ahead. “Fifth is the minimum we need to target after last year’s performance.

“So far, we have hit our targets and we are happy with the progress we are showing, but we have to be realistic that this year all the cards are thrown in the air. We don’t know where we are going to be until we all hit the track.

“However, what we all need to bear in mind is that where we start isn’t important; it’s where we finish. We need to continue to show improvement, targeting operational excellence and progress throughout the year.”

Alpine is continuing with its driver line-up of Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon, with Oscar Piastri taking on the reserve driver role.

Szafnauer’s arrival as team principal comes after Rossi felt that Alpine needed a management tweak last winter, with executive director Marcin Budkowski subsequently leaving.

While there is no confirmed date yet set for Szafnauer’s arrival, Rossi believes that the qualities he can bring will help drive the team forward.

Szafnauer was present at the team’s launch.

“I’m a firm believer in passion, teamwork and respect for the individual,” he said. “We have to be passionate about what we do, whatever the task.

“A high-performing team’s key to success has, and always will be, teamwork. We’ll control what we are able to control, we’ll enjoy our journey, and we’ll enjoy the racing because that is what we’re here to do.

“As a team, we’re all racers and that is why we enjoy our work in Formula 1. With this passion and teamwork, I know success will come.”

The Silver Arrows returns with the W13

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Mercedes has unveiled their 2022 Formula 1 car, the W13, for the 2022 championship ahead of its on-track debut at Silverstone.

The defending constructors’ champions becomes the eighth team to be formally revealed ahead of the new season, and serves as the last model coming out of the front-running teams to launch.

Mercedes has returned to its classic silver livery for 2022 after racing with a black design for the past two years as part of its anti-racism messaging.

The car features black trim and the fluorescent green of title sponsor Petronas, as well as a star-speckled design on the engine cover.

This season marks the start of a new technical era for Formula 1 following a rewrite of the regulations that is aimed producing better racing, leading to a significant change in the aerodynamics.

Mercedes will enter the new season looking to continue its winning run of eight consecutive Formula 1 constructors’ titles stretching back to 2014.

“The mindset of the team has always been the same over the last few years, that the point count goes back to zero,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.

“There is nothing from the previous years that will make you win the current championship. No credits to be taken, but also no sense of entitlement.

“Like every year, we are sceptical, whether we have done a good enough job, and that is the right mentality.”

Mercedes will get a first chance to complete running with the W13 in a shakedown at Silverstone, which is limited to 100km or 17 laps of the track.

“For me, the two best moments every year is when you fire up for the first time, which happened very early for us in December, and then the second moment is when the car is being put together,” said Wolff.

“I was in the race bays the last few days, looking at this unbelievable machine, and now seeing it complete with its bodywork on is very exciting. It’s quite amazing, but I hope it’s amazing when we drive it in an hour.”

Lewis Hamilton will once again bid for a record-breaking eighth world championship this year, having lost out to Red Bull Racing rival Max Verstappen in controversial fashion on the last lap of the season in 2021 at Abu Dhabi.

“Going into this year, I haven’t set any goals initially,” said Hamilton. “I think naturally, every single individual within this team has worked towards the ultimate goal of winning the world championship, and again raising the bar and doing something that no-one else has done before.”

Hamilton is joined at Mercedes this year by new teammate George Russell, who becomes the first product of its junior programme to race for the senior team full-time after spending the last three years with Williams.

“There are so many faces that I’ve known over the past six or seven years now,” said Russell.

“When we started working together, we were straight into business. Obviously the relationships were always built over time, but I already knew so many of the people.

“Having worked with Lewis or seeing Lewis work when I was a junior driver, or sitting in the engineering meetings, that will also feel quite natural, being teammates with him and sitting alongside him.

“I think it’s going to be a really exciting season for all of us and Formula 1 generally.”

So an exciting partnership between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. The Silver Arrows is fast and let’s see if Mercedes can fight back the title from rival Red Bull.

Ferrari reveals the F1-75

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Scuderia Ferrari presented their 2022 Formula 1 race car by revealing an old-school inspired livery to celebrate the manufacturer’s 75th anniversary.

The Ferrari F1-75 was unveiled by the team at its Maranello headquarters, making it the seventh team to formally launch its new car for the upcoming season.

Following the exit of long-serving major sponsor Philip Morris and its Mission Winnow branding that featured on the car last year, Ferrari has switched to a red and black design for the 2022 championship.

The new livery features black front and rear wings, as well as a black Halo and black numbering on both the nose and the engine cover. The car also features a logo celebrating 75 years since the first Ferrari production car was released.

Drivers Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc were on hand for the launch event ahead of the season that will see both look to build on a year of momentum for Ferrari in 2021.

The team bounced back from its worst campaign in 40 years in 2020 to finish third in the constructors’ championship last year, scoring one pole position and four podiums.

The regulation change for 2022 is set to give Ferrari the chance to fight for its first world championship since 2008, having struggled to compete with Mercedes and Red Bull Racing over the past couple of years.

The livery looks beautiful and it’s a nice callback to classic 1990s Ferraris that have black wings. Kudos Scuderia!

Williams unveils new 2022 livery

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The Williams Racing Formula 1 team has unveiled its new livery during a season launch event.

The Grove-based squad pulled the covers off what appears to be an FW44 show car during a digital event.

As the team heads into the new 2022 regulations era, it has tweaked its colour scheme to a new blend of blues and red. The addition of red is said to have been inspired by a determination to promote the team’s British roots.

The Grove-based outfit is hoping to build on the momentum it gained in 2021, where it moved off the bottom of the constructors’ championship and finished eighth thanks to points-scoring finishes from both George Russell and Nicholas Latifi.

Team boss Jost Capito said he hoped that the improvements last season would play a part in driving the team forward this season.

“It was a great season for us, especially the step from 2020 to 2021,” he said. “This result, the points and the podium, gave a boost to the entire team. I hope that this boost will show up in the performance of the FW44 this year.”

While Latifi is staying on for another season, Williams has welcomed former Red Bull driver Alex Albon as replacement for Russell, who has moved to Mercedes.

Albon spent the 2021 season as reserve at Red Bull, as the Milton Keynes-based team helped ease his return to a race seat.

Speaking about his Formula 1 return, Albon said: “It feels like a year out and I’m itching to get going – it makes you hungry to get back in a seat.

“The year out was actually a way to see things from a different perspective, in a way that is not purely focused on the driving side. This is a team that is really on a climb and hopefully we will be able to use what I know to help it on its way.”

Williams is continuing to undergo a rebuilding under new owners Dorilton Capital, and it hopes to make further progress with the new rules era offering a reset that should help F1’s smaller squads.

The team will again race with Mercedes engines, having been a partner of the German manufacturer since the start of Formula 1’s turbo hybrid era in 2014.

AlphaTauri reveals new livery on the AT03

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This is the new 2022 look from AlphaTauri, which is a tweak to the fashion brand featuring the blue and white colour scheme.

The AT03 was revealed in a promotional video and the Formula 1 car will be seen for real during the first pre-season test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

AlphaTauri is coming off the back of its most successful season in Formula 1 so far, having scored 142 points last year as it finished sixth in the constructors’ championship.

https://twitter.com/AlphaTauriF1/status/1493178696391348229

The team is retaining its driver line-up of Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda, and will run rebadged Honda power units now that the Japanese car manufacturer has left the sport.

The 2021 Italian Grand Prix winner Gasly commented that he is eager to try out the new AT03.

“This year sees a huge change to the car as, due to the new regulations, the look and design is completely different, so the team has had to start from a clean sheet of paper,” he said.

“We won’t know the true performance of the AT03 until we get it out on track at pre-season testing in Barcelona but so far, I think it looks great and I am very excited to get this new season started.”

Team boss Franz Tost hoped that the team’s efforts on its 2022 car would pay off with even better form in the season ahead.

“I am excited to finally reveal what our 2022 Formula 1 car will look like,” he said.

“It is a completely new era for F1 and we hope that this package will be very strong, following last year’s success. Once again, we have worked closely with AlphaTauri to launch our new car and I think we’ve managed to deliver something very special.”

Like sister team Red Bull Racing, the AlphaTauri does not feature direct Honda branding, but does feature the logo of the Honda Racing Corporation division that is now looking after its Formula 1 involvement.

New livery design from McLaren

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This is the new livery design from McLaren, as the Woking-based team revealed its 2022 challenger, the MCL36, at a special launch event.

In a live event held at it’s impressive factory featuring drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren became the fourth team to unveil its new Formula 1 car – following the 2022 designs revealed by Haas, Aston Martin and Red Bull’s livery event earlier.

Of the three 2022 designs shown so far, the MCL36 is notable for featuring a third different take on the new regulations regarding rear bodywork – with the car being similar to Aston Martin’s approach in extending the surfaces backwards, as opposed to the Haas team’s narrow and sharply drooping bodywork that leaves more of the top surface of the floor exposed.

Unlike the Aston Martin, the new McLaren’s bodywork appears to be not so tightly packaged around its Mercedes engine.

The MCL36’s colours retain the papaya orange main element, but the blue secondary detail is lighter for 2022.

The car’s colours appear to be much closer to the one-off livery inspired by team sponsor Gulf that McLaren ran at the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix, than compared to the darker blue the team has used for the last four seasons.

In the same event, McLaren also unveiled the liveries of the cars it will enter in the 2022 IndyCar campaign for Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist, as well as for the team it will enter in Extreme E for the first time – all of which take their cues from the colours on the MCL36.

Speaking as the MCL36 was revealed, McLaren CEO Zak Brown said: “I’m delighted to see us launch all three McLaren Racing programmes across the Formula 1, IndyCar and Extreme E championships today.

“This is a first for us as a team, and in the wider world of motorsport, and it’s been fantastic to see how excited the fans have been as they get ready to join us on the next part of our journey.

“Our Formula 1 team continues to make great progress year-on-year with Andreas Seidl [team principal] at the helm, and this new era of regulations represents a real opportunity for the team.

“I’m excited to see Lando and Daniel get behind the wheel of the MCL36 and take it to the competition this year.

“Lando made great progress in 2021, scoring four podiums, and Daniel’s sensational victory in Monza reminded the team what it feels like to win again.

“As we head into 2022, we’re looking to build on that progress and further close the gap to the teams at the front.”

McLaren is the second team so far to launch its 2022 season by unveiling a physical car – with Haas opting to only release rendered images of its VF-22 (with the real initial design of the American team set to be revealed with a brief launch event in the pitlane at the upcoming first test at Barcelona last this month) and Red Bull painting an F1 show car in the colour scheme its RB18 will use this year.

James Key, McLaren’s executive director, technical, said his squad “can be proud of presenting a real car because it absolutely is”.

He added: “It’s the car we’ll be taking to Barcelona. Yes, we’ve hidden a few bits and pieces for obvious reasons, there are some sensitive areas, but that will all be seen when we’re running the car.”

This Gulf-inspired livery looks fantastic and the new 2022 rules have certainly make these racing car look faster. Best of luck to the team, Daniel and Lando for the upcoming Formula 1 season.

Aston Martin presents their 2022 racer

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The Aston Martin Formula 1 team has become the first outfit to reveal its true 2022 race car ahead of the championship season featuring the new rules to improve racing.

The AMR22 was presented in an event at Aston Martin’s Gaydon headquarters before its on-track debut during a filming day at Silverstone.

The Aston Martin AMR22 features an updated livery, replacing the pink elements of former major sponsor BWT with lime green, and sports an aggressive new design in line with the updated regulations for this season.

It is the first proper look at a 2022 Formula 1 car after Haas opted to reveal its design via computer-generated renders, while Red Bull Racing’s RB18 launch was completed using a show car.

Drivers Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll were on hand to help unveil the car ahead of their second season together as teammates.

Four-time world champion Vettel joined Aston Martin for the 2021 season, scoring one podium finish – at Baku – as the team finished seventh in the constructors’ championship.

Aston Martin has undergone some senior management changes over the off-season. Former team principal Otmar Szafnauer has left the team, with his role being taken by former BMW motorsport chief Mike Krack.

The team has also brought in a new major sponsor in the form of Aramco, whose logos feature prominently on the new AMR22 car on the rear wing, airbox and front wing.

“We are continuing our journey to the summit of Formula 1, the most prestigious and competitive racing series in the world – and we want to win,” said team owner Lawrence Stroll.

“But we know winning isn’t easy. That’s why we have a five-year journey and plan to keep climbing and get to the top.

“To win in Formula 1, everything has to be just in the right place, and a lot of moving parts have come together. The sport is constantly evolving, and unless you evolve with it, you will be left behind.”

“When it comes to hopes for the season, I do not think anyone really knows what to expect,” added Vettel. “There are new rules and of course all the teams will be hoping that they have got it right. Everyone wants to win, me included, and no one would be in Formula 1 if their dream was not to win. I am no different.

“The main thing is to keep moving forward and moving up. This is only year two of a five-year plan, so we are still quite near the start. But this team has big ambitions and big plans, and I am hugely excited to be a part of that.”

Stroll will enter his sixth season in Formula 1 this year, and was optimistic the updated regulations would offer the team a chance to make a big step forward.

“This is not only a big opportunity for Aston Martin, but also for all the teams,” said Stroll. “We just have to believe that we have done a better job and I know that everyone involved is working unbelievably hard to give Seb and me the best chance.

“At the same time, we have to be realistic heading into the new season. Our main aim is to move nearer the front than we were last year. That would be progress. As Seb said, it is impossible to know where every team will be until we all get on track, and even then you might not know who has really got it right until qualifying in Bahrain.

“Aston Martin has some really clever people so I am optimistic we can make good progress this year.”

Following the filming day on Friday, the Aston Martin AMR22 will enjoy its first extended run-out in pre-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on February 23-25.

Red Bull reveals 2022 livery on RB18 show car

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The 2022 drivers’ champions Red Bull Racing has revealed this season’s livery on the 2022 show car, the RB18.

The Milton Keynes-based outfit hosted a virtual launch from its factory, the RB18 and this car will be driven by new champion Max Verstappen alongside Baku Grand Prix winner Sergio Perez in the season ahead.

But while the model on display featured the team’s latest livery, which includes more exposure for title sponsor Oracle, Red Bull appeared to be keeping its technical secrets under wraps for now.

The RB18 that was unveiled appeared to be just an upgraded version of the Formula 1 Management concept show car that was revealed last year.

While having a different nose and wing from the FOM model, much of the car was identical – suggesting Red Bull did not wish to show off its definitive version just yet.

Speaking at the launch, team boss Christian Horner said Red Bull are fired up for the campaign ahead after its success in 2021.

“We are aiming to build on what we achieved last year,” he said. “The target is to try to retain the title.

“The big unknown is have we missed something with these regulations and has someone else stolen a march?

“It’s a clean sheet of paper for every single team. By the time we get to the first race, the RB18 won’t look much like it looks today, the evolution will be very quick as we progress through the season.

“It is a steep learning curve for everyone and it is a contest in development between the first and the last race.”

While Japanese car manufacturer Honda has withdrawn from Formula 1 for cost reasons, Red Bull will continue to be powered by the same power units following a new arrangement.

As it looks to the long-term future, Red Bull has set up its own powertrains division to build power units for itself.

In the short term, however, Honda will continue to prepare its engines from its Japanese headquarters.

While the RB18 no longer features Honda stickers, it does feature branding from its Honda Racing Corporation division.

Red Bull is coming off the back of its most successful season in Formula 1’s turbo hybrid era as it pushed Mercedes hard all the way to the final round in 2021.

And while its rival managed to secure the constructors’ championship title, Verstappen’s last lap pass of Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi was enough to take a victory that secured him his maiden drivers’ crown.

Verstappen’s title was the first for Red Bull since Sebastian Vettel’s triumph back in 2013.

The upcoming season is going to be fascinating in terms of the new regulations in place. Max Verstappen is the defending champion too so this upcoming championship is going to be exciting and thrilling.