2021 was an exciting season for motorsports, as we saw new champions crowned in many of the major motorsports series around the world. In addition, established legends have bid farewell to the sport, such as Kimi Räikkönen in Formula One, and Valentino Rossi in MotoGP.

While 2021 turned out to be one of the most memorable racing seasons in recent history, 2022 is shaping up to be quite another thriller with all the major shake-ups and new developments all around the racing world. This will surely bring up another year of surprises and exciting racing action. That being said, we're here to give you some of the things we look forward to seeing in the 2022 motorsport season.

10 2022 F1 Rule Changes

F1-2022-front-wing
Via: Formula1.com

Formula One cars are set to look completely different in the 2022 season, as FIA has a set of regulation changes aimed to improve closer racing and induce wheel-to-wheel action across the whole grid.

F1 2022 Car Side View
via Motor Biscuit

F1 cars will now rely more on "ground effect" to produce downforce over wings and bargeboards, together with the brand-new 18-inch tires from Pirelli that are designed to make following another car easier. The question now remains on which team will interpret the new rules right the first time and have a head start over the competition.

RELATED : Here's How The F1 Points System Works

9 Max Verstappen Vs. Lewis Hamilton Vs.... George Russell?

2021-Imola-Hamilton-v-Verstappen (1)
via motor sport magazine

Max Verstappen and Sir Lewis Hamilton gave us a battle for the ages in 2021. It went down to the very last lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix finale that saw Verstappen take his first Formula One drivers' crown.

george-russell-mercedes
via Independent

For 2022 however, Hamilton may also have to battle with his own teammate for the crown. George Russell has proved he has the speed when he subbed in for Hamilton back in 2020, and since then, he has done amazing things with an inferior Williams F1 car. Now that he has a front-running Mercedes F1 car at his disposal for 2022, we can only wait and see Mr. Saturday showcase his full potential.

RELATED : 10 Fast Facts About George Russell

8 MotoGP's Post-Rossi Era

Valentino-Rossi-waves
via: Pinterest

2022 will be the first time since 1996 that we won't see "The Doctor" on the grid, as MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi has finally concluded his legendary motorcycle racing career in 2021.

Fabio Quartararo And His 2021 World Champion Helmet
Via: MotoGP

Now, it's left to the young guns of MotoGP to carry the torch of the sport's popularity. Newly-crowned MotoGP Champion Fabio Quartararo is set to defend his title against a fully recovered Marc Marquez, and against the riders of the Ducati Desmosedici GP bike that's quickly becoming the most well-rounded bike of the field.

RELATED : What Quartararo’s Title And Misano Race Means For Himself And MotoGP 2022

7 Sebastien Loeb Vs. Sebastien Ogier.... Sort Of

Seb Loeb M-sport 2022 (wrc.com)
via wrc.com

Two legends of the World Rally Championship who have dominated the sport for almost two decades will square off once again at the 2022 Monte Carlo Rally. Nine-time WRC champion Sebastien Loeb will be making his brief return to the sport and, for the first time, drive for Malcolm Wilson's M-Sport outfit with the Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1.

Ogier Wins Rally Italia Sardegna In 2021
via FIA

Eight-time WRC champion Sebastien Ogier won't be contesting the full 2022 WRC calendar anymore. However, we'll still see him behind the wheel of the Toyota GR Yaris Hybrid Rally1 in Monte Carlo to duel with his fellow French rally legend one more time.

6 Audi E-Tron Joins The Dakar Rally

audi rs q e-tron (audi-mediacenter)
via audi-mediacenter

Audi will debut an alternative drive concept at the world's toughest rally, as their Audi RS Q E-Tron will contest its first Dakar Rally, which will be held from January 1 to 14, 2022. According to the German manufacturer, "this marks the beginning of a new-era in cross-country rallying".

Audi-RSQ-E-Tron (motortrend)
via motortrend

Powered by a Formula E motor linked to a DTM range-extending gas engine, the RS Q E-Tron is reported to produce a total of 671 hp and will power all four wheels, forming the iconic quattro all-wheel-drive system. Dakar legend Stephane Peterhansel leads Audi's three-car assault, together with WRC legend Carlos Sainz Sr. and former DTM and World RX champion Mattias Ekstrom.

5 Peugeot's Return To Le Mans

2022 Peugeot 9X8 Le Mans Hypercar
via Peugeot

2021 saw a close fight between Toyota Gazoo Racing and Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus in the new Hypercar class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Now, for 2022, Peugeot is joining the party with their all-new 9X8 Hypercar, which will also challenge Toyota for the FIA World Endurance Championship.

The rear end of the 9X8
Peugeot

Peugeot's latest hybrid hypercar features bold styling elements, and surprisingly, was designed without a rear wing. Like Toyota, the French manufacturer will also be competing under the LMH class, and will be joined in 2023 by manufacturers such as Acura, Porsche, Audi and Ferrari in the LMDh format.

4 WRC Open Season

WRC_Safari-Rally-Kenya-Toyota-2021
via wrc

As mentioned earlier, Sebastien Ogier will not be contesting the full WRC calendar for 2022, which means, there's a possibility that we will see a new WRC champion by the end of the season.

WRC_Safari-Rally-Kenya-Msport-2021
via wrc

Ott Tanak is the only full-time WRC driver in the 2022 lineup who has won a drivers' crown, while Elfyn Evans has been Ogier's closest challenger for the past two seasons. 2022 is shaping up to be the most open season for the WRC, where there's no clear title favorite.

3 Jimmie Johnson's Full-Time IndyCar Switch

jimmie johnson
via Pinterest

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson will contest the full 2022 IndyCar schedule driving the #48 car for Chip Ganassi Racing, following his part-time stint in the series last season.

jimmie johnson (autoweek)
via autoweek

Johnson ended his legendary NASCAR career in 2020 with 83 victories in 686 races ran over 20 years, and is regarded as one of the greatest NASCAR drivers of all time.

2 Kyle Larson's Title Defense In NASCAR

Larson Wins 2021 NASCAR Title
via Road & Track

Whatever you might think of Kyle Larson, we cannot deny the fact that he simply dominated NASCAR in the 2021 season. Following his suspension from the sport in 2020 after a racial slur on an online event that led to him being fired from Chip Ganassi Racing, Larson let his racing do the talking in 2021.

Kyle-Larson-NASCAR-Cup-championship
via Sportsnet

Kyle Larson was the first NASCAR driver to rack up 10 wins and a championship since Jimmie Johnson in 2007. With him and Hendrick Motorsports having a great working relationship, the NASCAR grid may have to step up a bit more to challenge Larson for the 2022 title.

1 World Superbikes: Razgatlioglu Vs. Rea 2

razgatlioglu rea (roadracingworld)
via roadracingworld

The World Superbike Championship crowned a new world champion in 2021, as Turkish rider Toprak Razgatlioglu ended Jonathan Rea's streak of six successive SBK titles and in the process, became the first ever Turkish World Champion in SBK history.

razgatlioglu rea (motorsport.com)
via motorsport.com

Razgatlioglu took the title from Rea in the final Round at Mandalika where he finished 2nd in the first of two races in the weather-affected venue. 2022 could see a repeat of their season-long duel, as Rea and Razgatlioglu have stayed on their respective teams and will ride the same bikes for this season.