The 2022 Formula One Championship will be the 73rd in the sport's history and once again it's set to be an exciting campaign. If it is anything like last season, where the title was determined in the final lap of the last race, it will be an exhilarating year.

Here are three storylines to keep an eye on across the season.

Verstappen Will Be Looking to Become 11th Repeat World Title Winner

Only 10 men in F1 history have been able to defend their World Drivers' Championship and if the reigning champion Max Vertsappen is able to do it, he will join some of the sport's best ever.

Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Ayrton Senna and Juan Manuel Fangio are among those who have managed the feat. As a defending champion, there will be a lot more pressure on Verstappen in every race he lines up in this year. Verstappen is at a best price of +187 in the F1 odds for the 2022 season and he is just behind or equal to Hamilton in the betting with the major bookmakers. The pair should once again be involved in a close tussle which may go right down to the back of the campaign.

All Eyes on Guanyu Zhou in China

China is set to have its first starting driver in F1 history in 2022 as Guanyu Zhou has signed for Alfa Romeo-Ferrari, which is a great opportunity for the former Formula 2 rider.

Up until this latest contract, the man from China was a test driver for the Alpine F1 Team, but now he has the chance to prove himself in competitive action in F1. He has aspirations of becoming a future world champion and this could be the first step towards that goal.

This latest news is a huge boost for China and viewing figures in F1 are expected to rise in 2022 as those in the country tune in to see their driver. If he is able to finish on a podium, or even win a race, it would create huge headlines in the country.

Hamilton and Vettel Could Both Reach 300th GP

Both Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel could start their 300th Grand Prix in 2022. That would be a special milestone for both former world champions. It has only been done by five drivers.

Hamilton has featured in 288 races, so he needs just 12 more starts to get to 300. Vettel will have to wait a little longer as he has lined up on the starting grid 279 times in his F1 career.

It is also likely that seven-time world champion Hamilton will climb to number three on the all-time total starts. Schumacher and Jenson Button are joint fourth on 306 starts. The British driver will reach 307 if he features 19 times in 2022.

The 2022 F1 season begins on March 20 with the Bahrain Grand Prix. That will be the first of 23 races across the campaign, with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix once again bringing the year to a close.