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A new chapter in the Formula 1: 2020 season so far

What we learnt from the season so far?

Media Credits - (Dan Istitene - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)

As the World stumbled upon the Pandemic in 2020, the inspiration is garnered in the form of the Formula 1 2020 season. After the longest off-season break, the F1 community woke up to the engine roar in the first week of July in Austria.  2020 F1 season turned to be a fascinating season with competitive and unpredictability at-least in the mid-field, controversies, and prodigies asserting themselves as lead drivers.

As we inch closer to the races on new circuits, F1 overseen by Liberty media have provided us some valuable insights on what we have learned so far and things to look forward to in the future.

Magnificient Mercedes

Mercedes have already won 5 out of 6 races this season and lead the constructors’ championship by 90 points. Since 2014 the team has amassed a race-winning percentage of 74%. The team asserted to be better than a few of the greatest teams Ferrari (66%, 2000 -2004), McLaren (61%, 1988 – 1991), and Red Bull Racing (53%, 2010 – 2013).

While speaking of Mercedes, we cannot ignore the 6 time World Champion, Lewis Hamilton. Lewis Hamilton had a disastrous start to the season with a rare mistake at Austrian GP, where he tangled with Alex Albon. If performance is efficient, then the odd mistakes can be forgiven. The Austrian GP woke up the perfectionist in him, where he won 4 of the next 5 races to increase his championship lead to 37 points. Driving on 3 wheels at Silverstone’s last lap to win the race portrays the resilience and grit of Lewis Hamilton. The boy from Stevenage has become a legend with 88 wins and a record-breaking 156 podiums, and is on course of achieving greatness.

However, his teammate Valtteri Bottas is already adrift of 43 points. We can call it bad luck with a tyre failure at The Brtish GP where he ended outside of points, but the question remains if he has the Champions caliber, and resistance to challenge Lewis Hamilton. In comparison with Lewis Hamilton’s ex-teammate Nico Rosberg for 4 years, In a constructor’s Championship-winning season, Valtteri Bottas has out-scored Nico Rosberg only once, which is their 3rd season as Hamilton’s teammate, where Nico scored 322 and Bottas scored 326. Currently, in his 4th season at Mercedes, Valtteri Bottas is yet to prove he is a World Champion material. Funnily enough, Nico Rosberg won the title in the 4th year as Lewis Hamilton’s teammate. With Mercedes prodigy George Russell putting up a stellar performance at Williams, it’s time for Valtteri Bottas to show his Champions mentality for the remainder of this season and the next season to keep Mercedes trust beyond 2021, if Hamilton calls it a day.

Rosberg Vs Bottas
Rosberg Vs Bottas

Maximum Verstappen

Reminiscent of Ayrton Senna’s time at Lotus, Max Verstappen is punching above his weight. He is up to second in the driver’s championship, only non-Mercedes driver to win a race this season. Without a DNF at the Austrian GP, he could have been much closer to Hamilton in the driver’s championship. We are witnessing a matured and composed Max Verstappen this season. Max could be the prime candidate for a multiple World Championship in the next few years as search for the first non-Mercedes champion since 2013 continues.

Moreover, the conundrum continues for the second driver slot. Alex Albon was on course for his first win at the Austrian GP, but the dream ended when he and Hamilton came together. Compared to Pierre Gasly, who was dropped by Red Bull Racing through 2019 midseason, Alex Albon’s performance this season is on par with the French man’s performance in 2020. Despite some extraordinary overtakes, and decent race crafts, his qualifying pace look mediocre since joining Red Bull Racing. His best qualifying performance of 5th place came at the Austrian GP, and he missed out on Q3 twice this season. The unforgiving nature of Red Bull Racing means the pressure is on Alex Albon to match his teammate.

Alex Albon Vs Pierre Gasly
Alex Albon Vs Pierre Gasly

Troubled horse

After a hushed agreement with FIA on the engine, Ferrari have fallen behind the pecking order and lost at-least 50hp in 2020. Ferrari have scored only 61 points with surprising podiums at the Austrian GP and the British GP, thanks to the Alonso-Esque performance by Charles Leclerc. Charles Leclerc is having his best season yet in terms of extracting the maximum from the car.

In contrast, the relationship between Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari is similar to the divorcing couple. Sebastian Vettel has scored only 16 points this season. His worst start to the season since his full-season debut in 2008. He’s also without a podium for 9 races, furthest gap since his debut win. In his last season with Red Bull Racing in 2014, Sebastian Vettel scored 45 points at the same stage, which is 29 points more than 2020. Should Vettel join Aston Martin next season, he has an opportunity to put Ferrari behind and aim for podium places. Meanwhile, Ferrari have to undergo another torrid season and hope they can start winning when the new regulations come into place in 2022.

Sebastian Vettel: 2014 vs 2020
Sebastian Vettel: 2014 vs 2020

Racing Point

Racing Point shocked the F1 community when they revealed their 2020 challenger before the pre-season tests, which is Mercedes W10 reborn. After Renault’s official protest over their brake duct, FIA penalized Racing Point with a deduction of 15 points and €400,000 fine. However, teams still have questions over the Racing Point model. The car is technically legal, but ethically its a concern for the future of the sport.

The situation is still far from over as Ferrari and Renault lodged another investigation seeking clarity on rules and the gravity of the punishment, and Racing Point lodged their official protest on the penalty,. Moreover, the appeal could be dealt with the court, so we can expect things to could get hideous. Also, it’s a welcoming move by FIA and F1  to re-consider the rule book to avoid such controversial car development in the future. If the punishment becomes worse then it’s a tough time ahead for Racing Point with Aston Martin deal in place from the next season.

Liberty media passes its biggest test

Liberty Media brought many changes in Formula 1 since taking over in 2016. The current year is the most challenging for them. Liberty media were under scrutiny for being re-active to the ongoing pandemic before the Australian GP where the race had to be canceled at the last minute. However, Liberty Media put things behind and created a strict bubble for the team, drivers, and the media during the race weekend since the late-season start in July. So far, they have finalized 13 races with few more races to be added in the calendar.  On top of it, they have conducted more than 20k tests and resulted in only one positive case as of yet.

Also, Liberty Media deserves credit for the inclusion of a groundbreaking new program against discrimination and for equal opportunity in the sport. With the new budget cap from the next year, and the aero scale ruling, we hope F1 can even play the field. By doing so, Liberty Media have also proved they are not only here to stay but to take the sport to the next level.

What future beckons

As we move towards the races at historical and new circuits, F1 still has a lot to offer this season. The reserve drive role has a new meaning to its name, as they could be the go-to person during adversities. As the search for the next Pedro De La Rosa continues, Nico Hulkenberg already displayed outstanding performance in a short notice at Racing Point when Sergio Perez was tested positive. That could prove to be vital for a permanent seat in 2021, and teams could open for Nico Hulkenberg’s favor this season in adversities.

Drivers like Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, and George Russell could continue their incredible run as they are ready to claim the baton from legends like Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen.

On top of it, the musical chair in the drivers market is far from over as the future of Sebastian Vettel and Sergio Perez is up for grabs.

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