F1 2017: A shuffle of the pack, but who’s got the Ace?
I’ve just seen an article on Facebook that claims that Lewis Hamilton is the obvious favourite for winning the world championship this year. Obvious?
I’m a huge fan of Lewis Hamilton and all that he has done for the sport. I am also not surprised to see a fan page for him posting anything positive about the triple world champion.I would like to think that I am a positive person. Usually I would be onboard with this article and that would be the end of that, however this time, not so. The reason; the word, “obvious” gives me a cause for concern that some are under the impression that 2017 will be another walkover of supreme dominance by Mercedes and due to the fact that Nico Rosberg has departed the sport, Hamilton is a shoe-in for the title.
Obviously, that may be nice for Lewis and his fans. If it does happen, great. But I can’t help but feel that Red Bull are playing down their chances a little too well. Don’t forget, this season sees an aerodynamic overhaul as far as the regulations are concerned. In simple terms, records are expected to be smashed in terms of top speeds and lap times. So why have I singled out Red Bull as a team who will be tough to beat? Well let’s just think about the last time the regulations were based around aerodynamics. Between 2009 and 2013, Red Bull won 8 out of the ten championships available. This must come down to the genius of Adrian Newey and his men. Then they also have arguably the strongest driver pairing on the grid in Ricciardo and Verstappen.
So there’s no doubt that Red Bull are a force to be reckoned with. By no means though have I written off Mercedes. They, most likely, will have the stronger engine package and they have one of the greatest drivers ever to grace the paddock in Lewis Hamilton within their ranks.They too have a fine aerodynamics team, they must do, you don’t win three titles on the spin without one. They have also signed an ace of this department in James Allison. As a result, I predict a close battle between the teams.
At the end of the day, close racing is fantastic for Formula One and it’s new owners. What we must remember is that testing is yet to come, so nobody really will have an idea of the pecking order until at least after the eight days in Barcelona. We might even have to wait until the first race in Melbourne. So my predictions may be completely incorrect. I do hope not though because close competition between teams is usually a recipe for epic battles between the best drivers in the world.
Reading through the media reports on what the teams expect, many are expecting to be closer to the front, not least McLaren, with Alonso not just wanting podiums, but wins. That would be great to see. But let us assume that only Mercedes and Red Bull are in the hunt for the title. If you think about it, that would be fascinating alone. Which of the drivers would come out on top? Would it be the mighty but mercurial Lewis Hamilton who has the speed, experience and talent to take on anyone? Would it be the “nicest guy in F1” who shows that it’s no more Mr. Nice Guy? Danial Riccardo has made it clear on social media that he feels it’s his time. Would it be the “next Senna”, the rising star of F1? Surely Max Verstappen will become world champion one day. Or will Valtteri Bottas cooly and calmly brush off the pressure of the before-mentioned to show Mercedes why they should keep him for longer than 1 season? Who knows? I don’t.
It is unquestionably close as to which is the best driver, however, a factor that we have been told by the teams and drivers that may make a difference is which driver is the most fit for the new cars. This is because they will be much more of a physical challenge due to the higher speeds. It is clear on social media that all of the drivers have been training harder than ever over the winter, so that could be an interesting development to add to the growing list as to why this season could be stellar.
I am already on the edge of my seat and the season hasn’t even started. If there can be more than one team in the battle for top spot, that will be enthralling. It would be great to see McLaren, Williams and of course Ferrari running close to Mercedes and Red Bull, even Lewis Hamilton probably admits that he prefers to win a tough race than dominate an easy one.
As I say, nobody knows what will truly happen this year. It will be what it will be. You will join me in hoping it will be a damn good one. It certainly has the ingredients. I suggest that you tune in, the first race is Mother’s Day, it’ll be a lovely treat for them.
This post was originally published on my Medium Site on 26th February 2017