Quality vs Quantity: Are we watching the Premier League and Formula One reach their limit?

A few months ago, I wondered aloud whether holding major sporting events like the Olympics and World Cup on a more regular basis would be a good idea. I decided that other than it working nicely from a commercial perspective, it was a bad idea. 

News stories floating around during this festive period have pointed towards two of the most talked-about sports in recent weeks - at least in the UK - reaching their limits. What’s going on, what are the potential ramifications, and how do I see it ending?

Good news! COVID-19 might save the Premier League from itself

It’s ironic that in a week that has heard Premier League managers complain of the intense schedule for players, Manchester United played their first game in sixteen days. English football finds itself in a difficult position. Teams are committed to league games, the two domestic cups and European club competitions (between which players might play for their country). Annoyingly, COVID outbreaks mean that clubs cannot play due to a lack of players. 

English football is unusual in Europe’s top leagues in two ways: it has no winter break and still has two domestic cup competitions. Yes, it’s great to watch loads of games, but if the games cannot be played, delaying them will undoubtedly lead to further flooding downstream. Klopp and his Manchester City rival, Pep Guardiola, have used the same word to describe the impact of the high workload players face. Guardiola says it’ll ‘kill the players’, and Klopp says it’ll ’kill the beautiful game’. Either way, the top league in world football is at a crossroads and must make changes to continue its success. 

You may scoff at this. Football players are paid extraordinary amounts and have world-leading medical science on their side. True. But they are human, and we all need breaks. While COVID outbreaks this winter will probably cause issues later in this season’s schedule. Hopefully, the problems will be so much so that it leads to positive change to help sustain the Premier League’s position as number one globally.

It’s not just the superstars that suffer

COVID-19 has meant that F1 has done 39 races in 18 months, which is a lot. Once again, the pandemic has highlighted issues in the sustainability of the sporting setup.

Autosport published a fascinating article last week that gave an insiders’ perspective from an anonymous mechanic in F1, speaking of the mental and physical challenges faced by team members during a gruelling season on the road. F1’s desire to increase the number of races on its calendar and increase competition through cost caps has led to team members with the most demanding jobs working more without getting much more in return. 

The result is that more team members than ever are giving up on the sport that they love. Like the Premier League, F1 is considered the pinnacle of motorsport and thus, attracts the best in the business, leading to more greatness. If the demands of the sport start to drive the best in the world away, these competitions may find themselves in a dangerous and vicious circle. 

Are changes coming?

The first episode of Netflix’s Drive to Survive is named ‘Cash is King’. That might help give us an answer to the above question. The leaders of a sport will make decisions based on money because they are businesses. Call me a pessimist, but it’s true. There must be a way in which positive changes can come. For example, intelligent decision-making could allow for more sporting events to lead to more employment, with greater rotation of people avoiding widespread burnout.

I don’t claim to have all of the answers, but as long as these leagues are considered the best and have the best people involved, they will continue down this path of quantity. As soon as the quality starts walking away, no longer wanting to play, that is when changes will come. But by then, it may be too late. The people that made the league what it was are no longer there. 

The European Super League may not have been as far-fetched as it initially sounded.

Sustainability in sport is vital for a whole host of reasons. It is also crucial that we push the limits and change sports to make them even better - that is what all great entertainment businesses must do. However, if we can learn anything from the last two years, it is this: sports must know their limits or risk losing it all. And that’s easier said than done.

Happy New Year from everyone at AJontheLine.

Britain’s love affair with losers has helped Lewis’ UK popularity - but at what cost?

Last week, from the train to the pub to the water cooler (if they are even safe nowadays), the world was talking about Formula One. As somebody who had watched, talked about and introduced people to F1 since I was seven, the lead up to the weekend was many emotions. Mostly pride. 

Sadly, F1 has a habit of shooting itself in the foot. Last weekend, it chose a rocket launcher, forgetting meritocracy in pursuit of drama and creating controversy in the final laps of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - listen to more on that here. 

As the world watched on, the victim of Sunday's cock up was Sir Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion led 57 and a half of the 58 laps of the final race in which he needed to win to become champion. In the penultimate lap, decision-making by the Race Director (referee) gave Max Verstappen the advantage that he needed to overtake Hamilton and snatch the championship. Did Max deserve the championship? Yes. Should Lewis have been the champion? Unquestionably.

This week, F1 has been on the news and trending on social media, with a public outcry for an apparent injustice within the meritocratic realm of sport. From Piers Morgan to Samual L Jackson, the world was upset on Hamilton's behalf. The 'next goal wins' analogy has been thrown around and is a great way to describe what people who love F1 as much as I still don't understand. 

“What people love even more is seeing a champion fall, which is what happened on Sunday.”

People love a young champion who defies odds to represent their people on the world stage. Lewis Hamilton has been that and more for the past 15 years. What people love even more is seeing a champion fall, which is what happened on Sunday.

This wasn't a fall from grace or a question of being outclassed by a young buck. Lewis Hamilton has what it took to take on Max Verstappen in what is widely agreed to have been a minimally inferior car. Moreover, a broken Hamilton congratulated the Verstappen camp, losing with the dignity many would have not blamed him for putting to one side. Lewis' sportsmanship in the face of adversity was almost as awe-inspiring as the audacity required by the Race Director to break his own rules. 

“However, that pessimism might well have been the reason that the British public has never really taken to arguably their greatest sporting champion.” 

One of the first blog posts I wrote talked about how Britain's negativity niggled with its success in a sporting arena. By no means did the UK's pessimistic mentality impact the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. However, that pessimism might well have been the reason that the British public has never really taken to arguably their greatest sporting champion. 

Something changed on Sunday. The outcry in this country for the injustice (yes, I know there are more significant problems in the world) was massive. On top of this, you never heard anyone criticising Hamilton - something that has become the norm. But how could you? The guy has done everything, from driving to sportsmanship, perfectly. For once, there wasn't really a way that the media could spin it in a way that would make Lewis look bad. Like the England team in the Euros this summer, he had looked destined to win until it fell apart cruelly in the closing minutes. 

“But what impact has this daylight robbery had on the British superstar, who we forget is still a human?”

While he lost the championship, Lewis Hamilton seems to have finally won some British hearts. But what impact has this daylight robbery had on the British superstar, who we forget is still a human?

Lewis hasn't been on social media all week, he chose not to go to the FIA prize-giving gala and, other than the interview that he did immediately after the race before going to the podium, he has not done any interviews. He returned to his team's headquarters to celebrate Mercedes' team championship victory on Friday. Oh, and he got knighted at Windsor Castle on Wednesday. So it's been quite a week. 

He has no obligation to talk about the pain he may feel as he processes last weekend in his own time. However, it means that we can only glean information about his state of mind from what those close to him have said. His boss, Toto Wolff, is an excellent example of this. And probably the only one too. 

In a media session following Mercedes' decision not to take the Sunday's events to court, Wolff explained that neither he nor Lewis would ever get over the pain and stress. While this may sound dramatic from the outside, it makes you think. Imagine you have dedicated your life to something. You have plenty of other things that you could be pursuing. Still, your passion for that something is so great that you reach the verge of becoming the undisputed greatest. At that moment, the world watches on, and through no fault of your own, somebody changes the rules to let someone else beat you. 

“Changes are required in F1 if it wants to keep Lewis Hamilton and the spotlight that he brings.”

I fear that F1's biggest asset and ambassador is disillusioned. You wouldn't blame Lewis for walking away. However, you wouldn't blame him for living up to the 'bad loser' image that so many Britons seem to have of him when he lost on Sunday. Changes are required in F1 if it wants to keep Lewis Hamilton and the spotlight that he brings.

2022…

So long as he is mentally healthy and enjoying himself, I hope, and I believe that Lewis Hamilton will return next year. Worryingly for his competition, he is going to be stronger too. As we saw in Brazil this year, when his back is against the wall, that is when he shines the brightest. You then have to factor in Max Verstappen, who will be his biggest challenge next season, now armed with the experience of fighting for a championship. Let's not forget that significant changes are coming in terms of the cars, hopefully bringing them closer. With such changes, you can't rule Ferrari or McLaren out. All four drivers for those teams are top operators, but, for me, Charles Leclerc is the real deal.  

So while the final chapter of 2021 may be filled with controversy, do not despair with Formula One. If we had stopped watching football after Maradona's 'hand of God' intervened, we would have missed magical moments that include Lionel Messi. Like life, sport is unfair, injustice and can stab you in the back no matter how much love you show it. But with troughs come incredible peaks - I am grateful not to have missed Hungary, USA and Brazil, this year.

I can't guarantee another winner takes all decider, like this season. However, all being well, we will see the best driver on the planet fighting it out - this time, with more than two going for the championship. You wouldn't want to miss that. 

2021 has been a season for the ages, and I already can't wait for 2022. See you then.

Listen to the AJontheLine F1 2021 Season Review - out soon.

Italian GP Race Report: You couldn't write this.

You couldn't write what just happened at the temple of speed, in Italy. Fortunately, and remarkably, what happened in Monza wasn't fiction. It was beautiful, enthralling and Formula One at its very best. 

The weekend began with the sad yet understandable news that the Williams family would relinquish the leadership of their Formula One team. A team founded upon a passion for racing, Williams have succeeded much with relatively little over the years. With Nigel Mansell, Alan Jones and even Juan Pablo Montoya, just to name a few,, Williams have summited the heights of F1 and will never be forgotten.

As a family-owned team, Frank Williams and his people represent not just the spirit of racers, but of underdogs who conquered the world more than a few times. As Frank and Claire step down as team principals, we thank them for what they have given the sport and hope that the Williams team adds more to the immense legacy that the family leaves behind.

“Given the Williams team's latest chapter coming to an end, it would be fitting if David beat Goliath when the chequered flag fell on Sunday.”

Given the Williams team's latest chapter coming to an end, it would be fitting if David beat Goliath when the chequered flag fell on Sunday. Step forward, Pierre Gasly. I spoke, last week, of Gasly's undulating journey since joining Formula One. This weekend was arguably the highest point that he has reached.

A stunning rookie year saw Pierre promoted from the B team, Toro Rosso, to Red Bull. However, a year of struggling to get to grips with the car alongside Dutch star, Max Verstappen, saw Gasly dropped back to the B Team. This low point coincided with the loss of his best friend, Anthoine Hubert - a double blow that would see most people out for the count. Not Pierre. He would fight back, securing his first podium in Brazil, last year. When 2020 got going again, Pierre has shown himself to be arguably one of the top three drivers of the season so far - I would put him on the same level as Hamilton and Verstappen. Then the Italian Grand Prix asked him whether he fancied taking his first ever Grand Prix victory. Did Pierre take the opportunity? You bet he did.

“…isn't it refreshing to see McLaren back at the sharp end of the field? “

A classic race as a classic track saw a podium of Pierre Gasly, Carlos Sainz Jr and Lance Stroll. Formula One doesn't always deliver races like these, but when it does, there is more than enough to go around. This sort of race is why we love F1. But how did it happen?

Following qualifying, we started with a top three of Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas and, excitingly, Carlos Sainz. Mercedes and McLaren were clearly the quickest two cars this weekend - isn't it refreshing to see McLaren back at the sharp end of the field? 

When the lights went out, Hamilton led, with Sainz taking second at the first corner. The two of them would pull away from the rest of the field, while in contrast, Bottas fell down the order in a first lap to forget. From there, the problem Valtteri had was that the Mercedes set up was optimised for leading the race, not following other cars. As a result, the engine was overheating. Despite this, Bottas was more than conservative in fighting back, and ultimately didn’t, finishing fifth. 

Meanwhile, Pierre Gasly started tenth. In the middle of the pack, he was struggling to get going, and so headed to the pit lane early to change his tyres. Soon after, a safety car was called out as Marshall's recovered the broken Haas of Kevin Magnussen. Nine times out of ten, this would be a disaster for Gasly, however, not this time. The placement of Magnussen's car meant that the pit lane was closed, so drivers that wanted to save time and pit during the safety car period were not allowed. When the rest of the drivers finally could pit, the pack had bunched up, and Gasly would fly up the order to third.

The unusual scenario of the pit lane being closed caught out Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton, who pitted. Antonio Giovinazzi would also make this mistake. The penalty for both drivers was a ten-second stop-go penalty, which would lose them track position and thirty seconds - a punishment that demonstrates the importance of attention to detail. Who's fault was it? I would argue that blame lies more with the team than Hamilton - they have more information at their disposal than him. Nonetheless, Hamilton is still part of that team and will learn from it just as much as Mercedes.

When the safety car peeled away, Charles Leclerc compounded a dire home race for Ferrari with a high-speed crash at Parabolica - thankfully, he escaped unharmed. A red flag was required to stop the race while the marshals repaired the barrier. The reg flag would be significant because rather than a rolling restart, the cars would form on the grid to begin the next half of the race. Hamilton led away before heading straight to the pit lane to serve his penalty. Meanwhile, Lance Stroll, who had gained places thanks to not pitting under the safety car, had a poor getaway from the grid and was overtaken by Pierre Gasly and, eventually, Carlos Sainz for what would become first and second position. Gasly then pulled out a slender lead over Sainz, one which slowly decreased towards the end of the race, creating a tense end to an already crazy race. 

“A good recovery, especially given that he only finished ten seconds behind Bottas, despite losing thirty in the pit lane.”

Twenty-three seconds behind the back of the field, Lewis Hamilton was driving pretty quickly, to say the least. With fastest lap followed by fastest lap, the Briton arrived at his first target, Alex Albon - yes a Red Bull in last, surprisingly soon. He would then suffer the same issues as Bottas, struggling to overtake people immediately. Nevertheless, Hamilton eventually fought back to seventh, with an extra point for the fastest lap of the race. A good recovery, especially given that he only finished ten seconds behind Bottas, despite losing thirty in the pit lane. This was a race that the Fin should have won, getting him back in the title fight on a rare off-day for Hamilton. However, once again he left performance on the table. Bottas adds stability to Mercedes, but he surely can't tread water forever as he sits in the most enviable seat in Formula One. 

“For me, Pierre has been up there with Hamilton and Verstappen as drivers of the year so far.”

Back in the positions where it matters, Carlos Sainz was breathing down Gasly's neck. His engineer, Tom Stallard, tried to calm the Spaniard down on the radio, but the Sainz family's winning mentality shone through in response - "I want this win, Tom". He drove brilliantly all weekend but would trail Gasly by four tenths of a second over the finish line. McLaren had a great weekend and are now up to third in the Constructor's Championship. 

Sainz came close, but Gasly and Alpha Tauri prevailed and very much deserved it. All season Pierre has been performing to a high level in some average machinery. For me, Pierre has been up there with Hamilton and Verstappen as drivers of the year so far. Now that Pierre has taken his first victory in Formula One, he has cemented this position as one of, if not, the best this year.

“As the first French winner since 1996, Pierre received a phone call from President Macron himself.”

I had predicted that Pierre Gasly would move to Renault. This move seems somewhat unlikely now. Firstly, the Renault team's name is to become Alpine next year. Secondly, Red Bull are in a challenging position regarding Pierre. Usually, they would swap him with Albon. However, they have tried Pierre in the top team already and want to give Albon more support than they did with Pierre.

Nevertheless, there is a real possibility of Gasly beating Albon in the championship this year. If that does happen, I would wonder what Gasly has to do to return to the A-Team. I can see Gasly at Mercedes in place of Bottas as a potentially successful yet unlikely move. 

So maybe it'll be Alpine that Gasly joins, and I'll be right after all (still Renault). As the first French winner since 1996, Pierre received a phone call from President Macron himself. Let's not rush to conclusions, but Renault is 43% state-owned, so maybe Macron feels similarly to me. Future predictions aside, moments like these cannot be understated. Pierre Gasly didn't just win for himself or his team, but his country and Formula One as a whole. 

As I said, you couldn't write this, but at the same time, you couldn't wish it for a more likeable guy. Gran Premio d'Italia 2020, grazie mille et Pierre Gasly, bravo légende!