Drivers at crossroads in season of uncertainty
A look at five talking points ahead of the start of Sunday’s behindclosed-doors season curtain-raiser, the Austrian Grand Prix, at the Spielberg circuit.
The main threat to Lewis Hamilton’s bid to land a record-equaling seventh drivers’ title is likely to be himself — just ahead of Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
The sport’s first black champion has admitted he is committed to racing for more than personal or team triumphs.
“I’m racing for all of you out there who may feel that you don’t have a voice,” said the Briton, who made his voice heard in support of recent anti-racism protests during the enforced timeout.
“In the world, in the society that we live in, I think making it as a young black kid from a council estate in Stevenage, making it to F1 through the tiniest window of opportunity — that’s a very, very important part of my journey and then staying there and continuing to deliver against adversity.”
Asked where F1 should race, he added: “Africa. It’s such an important place to go back. At the moment, F1 goes to countries and doesn’t really leave much behind, if anything. Formula 1 has to shift into being a sport that does go to places and leaves behind something that can really help the communities.”
Having proved his speed and racing talent this is the time for Max Verstappen and Red Bull to seize their moment and emerge from the opening trio of races as championship leaders.
A year ago, the young Dutchman bullied his way to victory at the Red Bull Ring and a double repeat of that plus a strong result at Budapest would see the Milton Keynes-based team on top of the embryonic title race.
Preseason testing in Barcelona suggested Red Bull’s car is very fast, but also skittish and may face reliability problems.
But the driver pairing of Verstappen and Alex Albon has a proven ability to shine in challenging conditions and can beat Ferrari to take the fight to champion Mercedes.
After confirming he is leaving Ferrari at the end of this year, Sebastian Vettel may feel freed and capable of delivering the consistency and speed that can inspire the team again despite the threat of Charles Leclerc.
The four-time champion has the speed and quality, but Ferrari has to deliver a car that can show immediate performance development as the season unfolds.
Preseason testing suggested that this year’s machine had sacrificed some of last year’s outright straightline speed for improved pace in slow and medium corners.
George Russell and Williams face a defining season after the British team was put up for sale during the shutdown — leaving their young and talented English driver to race for his future this year.
Russell, a member of the Mercedes junior driver program, is tipped to have a big future, but needs a stronger team in 2021 to prove himself unless Williams finds some resurgent form and hauls itself off the bottom of the championship.
Russell made good use of the shutdown to become F1’s ‘virtual champion’ from his home computer during an e-sports competition, and said recently he is “very excited” to return to racing.
“It’s going to be surreal, but I can’t wait for it — I just want to be back in a car.”
Daniel Ricciardo is famous for his beaming smile and big hugs, but he has had to abandon his tactile approach to life.
He will be joined by a new Renault teammate in Frenchman Esteban Ocon, but decided during lockdown to leave the team next year and switch to McLaren as a successor to departing Spaniard Carlos Sainz, who is joining Ferrari.
The fact that McLaren is switching to Mercedes engines was a factor and one that may not have enhanced Ricciardo’s standing with Renault as he starts his final season.
“I’ve got to keep my distance,” he admitted in a team video call last week. “We’re going to find some new ways to embrace each other, especially after a good result, but obviously we’re going to do what we can to keep this thing (coronavirus) out of the paddock.”