Formula One engines roar again
THE Formula One season finally gets under way at the Red Bull Ring in Austria this weekend.
Six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton will begin as the favourite to defend his crown.
The Englishman has been Formula One's class act in recent times, winning five of the last six world championships. Indeed, Hamilton will match Michael Schumacher's record haul of seven titles if he triumphs again this term. Although Hamilton is approaching the twilight of his career he is 36 in January - his partnership with Mercedes has proven almost unbeatable and it will take a seismic shift in the sport's form book to stop him from taking top honours once again.
Lewis Hamilton's sole focus will be on winning a seventh world championship when the lights go out on the new Formula One season in Austria, according to former grand prix winner David Coulthard.
Hamilton, 35, has used his huge social media following to become a leading voice in the fight against racism and support for the Black Lives Movement.
He attended a march in London last month, and encouraged his Mercedes team to adopt a black livery this year. The 35-year-old driver also plans to launch the Hamilton Commission in order to diversify the sport.
But Coulthard, a 13-time race winner, believes that Hamilton will not be distracted in his bid to match Michael Schumacher's record this term.
"Lewis will be asked about his position on racism and his lockdown activities - but once he pulls on the helmet he will go about his business of being a fast driver," said Coulthard.
"There will be nothing else on Lewis' mind or any driver when they leave the pit lane, or when they are out on track because of adrenaline and fear focusing the mind. It is a sport that just doesn't allow for daydreaming."
Valtteri Bottas, driving the sister Mercedes car, could prove Hamilton's closest challenger. The 30-year-old Finn, now in his fourth season with the sport's all-conquering team, finished runner-up to Hamilton last year. But Bottas won just four races compared to Hamilton's 11, and although he is a steady peddler, Bottas does not have the tools to match Hamilton over the stretch.
Max Verstappen (Red Bull) is the sport's most exciting talent - and one that many feel could not only match, but better Hamilton if they were paired in identical machinery. In recent seasons, Verstappen has out-performed his Red Bull car to pick up a number of wins. He excelled in Austria last year to take the chequered flag and, with the opening two rounds of the rejigged season taking place there, it is not beyond the realms that the Dutchman could get an early championship jump on Hamilton to set up a fascinating title fight between the sport's top two heavy hitters.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, 22, scored more wins (two) and pole positions (seven) than team-mate Sebastian Vettel in his maiden year in red and was rewarded with a bumper new contract last winter. Ferrari now view the young Monegasque as the man who can end a drivers' championship drought which stretches back to 2007 for the famous Italian team. However, the Scuderia looked out of sorts in pre-season testing and could struggle to match the speed of Mercedes and Red Bull.
Team-mate Sebastian Vettel could be entering his final season in Formula One after Ferrari chose not to renew his contract. The 32-year-old has been blown away by Hamilton in recent seasons, and he lost his number one status within Ferrari to Leclerc last term before effectively being ditched last month. But the German's record of four world championships and 53 wins - third only to Schumacher and Hamilton on the all-time list - speaks for itself and he should not be overlooked if Ferrari can solve their pre-season woes.
The opening race at the Red Bull Ring will kick-start eight rounds in just 10 weekends, with the sport's bosses hopeful of staging at least 18 grands prix before the year is out.