With an enthralling 2020 Formula 1 season finished and another title in the bag for Lewis Hamilton, it’s time to look forward to the next year in the highest class of international motorsport. The bookmakers are already offering odds on the results of next season’s (2021) championship and it’s no surprise to see Hamilton the clear favourite. But with the increasingly impressive Max Verstappen at a lofty 5/1, it could be worth considering the Dutchman.
What we’ve learned from 2020
Formula 1 teams usually take time during the season to refine their cars and make adjustments to achieve the best performance possible at each event, but that’s not all their work. Teams also plan bigger changes for the following season and this requires substantial development and construction.
2020 has seen real struggles for car development as factories were closed for part of the year, meaning teams were unable to manufacture to test their proposed changes and as a result, we’re not likely to see much difference to the competitiveness of cars in 2021. There will be a change to Mercedes due to a ban on their adjustable steering system, but other than some slight tweaks to flooring, we shouldn’t expect dramatic changes to cars.
It was no shock to see Lewis Hamilton win his seventh (and fourth consecutive) championship, but the manner in which he won – with over a 100 point margin ahead of teammate Valtteri Bottas – was impressive despite the incredibly high bar that the British driver had already set himself.
Off-season moves
While the cars are the biggest reason for success in a race, it’s also vital to have an elite driver in order to maximise the efficiency in a race. The best teams always scramble to give the leading drivers a seat, and fans will surely take advantage of generous account opening offers to back Red Bull’s Max Verstappen now he has competition from newly acquired teammate Sergio Perez.
Perez showed excellent form in the latter part of the season and pulled off a spectacular performance to emerge victorious in Sakhir. However, the Mexican questioned his future in the sport after the final race in Abu Dhabi despite securing a fourth-place finish in the Driver’s Standings. Late to bloom, Perez has spent a decade in Formula 1 but last season represents his best-ever finish in the championship and his victory in Bahrain shows that he is capable of success at the highest stage.
Red Bull Motorsport Advisor Helmut Marko is notoriously difficult to satisfy and Alex Albon was axed after just one year in the seat, but Red Bull have not given up hope on the 24-year-old. The team stated that “Current driver Alex Albon remains an important member of the Team and takes on the role of Red Bull Racing Test and Reserve Driver with a key focus on 2022 development, simulator work and tyre testing”, which shows that they’re still keen on Albon and we may see his return next year.
The 2021 season will see the next generation of a racing dynasty enter the circuit with Haas racing team securing the signature of Mick Schumacher. Son of legendary seven-time championship winner Michael Schumacher, Mick is expected to flourish at the biggest stage. It’s fair to expect big things from the 21-year-old as he’s not only blessed with the genetics of one of the greatest drivers the sport has ever seen, but he’s already excelled at the lower levels of racing and was the 2020 Formula 2 Championship winner.
Verstappen to win?
While the bookmakers and the casual fans will expect a repeat dominance from Lewis Hamilton in the 2021 F1 season, astute Formula 1 fans will expect a much closer contest due to the emergence of the impressive Max Verstappen.
The Red Bull driver finished the season with an emphatic victory in Abu Dhabi, beating both Mercedes cars into second and third place. Given the Mercedes car was the best in F1, it is notable that the 23-year-old managed to dominate the race and win by a comfortable 15-second margin. The impending ban on the Mercedes adjustable steering system should level the playing field between the cars and so the importance of the driver will be paramount in deciding who will come out on top.
Verstappen knows that it’s possible for him and the team to challenge Hamilton and Mercedes next year, and instead of basking in celebration after this win in the final race of the season, he gave a cry for the team to focus on a strong start to 2021. It’s encouraging for Red Bull to have a driver so dedicated to success and one who wants to rectify the costly mistakes of 2020.
Verstappen has had an easy ride with Red Bull and hasn’t been challenged by a co-driver yet but the acquisition of Perez will change that, and that should push Verstappen to be quicker if he wants to be not only the F1 champion but also the #1 driver at Red Bull. The rapid Dutchman will already know key areas for improvement and the biggest he’ll need to rectify for the season is improving his performance in Italy. Verstappen didn’t finish any race in Italy this season and with Hamilton outperforming the rest of the field in the country, that was ultimately the difference between the drivers.
Constructors Championship
Mercedes have reigned supreme in recent years and they’ve been World Constructors Champions for seven consecutive seasons. At 2/9 to win an eighth straight title, Mercedes are clearly the favourites to triumph once again but Red Bull are expected to close the gap.
Red Bull will now have the winning drivers from the last two Formula 1 races of 2020 in the form of Verstappen and Perez. Arguably, this will make the team even more competitive after dropping the underwhelming Albon. With bookies fancying Verstappen to challenge Hamilton ahead of Mercedes #2 driver Bottas, the Constructors Standings could well come down to how quickly Perez can acclimatise to life at Red Bull and if the superior car can push him to go one better than his fourth-place finish in last year’s competition.
2016 Ricciardo beat him by 52 points
2017 Ricciardo beat him by 32 points