Max Verstappen claimed the first Drivers’ Championship of his career thanks to a controversial victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Dutchman was afforded a free run at Lewis Hamilton in the final lap of the race after the safety car had been deployed, and race director Michael Masi allowed only five lapped cars to take their correct place on the track rather than the full complement.
Debate raged after the race and appeals were launched by Mercedes which were eventually dropped by the German outfit, allowing Verstappen to enjoy his success.
However, after many years of chasing Hamilton at the top of Formula 1, Hamilton will be determined to enact revenge for losing the crown in the most agonising of circumstances. Although, he has yet to confirm whether he will return to the track for the 2022 season.
George Russell will be out to make a name for himself after replacing Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes in his debut campaign, while even Sergio Perez may improve after a term of finding his feet at Red Bull. Those drivers are the men with the best chance of winning the crown, but is that in the best interests of the sport?
Open Competition
For too long, the Drivers’ Championship has been a competition between only two drivers, which has been dominated for the last 12 years by Hamilton with six titles, Sebastian Vettel with four and one apiece for Nico Rosberg and Verstappen. For the benefit of the sport, an open race for the crown would perhaps generate greater interest and give hope to the teams outside of Mercedes and Red Bull that they could compete for the Drivers’ Championship rather than just making up the numbers.
Since 2011, in the majority of campaigns either Hamilton or Vettel won the title comfortably ahead of their nearest rival. The two drivers and their respective teams did set an incredibly high standard that could not be matched either due to talent or resources.
That trend is expected to continue in the future and into the 2022 campaign where Hamilton, as of 10th of January, is backed as the favourite in the online betting Betway odds at 1/1 to win the title, with Verstappen in close company behind the Brit. A challenger could emerge from the field but given the way Formula One has been over the last decade, it is unlikely, to say the least.
What Has Happened?
Mercedes upped the ante in 2014 after capitalising on rule changes to dominate the sport for seven seasons before finally seeing their hold over the Drivers’ Championship ended by Red Bull. Before Mercedes held a stranglehold over the title, Red Bull were just as imperious at the top with Vettel operating at the peak of his powers with a vehicle far superior to the rest of the field. Both the German, Hamilton, Rosberg and now Verstappen have benefitted from the quality of their cars along with boasting the skill to better both their rivals and their team-mates.
In 2010, Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren were more or less on the same playing field, which resulted in an outstanding race for the crown. Four drivers had the chance to win the Drivers’ Championship I the final race of the season, with Vettel narrowly edging out Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber and Hamilton for his first title by winning in Abu Dhabi. Those days are a distant memory, and the need for a third team to emerge to challenge Red Bull and Mercedes has never been more important.
Ferrari’s decline at the top of the sport has been a sad state of affairs. During Michael Schumacher’s peak, the Italian outfit were the team to beat, sweeping up the Drivers and Constructors’ Championships with relative ease. They’ve not endured a 14-season drought without the crown since Kimi Raikkonen last won the Drivers’ Championship in 2007.
Alonso came close to beating Vettel on two occasions in 2010 and 2012, only to fall agonisingly short in the final race of the campaign. Even acquiring Vettel did not resolve Ferrari’s issues as he failed to match the excellence of Hamilton in 2017 and 2018 before fading away. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr were off the pace in 2021, and unless they stage a dramatic improvement, 2022 will be another underwhelming season for the Italian outfit.
Looking Ahead
The 2022 Formula One season promises to be an intriguing one if Hamilton returns to the fold. The sport arguably needs him to return to prevent Verstappen from enjoying an unchallenged run to the title. The prospect of Hamilton’s retirement may send a shiver down the spine of the sport’s hierarchy regarding the entertainment value. Without the Brit, there does not seem to be a driver capable of matching Verstappen at the top given Russell’s inexperience and the lack of quality elsewhere. The next few years are an important period for the sport to create equal competition at the top.
