Formula 1 has a problem and it’s not an easy fix. Congratulations to Lewis Hamilton on a record tying 7th championship title, but let’s be honest, there’s absolutely no drama left in the sport.
It’s the same two drivers winning every week. It’s Mercedes every week. The only drama comes at the start of a race or if Lewis Hamilton happens to do something stupid and get a penalty. Hamilton just said after winning his 7th championship that he feels like he’s just getting started! That needs to strike fear in all the teams that aren’t Mercedes.
Max Verstappen has been a breath of fresh air for the sport — he’s a little on the crazy side, but his presence is exciting. On the occasion when he manages to finish a race, he does make it more interesting. Still, we aren’t seeing any of the other teams really be competitive, even with first rate drivers like Daniel Ricciardo and Charles Leclerc.
But, we can’t blame Lewis Hamilton or Valtteri Bottas for winning week after week. They are doing their jobs. We can’t blame Mercedes for having the dominant cars every week. They are simply the absolute best at what they do.
New rules are set to take effect in 2021, designed to close the gap and level the playing field. The biggest of these is the cap on the amount a Formula 1 team can spend in a calendar year. This, in theory, should make Formula 1 more competitive. But that won’t change the fact that Mercedes is better at everything that goes into having a successful race team. The cap itself does not apply to driver’s salaries, marketing, or to the three highest paid personnel — meaning they can continue to hire the best of the best.
There are other rule changes happening, including the debut of a newer, sleeker car which will allow drivers to race more closely; aerodynamics will be different with downforce being reduced dramatically by the new design. All these things are a step in the right direction, but any changes on the podium remain to be seen. Mercedes is just too damn good. And Ferrari and Red Bull, despite having similar mega budgets and similar mega talent, haven’t been able to knock them down. I have my doubts that the cars with the lower budgets will suddenly be competitive. But for the sake of the sport, here’s hoping Lewis Hamilton will be watching from the ground next year as Carlos Sainz chugs champagne from the top spot on the podium.
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