After what will have been an agonising 105 day wait, F1 fans will finally see the start of a brand new, record breaking season this Saturday. Furthermore, there may be reason to believe that this season has the potential to be the standout season of the hybrid era. Below are a handful of reasons for you to get excited for the 2021 F1 campaign.
The Potential for a proper, season long fight.
You’ll have to look back to 2016 for the last time a championship went down to the wire and back almost a decade to when it involved two different constructors. Yet, testing has given many the belief that Red Bull are the stronger team going into Round 1.
Now, it is no secret that only a fool would take testing times as a genuine assertion of true pace. But, with that placed to one side, momentum seems to be thoroughly on the side of Red Bull, following Max Verstappen’s dominant win at Abu Dhabi last year.
Mercedes suffered a horror show of a pre-season test, with the least running of all teams, red flags and entire mornings wiped out due to car troubles. While Mercedes is still expected to be quick, the instability of the cars has caused concerns from both of the Silver Arrows drivers and Team Boss, Toto Wolff.
Meanwhile, Red Bull seemed to have a car that was not only incredibly stable in all parts of the track, but reliable too. Both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez seemed remarkably comfortable during their varied stints. Now, fans may finally have the hybrid show down they have waited years to see.
New Teams, New Drivers.
Ever since Ferrari triggered the silly season before the first race even began last year, the 2021 grid has been a mouthwatering prospect for many, with moves taking place throughout the grid.
Midfield veteran Sergio Perez has replaced Alexander Albon and will be looking to add to his sole victory from last year. Red Bull have struggled with their 2nd drivers in recent years, the hope is that Perez can give them the consistency to take their first constructors title since 2013.
Daniel Ricciardo joins McLaren and hopes to give the Papaya team more silverware after a promising 2020 campaign. Just behind, Racing Point have become Aston Martin after Billionaire Lawrence Stroll purchased the team. His son, Lance will continue to race for them, alongside 4 time champion Sebastian Vettel, who has a point to prove after being unceremoniously shunned by Ferrari.
Renault have become Alpine, in reference to the French Manufacture’s sporting company. They welcome back 2 time champion Fernando Alonso after his 2 year sabbatical from the sport. After finishing one place behind the French outfit, Ferrari will be hoping that Carlos Sainz jr will be able to help turn their fortunes around after a dire 2020 season. But, Sainz may not want to play second fiddle to Charles Leclerc, a cause for potential fireworks as the season progresses.
Alpha Tauri welcome promising youngster Yuki Tsunoda to their team following his P3 finish in the Formula 2 championship last year. The Japanese driver turned heads during testing and is in the best position to finish as the highest scoring rookie in 2021.
Finally, Haas took a huge risk in signing two rookies for the 2021 season, Nikita Mazepin and Formula 2 champion Mick Schumacher. A lot rides on that famous surname, and in a year where Haas aren’t looking to develop their 2021 challenger, it could be a torrid season for all involved.
A record breaking season.
After managing to pull together a phenomenal 17 races last year, F1 looks to take one step further in 2021. So far, 23 races are scheduled to take place starting from the 28th March through to the 12th December.
While classics return, including Imola and Portimao, new tracks are also going to be visited by the F1 circus, some long overdue. Max Verstappen fans will finally get to see their hero on home soil as Zandvoort returns after being shelved last year. Futhermore, F1 visits Saudia Arabia for the first time on what is being described as the fastest city track in F1’s history.
These, added to the incredible mix of tracks on the calendar will give plenty of opportunities for exciting races througout the season. That, paired with the title fight and the tightest midfield seen in years is a truly thrilling prospect.
It’s lights out and away we go!
So. As F1 begins again, all eyes now turn to Bahrain where we will finally see the 2021 challengers take to the track. At this point in the season all we have are questions. Will Sir Lewis Hamilton make it 8 championships? Can Verstappen finally launch a proper challenge? Who will take best of the rest? Can the lower teams break out of their rut? What will be the surprise moments of the season?
This writer cannot wait to find out the answers.
Feature Image Credit @redbullracing Official Twitter Account
