Which F1 Star Will Shine Brightest in 2021?
Dec.17 - Times are changing in F1, with an old guard of drivers clinging to their seats at major F1 teams by the skin of their teeth, as young talent flows into the sport.
There are several factors at play here, but mostly, the shakeup is due to some young drivers with the correct surnames being backed by big money, as well as the new Formula One Esports Series Series bringing other less well-known names to the fore.
In this article, we take a closer look at those young upstarts who are already making their elder peers uncomfortable.
George Russell
After his stellar performance at the Sakhir GP, it would be remiss of us to start anywhere else other than with Formula One Esports Series standout turned Lewis Hamilton clone, George Russell, who exceeded all betting picks and predictions to nearly walk away with an F1 race win in his first-ever start for Mercedes.
The young Brit was already on the radar of F1 team bosses having posted impressive numbers while on the Williams roster.
He is contracted to Williams till the end of 2021, but his standing in for Hamilton at Sakhir would suggest he could be tempted to jump ship if the money is right.
The only thing that could hold him back in the coming season is being too good, with Hamilton and teammate Valtteri Bottas already uneasy with the thought of a man on a fraction of their salary bettering their lap times on a regular basis. This aside, USA sportsbooks suggest that Russell will find himself in the midst of the title fight one way or another next season.
Lando Norris
A year younger than Russell is his compatriot Lando Norris, who back in 2019 became the youngest ever British driver to compete in F1, racing for McLaren.
His first season was nothing short of sensational, as he went on to rack up an impressive 49 points to end the season in the 11th spot in the driver’s championship.
In 2020 he has shown further improvement, having amassed 87 pts with still more up for grabs at the time of writing.
Norris’ 2021 will be judged on how he performs against a more experienced teammate next season, as Daniel Ricciardo joins him at McLaren.
Max Verstappen
This combative Belgian driver has been the talk of F1 ever since he took to the grid in 2015, spearheading the Red Bull Team under the watchful eye of Christian Horner.
Partly because he is the new boy on the block and because of his aggressive driving style, Verstappen has put the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons and has been a clear standout in 2020, being the only real competitor to Hamilton and Bottas.
With a contract in place that will keep him in the Red Bull hot seat till 2023, it will be up to the young Verstappen to establish Red Bull as a team capable of winning the driver’s and constructor’s championships. His 2021 goals are simple – to go out and win races while avoiding damaging fender benders.
Charles Leclerc
2020 has been something of a nightmare for Ferrari, with the team languishing in the standings and Sebastian Vettel suffering a shocking fall from grace.
Thankfully, for the people behind the prancing horse, one bright spot in the darkness that has been 2020 is Charles Leclerc, with the 23-year-old notching some podium appearances despite being at the wheel of a sub-par car.
Everyone in F1 expects Ferrari to bounce back strongly in 2021, and there is no doubt that this youngster from Monaco will be at the forefront of it.
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Je trouve que la F1 est devenue tellement plate a regarder, c'est dommage il n'y as plus de compétition entre pilotes de la même écurie et ce depuis Schumaker, alors envoument n'est plus la et en plus on sait d'avance qui vas gagner.
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