As of writing, we are currently four races into the 2024 Formula 1 season, and though it may be early days, here’s how we see things shaking out.
So, you’ve caught up with Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive, watched the first few races of the F1 2024 season, and are now ready to jump to conclusions… Well, so are we.
As we approach the fifth Grand Prix of this year’s Formula 1 season, here are some of our early season overreactions.
Daniel Ricciardo is done.
We all know Danny Ric’s personality, smile, and vibe, are not only good for Netflix, but they’re also good for Formula 1 in general. However, his return to the grid has not been kind to him or the Visa Cash App RB Team.
Yes, we root for him to do well, and coming back from injury is no easy feat. But even so, he seems to have lost his form and confidence. How much longer are Laurent Mekies and Christian Horner going to keep the veteran Aussie on the grid while keeping a very capable Liam Lawson on the bench?
Yuki Tsunoda has proven that the car is quick, scoring points in Australia and Japan, while Riccardo’s best finish so far had been a disappointing 12th as of writing. Only time will tell if the Aussie, who has won races in the past, can somehow find that fire again — but so far, it’s not looking good as the sand on the hourglass is about to run out.
Lewis Hamilton has checked out.
It’s crazy to think this about a seven-time world champion and in my opinion, the second-best driver in the history of Formula 1. But what’s also crazy to think about is that his teammate, George Russell has more than twice as many points already.
The car isn’t great, and yes, Lewis will always say the right things, but it doesn’t seem like he really cares as much as he did the last few seasons with Mercedes. Granted, he also knows that with his feedback, from the cockpit, that car will be better next year, when he suits up for Ferrari.
Ferrari made a mistake letting Carlos Sainz go.
Speaking of Ferrari, at this point in the season, the Spaniard has shown that he is the better driver. Charles Leclerc may have more points than Sainz at the moment, but let’s not forget, that Sainz missed one race early this season, due to an appendectomy. When he does suit up, he has been on the podium every time thus far, and even winning the Australian GP, with the Frenchman making it a Ferrari one-two.
But even so, Leclerc has a fresh Ferrari contract while Sainz still doesn’t have a seat next season. Perhaps that’s extra motivation for Carlos — to prove that he belongs on a top team — while Leclerc is starting to feel the pressure of showing that he is the better driver between the two. In fact, after Suzuka, the Frenchman even mentioned he knew something was wrong with him. Imagine the pressure when Lewis arrives in Maranello…
We saw this with the Galacticos era in Real Madrid, the Shaq, Kobe, Payton, Malone era in Los Angeles, and heck, even the Alonso-Massa tandem in Ferrari. Too many alphas won’t always work. As a Tifosi, I hate to think that the Italian team made a mistake breaking up Leclerc-Sainz, especially now that the car has proven to be quick enough to at least scare Red Bull.
Max and Red Bull will win it all again.
The only time Max hasn’t scored a point this season was when his car betrayed him in Australia, aside from that he has been untouchable yet again! Sergio Perez, meanwhile, has been standing to Max’s right on every podium so far, except for Australia. They are one-two on the standings, and if there are no more reliability issues with the car, expect them to continue to be dominant.
Perhaps Ferrari can give them a scare in some GPs, but that’s wishful thinking on my end. The superiority of Red Bull, has once again brought up the question: is one team’s dominance good for the sport?
Some people will disagree with me, but the answer is yes it is. Not that long ago, there was the Schumacher-Ferrari era, which was followed by the Red Bull-Vettel era, then the Mercedes-Lewis era, and in between those, you get a sprinkle of Brawn GP and Fernando Alonso (by the way, I can’t believe he’s still racing at a high level).
Modern Formula 1 has always had eras of dominant teams, and so have other sports. Since 1990, only three other teams have won La Liga, the rest were either Real Madrid or Barcelona; before the parity in the recent NBA era, there was a series of three-peats and back-to-backs, and heck, for the longest time, the only teams that ever got noticed were the Lakers, Celtics, and Bulls. Dominant teams and athletes make names such as Jordan, Kobe, Serena, Tiger, Phelps, Brady, Messi, and many other household names.
So yes, a dominant team is good for sports. This just means we are witnessing greatness. However, what will make it more intriguing is if there could be at least one more team or driver that can rise and be a serious threat. That’s when rivalries are born, and that’s when legends are made. Vamos, Carlos!
Banner images from F1 on Facebook.
Related Stories:
Girl On The Grid: Bianca Bustamante Is Reaching Her Apex
9 Times Lewis Hamilton Proved He Was a Style Icon
Here’s Why Filipino F1 Fans Love the Singapore Grand Prix