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Last year, the Brit Mercedes driver George Russell, 22, had an unexpected opportunity when Lewis Hamilton was laid low with coronavirus[/caption]
And with Hamilton himself turning 36 years old, it is perhaps time to look at some of the candidates who can follow him into Formula One stardom
Six world championships in seven years! That is complete domination anyway you look at it. But that is the reality facing the Formula One fans at the moment. For the fans of Lewis Hamilton, this would be music to their ears.
But, on the other hand, millions of other formula One fans who are not Hamilton admirers, are always on the lookout for the next potential champion driver to come along. And in any case when there is a “king”, there is always potential for the king to be dethroned.
And with Hamilton himself turning 36 years old, it is perhaps time to look at some of the candidates who can follow him into Formula One stardom. And of course, this is with no disrespect to the “king” at all!
Max Verstappen
Sometimes, it is difficult to think of Max Verstappen as a young driver and an up-and-coming one. This is because of the fact that it almost feels as if he has been around forever in Formula One (F1). But this is due to the fact that when he joined F1 first, he was only 17 years old. And having been in F1 now for about half a decade and being vastly more experienced, he is still only 23 years old.
And the Red Bull car that he is driving seems to be very competitive this year as well. This fact was admitted by none other than Hamilton himself last week after the first race of the season in the 2021 calendar. With a fast car and loads of talent look out for, the flying Dutchman is to make waves for years to come.
Charles Leclerc
If Max Verstappen is the favourite to be the next “king” of F1, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari comes a close second. In 2020 driving one of the worst Ferrari cars in living memory, he still managed to remain competitive. Ferrari finished sixth in the constructor’s championship purely on the back of performances from this driver.
While perhaps 2020 was not the year to prove his title credentials, Leclerc does already have some experience when it comes to fighting it out with the finest at the very top. This was evident with his stunning defensive drive at the Italian Grand Prix in 2019 seeing him fend off Valtteri Bottas and Hamilton to take Ferrari’s first home win in nine years, under immense pressure too. But if he is to truly fulfill his potential, Ferrari will have to give him a more competitive car to drive in.
Mick Schumacher
The first name might be slightly unfamiliar but the surname certainly is not. The son of the great Michael Schumacher comes into F1 this year with plenty of goodwill and also expectations. He is inexperienced at this level but has had rave reviews in the lower rungs of motor racing. After all, he won the Formula Two championship in 2020.
But it is wise not to expect him at the very top just yet. He has signed up with Haas for 2021, and the car struggled last year. And it is not expected to fare that much better this year either. The deal with Haas comes via parent company Ferrari, so should he continue his impressive rise up the ranks, then he could be in line to drive for the team that his father won a record five consecutive world championships with.
And that would be a sight to behold indeed. With Leclerc also in their ranks at the moment, Ferrari fans can certainly keep dreaming of better things for the future.
George Russell
This list is rounded off by two British drivers. Who, after all, should be better positioned to take the baton on from Lewis Hamilton, a Brit himself. George Russel is contracted to Mercedes. And having come into F1 after having been the champion in Formula Two in 2018, he has had to wait for his chance for two years to prove himself. But he has not had enough chances to prove himself in a competitive car.
But 2020 threw the 22-year-old an unexpected opportunity when Hamilton was laid low with coronavirus over the weekend of the Sakhir Grand Prix, giving him an opportunity to show his ability in a competitive car.
He took it with both hands and, after narrowly beaten in qualifying by his team-mate Bottas, he soon took control of the race, only for the team to mess up his pit-stop, which was followed by a late puncture saw him finish as low as ninth. But he showed enough potential to certainly make this list.
Lando Norris
If Russel does not fulfill his potential, then there is another Brit waiting in the wings to take up the baton from Hamilton. And that is Lando Norris. He finished second to Russel in Formula Two in 2018 but has been able to snag a better drive than Russel having been able to sign with McLaren.
Still only 21 years old, he has shown himself to be an affable personality with a carefree nature and a good team mate. But F1 is notoriously egoistic and all sorts of mind games go on from time to time. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how this young driver handles himself when the mind games start against him, if he starts to be successful.
All sports need young stars and fresh faces for the sport to survive and to keep the spectator interest intact. F1 is no different. And it will be interesting to see how this set of young drivers handle themselves in replacing one of the best ever seen in the sport in Lewis Hamilton.
Last year, the Brit Mercedes driver George Russell, 22, had an unexpected opportunity when Lewis Hamilton was laid low with coronavirus[/caption]
And with Hamilton himself turning 36 years old, it is perhaps time to look at some of the candidates who can follow him into Formula One stardom
Six world championships in seven years! That is complete domination anyway you look at it. But that is the reality facing the Formula One fans at the moment. For the fans of Lewis Hamilton, this would be music to their ears.
But, on the other hand, millions of other formula One fans who are not Hamilton admirers, are always on the lookout for the next potential champion driver to come along. And in any case when there is a “king”, there is always potential for the king to be dethroned.
And with Hamilton himself turning 36 years old, it is perhaps time to look at some of the candidates who can follow him into Formula One stardom. And of course, this is with no disrespect to the “king” at all!
Max Verstappen
Sometimes, it is difficult to think of Max Verstappen as a young driver and an up-and-coming one. This is because of the fact that it almost feels as if he has been around forever in Formula One (F1). But this is due to the fact that when he joined F1 first, he was only 17 years old. And having been in F1 now for about half a decade and being vastly more experienced, he is still only 23 years old.
And the Red Bull car that he is driving seems to be very competitive this year as well. This fact was admitted by none other than Hamilton himself last week after the first race of the season in the 2021 calendar. With a fast car and loads of talent look out for, the flying Dutchman is to make waves for years to come.
Charles Leclerc
If Max Verstappen is the favourite to be the next “king” of F1, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari comes a close second. In 2020 driving one of the worst Ferrari cars in living memory, he still managed to remain competitive. Ferrari finished sixth in the constructor’s championship purely on the back of performances from this driver.
While perhaps 2020 was not the year to prove his title credentials, Leclerc does already have some experience when it comes to fighting it out with the finest at the very top. This was evident with his stunning defensive drive at the Italian Grand Prix in 2019 seeing him fend off Valtteri Bottas and Hamilton to take Ferrari’s first home win in nine years, under immense pressure too. But if he is to truly fulfill his potential, Ferrari will have to give him a more competitive car to drive in.
Mick Schumacher
The first name might be slightly unfamiliar but the surname certainly is not. The son of the great Michael Schumacher comes into F1 this year with plenty of goodwill and also expectations. He is inexperienced at this level but has had rave reviews in the lower rungs of motor racing. After all, he won the Formula Two championship in 2020.
But it is wise not to expect him at the very top just yet. He has signed up with Haas for 2021, and the car struggled last year. And it is not expected to fare that much better this year either. The deal with Haas comes via parent company Ferrari, so should he continue his impressive rise up the ranks, then he could be in line to drive for the team that his father won a record five consecutive world championships with.
And that would be a sight to behold indeed. With Leclerc also in their ranks at the moment, Ferrari fans can certainly keep dreaming of better things for the future.
George Russell
This list is rounded off by two British drivers. Who, after all, should be better positioned to take the baton on from Lewis Hamilton, a Brit himself. George Russel is contracted to Mercedes. And having come into F1 after having been the champion in Formula Two in 2018, he has had to wait for his chance for two years to prove himself. But he has not had enough chances to prove himself in a competitive car.
But 2020 threw the 22-year-old an unexpected opportunity when Hamilton was laid low with coronavirus over the weekend of the Sakhir Grand Prix, giving him an opportunity to show his ability in a competitive car.
He took it with both hands and, after narrowly beaten in qualifying by his team-mate Bottas, he soon took control of the race, only for the team to mess up his pit-stop, which was followed by a late puncture saw him finish as low as ninth. But he showed enough potential to certainly make this list.
Lando Norris
If Russel does not fulfill his potential, then there is another Brit waiting in the wings to take up the baton from Hamilton. And that is Lando Norris. He finished second to Russel in Formula Two in 2018 but has been able to snag a better drive than Russel having been able to sign with McLaren.
Still only 21 years old, he has shown himself to be an affable personality with a carefree nature and a good team mate. But F1 is notoriously egoistic and all sorts of mind games go on from time to time. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how this young driver handles himself when the mind games start against him, if he starts to be successful.
All sports need young stars and fresh faces for the sport to survive and to keep the spectator interest intact. F1 is no different. And it will be interesting to see how this set of young drivers handle themselves in replacing one of the best ever seen in the sport in Lewis Hamilton.