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F1’s “Silly Season” - The World’s Most Expensive Game of Musical Chairs

With 4 races down and 18 to go, the 2021 Formula One season looks as it’s going deliver on it’s promise to bring back exciting motorsport. From front to back, the F1 back is filled with interesting driver matchups that aim to entertain right up to the chequered flag - a blessing compared to the 1 lap exhilaration that F1 fans have grown accustomed to over the last few years. However, whilst the racing certainly is fast, team principles patience isn’t and therefore some interesting driver changes are already appearing on the horizon - F1’s “Silly Season” has officially begun. 

Over the winter break, the main story in F1 was Lewis Hamiltons contract, which remained unsigned until only a month before 2021’s inaugural race in Bahrain. Unfortunately for most, it seems Lewis is here to stay, winning 3 out of the 4 opening races and opening the door to Toto Wolf for a 2-year contract extension which would keep him in the lead Mercedes until 2023. Whilst this does all kinds of good for Hamiltons ever growing bank account, it doesn’t solve F1’s decreasing fan base any favours, who won’t be best pleased to see the Lewis Hamilton winning parade continue for the further 2 seasons.

Hamilton’s contract extension also spells trouble for Valtteri Bottas who was due to be relieved of his Mercedes seat at the end of the 2021 season. However, with the challenge from Red Bull becoming more and more prominent, Toto Wolf may decide to hold Bottas’ retirement party a little earlier. Having collected 47 points from the first 4 races, Bottas’ performances have been mediocre at best, leaving most of the heavy lifting to his world championship winning team mate. If Mercedes and Wolf want to retain their title as the premier constructors in Formula One, they need the best possible driver in each car and unfortunately for Bottas, 0 race wins since October 2020 just doesn’t cut it. That being said, Mercedes golden boy George Russell hasn’t had the greatest start to his 2021 campaign but he’s more than paid his dues at the back of the pack in a Williams that has been F1’s worst constructor since 2018. If there is ever a time for Mercedes to take a risk, now would be the time to do it. 

Elsewhere on the grid, contract talks at Alfa Romeo have stalled between both Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi, potentially opening up 2 seats in a mid table car. Whilst one of the seats will undoubtedly go to Ferrari junior driver Callum Ilott, the other is still up for grabs. Ilott has been waiting in the F1 wings for some time now and has delivered numerous stellar performances in F2 which should have earned him a seat in the Haas for 2021. However, cash is king in F1 and the financial backing behind Nikita Mazepin (or Mazespin if you prefer) made sure Callum sat on the sidelines for at least another season.    

The final story that is yet to grab headlines is Max Verstappens ever diminishing patience. Since his first victory at just 18, Max has been heralded F1’s next great talent but has been stuck looking at the back of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes for much of his time in a Red Bull cockpit. Whilst this season does represent the first year in which any car on the grid has been able to get close to Mercedes performance, superior strategists and engineers have given Hamilton the edge that he needs to dominate Verstappen for the foreseeable future - something I would guess Max isn’t a fan of. Therefore, although it is unlikely, a move to Mercedes for Verstappen at the end of this season would be out of pure frustration but would cement another winning decade for the Silver Arrows if Toto can make it happen. 




 


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