The season for Formula One is now officially underway. The season will start with the European races in Switzerland, followed by the Indian Grand Prix in Sepang. From here the race schedule will go on to countries like Mexico, Japan, and Taiwan. I think we can safely say that we have already seen a lot of the key drivers in action, as they have all made their debut. So let us now look at the teams and who has been playing their part so far…
I will start with a pole position, and I am not even going to mention who it is! I will just say that pole position today was contested by Ferrari with Kimi Raikkonen taking the win in what was one of those quick race victories for the Italian team. Mercedes also brought both Lewis Hamilton and Daniel Ricciardo to the front. They seemed to be giving it their all in the early laps but finally Ricciardo lost out to Hamilton by just a couple of seconds.
On paper Ricciardo should have won, but there are positives and negatives attached to this result. Firstly, Mercedes have probably spent too much time on their driving skills, and they need some time to iron something out. Secondly, the Ferrari car is also very quick! So while they may have been distracted by Raikkonen they could have been up the lead on tyre choices too. Now, all of this is down to strategy, but I believe the big issue is driver talent.
I have been really impressed by how strong the Red Bull team have looked, especially Rob Hunter and Mark Webber. They seem to have kept their focus during the race and in some cases their ability to overcome pressure has been amazing. And of course there is Christian Horvath, who has had a less than stellar start to the season and has been fighting hard to make an impression with his flying cars.
I am not saying that either team will definitely win. I would certainly expect a lot of surprises in the closing stages. I think it is more likely that Ferrari will be the team to come out on top though. That said, I really can’t predict who will win the races. I am going to pick a winner based purely on my own criteria of form and performance this season.
In my opinion the Red Bull team has the edge on pace and potential for pace victories this season. I hope I am proved wrong and can have the advantage when the teams meet in Formula One next year! I will pick another team to win the race, but I am expecting a great battle between the two. Whichever team wins in 2021, it is certain to be one of the most interesting matches of all time!
