Why Formula 1 is starting to spark up an interest again

For the past few years, you could be forgiven for not caring about the outcome of the Formula 1 world championship. Mercedes have had a car that has dominated the sport and has won the title every year for the last half a decade, whilst only 3 different drivers have won the world championship since 2010. Putting that in context, a Warwick student graduating this summer from a 3-year degree (with no gap year) would have been in year 7 the last time that the world champion wasn’t won by either the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel or Nico Rosberg driving in a Mercedes or a Red Bull Racing car. This lack of open competition has made even passionate F1 fans like myself start to lose interest, as you don’t even have to watch the races to know who’s going to win most of the time.

However, things are different this year and there has been a shakeup in the sport. So far in pre-season testing, Ferrari, who haven’t won a world title since 2007, looks like it’s going to be the strongest team in the paddock. Young driver Charles LeClerc who is only in his second season in Formula 1, has been setting some of the quickest lap times and it appears that we might have a new star on the grid for viewers to look out for. Fan favourite Daniel Ricciardo has departed Red Bull in order to have a new start with Renault so maybe his hunt for title glory might finally come to an end this year with a different team supporting him.

There is also a new homegrown hero to cheer on, rookie Lando Norris

Also, this means that Dutch dynamo, Max Verstappen, has become the prominent driver at Red Bull, and the youngster has shown little respect for the more experienced pro’s so far in his career and now can be fully let off the leash this season. There is also a new homegrown hero to cheer on, rookie Lando Norris, who isn’t just someone who sounds like a Star Wars character but he is also the youngest British driver in Formula 1 history at just 19 years of age, who on the first day of testing set the fastest time of anyone in his bright orange McLaren. He might be a long shot for the title this year, but the teenager has drawn comparisons with 4-time world champion and reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton, who also started at McLaren, so this will be an easy name to cheer on during the season. Let’s hope that he can sneak a podium finish at some point.

When empires fall there is always an interesting struggle to fill the power vacuum. It appears that Mercedes’ era of dominance could be nearing a close since theirs has not been the fastest package we’ve seen so far in testing. Young, fearless and unpredictable drivers in more powerful cars will be taking to the start line, together with a potential new British racing hero in the ranks and as always, the glitz and glamour of the world of Formula 1 that takes you to Abu Dhabi, Mexico and Monaco on a wild, adrenaline-fuelled thrill ride. So tune in on the weekend at the end of week 10 (March 15-17) and reclaim your parents’ sofa in the living room for the big kick-off in Melbourne, Australia.