Yet again Lewis Hamilton has dominated the Formula 1 season, and is already the favorite to do the same in 2020. If Ferrari can't get their act together, Max Verstappen could emerge as Hamilton's closest rival.
Image: picture-alliance/nordphoto
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If 2018 was a frustrating season for Sebastian Vettel, 2019 must have felt even worse. Last year, what stopped Vettel from winning his first drivers' title for Ferrari were tactical mistakes by his team, along with quite a few of his own. This year, in addition to the mistakes he had to contend with the up-and-coming Charles Leclerc, who challenged his status as Ferrari's No. 1 driver.
In fact, Vettel's name is no longer the first that comes to mind when speculating on who could be the biggest threat whenLewis Hamilton seeks to defend his title next season. Youngsters Leclerc and Max Verstappen of Red Bull are already on a par with Vettel - if they haven't already overtaken the German.
Verstappen won three Grand Prix races this past season and Leclerc reached the top of the podium twice. Vettel was "only" able to add the Singapore GP to his list of career races won. Although the German finished above his Monegasque teammate 11 times (!) in this season's 21 races, Leclerc put his older teammate under considerable pressure, especially in the second half of the season. He also vehemently demanded via the pit radio - in Sochi for example, that he be allowed to pass his teammate. In that race, Vettel overtook Leclerc at the start, but then refused to let him pass him later - contrary to the team's previously agreed tactics.
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Who will be No. 1 at Ferrari?
The low point of the rivalry between the two Ferrari drivers this past season was their crash in Sao Paulo, when neither was prepared to make way for the other and both were knocked out - with each blaming the other for their predicament. The long smoldering conflict between them has become more public than ever before, and will likely continue to do so in the coming season because neither of them will be prepared to lower their own ambitions. Ferrari could ameliorate the problem by declaring a clear No. 1, but the Scuderia's management don't seem to want to do so. Demoting a four-time drivers' champion could be just as damaging as holding back the circuit's most talented young pilot.
Vettel's contract expires at the end of 2020, and whether it will be extended is questionable. This means that 2020 could well be his last chance to fulfill his childhood dream of winning a drivers' title with the "Reds." So will the team back him in the last year of his contract, and then elevate Leclerc in 2021?
Could Charles Leclerc be ready to push Sebastian Vettel into second place in the Ferrari pecking oder?Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Talking up non-existent harmony
"We know how to proceed," Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto said in a video posted by the team ahead of the final race of the season. He described Vettel and Leclerc as "good teammates" and spoke of a "great mix." He also described the personal relationship between the 32-year-old and the 22-year-old as excellent.
"They have fun together because they have a good and harmonious relationship," Binotto affirmed. "You might think they are in conflict on the track, but that's not the case."
But as much as Binotto tries to talk up this non-existent harmony, it shouldn't be long into the 2020 season before F1 fans will be hearing one complaining about the other via the pit radio.
Verstappen looking to take advantage
Besides Hamilton, another driver who is the undisputed No. 1 on his team could also profit from Ferrari's internal strife: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has the driving skills to challenge Hamilton, the ambition to make it to the top and now he also has the necessary technology.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen is aiming to challenge Lewis Hamilton for the drivers' title in 2020Image: Getty Images/AFP/C. de Souza
"I think we have a car that can win the title," the 22-year-old Dutchman said in an interview with motorsport-total.com. "That's the plan for next year. We want to fight for the title."
Hamilton has also predicted a strong Red Bull showing in 2020 season:
"Honda has made great strides forward and it's great that another manufacturer is so strong," the Brit said. "Hopefully next year we'll get a real three- or even four-way race in Formula 1."
Should this come to pass, the entire racing series would only stand to benefit after years of Mercedes dominance.
Not past his sell-by date?
It remains to be seen whether Sebastian Vettel will also be able to challenge Hamilton - or even get ahead of him. The 32-year-old German doesn't feel like he's past his Formula 1 sell-by date.
"If you're good enough, you're still young enough," Vettel said.
And despite the fact that he has failed to win a title in his five years at Ferrari, he still puts a positive spin on things, saying he personally has learned a lot and the team has matured.
"I just hope that it won't be another five years before we can reap (the fruits of our labor)," he said.
The question is whether it will be Sebastian Vettel who will reap those fruits for Ferrari - or somebody else.
Lewis Hamilton: The career of a Formula One legend
Lewis Hamilton has won his seventh world title, secured with victory in Turkey. The 35-year-old Mercedes driver is known the world over for much more than his driving skills though — here's a little look at his career.
Image: Murad Sezer/REUTERS
Seventh heaven
Lewis Hamilton gets the champagne treatment in Istanbul on a day that he equalled Michael Schumacher's record of seven world titles. He achieved it with a typically controlled masterclass in the wet conditions, securing his place among the greatest — if not the greatest — driver the sport has seen.
Image: Murad Sezer/REUTERS
Most race wins of all time
Despite the 2020 season being abbreviated by COVID-19, Lewis Hamilton kept making history. In round 12 of 17, Hamilton overcame a tough start to win in Portimao, a track in Portugal making its Formula One debut. The win took Hamilton's career race wins to 92, one more than Michael Schumacher. His win in Saudi Arabia in 2021 made it 103 race wins in the Briton's career.
Image: Jose Sena Goulao/Reuters
Fashion conscious
Hamilton is very mindful of his image and enjoys hanging out with the rich and famous. He is often seen in the front row of fashion shows. Above he is pictured with supermodel Naomi Campbell (left) at a fashion show in Milan. In 2020, Hamilton launched his own line with American signer Tommy Hilfiger.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/L. Bruno
Trusting soul
Just days after winning the title, Hamilton was in the headlines for something completely different. According to information released as part of the "Paradise Papers" the Briton avoided paying more than $4 million (€3.4 million) in taxes on a private jet by registering it in the Isle of Man. Hamilton said he trusted the advice of his lawyers, who had assured him that the arrangements were legal.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/ANSA/F. Lo Scalzo
Title No. 4
Lewis Hamilton enjoys competing against the odds and going into the 2017 F1 season Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel looked the best bet to pose a credible title challenge. With the German plagued by a series of mechanical failures during the campaign, Hamilton helped himself to his fourth drivers' title in the third-last race of the season.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/SvenSimon
Provocateur
Lewis Hamilton is known for pushing both his car and his opponents to their limits. At this year's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Hamilton came out of Turn 15 particularly slowly, and his German rival, Sebastian Vettel rear-ended him. Vettel then pulled up beside him and rammed his car. Hamilton denied having been at fault.
Image: Getty Images/M. Thompson
Difficult teammate
Hamilton is not always easy to deal with even when he happens to be your teammate. The alpha male didn't take it well when then-Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg competed hard against him — and succeeded in winning the 2016 drivers' championship. The German driver's lack of deference was a constant source of friction between him and F1's biggest ego.
Image: Getty Images/M. Thompson
Fan of Senna
The Briton's favorite driver when he was growing up was the late Ayrton Senna. In Montreal in June, Hamilton captured the 68th pole position of his career, equaling the record of Senna, who died in a crash at Imola in 1994. Senna's family recognized the achievement by presenting Hamilton with one of the late Brazilian driver's helmets.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/T. Remiorz
Father and son
Like the parents of many professional athletes, Hamilton's father Anthony (above, left) made many sacrifices to make Lewis' development as a driver possible, at times holding down as many as three jobs at once. Anthony was Lewis' manager when he first arrived on the circuit in 2007, but the two ended their business relationship in 2010. The two now have a close father-son relationship.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Suki
Another Hamilton at the wheel
His entire family are a priority for Hamilton — including his younger half-brother Nicolas, who despite suffering from cerebral palsy has also managed to become a professional racecar driver. Lewis almost burst with pride when Nicolas moved up the British Touring Car Championship in 2015.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/R. Vieira
Mentor at McLaren
Ron Dennis (left) was one of the biggest influences on Hamilton early in his career. The longtime team principal of McLaren was impressed when the then-10-year-old Hamilton one day approached him for his autograph and said he intended to drive for McLaren in the future. Three years later, Dennis brought Hamilton into McLaren's youth program.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/Kimimasa Mayama
Wunderkind
At the age of eight, Hamilton (second from right) enjoyed his first win as a driver racing go-karts. He first came into contact with Formula One in 1996, when Mika Hakkinen (right), who would go on to win two F1 titles, presented the trophies at an an event to honor up-and-coming drivers.
