The era of youth. Like many other sports that see more and more champions just emerging from puberty, Formula 1, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, has begun, in recent seasons, a deep facelift, symbolized in particular by the arrival - in 2015 - of Max Verstappen, then aged 17 years and 5 months. A true philosophical revolution for a discipline which, for a long time, has given pride of place to the experience of the old briscards. Thirties were then seen as a golden age, that of full sports maturity. This is no longer entirely the case today, even if the undisputed master of the discipline, Lewis Hamilton, displays 35 springs.
One glance at the current plateau is enough to see it, with only seven thirty for eight pilots under 25 years of age. At 40, Kimi Räikkönen acts as a dinosaur, an exception confirming the rule. A turn that is nothing short of a gadget given the level of performance of this relaxed and ambitious "bottle class". Like Lando Norris, the youngest, 20 years old, climbed on his first podium during the inaugural Grand Prix in Austria at the beginning of July. A performance he will seek to repeat this Sunday in Hungary (race at 3.10 p.m.), facing many other young wolves with long, sharp teeth.
Verstappen-Leclerc, the stuff of world champions
At 22, Max Verstappen clearly stands out as the symbol of this new wave arriving very young in Formula 1. Previously, the normal course of a driver went through several years in lower formulas, to make his ranges , before being given a chance in the queen of motor racing. The Dutchman broke the door when he was 17. With a cheek and a daring which are equaled only by its well-tempered character. Verstappen has neither the desire nor the time to wait. From the year 2016, he was propelled from the “small” Toro Rosso to the “large” Red Bull. A promotion that he celebrated from his first departure at the wheel of his new car with a victory, making him the youngest Grand Prix winner in F1 history at 18 years, 7 months and 15 days.
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A test coup that looked like a masterpiece that he has since largely confirmed, winning eight times when the checkered flag was lowered and finishing third in the world championship in 2019. Without Mercedes hegemony, perhaps would he have already won the world title. But the Dutchman is not the only contender for the throne, held with an iron fist by Lewis Hamilton for three seasons. Even if he had to wait three years longer than the Dutchman, to whom he fought fierce battles in karting, Charles Leclerc (22 years old) has since followed an accelerated course. A season (2018) to discover and shine at Alfa Romeo and here is the Monegasque promoted within Ferrari. His dream. Realized beyond his wildest hopes, since it only took him one season to bring down his pedestal Sebastian Vettel, pushed towards the exit bluntly by a Scuderia who swears by Leclerc, beatified in Maranello last year when he won at Monza - the second victory of his young career - in front of tifosi waiting for this for nine long years. Between Verstappen and Leclerc, the duel is already more than launched.
Norris-Albon, rising values
Sunday July 5, even in front of empty stands, Lando Norris greedily savored the champagne glasses on the Spielberg circuit. " I'm on a cloud, " he said, after winning third place, synonymous with the first podium in his career. Only 20 years old. An impressive performance, performed at the wheel of a McLaren, no longer seen at such a party for ages, which is not surprising for this pilot presented by the double world champion (1972 and 1974) Emerson Fittipaldi as " the future Lewis Hamilton. He has all the ingredients to become a great champion. He is very talented, he has had success in karting and in the other formulas in which he has taken part. Now he just needs to confirm his immense potential in F1 . "Praise, the British also receives from Zak Brown, the boss of McLaren, who has seen others pass, however:" It is a great talent, full of potential. We knew he was swift, and he learned very quickly. His head is on his shoulders. And the means of his ambition, he whose father has a fortune estimated at more than 225 million euros.
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His first podium, Alexander Albon (24) caught a glimpse at the wheel of his Red Bull in Austria, before Hamilton dispatched it in the gravel a few loops from the finish. Enough to fuel legitimate anger, even if the six-time world champion has apologized. However, such a pass, provided that the glass is half full, confirms the new status of the young man of 24 years, the first Thai to register points in F1 since a certain Prince Bira - his real name Birabongse Bhanutej Bhanubandh - in 1954. Arrived on tiptoe at Red Bull in the summer of 2019 in place of Pierre Gasly, Albon showed good consistency for his first season by winning 92 points (8th in the championship). What finished convincing the leaders of the Austrian team to extend it for 2020. Remains to be seen if it is able to get out of the yoke, invasive, of Verstappen…
Gasly-Ocon, the french touch
Pierre Gasly (24) and Esteban Ocon (23) have known each other since their adolescence, which was spent challenging each other in karting. At first close, the two boys then distanced themselves, the fault of a growing rivalry. “ Esteban had a hard time managing this at the end of the karting years and it affected our relationship. We did not manage to maintain this bond of friendship which united us , ”confided on the subject Gasly to L'Equipe . The two drivers did not follow the same path to integrate F1. One, Gasly, went through the Red Bull sector, while the other followed that of Mercedes. Both with varying fortunes. Joined Toro Rosso in 2017 for five events, Gasly took off the following season by scoring 29 points, which gave him a promotion at Red Bull. Las, confronted with Verstappen, the Norman explodes in flight and returns to square one (Toro Rosso) during the summer, which, paradoxically, has been rather successful with a first podium at the end, obtained at the end of the season in Brazil . What give him confidence after this tumultuous demotion which could have cut his wings.
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Ocon's journey has similarities to that of his compatriot. Pushed into F1 by Mercedes, first at Manor (2016) then at Force India, the native of Evreux completed a full season in 2017 (87 points), before struggling during the following exercise. It takes no more, in this unforgiving world of F1, for him to lose his place, victim of the takeover of his team by Lawrence Stroll. Consequently, he finds himself a season with pedestrian status, before rebounding at Renault. A real relief, as he told Le Figaro last December: “ We tell ourselves that people may be forgetting you, because you are no longer on the scene. When you drive in Formula 1, you are so focused on performance and details that you sometimes forget how lucky you are to be one of these 20 drivers. We remember it in these difficult moments, when we are no longer there . Even if it was followed by a retirement, his 8th place for his debut with the Rhombus in Austria reassured him a little more about his ability to resume his march forward.
Stroll-Russell, still everything to prove
In 2017, Lance Stroll became, at 18 years, 4 months and 26 days, the second youngest driver in the history of the discipline. A few weeks later, he won a superb podium in Azerbaijan. The first, and so far the only one in his career. Since then, the Canadian has struggled to confirm this successful first season. Tucked into the back of the grid aboard a distressed Williams in 2018, Stroll benefits, as from the start of his career, from the unwavering support of his father, the billionaire Lawrence Stroll. When the latter decided to buy Force India (now Racing Point), inevitably, he reserved a place for his offspring. With very relative success, since Stroll finished far from his teammate, Sergio Pérez (20 points against 52 for the Mexican). Normally, such a gap should have led the Canadian (21 years old today) to the exit. Except that his case turns out to be different. To the point of dragging an image of "daddy's son" which he struggles to get rid of. A new season in the shadow of Pérez could be prohibitive. His credit will not be unlimited.
George Russell (22), had a very classic course with titles in the GP3 Series in 2017 and then in Formula 2 the following year. A record that logically opened the doors of the elite, at Williams. Not frankly the dreamed eldorado as the English team has tumbled one by one the steps of glory. However, as it is necessary to start somewhere, Russell lived what is commonly called a learning season for his F1 debut in 2019. Without the slightest point registered and a subscription at the bottom of the grid delicate to live . He consoled himself, in part, during confinement by becoming world champion of F1 ... virtual. Enough to put it in the light? Obviously, the answer is negative. While waiting to one day succeed Lewis Hamilton or Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes, a stable which he favors, the Englishman has just piled up for a season at Williams where he will continue his training. With the ambition to hang some top 10.
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