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The five questions about the end of the Formula 1 season

2021-08-27T06:22:56.071Z


After a three-week break, Formula 1 is back this weekend in Belgium on the legendary Spa-Francorchamps track. The opportunity to take stock of the various issues that will punctuate the end of the season.


Will Max Verstappen succeed in putting an end to Lewis Hamilton's hegemony?

This is the major question that will give many headaches to many of us. Max Verstappen looked untouchable after nine races. On the evening of the Austrian Grand Prix, the Dutchman, who had just slammed his fifth success of the season, was 32 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton. The Briton seemed touched, aware that his precious, the title of world champion, was slipping away. Then everything changed. In two weeks.

First of all at the British GP. A clash, in the first round, between the two rivals at Copse propelled Max Verstappen into the wall. A shock of great violence. Sanctioned by ten seconds of penalty, Lewis Hamilton is all the same, thereafter, went to seek the win. Inducing the rage of the Red Bull clan. Then in Hungary, in difficult conditions with a wet track. But this time, it was Valtteri Bottas, another Mercedes, who ruined the Batave's race by harpooning him at the first corner. Finally ninth in Budapest, Verstappen could only see the damage when he saw Lewis Hamilton take third and then second place following the downgrading of Sebastian Vettel.

As a result, at the start of the second half of the season, the Briton leads the world championship, without having the best car, and is eight points ahead of the Dutchman.

This last revenge is announced but he will have to quickly put an end to this black series if he wants to win his first world title.

Because in general, once Hamilton is in front, no one sees him again.

So the Belgium - Netherlands - Italy sequence will give us the start of an answer, but it is certain that if the Mercedes driver increases his lead over these next three Grand Prix, it will then be very difficult for Red Bull to see him again.

Read alsoFormula 1: 2021 driver ranking

Who from McLaren or Ferrari will be the third force on the grid?

It's the other big fight. After eleven races, the two teams are tied with 163 points. Third last season, McLaren would like to keep its good but Ferrari has made constant progress since the start of 2021. The Scuderia finished the first part on two podiums: one with Leclerc at Silverstone (2nd) and the other with Carlos Sainz on the Hungaroring (3rd). The trend is therefore Italian especially as the Reds seem to have finally found the solution to their tire wear problem, which turned out to be excessive in comparison on the first heats. It was actually an understeer problem that seems to have been resolved since the French GP.

Good news for Ferrari, less good for McLaren.

The British are worn by Lando Norris.

The Bristol prodigy brought back 113 of the team's 163 points, including two podiums in Imola and Austria.

Conversely, Daniel Ricciardo, him, hassle.

Apart from a fifth place at Silverstone, the Australian has not signed a significant result and this is where the shoe pinches.

The Ferrari duo works, which is not the case at McLaren.

And to keep its third place, Zak Brown's team will badly need a better second part of the season from the ex-Renault driver, otherwise Ferrari will make the difference in the long term.

Read alsoFormula 1: ranking of manufacturers

Will we have a new grand prize winner?

Sergio Perez and Pierre Gasly in 2020, and therefore now Esteban Ocon, winner of the Hungarian Grand Prix. Three drivers have just signed their first Formula 1 victory in less than a year. And each time in races with a bewildering scenario. Among the twenty drivers on the grid in Belgium, they are now eleven to have won an F1 race. Can we have a twelfth by the end of the season? Never say never. So who ? Two candidates stand out because they have been around for two years now.

The first is called Lando Norris.

The Briton has signed two podiums this season (see above), and one in 2020. He is fast, consistent and apart from Hungary, he is still at the top of the basket.

This therefore makes him the number one candidate for discovering the drunkenness of Sunday.

The second is Carlos Sainz.

On the podium in Brazil in 2019, in Gasly's exhausts in Italy in 2020, the Spaniard finished third in Budapest in early August.

It comes close and seems to have definitely taken the measure of Ferrari, which itself is progressing.

Fast and very safe on the track, the Ibère could have the opportunity, over the remaining twelve rounds, to offer great happiness to the Scuderia, confined to the places of honor since Singapore 2019.

Who will be the best French between Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly?

Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) was rather quiet, as far as Hungary, in this distant duel between the two Habs. But Esteban Ocon (Alpine) 's victory at the Hungaroring has reshuffled the cards. Eleven points now separate the two F1 Grand Prix winners. Let us take this opportunity to remind you. With 50 points on the clock, the AlphaTauri pilot alternates the very good and the a little less good this year. Very solid in qualifying, he sometimes struggles to finish in the race even if he won a third career podium this year, in Azerbaijan. For his part, Esteban Ocon was a little overdue, especially since his contract extension, on the eve of the French Grand Prix. Its success in Hungary is likely to change a lot of things. Especially his mentality. In addition, Alpine is making progress and its very powerful enginecould help Ocon to achieve good results in Belgium but also in Italy. What offer us a beautiful duel between the two.

Read alsoFormula 1: Ocon and Alpine gold medalists in Hungary

Which circuits will replace Japan and Australia?

Twenty-three rounds were on the program this year. We already know that Turkey replaced Singapore on October 3, but two other races were canceled: Japan (October 10) and Australia (November 21). The Liberty Media group has announced that these Grand Prix will be replaced. To replace Melbourne at the end of November, a solution is about to be found with the possible arrival of Qatar on the calendar. The Losail track generally hosts MotoGP but has a Grade 1 license from the FIA, which allows it to host F1. This would be a first and would cause an unprecedented Qatar - Saudi Arabia - United Arab Emirates to end the season. On the other hand, to replace Japan, at the beginning of October, the leads seem to be turning to the United States. But the vagueness remains.There was once talk of two races in Austin but this option does not seem to hold the rope any longer. On the other hand, Indianapolis, absent since 2007 from the F1 calendar, could return to the program on October 17, a week before Austin.

Source: lefigaro

All sports articles on 2021-08-27

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