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The BIG Question | Who will be the next Formula 1 World Champion?
There is no denying that the combination of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes is the best on the grid. It seems that as long as those two are working together they will be unbeatable. There will, however, come a time when Hamilton leaves the sport and a new World Champion will be crowned. Who will it be?
Hamilton picked up his seventh drivers World title last time out in Turkey and seems set to continue in the sport for the foreseeable future. He will be odds on favourite to win again next season but in 2022 the rules will change and Hamilton could leave the sport, meaning we will have a new champion. Here’s a look at who it might be.
Max Verstappen?
There is no denying the Dutchman’s talent. He is naturally skilled as a driver and is one of the fastest currently on the grid. Is he World Champion material? Not yet. In Turkey he showed that he doesn’t have the patience and made a handful of errors when rushing to make an overtake. In comparison to the current Champion, Hamilton, the two drivers looked in different leagues. The Brit was cool, calm and calculated and showed Verstappen that he still has a lot of learning to do before he will win the title.
We had a very difficult race in these tricky conditions and we struggled from the start to the end. It’s a race to forget, to be honest. Congrats to Lewis and his team on an incredible 7th World Championship! #TurkishGP pic.twitter.com/uq26I2nZn5
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) November 15, 2020
Charles Leclerc?
Ferrari have been down and out this season but don’t expect them to stay down there for long. They are the most significant team in the sport and will be back fighting near the top come next season. Charles Leclerc showed glimpses of how much of an all-round driver he was in 2019, his first year at Ferrari, and keeps getting better every Grand Prix he races. If Ferrari can give him a competitive car there is no reason why in a few years time Leclerc can’t be the next World Champion after Hamilton.
Sebastian Vettel?
Many people seem to forget that the German is a four-time World Champion. FOUR. He’s one of the most successful drivers in the history of Formula 1 and as long as he’s on the grid he has the potential to be competitive.
Things haven’t worked out well at Ferrari but with the excitement of joining a new team, it would be silly to rule him out. Nobody knows how fast Aston Martin will be next year and stranger things have happened over the past 12 months than a new team coming into the sport and winning a title within a few seasons.
Valtteri Bottas?
Nope.
George Russell
It may seem a slightly odd choice to pick a driver who is yet to score a point in Formula 1 but I think there is a high chance that Russell will be the next World Champion after Hamilton. We know that Russell has strong links with Mercedes and when Hamilton does retire it would make sense for the team to put the current Williams driver in their car.
Russell is not the finished product yet and we have seen some big mistakes from him over the past two Grand Prix but each weekend he pushes himself and his car to the limit. Imagine him doing that in a Mercedes!
Mr Saturday keeps his streak alive
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 31, 2020
P13 for @GeorgeRussell63 in qualifying - the 34th consecutive time he's beaten his team mate #ImolaGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/NRQxCsAFFy
It’s hard to see anyone beating Hamilton whilst he is still in the sport but when he does decide to retire it will be interesting to see who is the next driver to win the trophy. Let us know you you think it will be in the poll below.
