With the tumultuous 2020 Formula 1 season wrapping up, I think now is a good time to look towards the future and what we have to look forward to. More specifically, who will be the next F1 champion; specifically one who has not won before.
Stars like Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel are still dominant, yet their signs of aging are beginning to show. I was wondering who will be the new champion on the top step of Formula 1:
The easy choice is clearly Red Bull’s Max Verstappen who has been winning since the start, but hasn’t had enough of them to win the championship yet. I don’t think he will either with the looming engine crisis due to Honda leaving their team.
Next up, you have Ferrari sensation Charles Leclerc, who has seemingly changed the works team’s mindset and started taking on younger talent, but upper-leadership and strategy will ultimately hold them back.
My pick for the next new champion is a dark horse contender on a team which is looking to be within the up and up with a Mercedes power unit. With the 2022 regulations around the corner as well, they could finally see a championship.
The next new F1 champion will be Lando Norris of McLaren. This young British driver scored his first podium this year, as well as having multiple fastest laps even in this Mercedes dominated year. Norris teamed with the veteran Daniel Ricciardo, so more experience next year will help him develop that signature honey badger mentality, and propel the team coupled with the new regulations to great new heights.
Lando Norris is a talent everyone has to keep their eyes on, as he will do great things in the future. The McLaren team has been making steady gains, picking themselves back up after their previous disastrous seasons, and they’re now challenging for 3rd in the Constructor Championship. I think with more time and progress, this McLaren team will be the next to win a driver’s championship with Lando Norris leading the charge.
Photo credit: Formula 1
