Fintan Daly
In the recent Jeddah F1 Grand Prix, a brilliant display of driving prowess by British 18-year-old debutant Ollie Bearman (who was filling in for the injured Carlos Sainz) caught the attention of F1 fans all around the world. He had a brilliant race, finishing seventh, ahead of compatriots McLaren star Lando Norris and seven-time World Drivers’ Champion Lewis Hamilton, all the while being the youngest guy on the grid. In the following race, the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, hometown hero Oscar Piastri took a well-earned P4 while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen crashed out, much to the delight of the Aussie fans. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and George Russel also got a DNF next to their name and the excitement made it the best race so far this year. All this highlights a clear trend in Formula One – despite the doubters, the sport really is getting better.
When I refer to ‘the doubters’, I am talking about the people who bag F1 because of Max Verstappen’s monopoly on the World Drivers’ Championship, the coveted prize for the driver with the most points at the end of each season. The Dutch driver has finished on the podium in 39 of the last 43 races, and he has won the last two WDCs. Take a look at the recent past – F1’s history is just periods of dominance by certain drivers. Some examples are Sebastian Vettel in the early 2010s, Lewis Hamilton in the last 15 years, and Michael Schumacher in the entirety of his career. In a couple of years, another driver will be dominating and more fans will complain, but this is just the way the sport ebbs and flows.
Some will say the sport is losing its strong character, but I believe it is in a stronger position than ever. With 500 million fans worldwide, F1 is on the rise.