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Paris : Three months following a fiery end to the season and Dutchman Max Verstappen’s success in removing Briton Lewis Hamilton from his throne, the wheels of Formula One cars returned to spinning Sunday in Bahrain.
Last season saw a thrilling action that lasted until the last lap, with organizers hoping for additional excitement with drastic technical overhauls in the 2022 season.
There were also some changes in the field of driver transfers, with Britain’s George Russell becoming Hamilton’s new teammate at Mercedes.
AFP takes a look at the 20 drivers participating in the world championship, which promises a new chapter in the fiery confrontation between Verstappen and Hamilton.
* mercedes
Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain)
“If you consider the best that I had at the end of last season, wait to see me this year,” thus the seven-time world champion considers his fans the mother of battles with the Dutchman, in search of a record eighth title that ends his partnership with German Michael Schumacher. After the morale blow he received in Abu Dhabi, rumors swirled that he was retiring, but the 37-year-old proved otherwise by appearing at the team’s launch in February. Hamilton showed that he was at his peak last season, achieving his 103 victory in the world’s first category and the same number of poles. He expressed his fear of Mercedes’ ability to compete with Red Bull, saying that the first “needs a lot of work” to beat the rhythm of its rivals such as Red Bull and Ferrari.
George Russell (Great Britain)
The Mercedes academy graduate snatched the second seat in the German team following showing his abilities with the Williams team. He beat team-mate Poland’s Robert Kubica in 21 races during his inaugural 2020 season and scored his first point and podium finish last season. The 24-year-old is no stranger to the steering wheel of Mercedes, having replaced the coronavirus-stricken Hamilton in Bahrain 2020 where he came close to winning.
* Red Bull
Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
Despite the controversy of the last race in Abu Dhabi where he won his first world championship, Mad Max was crowned with a deserved title following fighting all season with Hamilton. The talented driver did not give in to Hamilton’s lead and prevented him from winning his eighth title at the last gasp. Despite being the fastest in last week’s practice, he is aware of the Briton’s toughness and the battle ahead. The twenty-four-year-old was rewarded for his achievement and his team finally extended his contract for an additional five years. Ex-driver’s son Jos seemed relaxed ahead of the season: “It’s important to have a good time in G1 and have fun with your travel companions, and I do.”
Sergio Perez (Mexico)
His first win in Bahrain in the penultimate race of the 2020 season gave him a seat and a key role in Verstappen’s mission to bring Hamilton down. He finished fourth last season when he was crowned in Baku, and showed that he is the right teammate for the Dutchman following exhausting Hamilton in the last crucial race in Abu Dhabi.
* Ferrari
Charles Leclerc (Monaco)
Scuderia Ferrari appears to have turned the page for a terrible 2020, its worst in forty years, when it made up for its sixth place among the constructors by climbing to third. While Charles Leclerc missed his Spanish colleague Carlos Sainz Jr in the drivers’ standings last season, he is looking to compensate in his fourth season with the red team following good experiences last week, which he classified as “one of the smoothest experiences I have had.” Ferrari has not won a constructor’s title in 14 years following a record 16 titles, while the emirate’s son is looking to give the Prancing Horse his first race since 2019.
Carlos Sainz (Spain)
The Spaniard is in his second season with Ferrari, and with four podiums in 2020, he finished fifth in the drivers’ standings. He hopes to strengthen his family’s balance following his father Carlos’ achievements in the World Rally and Cross Country Championships, in search of his first victory in the world’s first category.
* McLaren
Daniel Ricciardo (Australia)
Last week he contracted the Corona virus during pre-season testing, but the Australian, who is in his second season with McLaren, is hoping to enter the ring of contenders. After coming from Renault, he joined the talented Briton, Lando Norris, and finished behind him in the drivers’ standings (8 6). He climbed only once last season on the podium, and it was wonderful following his coronation in the Italian Montaza, giving his team their first victory in the World Championship since 2012.
Lando Norris (Great Britain)
Lando Norris climbed four times on the podium and topped the official tests once, obtaining an extension of his contract until 2025 with the former first category giant. The 22-year-old Bristol native is central to his team’s plans to reclaim its glory. Everyone is waiting for his first victory in the championship, knowing that he finished sixth last year.
* Williams
Nicholas Latifi (Canada)
His movement in the final Abu Dhabi award last season contributed to the removal of Hamilton from his throne. During his team’s car launch, he revealed that he had received death threats and hired bodyguards to protect him. After two seasons alongside Russell, he hopes to improve upon his runner-up status in Formula 2 in 2019.
Alexander Albon (Thailand)
