Lewis Hamilton can win a document eighth Components One world championship whereas his Mercedes workforce have a good time an unprecedented eighth successive title double within the longest ever season, pandemic allowing.
Alternatively, the deliberate 23-race championship may mark the top of an period with Pink Bull’s Max Verstappen main a generational altering of the guard.
It might even be ‘farewell Sir Lewis’, with the newly-knighted Briton — set additionally to develop into the primary driver to win 100 races — extending his contract solely to the top of 2021.
“I selected to have a one-year deal in order that I may see how the yr goes,” he mentioned.
The season additionally sees a Schumacher lining up on the beginning grid for the primary time since Michael’s departure on the finish of 2012 and Saudi Arabia making its debut with an evening race in Jeddah.
Pink Bull’s automobile was fast, steady and dependable in pre-season testing, with Verstappen quickest, whereas Hamilton and workforce mate Valtteri Bottas have been unsettled by the skittish dealing with of the Mercedes.
Mercedes say Honda-powered Pink Bull have the sting on efficiency however Pink Bull, who’ve introduced within the skilled Mexican Sergio Perez alongside Verstappen, say Mercedes are very a lot the favourites.
Both approach, the stage is about for the closest-fought battle but between the king and the teen who would seize his throne.
The March 28 season-opening race in Bahrain will present some readability, with testing notoriously unreliable as an indicator of type, however the title battle seems set to stay between final yr’s prime two groups.
“They’ve had some actually good working, each drivers have been wanting fairly sturdy. They’ll be a unique machine or animal this yr with a very good, sturdy line-up and a very good automobile,” mentioned Hamilton of Pink Bull.
“You possibly can think about they’re going to be proper there within the first race and it’s going to be a terrific lengthy battle with them via the yr.”
The grid will function 4 world champions, with the return of two-time titleholder Fernando Alonso, now 39, to the workforce that was once Renault and can now be racing below Alpine branding and with new management.
4-times champion Sebastian Vettel has moved from Ferrari to Aston Martin, competing as a constructor for the primary time since 1960 after Racing Level modified their title, and 41-year-old Kimi Raikkonen races on at Alfa Romeo.
McLaren are the one workforce to have modified engine provider, switching from Renault to Mercedes, they usually even have Australian Daniel Ricciardo changing Carlos Sainz, who has joined Ferrari.
The Italian workforce endured their worst season in 40 years in 2020, failing to win a race and ending sixth general, however a extra highly effective engine ought to assist them struggle extra for podiums at the very least.
Three rookies make their debuts, with Mick Schumacher attracting a lot of the eye because the Components Two champion follows the trail of his Ferrari nice father.
The German is joined at Haas by Russian Nikita Mazepin, whose billionaire father has offered the workforce’s title sponsorship,
Japan may even have a driver on the grid for the primary time since 2014, with Yuki Tsunoda becoming a member of AlphaTauri.
Crowds may return, at the very least for the later grands prix, after most of 2020 was spent racing behind closed doorways as a result of pandemic, and experimental Saturday ‘dash qualifying’ races are set to function with factors awarded.
The form of the season may nonetheless change, nevertheless, with uncertainty over whether or not the entire 23 races will occur. Australia, the same old opener, has already moved to November.
