For years, everybody has chased Mercedes. Will the chase continue?
For the last seven seasons, the Mercedes AMG team has dominated the sport of Formula 1 racing. From the beginning of 2014, when loud and noisy V-10 engines were replaced by a faster and quieter V-6 hybrid model, the Silver Arrows came out first with a design that put themselves ahead of the grid. Apart from Nico Rosberg’s sole championship in 2016, Lewis Hamilton has won every title since, equaling Michael Schumacher’s record last year of seven world championships.
So why does it seem that things are beginning to change?
In the season’s first race in Bahrain, Max Verstappen–Hamilton’s primary challenger–performed beautifully in practice sessions and qualifying, and, then, on race day he just missed defeating Hamilton by a few seconds. It is becoming apparent that the Mercedes brick wall of dominance is being chipped away, and it can no longer be assumed that Mercedes will lead the pack.
But it’s not just because Red Bull and Verstappen are closing the gap. Another matter is internal to Mercedes, specifically when Hamilton could only negotiate a one-year contract with the team for 2021. Rumors began flying that unless Hamilton can extend his contract, he will either move on to another team, retire from the sport, or focus on his Extreme E project that debuted last week in Saudi Arabia.
Mercedes’ Wolff (left) & Hamilton (photo, Daily Express)
Then there’s management. Might Team Manager Toto Wolff step down, especially if Hamilton moves on? One certainty is James Allison’s change of roles. Allison came from Ferrari in 2017 to be technical director and has been extremely helpful in keeping the team together. On July 1, Allison will give the full-time position and day-to-day responsibilities to Mike Elliot. Elliot began his career at McLaren, then transferred to Renault before joining Mercedes in 2012–first as a head of aerodynamics and, then, in 2017, as technology director.
There’s even more to add to the mix. New rules are coming next season and that will bring totally different aerodynamics to F1 cars. All teams will have to make big adjustments, and it’s a good bet that some teams will benefit more than others. The question is: Which teams?
Of course, what if’s, shifting personnel roles, and new rules are nothing new in any field. It’s just that the Mercedes team has dominated Formula 1 for so long.
The big question is obvious: Will Mercedes continue to dominate? That question will be answered on the F1 circuit.
