Formula 1 2019 Season Review
The fireworks at Abu Dhabi have brought an end to a strange 2019 season of Formula One.
This has been a season that on paper looks largely in keeping with the rest of the decade, which has mainly been one where many seasons had a dominant team. Think Red Bull in 2011 and 2013, or Mercedes in 2014-16, where these two teams simply collected wins.
Mercedes could not have begun this season any less in charge. 8 straight race wins to begin the season, the first 5 of which were 1-2 finishes, and 15 wins overall indicates a team on dominant form.
Even so, some little moments did contribute to this. Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Monaco, Canada, Hungary, Russia and Mexico were all races as much defined by rival issues or situations handing Mercedes issues as their own delight. Yet from the sleep-inducing French Grand Prix, Mercedes did not had it their own way.
Not every race has been like the soggy race in Germany, where one strategy error lead to a driver error, and from there, Mercedes imploding in one of F1’s most extraordinary races. But Red Bull-Honda and Ferrari were able to improve and consistently challenge.
Ultimately, 2019 has been a triumph of the well-honed winner’s remarkably continued winning ability. Allied to this is the fact that, in Lewis Hamilton, the team has a remarkably consistent driver.
The now-6 time World Champion only failed to make it onto the podium on 4 occasions in this overlong season, and while he still earns some criticism for his team radio missives, his driving has been frequently high calibre.
Comparing Hamilton to Schumacher, Prost, Senna, Fangio, Clark and other greats of previous eras is a fools errand, but it is surely now beyond reasonable doubt that Hamilton has to be counted as a bona fide all-time F1 superstar, and has a very real shout at getting the most wins ever.
The nearest challenger to Lewis was his team-mate Valtteri Bottas. He looked and sounded like a new guy after a winless 2018, defiantly calling “To whom it may concern, f**k you” on the team radio after winning the season opener and matching his decorated team-mate early on. But no win between Baku and Suzuku ultimately did for his title tilt.
Mercedes nevertheless were aided by a dysfunctional Ferrari. With iffy reliability, terrible strategy calls, a car that took too long to challenge for wins and tension between its drivers culminating in them taking each other out in Brazil, its been another challenging year for the Scuderia.
They did at least have the joy of Monza, where Charles Leclerc got a first-time victory at Ferrari’s home race. Even then, Vettel did hurt the team’s day with a spin and near-miss collision that took him out of the points.
Leclerc and Vettel have been fairly evenly matched, with both making mistakes, but both also having great days. Leclerc however did very well enough to do just enough to outdo his 4 time World Champion team-mate and suggest he can be the future for the Tifosi to support.
But both Ferraris finished behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. This was looking like a transition year for the Milton Keynes-based team as they adjusted to moving from Renault to Honda power and losing Daniel Ricciardo.
But 3 wins for Verstappen, a first career pole, two further pole positions (if one had to be taken off in Mexico for bad behaviour) and improved consistency showed why people think he will some day be a World Champion. He still has kinks to work out, but on his day, the Dutchman is a true talent, and those great days are becoming more frequent.
The Dutchman’s run was in contrast to troubles on the other side of the garage. Pierre Gasly never seemed to recover after pre-season crashes and was essentially down in the midfield before being sent back to Toro Rosso. Alex Albon did impress enough in his first half season, although his next mission is presumably to land a first podium.
In the midfield, McLaren emerged as best of the rest, with Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris providing an entertaining off-track bromance and great form on it, if sometimes let down by a few mistakes. Having been something of a meme in their dark days with Honda and a 2018 season that fell apart, they have been a revelation, culminating in a deserved podium for Sainz in Brazil – from 20th to boot – and will be looking to progress back to their pomp very soon.
Renault had hoped 2019 would be a year to build progress. The big-budget signing of Ricciardo and finishing best of the rest in 2018 looked like a great opportunity to do so, and yet their car never got close to the big 3. Most of their points came from great results at Montreal and Monza, indicating they had a Ferrari-like tendency of being set up around straight line speed, and their season fizzled out. Its a fairly underwhelming end for Nico Hulkenberg, who leaves the sport without a podium after being passed over for Esteban Ocon.
Toro Rosso were arguably one of the key midfield stars, with a quick car and a very decent number of points. It also yielded two joyous days with two podiums for a team with only one previous in its history, as the returning Dany Kvyat took third in Germany and Gasly, comfortable back with the former Minardi team, held off faster drivers to get second in Brazil.
Racing Point and Alfa Romeo had inverse seasons. Alfa, and in particular Kimi, were largely better before the summer break, with the former Ferrari driver doing well. Antonio Giovinazzi’s best moments came after the break, in leading the Singapore Grand Prix, managing good points at Monza, and getting a first top 5 finish in F1 as he and his teammate made the top 5 in Brazil.
Racing Point, meanwhile, faded after scoring points early on, even with Lance Stroll getting a shock 4th in Germany, but the team returned strongly, scoring points after the summer break at every race except Singapore.
Haas had a more difficult campaign. Their car struggled with its tyres, and gradually more with its pace. Off track, it was also defined by the ludicrous saga of Rich Energy, while the spectacle of its two drivers taking each other out on lap one in Silverstone and banging wheels again in Germany didn’t help, as a team who starred in 2018 faded horribly.
But the American team’s travails aren’t Williams bad. On paper, this was a strong line-up, with F2 champion George Russell and the returning Robert Kubica as pilots. But it ended up being a disaster, as a car with dreadful aero in particular managed just a single point. Both drivers deserved better.
In general, its been an up-and-down year, with some forgettable races and some so dull that people outright questioned the sport’s future, but a streak from Austria to Singapore of some highly entertaining races, and in the form of the Brazil race, a truly crazy conclusion. More of those in 2020 and beyond would be welcome.
Sadly, it has also been a year with darkness, with the tragic losses off track of Charlie Whiting and Niki Lauda, and the heartbreaking accident at Spa that claimed the life of highly rated F2 driver Anthoine Hubert. The first two are much loved figures off-track who will be missed, while Hubert’s tragedy was a sad reminder of motorsport’s dangers and a cruel loss of a young talent.
Looking ahead, the sport has announced a major regulation change for 2021 that promises to radically change things, and with many top drivers out of contract, it means silly season could be frantic.
2020 itself could still be exciting as these pieces come together, as another season of Formula 1 racing – and indeed decade – come to its conclusion.