Here We Go Again...

As the first checkered flag of the year waved in Bahrain, a familiar face crossed the finish line in first. Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time champion and 96-time race winner took P1 for Mercedes to start the 2021 season. He was followed closely by Red Bull sensation Max Verstappen in P2 and Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas in P3. This trio has now shared the Formula One podium 14 times, tying a record set in 2016. While the race seemed like a carbon copy of the 2020 season, the finish was much closer and there is a lot to look forward to as the season continues.

Hamilton Vs. Verstappen

The Mercedes driven by Lewis Hamilton may have come across in first but it wasn't without a significant challenge from Red Bull. Young sensation Max Verstappen came out of the pits on fresh tires late in the race, about ten seconds behind Hamilton. Verstappen charged and caught Hamilton with a few laps left and passed him to take the lead with just three laps remaining. However, the race stewards, similar to referees in other sports, determined that Verstappen left the track limits to pass Hamilton, making the move illegal. Verstappen was forced to give first place back to Hamilton or receive a time penalty which would have undoubtedly cost Red Bull the win. After conceding the position, Verstappen was unable to get around Hamilton a second time giving Hamilton P1 in the desert.

Even though this is a result fans have seen for years, there is much to be excited about. The Red Bull car finally looks considerably faster than the Mercedes, good news for fans like myself who are eager to see a change in the leaderboards. Verstappen was able to catch and challenge Hamilton easily and continues to learn with each battle against the seven-time champ. Verstappen qualified first in Bahrain last week and will look to do so again next week in Italy. Even though I've only followed F1 for three years now, I've watched Hamilton dominate with Mercedes each season so it'll be incredible to watch the fight unfold all year between the rising star and the all-time great.

Battle in the Midfield

The midfield is the group of teams that finishes fourth through seventh, just missing the podium. For many teams, the battle for P4 is essential to get bigger sponsorships, better drivers and to compete for a podium in the following seasons. In recent years, the podium has been dominated by Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari and others haven't had much chance at getting into that group. This means that the fourth-place finish is something most F1 teams focus on going into the season.

In 2021, the midfield looks to be more competitive than in past years with more teams at a similar pace towards the top of the grid. In Bahrain, we saw teams like Ferrari, who struggled last year, and McLaren challenging the giants of Red Bull and Mercedes. Other smaller teams like AlphaTauri and Aston Martin also improved their pace dramatically and seem to be in the fight at the top of the midfield. AlphaTauri had an incredible qualifying session with their two drivers starting in fifth and 13th but had a crash in the first few laps of the race and only finished with one driver in the top ten. Even though the race was disappointing for AlphaTauri, their car was extremely fast all weekend and I am looking forward to their growth throughout the year.

Next week, Formula One travels to Italy for the second race of the season. Ferrari goes into their home race in fourth place, just a few points off of the podium. In Bahrain they had both drivers finish in the top ten and hope to continue that success in front of their loyal Italian fans.

Be sure to watch the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, April 18 at 9 AM, and comment your predictions for Ferrari as they return home!