Formula 1 goes back and forth, from an era with great rivalries to an era dominated by a single driver. With Lewis Hamilton, today we are in a domination era. How long will that last? Will Hamilton be challenged? Who will be the sport’s big name?
Since the beginning of Formula 1, many rivalries have made the sport worth watching. And there have been other times when one driver dominated the sport, winning multiple world titles and holding reign until unseated by an up-and-comer.
Fangio in his Maserati 250F (photo, Motorsport)
For example, in the 1950s Juan Manuel Fangio had few challengers as he won five world titles. Sterling Moss stood apart from other contenders. The Briton battled the Argentinian many times but, as good as a driver as he was, Moss struggled to beat Fangio. Even when he finally did, there were questions. As Rob Widdows wrote in MotorSport, “On July 16 of that year (1955), Stirling Moss notched up his first Grand Prix victory, beating Juan Manuel Fangio by less than half a second. There has always been conjecture that Fangio lifted, allowing Moss to win his home race on that glorious summer afternoon on Merseyside.”
By the 1960s, drivers battled each other, including Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, and Jim Clark, who were all from Great Britain. There were fewer battles in the 1970s, but Stewart v. Emerson Fittipaldi was a great rivalry. Later on, teammates dominated the sport, but they also hated each other. Examples included the 1980s-era duel of McLaren teammates Aryton Senna and his French counterpart, Alain Prost. Both won seven titles combined, but they also gave former boss Ron Dennis headaches. A decade-and-a-half later, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso did the same thing.
In the latter part of the 1990s and into the 2000s, Michael Schumacher took seven world titles. Mika Hakkinen was the only challenger to win two titles (1998 and 1999) before Schumacher went on to dominate, taking titles from 2000-2005. Then a young driver named Fernando Alonso won his first of two titles.
Big Three! (photo, SkySports)
Today, Hamilton is the dominant champion of Formula 1. But just like Michael Schumacher in 2006 (with Alonso breathing down his neck), Hamilton might be facing the same fate with Max Verstappen.
The two dueled recently at the Hungarian Grand Prix. It was there that Verstappen’s unfortunate gamble on worn-out tires gave Hamilton an opportunity to win. Hamilton, who came in earlier for tires, passed Verstappen with three laps to go to win his 81st career race. He’s now ten wins away from tying Schumacher with the most races won.
But other drivers could challenge Hamilton, too. There is Charles Leclerc, a driver who comes from one of the strangest places you’d ever find a driver, namely, the Principality of Monaco. Other contenders include Daniel Ricciardo and Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate, Valtteri Bottas. And don’t count out Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, both may seem like they are past their peak, but they have the ability to compete with the best. Add Mick Schumacher to the list, too. Michael’s son, he just won his first race in Formula 2. Will he be as good as his father? We’ll see.
Yes, Hamilton can still dominate the sport, but there’s no doubt that the competition is getting stiffer. And as good as Hamilton is, has been, and maybe in the future, the inevitable will eventually happen–he’ll give way. When will that be? Who will it be? And will Hamilton go out as a hero or as a driver who stayed past his prime?
