F1 - What We've Learnt So Far

Formula 1, one of the world’s most popular motorsports, has started again after a winter break that has felt like a decade. 20 brand new cars (split across 10 teams) have started racing around the 24 international circuits at speeds of 300 miles an hour, all battling for the world title.

Last season, we saw Max Verstappen take the chequered flag once again to win the title as Red Bull remained dominant, winning every Grand Prix except for Singapore (they faced hydraulic issues, letting Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz take the only win which wasn’t won by a Red Bull last season).

Red Bull have stuck at the peak with two wins already in the bag this year, and both drivers have taken the top two places on the podium, leaving everyone in the dust while they achieve the highest scores possible in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Mercedes, who struggled last year and had many driving problems, have improved and gained speed, but will still have to overcome their heating issues that keep them lingering between sixth and ninth. While Hamilton is confirmed to be leaving for Ferrari next season, Mercedes will still want to make sure that Hamilton has a smooth year before joining another team.

Ferrari, despite their efforts to fully compete with Red Bull, still trail Verstappen and Perez. That said, they are currently the only team to be on a podium with Red Bull - their highest position so far this year has been third. After Carlos Sainz’ quick last-minute withdrawal from the Saudi Arabia grand prix due to a surgery, Ferrari’s academy driver Oliver Bearman stepped up to the challenge but only came 11th in Qualifying and 7th in the race. It shows that, whatever car you race in, the driver still has a big impact on the outcome of the race.

McLaren are also struggling by failing to make the most of opportunities presented, and have fallen from fighting for wins at the end of last year to trying to simply finish in the top 10.

Many teams have experienced pit stop issues, especially Kick Sauber (known last season as Alfa Romeo) which has had huge issues so far, with an average pit stop time this season of a massive 12 seconds - this average is mainly caused by Valterri Bottas and tyre nut issues.

So, looking ahead to the rest of this season, we should see a lot more of Red Bull winning, but with Perez much more competitive against his teammate Verstappen, while Ferrari will remain behind Red Bull. Mercedes and McLaren should fix their overheating problems, and will soar above what they are currently scoring.