The end of an era in Formula 1?

(Montreal) Is this the end of an era in Formula 1, or the start of a new era in the premier series of motorsport?

One thing is certain: Motorsport fans have just experienced the most thrilling season of the last decades in F1, which culminated with the crowning of Max Verstappen at the end of the last race of the campaign.

” It’s crazy. I do not know what to say. I am so happy for the team and the guys. I love working with them. I finally played for a bit of luck. My team knows I love them, and I want to continue like this with them for another 10 or 15 years! Exclaimed Verstappen after confirming his triumph.

The Dutch rider thus clinched his first career world championship title, a feat his illustrious father, Jos, never managed to accomplish – even though he was for a time the teammate of a certain Michael. Schumacher.

“My goal when I was little was to become a Formula 1 driver. You want to win, get podiums and hear the Dutch national anthem. And now I’m here, as world champion, with my dad. My family, my friends, everyone who’s cheered me on over the years – they’re all here, ”said the 24-year-old driver, moved.

For his part, Hamilton coveted an eighth world championship title, which would have allowed him to break the tie at the top with Schumacher. A missed date with history.

“Congratulations to Max and his team. I am very proud of my team and we gave everything we had. I had been very comfortable in the car for a few months. We’ll see what the future holds, ”said Hamilton, visibly disappointed with this turn of events.

Hamilton and Verstappen traded numerous salvos over the course of the campaign, pushing the limits of the tolerable whenever they faced each other – while leaving their respective teams, Mercedes and Red Bull, to trade each other. harsh criticism in the public arena.

And it was the case again in the last race, at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Had it not been for Williams driver Nicholas Latifi’s loss of control with five laps to go, and the marshals’ decision to replace Verstappen alongside Hamilton for the last lap, the Dutchman would never have been able to aspire to the top honors.

A daring pass at the expense of the Briton, however, allowed him to sign his 10^e victory this season, bringing an end to a spectacular fight for the championship.

Imagine, Hamilton and Verstappen were neck and neck after 21 races in the championship. It was the first time since 1974 that the leaders in the general classification were tied on the eve of the last start of the season.

Verstappen’s ninth victory came a month ago in Mexico City, giving him a 19-point cushion at the top of the overall standings. He then seemed to have “both hands on the wheel” in the championship race.

Hamilton, who has won the last four F1 titles, however, signed three straight wins to join Verstappen at the top of the table after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, setting the stage for a thrilling final.

So, will there be a change of guard in F1? Hamilton, 36, will team up with his compatriot, prospect George Russell, in 2022, and he will have to comply like everyone else with the new regulations in force in F1 starting next season.

“Lewis is a great driver and a fierce competitor. We’ve had some tough times, but it’s in the nature of the sport because everyone wants to win. We will come back next year and try to do it again, ”Verstappen concluded.

An enhanced spectacle in 2022?

Several teams have also bet on this new reality in the hope of dislodging Mercedes from the top of the constructors – the German team has won an eighth consecutive constructors’ title in 2021 – including Aston Martin.

“It will be a whole different story next year. All the teams will have to start from scratch. We have some very good, talented engineers who have been working on next year’s car for a long time, so I hope we can improve. [en 2022] Lance Stroll said about it.

The Quebecer will try to bounce back after having had an honest season, without more, in 2021, with the new team which belongs to a group led by his father, Lawrence. He took the opportunity to reach the plateau of 100 career Grands Prix, in Abu Dhabi on December 12.

Stroll only managed nine, however. top 10 this season – his best result was a sixth place finish at the Qatar Grand Prix earlier this month – and he concluded it at 13^e rank of the drivers’ championship with a meager harvest of 34 points, 9 less than his teammate, Sebastian Vettel, who beat him to 12^e echelon.

In his own opinion, the Mont-Tremblant driver admitted his car was not as competitive as last year’s, when it was painted pink and the team still bore the Racing Point name. .

“We still scored some good points this year. Of course the car is not as competitive as last year’s – I have already said that the changes made by the FIA ​​last year really affected us, and that’s why we We are no longer in the position to fight for podiums, ”summed up the 23-year-old driver in November.

Stroll, however, said he was in favor of continuing an experiment attempted by the premier series of motorsport in 2021: the “qualifying sprint race”.

“I like it, even though I know it’s not unanimous. It makes the weekends more exciting, and the teams have less time to prepare. A classic Friday is often slower, and it gives too many opportunities for the teams, engineers and drivers to gather information for qualifying. So I hope this format will be extended to more races next season, ”he said.

On this subject, the renowned British weekly magazine Autosport said a summit meeting between team directors and F1 executives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia earlier in December had been favorable to the continuation of the qualifying sprint races for 2022.

And among the six events that would be targeted for this format next season is the Canadian Grand Prix, which will take place on June 17, 18 and 19 – if the coronavirus does not take its toll by then, it will be the first. time that the single-seaters will run on the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit in three years. You might as well say a lease.

Many changes to expect

Montreal racing fans will also have to familiarize themselves with a few new faces in 2022, as a game of musical chair has taken place in recent months in the paddocks.

Among the significant changes is the departure of Valtteri Bottas from Mercedes, who will be replaced by Russell. A decision that could spark sparks at Mercedes and shake up the current hierarchy in F1. Bottas, meanwhile, will join Alfa Romeo, which will also count on Guanyu Zhou – the first Chinese driver in F1 history.

These changes at Alfa Romeo also mean the end of an era, as Kimi Raikkonen decided to announce his retirement at 42, after a career that spanned 20 years and during which he took part in 352 Great Prices. The Finn signed a total of 21 victories, and was crowned world champion in 2007 – with Ferrari.

In addition, there will be two Canadian drivers on the grid for the third straight season, as Stroll will be joined by Nicholas Latifi, still installed at Williams. The Torontonian will however team up with Alex Albon, ex-Red Bull driver excluded from the field in 2021.

Finally, the 2022 F1 calendar is expected to consist of 23 races, and would include for the first time a second American event – the Miami Grand Prix on May 8. The Florida event will likely take place on a new track called the Miami International Autodrome, built around Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins in the NFL.

Far from being concerned about the possibility that this race will drain the spectator pool of his event, the boss of the Canadian Grand Prix, François Dumontier, had already affirmed that he supported the project in 2018.

F1, which has been undergoing a real transformation for two years, therefore seems to be well under way in its way out of the crisis, and it could well offer a “normal” first season since 2019. We hope that it will be as spectacular as the one that has just ended .