MorrisF1

Last season saw some very tight battles (Force India being the closest, I’d say) and some less tight battles (Alonso, Leclerc, and Gasly all had very strong years, as did Hulkenberg). In this post, looking ahead to how chaps might stack up in 2019, I’ve split it into sections based on how many drivers change. Steady Eddies – No Change Only two teams have unchanged driver lineups: Mercedes and Haas. Hamilton and Bottas ended up some way apart on points last year, and, even if you take the view that Bottas was significantly unlucky early on, the Finn’s second half of 2018 was not fantastic. It’s also possible he’ll be set back by the Silver Arrows effectively supporting Hamilton as a number one driver (I’ve backed Hamilton to beat Schumacher’s win record [92+ wins], at 9, so that’d suit me). I think Hamilton’s near certain to win this, perhaps by a large margin. Bottas, with Ocon waiting in the wings, may well be driving for his future at Mercedes, and perhaps in F1.

F1 is not at death’s door, but it is looking a bit sickly. None of its problems are insurmountable, but action needs to be taken or they could lead to long term decline. A few years ago the BBC hosted free-to-air, Bafta-winning coverage of the sport. Then the BBC and Sky decided to ‘share’ the coverage, a situation we have recently seen continue between Sky and Channel 4 (in reality, Channel 4 got half live and half highlights coverage, Sky being fully live). Next year, almost the entire sport goes behind the Sky pay wall (British viewers will get to see the British Grand Prix live on Channel 4. Everything else is highlights or Sky). Why does that matter? Well, for the UK, more than half the teams are based in a small part of southern England. It’s great for the teams, because engineers can change jobs without moving country, and sometimes without moving house or forcing their kids to switch schools. It’s also great for the economy, as F1 brings in high end, well-paid jobs,