The current F1 season shows just why so many people fall in love with the sport. From the rain-soaked drama of the Belgian Grand Prix to Max Verstappen making a title bid, the 2021 season is already a classic.
Although many people only think of the glamour when it comes to Formula 1’s international appeal, it is not the only factor. The red-hot racing is always a plus, as is the off-grid drama.
F1 is also a very popular sport because it is great to bet on and this attracts even more people to it. As this action hots up, many people who like to bet on sports will naturally think about checking out F1. The decent odds and varied range of markets all help to make it ideal for placing bets.
Of course, betting itself is a great way of adding more thrills to watching the racing. Just make sure to only use the best online betting apps in order to stay safe while F1 sports betting.
In addition to the reasons above, this sport is also popular because of the drivers. Over the years, this has not only produced some wild characters, but also some F1 drivers who really dominated their era. But who might this be?
Alain Prost
Any keen F1 fan will know that Prost deserves a mention for the way he dominated much of the 1980s. An initial drive in 1980 for McLaren proved a false start, but a 1981 switch to Renault was the pivotal moment for Prost. After an impressive fourth place finish in the 1982 F1 Drivers’ Championship, he almost snatched a dazzling victory in 1983 but just lost out to Nelson Piquet. Another close second behind Niki Lauda came in 1984 before his first F1 Championship win in 1985. Three more titles then came his way in 1986, 1989 and 1993. In all, he picked up 51 wins and 33 poles along the way to define his era. Prost’s intense rivalry during his peak years with the sadly departed Ayrton Senna was also iconic.
Michael Schumacher
Although sadly still recovering from a terrible skiing accident, Schumacher really stood above everyone when at his peak in F1. He was so far ahead of the rest that he won seven F1 Drivers’ titles over a 10-year period from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s. With 91 wins and 68 pole positions to his name, Schumacher is most famous for winning five Championships on the spin in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004.
But why was this German ace so dominant? For many, he had the perfect combination of bravery, reflexes, will to win, speed and focus. With the Schumacher oversteer fallacy now finally put to bed, we can all just wish him well and look back on arguably the greatest ever driver in F1 history to date.
Sebastian Vettel
Although there have been lots of great F1 drivers of the past, dominating an era means taking home multiple Championships and race wins in a set period of time. There is no doubt that, at one point in the early 2010s, Vettel could claim this.
Vettel racked up four consecutive F1 Drivers’ Championship wins in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. With many of his 53 race victories and 57 poles won in that period, he really did seem to have an iron grip on the sport at his peak. It is worth mentioning that his team, Red Bull, helped a lot due to having the best car in the early 2010s.
Lewis Hamilton
The news of Lewis Hamilton’s 2020 F1 Championship win was no surprise for such a dominant driver. It was merely the latest victory for a sportsman who has truly defined his sport over the last few years. After getting to grips with F1 in 2007, he snatched his maiden Championship win in 2008 before enjoying more titles in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
The period of dominance he has set since the mid-2010s has been fierce and led to him becoming the biggest F1 star about. With coolness, aggression, speed and concentration, it is no wonder Hamilton is dominating the current F1 era.
F1 sometimes has era defining champions
While there are some truly great F1 drivers who have impressed with race wins or a Championship over long careers, sometimes a single dominant driver emerges to crush everyone in their path. These dominant forces get a stranglehold on F1 and seem impossible to beat when at their peak. When thinking about the classic erasat the highest level of the sport, the above F1 drivers certainly deserve their place on our list.