Five Questions for the Remainder of the F1 Season

And yet, as there is something of a summer lull between the season’s 12th Grand Prix (Belgium, 30th July) and the 13th (The Netherlands, 27th August), it feels like a good time to take stock of what the narratives of the season have taught us so far.

Below, we present five questions that are important for the remainder of the season, as well as the years to come:

How Many Records Will Max Verstappen Break?

The answer seems to be several. Verstappen is on pace to break his own record of 15 Grand Prix wins in a season, and he will break Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine consecutive wins if he wins in The Netherlands and Italy (3rd September). He will also likely break the points tally for a single season, which he set last year at 454. The dominance has been ridiculous. Anyone betting on F1 will know that the title is a foregone conclusion (many bookies have already suspended betting on outrights, focusing only on individual races).

F1 fans are perhaps unique in sports in that they tend to be able to view a season in its component parts, and they can enjoy each Grand Prix without thinking of the wider context of the World Championship. Nonetheless, for casual fans, a narrative is needed to take up an interest, and the dominance of Vettel and Red Bull means F1 lacks that marketable battle that most sports rely on. Of course, we have been here before with Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes, and the dominance will not last forever. But you should expect some decline in interest compared to, say, the nail-biting climax we got in 2021.

It seems likely that Lewis Hamilton’s contract with Mercedes will be sorted sooner rather than later, and insiders suggest that the sticking points are only minor ones. But it’s going to be interesting to see how it all plays out, particularly with a view to Hamilton’s long-term goals.

It’s clear Hamilton sees himself in some sort of ambassadorial role for the sport, including working on inclusiveness within it. Yet, fans will want to see evidence that Hamilton can compete for titles again. It feels like next season could be pivotal for Mercedes’ future.

An argument can be made for Fernando Alonso being the best-performing driver of the season, with the exception of Verstappen. His drives for Aston Martin have been incredible, both in terms of their consistency and Alonso’s ability to challenge for podium places. He is hampered by an unspectacular car, although Aston Martin has been fairly reliable. While he has finished in the points for every race thus far, he has not been just as good as in the early part of the season of late. Still, while Verstappen will rightfully take all the plaudits come November, much praise should be reserved for the brilliant Alonso, who is still making miracles happen at 42.

The best-ever winning record from a constructor in percentage terms was McLaren’s 15 wins from 16 races in the 1988 season, creating a win percentage of 93.8%. Red Bull, as fans are aware, are currently sitting on 100%. With 10 races to go, they might just break that record. Still, it would be good for the sport generally if another team can spoil that record hunt. There have been some signs that Ferrari and Mercedes could make a move, but with each passing Grand Prix it feels that time is running out.