Who will be the next NEW F1 world champion?

[Rob Dylan]

Bottas will never win a world championship unless we have an Irvine 99 situation.

Verstappen and Leclerc are clearly the fastest of the younger guns in good teams, but Verstappen is clearly the most able seeing as Ferrari won't have a decent car until next year at the least.

Here's hoping Ricciardo is a late bloomer and can challenge for a title in a fast McLaren one day, but that's more personal wishful thinking than anything else.

Who knows, maybe Pérez comes out of nowhere to go really fast! I certainly wouldn't complain.


So most likely for me: Verstappen
The dude I would actually like to see win: Ricciardo; Perez lol

[dr-baker]

Russell has a chance. Not in the Williams, sure, but he could end up in the Merc at some point. If the Merc continues to be as dominant by the time he gets there, he could do it. Assuming it's Hammy who makes way for him, not Botty.

[IceG]

Verstappen is, for me, clearly the outstanding candidate having the best chance for 2021 as he is in the right team, with the right car and, with Perez, he has the right team-mate in support.

Smug mode engaged for a moment.

So who is next?

Cannot see any new champion emerging in 2022

Russell in the Merc in 2023 after 8 time WDC Hamilton retires at the end of 2022?

Sainz or Leclerc could do it for Ferrari in 2023.

Norris looks like he could achieve it in 2024/5.

Gasly needs to get into a top team again...

[Rob Dylan]

Russell, however good he's been in qualifying trim, still made quite a number of unforced errors over the course of this season. I don't believe he'll get the title in 2022, though there is room for improvement and he is very young still. I predict a bunch of great race wins, but I don't predict a strong and consistent championship challenge.

In my heart of hearts I'd love Leclerc to take the championship in a few years.

[James1978]

Mazepin. Put your house on it.

[Nessafox]

i'll vote for Sainz.

[takagi_for_the_win]

Danny Ric.

Based on nothing other than my almost certainly misguided view that the new regs are going to catapult one of the midfield teams into a clear advantage (see also: Merc, 2014; Red Bull and Honda. 2009. McLaren, 1998).

But probably either Leclerc or Russell in a few years, depending on their respective teams cope with the new regs

[takagi_for_the_win]

Danny Ric.

Based on nothing other than my almost certainly misguided view that the new regs are going to catapult one of the midfield teams into a clear advantage (see also: Merc, 2014; Red Bull and Honda. 2009. McLaren, 1998).

Not 100% sure this has aged terribly well tbh

[Row Man Gross-Gene]

Danny Ric.

Based on nothing other than my almost certainly misguided view that the new regs are going to catapult one of the midfield teams into a clear advantage (see also: Merc, 2014; Red Bull and Honda. 2009. McLaren, 1998).

Not 100% sure this has aged terribly well tbh

It wasn't a bad guess at that time.

[Rob Dylan]

So who now? Leclerc is clearly the stronger Ferrari driver in spite of the occasional good performance from Sainz. However, at this point I still predict a Russell championship before either of them. Ferrari have improved pace but clearly not temperament. I'm still not ruling out a Merc victory or two this season before improving ever more for next year.

Certainly at least any other teams aren't even thinking of threatening the top three, so the rest are almost irrelevant.

[rachel1990]

Quite frankly with the domination that Red Bull are showing right now, I think we will be waiting quite a while for a new world champion.

LeClerc and Russell seem the most likely at this point but I wouldn't count out Norris or Piastri either at this point (but one of those might have to leave Mclaren to do this)

[dr-baker]

Quite frankly with the domination that Red Bull are showing right now, I think we will be waiting quite a while for a new world champion.

LeClerc and Russell seem the most likely at this point but I wouldn't count out Norris or Piastri either at this point (but one of those might have to leave Mclaren to do this)

So you don't have much faith in Perez then?

[rachel1990]

Only if Verstappen breaks his leg or leaves

[James1978]

Russell is my pick - Mercedes can easily improve to previous years' levels and Hamilton will retire in the next couple of years so he's the prime candidate. (Or possibly whoever replaces Hamilton when he retires, to be Russell's teammate)

Ferrari I can't see getting back to championship-winning ways, after all apart from that Schumi golden era in the 00s (and Kimi and nearly Massa in the aftermath of it) they haven't won outside that period since 1979 (or 1983 for the constructors).

Checo will need an Irvine-1999 situation and even then he's struggling to beat Ferrari and Mercedes if he was the #1 Red Bull driver.

[dinizintheoven]

Allow me to put a dampener on the situation here.

Leclerc won't ever be World Champion. Neither will Sainz, Russell, Norris, Pérez, Gasly, Ocon, Schumi junior, Albon, de Vries, Stroll, Latifi, Mazepin, Mazepin's Ukrainian cousin, Clarkson, Hammond, May, The Stig, Don Pentecost, or any other obvious or less obvious contender.

The next new World Champion will be Oscar Piastri - and he'll be in his 30s when it happens.

Enjoy the next decade of F1.

[dr-baker]

Allow me to put a dampener on the situation here.

Leclerc won't ever be World Champion. Neither will Sainz, Russell, Norris, Pérez, Gasly, Ocon, Schumi junior, Albon, de Vries, Stroll, Latifi, Mazepin, Mazepin's Ukrainian cousin, Clarkson, Hammond, May, The Stig, Don Pentecost, or any other obvious or less obvious contender.

The next new World Champion will be Oscar Piastri - and he'll be in his 30s when it happens.

Enjoy the next decade of F1.

But... but...



Don Pentecost will be the next new champion after Piastri, right?





Right?