In just over one month, the 2016 Formula 1 campaign will begin anew. Eleven teams will compete across the globe in what is a travelling exhibit of explosive firepower and technology. Unbridled racing as it should be! As the excitement builds toward the first race in Australia on March 20th, there are essentially three storylines that will inevitably dominate the upcoming season. How these narratives develop will ultimately determine whether the 2016 season rivets us each month, or whether we mail this year in, awaiting for a more competitive formula that bounces the sport back into glory.
2016, like every other F1 season, will bring storylines!
Stories about drivers chasing greatness!
Stories about manufacturers pushing the boundaries to market their technology!
And stories about the countries and the racetracks that play host to this travelling extravaganza that we call Formula 1.
These three storylines will underlying the normal ebb and flow of a race season and we will follow them extensively throughout the campaign.
The Battle At The Sharp End Of The Field
- Let’s start here! Will Mercedes continue to devastate all other Formula 1 entries?
- Will Lewis Hamilton continue to dominate teammate Nico Rosberg?
- And will Sebastian Vettel, and Scuderia Ferrari, be able to develop enough power and consistency to catch and overtake the Silver Arrows juggernaut?
Lewis Hamilton staring down a 4th World Driving Championship
A larger and stronger midpack
- From the look of things, the 2016 mid-pack might be the deepest we have seen in years. Haas F1 Team is advertising points from the get go and Manor, the perpetual backmarker, has secured a Mercedes power unit that will instantly place them within the field rather than rounding out the back end. Adding Renault factory entry to the mix and expecting McLaren to gain significant ground, fascinating storylines will develop from this portion of the grid. Not only will these teams be challenging each other for points, they could very well challenge Mercedes and Ferrari for podiums.
Daniil Kyat and Red Bull will face an awakening mid pack
A New American Influence
- Finally, America stands to make a statement within the worldwide racing community the form of which could be three pronged. We know that Haas F1 Team will join the party and we are expecting (cross your fingers) that Circuit of the Americas will secure the requisite funding to remain on the schedule in October. Finally, Alexander Rossi is still a very strong candidate for the final, open race seat with Manor! With all of these elements coming together, it will be a terrific year to cover Formula 1 in the USA!
Alexander Rossi is a strong contender for the final F1 race seat with Manor
In the next few weeks, we will detail these three topics leading into what will surely be another fascinating