For Two Weeks Only, F1 Is Possibly Exciting

Hear me out. Yes, I did say in a review last year that I find F1 very very boring, and again this year, I’ve said it is like watching paint dry on a damp ocean. Though I may have been slightly converted to the dark side enough to watch every race this season, I’ve held this belief that it is still boring more often than not.

I recently talked about W Series joining the F1 calendar in the coming season, and I mentioned there is a bit of politicking. It is one of the more infuriating and exciting things to talk about, oddly enough. As much as this season has been something worthwhile with a variety of races that spiced up the season, it held one of my major issues. It is usually one team, and more often than not, one driver leading the field to the checkered flag after 50-60 laps. There have been notable differences, as Monza saw Pierre Gasly take a maiden win for the French Driver. So far we’ve seen the mid-field battle between Mclaren, Renault, and Racing Point be the tightest possible fight-laced controversy. That is, along with COVID-19 cases pulling drivers from races.

However, as the racing world and the greater world as a whole saw this weekend, the year was still to surprise us. I won’t go into the detail of it, though Haas F1 driver Romain Grosjean had a nightmare-inducing crash that stunned the world at just some of the images. On the first lap, the Swiss-born French driver had an accident that would leave him in the hospital until discharge this morning, leaving with second-degree burns to his hands and legs. With a race that would continue and saw more flames, spins, and flips than anyone needed to see following that, it would be won by seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton running a faultless race on his part.

However, with only two races left in the season there are three driver changes, and across the board, it has become far more interesting. Before I get called ghoulish or emotionless to what has happened as Grosjean will most likely not finish out his last season with Haas; While Hamilton has contracted COVID-19 and stuck in Isolation. I said this in an article the other day that I would feel weird not saying it in, I and I’m sure all of us here at Phenixx Gaming wish both men a speedy recovery in both respects. However, the driver change-ups make for one of the most exciting final two races in a long while.

Following Grosjean’s crash and lengthy concern for his life, speculation started to run wild as to who would be in his seat this weekend. That would soon be silenced as Emmerson Fittipaldi’s grandson (and Haas reserve driver) Pietro would be announced to take the position. Though the rumor mill would spin up once again. On Monday morning, Hamilton was announced to have returned two positive COVID-19 tests. Under the FIA and F1’s strict rules, rightfully in place to save lives, he will be out for two races. The final two races of the season to be exact, which he’d already won. So who is to replace him?

Well, one of the young lads that makes F1’s future exciting, George Russell was announced to take up Hamilton’s role after lengthy online campaigning by fans on social media. Though, I find it more interesting in regards to the rules around Bahrain (where F1 is currently) and their stop next week in Abu Dhabi. As noted by one of F1’s digital presenters, Will Buxton, any driver for the seventeenth and final race needed to be in Bahrain by Wednesday night. This put out Mercedes reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne, currently testing Formula E in Valencia ahead of 2021 races in January.

Russell was already in Bahrain as he drove for Williams in the most recent race, and is managed by Mercedes AMG F1 team principal Toto Wolff. It seemed like a no-brainer to me, along with many fans on social media. The next question is, while Russell plays musical racing cars with Mercedes and Williams, who will replace him? London-born Scottish and Korean F2 driver Jack Aitken. Aitken most recently replaced Russell to test the F1 car at the second Grand Prix in the first practice session for the Styrian GP.

“So why is this exciting ‘ya fool?” Well, Russell is yet to score a single point in the 2020 season. Fittipaldi hasn’t been on anyone’s radar (as far as I know), and Aitken is also a question mark to some that don’t follow F2. As strange as this season has been Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas could have a season from hell that gets worse. Though it is unlikely, the young gun could pip him from the top spot with the dominant Mercedes Russell has been groomed to drive. Fittipaldi could prove to be worth a seat in a sport with realistically one or two seats open for drivers as one rumor is yet to be confirmed. Or Aitken could do what Fittipaldi might be unable to do.

This season has seen super-sub Nico Hülkenberg deputize for both racing point drivers and exceeding the expectation of many in the circumstances. No one thought what happened to Grosjean would happen in 2020, nevertheless that he would walk away with minor injuries. Hamilton has spent the last several months being vocal about the Black Lives Matter and the more extensive issue of equality in racing as a whole, all while on his campaign to get a seventh World Title to equal Michael Schumacher.

As regular as it has been for Mercedes and Lewis to mostly win races, these final two of the season stand to be some of the most interesting with a new layout being raced this weekend and next week’s last-ditch chance for Russell to get points on the board. I can’t wait for the weekend now! Why isn’t it Friday already?