A season to decipher
It won’t be easy to understand this new Formula 1 and already from the Australian Grand Prix, both the protagonists on the track, the insiders, and the fans will find themselves facing a rather different way of racing compared to what they were used to.
And even Riccardo Patrese, a historic driver for 16 years in F1, admitted to Repubblica: “I wonder if these engineers who design hybrid engines have ever driven one, an F1 car. Drivers will have to manage energy consumption by slowing down before approaching a corner, to then have power and accelerate on exit. And the braking? Goodbye. It seems like a video game. For those who drive like in the old days, it will go a bit less well. The pleasure of going fast from start to finish is something else.”
Who is the strongest?
Riccardo Patrese then tried to outline a hierarchy of the strongest drivers on the grid: “Verstappen has shown he can make the difference even without the best package. The most fearsome opponent? Leclerc, provided he has an adequate and consistent car at his disposal. Hamilton can return to being the champion of the 7 world titles: but a competitive Ferrari is needed. If he already knows he can’t win, he ends up lifting his foot without realizing it. He no longer has the true hunger, that of the kids who don’t care about anything and risk everything.”
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The iconic Italian driver of the 80s then spoke about Andrea Kimi Antonelli: “I read that Russell with Mercedes is the big favorite. In this case, there is also Kimi: I like him a lot, and it’s nice that an Italian is back in the fight for the title. But he has to earn it with teeth and nails. Don’t talk to me about age or lack of experience: Hamilton came close to success in his first year. Antonelli has already been able to learn: this is a train to be caught on the fly”, Patrese concluded.
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