So…Predictions for next year:

* Hamilton to win a record equaling seventh title, before jumping ship for 2021, billed as the biggest challenge of his career? Will it be Ferrari or…could it be where it all began?

* Vettel to throw a spanner in the works of an early Leclerc title bid?

* Verstappen and Red Bull Honda to produce THE complete package of the pack and snatch a title from under the nose of Merc and Ferrari?

* Sainz scores occasional third places on the podium awhile Norris wins a sensational pole?

* Williams turn up to testing with this year’s car?

All looks about right to me! 🙂

Apart from Williams turning up for testing…at least for the first couple of days 🙁

Oh no! Me shoooesss!

Bottas makes a good start to the season, ends up being whooped by Hamilton. Hamilton to win the championship.

Vettel to spend the majority of his Sunday afternoons going backwards in a cloud of his own smoke.

Lando for a win (pleeeeaassssee!!)

Max becoming even more punchable.

Re Ferrari, nothing has irked me more this season than Binotto’s fumbling of what could have been a stellar season for one F1 brightest new talents. I fully expect it to continue in 2020 unforts…

Tbf it does make for comical viewing.

Vettel to be subbed for Pastor Maldonado and Ferrrari doesn’t get any worse?

McLaren won’t win for a little while yet, next year they’ll be seeing out their relationship with Renault that may go sour if McLaren beat the factory team to fourth again. I wouldn’t be surprised to see podiums at places like Hungary or even Azerbaijan.

McLaren really managed to get on top of their car in 2019, they were Q3 more often than not. The car isn’t there yet, I don’t know if it’s aero – where McLaren have lagged for a while – or a chassis deficiency. My guess is that it’s the former hence my nod for Hungary. But consistency was there, something missing in 2018. All this with two new drivers, one having just taken his Eleven Plus. Sainz is class, he’s a future world champion for sure. Norris has made few mistakes and has learned quickly, he’s even out-qualified Sainz more often than not too.

My money’s on Hamilton and Merc again just because they have stability. The Honda engine seems to be close on power, but they still haven’t shown they can get through a season without penalties for swapping engines. Ferrari seem to have sorted out their aero problems, so probably the top three will have cars that are so close that it will come down to particular circuits or drivers having a bad day. Merc and Hamilton seem the best at putting together good weekends and still scoring points when they have a bad weekend, so they have to be title favorites.

Obvious problem for Ferrari is that LeClerk can smell the blood in the water and will be determined to conclusively dethrone Vettel, while Vettel will be desperate to prevent that happening. I suspect that rivalry will prevent them being title challengers. Verstappen is very fast, but we still haven’t seen him put a title challenge together over a whole season, so Hamilton’s experience tips the balance for me.

McLaren have a decent car and know what needs to be done to develop it, so they should be closer to the front, but fourth or fifth overall. Sainz versus Norris should be good to watch. Renault should also improve, but they will be challenging McLaren for fourth place, at best. Haas can’t possibly have a worse year, so I put them sixth, Force seventh, with Williams last again and Alpha and Alfa squabbling over eighth and ninth.

so probably the top three will have cars that are so close that it will come down to particular circuits or drivers having a bad day

That’s my feeling also. Should make for a very exciting season, a bit like start of 2012 when there was 7 different winners for the first 7 races

Should make for a very exciting season, a bit like start of 2012 when there was 7 different winners for the first 7 races

That would be brilliant! I’d just really like to see Williams improve.

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/f1-2020-spoilers-abound/

Month old thread here….

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/f1-2020-spoilers-abound/

Month old thread here….

Think that’s the one that’s needed. Have to have the annual spoiler gag!

Yep – we need to keep the spoiler tag – it’s tradition! This thread needs closing. 🙂