From Leclerc’s One-Man Show to Ocon’s Consistency: How the New Generation is Taking Over the Lewis Hamilton & Co F1 Era

Formula 1 has always seen hungry and determined young drivers wanting to stamp their authority in the sport. From Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton taking over the throne from Michael Schumacher to Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc’s current development, younger drivers are more than capable of coming out on top against experienced ones.

Last year saw Verstappen putting an end to Hamilton’s domination since 2014. The Dutchman is one of the favorites to win the Championship again, but Red Bull’s reliability issues have seen him fall down the pecking order. Replacing him on the top of driver’s standings is Ferrari’s Golden Boy, Charles Leclerc. Meanwhile, many believe Hamilton’s dominance in the sport is at the beginning of the end.

The likes of Lando Norris, George Russell, Esteban Ocon, and Alex Albon also carry huge potential. It is certainly fair to say the youth are ready to seize the opportunities coming their way.

Can Charles Leclerc dominate the grid in the coming years?

Ferrari’s start to the season has been nothing short of impressive. Leclerc is leading the driver’s standings, having amassed 71 points in 3 races. Ferrari replaced the experienced Kimi Raikkonen with the young Monegasque in 2019.

The Maranello based team usually recruits experienced drivers. However, they showed faith in youth and changed that policy by hiring Leclerc. And he has certainly not disappointed the Ferrari fans. Leclerc also outwitted the four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel several times when they were teammates for three years.

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He had a solid start to his Ferrari career, but the car struggled with pace and reliability issues in 2020 and 2021. However, the Prancing Horse is back this season and so is Leclerc. The 24-year-old can be Ferrari’s youngest World Champion if he goes all the way this season.

He is already 44 points ahead of George Russell in second place and will hope to carry the momentum as the season progresses.

The new generation is ready to take center stage

Leclerc and Verstappen are just two examples of the recent rise of young and hungry drivers. McLaren’s 22-year-old Lando Norris came out on top against the experienced Daniel Ricciardo last year. He has started this season in a similar fashion as well. Moving on to Esteban Ocon, the Frenchman is the best of the rest, having shown consistency in 2022.

His teammate Fernando Alonso is a two time World Champion, but Ocon is not fazed by the challenge. Their battle in Saudi Arabia was nail-biting, to say the least, as Ocon finished 7th in Jeddah.

Meanwhile, Alex Albon’s career took a turn when Sergio Perez replaced him at Red Bull. Subsequently, he did not had a seat in 2021, but has returned this year with Williams. The team struggled with problems in the first two races. However, their strategy to not pit Albon in Australia until the last lap paid dividends in the end.

He finished 10th, having started the race from the last position. Strategy aside, the 26-year-old endured several challenges following the disqualification from qualifying for failing to provide fuel sample. Albon’s adept tire management and preservation of fuel were spectacular.

The current generation of drivers are showing no signs of backing down and are willing to take the center stage. That plays a huge role in the recent shift of young drivers dominating the grid.

Are older drivers struggling to compete?

Lewis Hamilton is a seven-time World Champion. He was 35 when he last won the Championship back in 2020 and narrowly missed out in 2021. However, the change in regulations has seen Mercedes struggle for pace. The elimination of the Brit in Q1 during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix sent shock waves among the fans.

Hamilton is currently 5th in the driver’s standings behind his 24-year-old teammate George Russell. He is already 43 points behind Leclerc, as his hopes of an unprecedented 8th World Championship are slipping away. Many believe his domination is witnessing a closure.

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Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel have a combined six World Championships to their name. The Spaniard has already two DNFs to his name, while his teammate is sitting pretty in 7th in the driver’s standings. At the same time, Vettel is yet to score a point this year. Even though he was ruled out of the first two races, his performances have seen a decline in the past few years.

Many believe a Formula 1 driver’s biggest strength is experience. However, with younger drivers on the grid getting better results, should the teams look into the future rather than relying on the experienced drivers? Leave your thoughts in the comments.