The 2018 season isn’t over yet and the 2019 season already looks to excite.
- Richard Baxter
- Sep 13, 2018
- 2 min read
This week Ferrari confirmed that they are signing up their young driver Charles Leclerc in replace of Kimi Raikkonen who is moving back to Sauber. Leclerc’s drives this season have gained some of the highest praise on and off the grid and he deserves the Ferrari drive. But is his move going to cause greater difficulty for Ferrari?
Ferrari have struggled at times with keeping Raikkonen happy as a number 2 driver to Vettel. With Leclerc coming to what you would expect to be a championship contending team in 2019 is he going to be willing to play the team order games to get Vettel another championship? Turning it around, I can hardly see Vettel supporting Leclerc should he need to.
The result of this may mean we see another situation like we saw in 2007 at McLaren. Then a multiple world championship winning driver in Fernando Alonso, being joined by a certain new boy Lewis Hamilton. I’m sure we all remember the fall out between the drivers, and Alonso and McLaren from that season. If Ferrari aren’t careful they could end up with the same problem.
Similarly to this we have seen Vettel struggle with new team mates in the past. In 2014 when Daniel Ricciardo joined him at Red Bull Vettel didn’t have it all his own way. Vettel’s body language changed from how it had been the previous seasons and he clearly didn’t look happy, this basically resulted with him leaving Red Bull for Ferrari. I doubt he would leave Ferrari, but he will need to treat Leclerc with a lot of respect to ensure their relationship doesn’t turn sour.
Ferrari are going to have to be very careful and will need to improve their team management in order to avoid any problems.
We are really seeing a wave of quality young drivers coming in to Formula 1 for 2019. With Norris signing for McLaren, Gasly moving to Red Bull, and F2 title contender and Mercedes young driver George Russell looking to find a seat. Already on the grid we have the still young Ocon and Verstappen, with Ocon currently still trying to confirm a drive.
With all these talented drivers on the grid we really could be in for some brilliant racing. Especially as the younger drivers are being given a greater opportunity in the top teams.
The 2018 season isn’t over yet though and we still have more racing to go, with the small matter of a constructors and drivers championship to be settled. I’m sure we’re in for some more twists and turns .
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