It's February, the month in which the new F1 season will start. Teams will uncover their new cars, testing will get underway in Barcelona and a couple of rookie drivers will make their debut. Looking forward to the upcoming season, these are 5 things I'm expecting to happen in 2019.
The fight between Mercedes and Ferrari to continue
One of the best things that happened in 2018, was the competition between Mercedes and Ferrari. Ferrari eventually lost that battle, but I have high hopes they will show they've learned from 2018 to improve their 2019 campaign. Promoting Binotto to lead the team could prove to be a good thing, although I'm cautious to say he's the missing link for success.
Also, I believe that replacing Räikkönen with Leclerc might help Vettel in the long run. Apart from a few moments last season (like Kimi's victory in Austin), he could not match Sebastian. I do think Charles can be a better match for Sebastian and hopefully it will trigger Sebastian to perform better (and more important: more consistent). Especially on consistency Sebastian has to improve massively to mount a title challenge in 2019: His mistakes in 2018 has cost him many points, which made it easier for Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton to take both titles.
Honda to surpass Renault as third-best power unit (if not already)
2019 will be of great importance for Honda. For the first time since their comeback in 2015, they will be providing power units to 2 teams: Red Bull and Toro Rosso. This will mean they will be able to collect twice the data for development and upgrading, which is a massive advantage over the last couple of seasons.
I don't expect them to be up the field early on, but I do expect them to improve quite a lot throughout the year and will pass Renault as the third-best power unit, if not already. Renault has been down on both upgrading their power unit and the reliability of it, which will cost them this year (with also losing 1 customer team with Red Bull). Reliability-wise Honda seemed on the right way last year, although there were some moments it's still lacked of reliability. Also, they stayed with the same concept for their power unit, whereas they changed it completely after their first 2 seasons.
Kubica to underperform in 2019
One of the biggest surprises in the driver market, is the comeback of Robert Kubica with Williams. And even though I do sincerely hope he will perform better than teammate Russell, I don't expect it to happen. I'm quite sure his right arm will be a too-big-of-a-deal in F1, especially in race conditions with 1,5 hour races. I'm curious to see how he will handle tracks like Monaco and Singapore, both challenging for any drivers.
The movement in his right hand is extremely limited, which will be difficult to work around for him and the team. I do believe Kubica could be of value for the team and rookie Russell, but not in the role presented to him for 2019. I'd rather see him as driver coach for Russell and see him do simulator duties for the team. I hope he proves my wrong.
The rookies will show their potential
2019 will be the year of the talented rookies. 3 graduates from the F2 is just massive, with George Russell (Williams, loaned out), Lando Norris (McLaren) and Alexander Albon (Toro Rosso). And a possible 4th rookie, if you would count Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo) as rookie.
I have the most expectations from George Russell, even though it's hard to prove yourself in a boat like the Williams car last year. Let's hope for him they will be able to do much better this year and give him the tools to show his potential. I also believe Lando Norris can be a F1 driver for many years to come, although he did get beaten by Russell in F2 last year. I'm not 100% sure about both Giovinazzi and Albon though. Giovinazzi showed great skill in Australia 2017, substituting for Wehrlein in a car he was unfamiliar with. But whereas he impressed me there, he far from did in China, where he had 2 almost identical incidents on the start/finish straight.
A great battle in midfield again
Something I'm looking forward to even more, is the potential battle in the midfield. It was one of the most exciting things in 2018 and I expect even more competition between these teams. Racing Point is financially stable, Sauber has Räikkönen to help develop the car even more, Haas with a title sponsor, McLaren got a new team boss and Williams has attracted a experienced and a talented driver.
Also, I do expect Renault to be able to break away from that midfield and getting closer to the top 3. Although i'm not sure Renault can actually reach those 3, getting closer should make it easier for them to close the gap entirely in 2020. I believe recruiting Ricciardo for Sainz Jr. is a good thing, as Ricciardo is way more experienced and overall just a better driver to have.
All these things could suggest a great year is coming. What are your expectations of the upcoming season?
