Why Daniel Ricciardo could be a F1 winner again: 2021 Formula 1 season preview

Can Daniel Ricciardo be on top of the podium again?

Daniel Ricciardo brings the nation's hopes with him as the F1 season kicks off this weekend in Bahrain - we all want to see him drinking champagne out of his racing boots on the podium again.

The 31-year-old did not win a Grand Prix with Monaco in 2018 and after two lean years trying to turn Renault into a winner, he has taken another step forward, this time with McLaren.

On paper, this may seem like a strange move, moving from a factory-backed program to a private team that has to pay for its engines, but McLaren is a team on the rise looking to get back to their glory days, winning both races and championships. , which is also Riccardo's goal.

The first signs are favorable for both parties. McLaren is having its best season in years, finishing third in the Constructors' Championship and switching from the least competitive engine (Renault) to the most competitive (Mercedes-AMG). Ricciardo seems to have adapted well to the new conditions, setting competitive results in pre-season testing.

So what are his chances of winning the race? It's possible, not likely. Formula 1 is a game of subtle evolution aimed at closing the gaps, so McLaren is unlikely to get ahead of both Mercedes-AMG and Red Bull Racing.

However, as we have seen in previous years, Ricciardo is one of the best drivers on the grid, constantly pulling off seemingly impossible overtaking maneuvers to outdo his car.

If Mercedes and Red Bull have a bad day, Ricciardo will be in a better position to lash out or he could continue his red-hot form in Monaco where experience and skill can beat the car. 

Don't be surprised to see Ricciardo's big smile on the runway in 2021.

Current Champion or Young Bull

The title challenge is shaping up like a possible classic, with defending champion Lewis Hamilton looking to add a record-breaking eighth driver's title to his name even though young Red Bull superstar Max Verstappen "has won pre-season tests and is hankering for his first crown."

This is a battle between the incumbent president and his heir. Hamilton went from upstart to undisputed F1 legend, winning six titles in a row. Whereas Verstappen came to F1 as a phenomenal teenager and has been slowly stripping away the rough edges to turn raw talent into relentless speed.

Despite being favored by Mercedes due to its recent dominance in the sport, it survived three days of testing and started the season on the back foot. Red Bull Racing, meanwhile, had three days without problems and ended up with the fastest lap time.

That makes Verstappen the favorite of the weekend, but Mercedes will surely strike back, so we're in for an epic season duel between two of the planet's fastest drivers.

Can Ferrari return?

Obviously, 2020 has been a bad year for most people and we would all like to forget about it. On the sporting front, Ferrari would definitely like to erase last year from memory.

Last season, the Italian team was Mercedes' closest rival for years and fell apart, not only failing to win a race, but also scoring three podiums and dropping to sixth in the Constructors' Championship behind private teams McLaren and Racing Point.

Now the team is focused on becoming a competitive force. To that end, four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel was sacked after several years of decline and replaced by the younger Carlos Sainz Jr. He will partner with the highly publicized Charles Leclerc to try and give Ferrari a fresh start and lead the team forward. with what there should be a competitive intra-team rivalry.

Aston Martin is back

Fired from Ferrari, Vettel found a new job: to lead Aston Martin back into F1 after more than a 60-year absence. The British brand is now owned by Canadian businessman Lawrence Stroll, who is determined to make it a real competitor to Ferrari, Porsche and the company in the supercar market as well as on the race track. He also wanted to help his son's F1 career and Lance Stroll would partner Vettel on Aston Martin's new factory team.

It's not really a new team, it's just a rebranding (and additional investment) to the team formerly known as Racing Point.

In 2020, he was in good shape, using a car dubbed "Mercedes Pink" (due to its paint job and seemingly copied Mercedes design) to win the Bahrain Grand Prix and three podium finishes, forcing Vettel to maintain a good form. and help Aston Martin gain an edge over their former Italian team, both on and off the track.

Alonso, Alpine and future Australian F1 contender

Formula 1 is obviously addictive, so it's no wonder some drivers stick around for as long as they can. Former world champion Fernando Alonso tried to leave, but could not stay away and returned to the category after a two-year break.

The Spaniard will drive for Alpine, a former Renault team that has been renamed to help Alpine become a serious player in the world of performance. Alonso is not new to Renault/Alpine, having been with the team when he won his titles, but that was back in 2005-06 so a lot has changed since then.

While Alonso remains confident (he recently said in an interview that he thinks he's better than Hamilton and Verstappen), the team is unlikely to have a winning car, judging by the form in the tests.

It will take a good season for his teammate, Esteban Ocon, to secure his place as a future Alpine star because there are several young riders looking to replace him, including Australian Oscar Piastri.

Piastri won the 3 Formula 2020 championship and moved up to Formula 2 this season. He is a member of the Alpine Driving Academy and the rookie season could take him to the top category in 2022 (or more likely 2023).

Schumacher's name is back

Michael Schumacher is one of the most successful Formula 1 drivers in history, having won seven championships in his career. Unfortunately, he was seriously injured while skiing in 2013 and has not been seen in public since, and his family has provided very little information about his condition.

But the Schumacher name will return to F1 in 2021 when his son Mick moves up to the top tier after winning the F2 crown last season.

Mick has had a successful career by being selected by Ferrari's young driver program and by winning F3 to earn his place in F1 on merit without using his last name.