The 2021 season’s prospects are already exciting. Fans are looking forward to a closer midfield, less of an advantage for Mercedes, and some new drivers. The rookies have been under the spotlight more than ever these last few weeks, and most look promising. Here, I predict the F1 Drivers Championship for 2021. Lights out!

The F1 2021 Drivers Championship (according to me):

20. Nikita Mazepin (Haas)

I’m (to say it lightly) not a fan of his work, and seeing him race in F1 isn’t something that interests me. His driving style is unprofessional and dangerous. If you’re not aware of him and his controversies, there are many articles online that detail the incidents.

19. Mick Schumacher (Haas)

On the flip side, I’m really excited to see the young Schumacher in the sport. He won Formula 2 last year and proved his abilities well. His driving is impressive, and his 2020 F2 season was definitely a compelling one. However, this was aided by Callum Ilott’s bad luck. It was also his second season in F2, after finishing in twelfth position in his first year. The hype surrounding his F1 seat has been enormous, but in such a low-ranking car, I doubt he’ll get much opportunity to shine on track.

18. Nicholas Latifi (Williams)

He’s entering his second season in the sport, after having scored zero points in his rookie year. It’s difficult to judge his talent compared to anybody other than his teammate, whose lap times were normally much faster than his. For example, the most-watched race of 2020 – the Hungarian Grand Prix. Russell’s fastest lap was over a second faster than Latifi’s. I’m not expecting a massive change in performance from Latifi, but who knows? Maybe he’ll surprise me. 

17. Kimi Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo)

Kimi’s simply not at his peak anymore. The car he’s in isn’t capable of giving him podiums or race wins. I think this will be his last year in the sport, but it seems that for as long as he likes F1, he has a seat at Alfa Romeo.

16. Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo)

He and Kimi were tied for points in the Drivers Championship last year, so it’s probable that he’ll beat Kimi this year. Giovinazzi’s a younger driver, who should be reaching the peak of his career.

15. George Russell (Williams)

I can only hope the addition of a Mercedes engine to the Williams car can make this possible. Fingers crossed. I’m a big fan, and I’d love to see him get this opportunity.

14. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

Perez (his former teammate) ranked seven places higher than him in the Drivers Championship last year, and I think he might struggle next to Vettel. Vettel is a four-time world champion and unless Vettel’s bad luck from 2020 carries over, I can’t see Stroll beating him.

13. Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri)

The Japanese driver scored third in the F2 Drivers Championship last year, in just his rookie year. He was regarded as one of the best in F2, and I’m sure he’ll do well in F1, too.

12. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)

Massively outscored by Ricciardo in 2020, I expect Ocon’s performance to be roughly the same in 2021. I do believe he’ll be second to Alonso.

11. Pierre Gasly (Alpha Tauri) 

I also don’t really expect Gasly’s performance to change. He had a strong 2020 season, and I think we’ll see more of his talent in 2021. I think the advantage he has over Tsunoda is experience. This will be Gasly’s third season in F1.

10. Carlos Sainz Jr (Ferrari)

I know he came sixth with McLaren and that he’s a good driver, but a Ferrari is a significantly worse car. Vettel came thirteenth last season, and Leclerc came ninth. Maybe Sainz will be better suited to the new Ferrari car, but at the moment, I can’t know. I just don’t see the Ferrari car improving dramatically this season.

Originally posted on: March 2nd 2021

Cover Image Source: GP Fans