Yup, you guessed it, Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton. With the
2019 Formula 1 season officially underway, all eyes are on the five-time champion as he attempts to do the impossible and win three consecutive F1 titles.
Hamilton has been in supreme form winning the 2018 F1 title by almost 100 points over his next closest rival, Sebastian Vettel. 2019 is however a new season and the 34-year-old Brit has everything to lose. This year’s grid is packed with talented drivers and well-funded teams that have proven to have the edge over Hamilton’s Mercedes during early testing. So who’s likely to challenge Hamilton this year? Well let’s take a look at the grid.
Sebastian Vettel
The obvious challenge to Hamilton’s reign is Vettel in the Ferrari. The 31-year-old German has been forced to accept second for the last two years as Hamilton took top honors. During early testing before the season kickoff in Melbourne, the 2019 Ferrari appeared to be closing the gap on the Mercedes. However, with Bottas and Hamilton securing first and second in Melbourne and Vettel and Leclerc missing out on the podium at fourth and fifth, 2019 may be shaping up to be more of the same for Ferrari.
Valtteri Bottas
Who better to challenge Hamilton for the title than the man driving the other Mercedes? Although Bottas hasn’t shown the form he’d need to win the title after finishing fifth in the Championship title race last year, he may have enough to at least hamper Hamilton’s efforts. It’s unlikely he’ll win but he may be an unwitting ally to the likes of Vettel pinching vital points from Hamilton on tracks that the Mercedes shines. Bottas proved his ability to pinch points from Hamilton in the season opener in Melbourne as the 29-year-old Finn took top honors with his Mercedes comrade having to settle for second.
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Daniel Ricciardo
The long shot. Daniel Ricciardo is an exceptionally talented driver who has been stuck in lemons for far too long. At Red Bull, the 29-year-old Australian was forced to endure a car that was just never able to compete with the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari. This year, however, Ricciardo is out of the Red Bull after moving to Renault. The season opener in his home country didn’t go according to plan though. Ricciardo ran wide at the start and hit a gutter that tore the front wing off his car. Additional damage suffered later would force him to retire leaving the Australian with a DNF result.
Kimi “Iceman” Räikkönen
The old man on the grid, Räikkönen is known for his calm demeanor and sharp one-liners. His is also known for being one of the most capable F1 driver in the world having won the F1 championship in 2007 and climbing the podium 103 times over his career. His recent change from Ferrari to Alfa Romeo will see the 39-year-old move out of the shadow of Vettel to challenge for the title. 2019 is the first year Alfa Romeo will compete in the F1 since they finished without a single point in 1985. The team’s lack of experience in the modern era of F1 will likely count against them and by proxy, Räikkönen.
Bet on the Bahrain GP
Hamilton, Vettel, Bottas, Ricciardo, and Räikkönen are all in Bahrain ahead of this Sunday’s Bahrain GP. You can bet on who you think will take top honours at Betway in minutes. Simply register an account, make your first deposit and start
betting on Formula 1. In addition to who you think will win, you can also bet on the Top 3, Winning Margin, First Retirement and more.
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