FORMULA 1 BEGINS JULY 3 – WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT?

There is no doubt that even the best orators will wrestle with the words which will be used to describe 2020 when it is finally in the rear-view mirror. In a year which continues to threaten most of what we consider normal existence, we continue to grab on to the hope that normalcy will return soon.

F1, after being forced to cancel the earlier Rounds of the 2020 season, will finally get the wheels rolling July 3 in Austria.

Yes, it will be a short season, but, if what is planned materializes, it should be packed with boost-enhanced, frantic racing. F1 revved into high drama when it was revealed that Scuderia Ferrari’s number 1 driver and multiple world champion, Vettel was given the boot.

But, a season of racing will occur. What will the already strained relations produce at the prancing horse? Will Leclerc be given the green light to attack Vettel at will? How will Vettel respond? Will we see the best of Vettel now that his exit was unceremoniously arrived at? Will he implode as he usually does?

MERCEDES

Mercedes AMG Petronas has maintained a stranglehold on victories and dominance for a protracted period. There is evidence of rumblings within the ranks though. Team Principal, Toto Wolff, recently hinted at uncertainty re his future. Personnel changes are expected and ace driver, Lewis Hamilton is yet to renew his contract.

Will the drama affect Mercedes’ performance on the track? Hamilton is currently immersed in the Black Lives Matter cause. Is he ready for wheel to wheel combat? Testing confirmed that Mercedes should be at their usual spot – P1. Was the team affected in a negative way by the pandemic? What about Bottas? Is he ready to mount a serious challenge to Hamilton’s reign of excellence? Will he fade dramatically as he did last season?

Fans of the sport are anxious. They have endured enough. They want to see the stars of the sport and their machines on the battlefield. Their wait will be over soon. Unfortunately, Covid-19 realities will force no-fans racing! Never seen moments in racing – no fans – will be the norm.

Can you imagine F1 in Italy without the tifosi invading the track at the end of the race. The brilliantly colored spectacle will be nonexistent in 2020.

Covid-19 is celebrating the uncertainty it has released worldwide. Life must go on. The reopening of European countries is still, essentially, in the test and see phase. What happens if there is a spike in Covid-19 cases in Europe? What happens if several members of one of the major teams test positive?

We miss F1. We hope everything unfolds as planned, but we cannot ignore the dark clouds that travel with the pandemic.

We want racing to begin. F1 racing is scheduled to begin July 3. We expect to be treated to the glorious sounds of combustion and fierce racing. But, should we also expect it to end abruptly?

What do you think?

Cecil Munroe Gleaner On-Line Writer