Max Verstappen should be the favourite for the 2017 Formula One title, it’s a bold claim, isn’t it?
Yet if you’re not among the naysayers or those trying to downplay expectations, it is hoped we can look forward to a Red Bull vs. Mercedes battle this season.
Some may even include Ferrari in that statement, though we saw how far the predictions of a challenge to the Silver Arrows got last year.
Add to that how F1 is moving to increase the important of aerodynamics, the traditional weakness of Ferrari, in an effort to equalise the power vs. aero equilibrium and, in my opinion, it’s hard to see how the Maranello outfit can match Mercedes.
But in Red Bull, we have more confidence. They have a design team led by Adrian Newey. They have two drivers who are pushing each other to even greater heights and, hopefully, they’ll have a power unit that can at least keep up with the rocket made in Brixworth.
Should they deliver on those expectations, fans can look forward to Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas going up against Daniel Ricciardo and, the man of the hour, Verstappen. Sounds good, right?
So, at this point, you’re now wondering why of the four drivers in that anticipated championship battle do I think the Dutchman is the one to go all the way?
Well, firstly let’s discount Bottas. While I think he’ll surprise many against Hamilton, doing that over an entire season isn’t going to be easy. Certainly in the early races.
And when in what would be a tight battle for the title, you can’t afford to be a little off the pace for three or four races, unless wins and results are being shared around a number of different drivers.
Perhaps a little surprisingly, I’m now going to rule out Ricciardo. The Australian is many people’s choice as the next non-Mercedes world champion and at his absolute best very few can match him.
He is a great single lap driver and can pull off some incredible moves on a Sunday, however, much like Bottas, can he avoid having the one or two anonymous races which would be crucial to a title bid?
That, finally, brings me on to Hamilton. We don’t need to question if he can get the job done as he’s already done it, three times. He’s also the only man who even on Verstappen’s best day can arguably keep the Dutchman very much in sight.
But, will he be at his absolute best as he was in 2015 and at times in 2016? If there’s any hangover from losing out last year, that would be the opportunity which offers Bottas hope as his teammate and what gives Verstappen a very strong chance of beating him on any given race day.
While the debate as to who will become champion this season has yet to really get going, a vote on Read Motorsport’s Twitter page saw a 60/40 decision in Ricciardo’s favour as to who would be the top Red Bull driver.
This could indicate then that, despite his high profile, most are not expecting Max to win the title this year and that underdog status is exactly what the 19-year-old needs to get the job done.
If he was to be the majority favourite, that is when the pressure could get to him. In the role of proving himself, however, that is when he will continue to be the type of driver he needs to be to earn himself a championship.
He would need to be aggressive and keep pushing himself to improve. Let’s be honest, if he drove every race like he did in Brazil then there’s very little chance of stopping him!
But it could well be, as he continues to develop, that he can reach that incredible standard more regularly and it’s arguably a level that Ricciardo and Bottas can’t reach and would require Hamilton to be at his very best.
That’s why Verstappen should be the early favourite to become the 2017 F1 champion.
Of course, it will depend on just how competitive Red Bull are versus Mercedes and if anyone else can enter the frame. Regardless, we can expect another big year from the Dutchman, it’s whether that will be enough to claim the top prize at the FIA gala ceremony after Abu Dhabi.
