F1 News
Bottas and Raikkonen - Narratives to look out for in the 2020 F1 season #3
We've looked at Sebastian Vettel's chances, whether the Dutch Grand Prix will succeed and Haas' chances in 2020. Valtteri Bottas, Kimi Raikkonen and the midfield battle take centre stage this week as we look at three more storylines to look out for in 2020.
Can Valtteri Bottas push Hamilton even more?
2019 was comfortably Valterri Bottas' most successful season in Formula 1 and it was important it was after his dismal showing the previous year. After two wins in the first four races, he led the Drivers' Championship and despite fading as the season wore on, he pushed his teammate Lewis Hamilton the furthest of anyone on the grid.
Hamilton will comfortably be number one in 2020 but after his 2019 display, Bottas will be surely given more opportunities if he is in the position to secure a good result. The onus is on him, however, to take advantage of this and put himself in the position and turn it into a result. Bottas 2.0 pushed Hamilton until the US Grand Prix can Bottas 3.0 push him further?
Will 2020 be Kimi's farewell?
Kimi Raikkonen has been a stalwart of the Formula 1 grid. 315 entries, 21 wins and one World Championship, the Finn is a legend of the sport and is on course to break the record for most race entries currently held by Rubens Barrichello.
However, the former Ferrari driver is now 40 and will be a year older by the time the 2020 season concludes. At an Alfa Romeo team that struggled in the latter half of the season, could this be his final season in Formula 1?
It seems as if he could drive until he is 100 but with a host of Ferrari youngsters like Mick Schumacher waiting in the wings for their opportunity it could be time for him to move on. Combined with the 2021 regulation changes looming it could be an ideal time for Alfa Romeo to bring in one of these youngsters. Whatever he does, he'll go down as one of the sport's greats!
The midfield battle
The 2019 midfield battle provided plenty of thrills and spills but unfortunately for the fans the TV footage was dominated by the leading pack. We saw McLaren surge to the front of the pack, Renault fend off Toro Rosso and the other teams all fighting it out as well for those vital places.
Fans missed out on a decisive battle at the season-ending, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as the cameras focused on the battle up front, leaving many viewers disgruntled.
If last season is anything to go by fans will be hoping to see more from the midfield given the action it gave us. Could we see a Racing Point or an Alfa Romeo move to through the pack to compete for the best of the rest position? Will McLaren solidify their place at the front of the chasing group after last season's resurgence? And will last season's stragglers, Williams and Haas fight back?