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Formula 1 goes in cycles and currently there are 5 world champions on the grid. Kimi(35), Jenson(35), Fernando(33), Lewis(30), Sebastian(27). The current champions are not getting any younger. Who do you think will be the newest world champion and the newest holder of the title “Greatest Champion of all Time”?
If luck or even skill turns unto him, Rosebrg, then Ricciardo, Bottas, Verstappen and why not? Massa.
How are you going to have a Greatest Champion of all Time until they retire? As they retire they can be considered. Until then, they are all just great F1 champs. Next is anybody’s guess. Who will get promoted or have a good car next? Then they will get to try. Kvyat and Ricciardo have a top car that is under performing and Massa & Bottas has a car that is on the rise, so of those four non-champions it could be any. Also, Nico has a championship car now, and he is in battle for it, so he could be next if he hops on it.
@punk but let’s forget all sensible reasoning. Just by feeling – whom do you think will be the next champion for the first time. I’m very interested because I have no idea. If the Honda McLaren package suddenly kicks in it might aswell be Vandoorne in 2017? Things like this always give me a good feeling about the future.
Similar question – who will be the next first GP winner, we got RIC last year but it was since 2012 with Maldonado we had a new one wasn’t it?
I guess the obvious answer to this is Max Verstappen, who is looking like the next Schumi, while somewhat ironically, Mick Jr could maybe be the next Jos Verstappen ;). It’s hard to say looking far ahead (anyone would predict Hulkenberg WDC titles going off junior strength), but getting in a top car really helps.. Hamilton and Vettel will battle for the next few years in the best two cars. Bianchi lost his chance to join Ferrari to partner Vettel/eventually replace him.
Verstappen is well placed to join a resurgent Red Bull/Audi by 20 and kick off a 5-10 year dominant streak (like Vettel when he joined). It’s likely he’ll be alongside Ricciardo so that will be a good battle. If Bottas gets into a Mercedes then he could feature. Same for Hulkenberg if he can get in a Mercedes or RB Audi. Magnussen/Vandoorne/de Vries might get into a surging McLaren-Honda.
Looking further ahead.. it’s tough to predict, but the latest Karting World Champions are now both in MSA Formula (British F4), so maybe we could see Norris or Ahmed challenging in 10 years’ time ;). Leclerc, Ocon etc. would be good picks for challenging Verstappen if they can get into top F1 machinery, but maybe Ocon might not make it like Frijns (due to funding), or get stuck in a Lotus that’s mid-grid at best, like Grosjean.
When I say “Greatest Driver if all Time” I say it to mean the driver who fans biased or not are currently claiming him to be, we have it with Lewis, Sebastian, Kimi and Fernando.
For me, I have to go with Ricciardo, the guy is something else, as aggressive/intelligent as Lewis, as ruthless as Sebastian, as fast as Kimi and as adaptable as Fernando. Sadly at the moment, Redbull/Renault aren’t doing well but I think the team are fully behind him and for now that’s the best seat he has.
I only wonder what he would do in a Mercedes with qualifying on the top row a sure bet. would Hamilton have strolled to 3 wins already?I say it to mean the driver who fans biased or not are currently claiming him to be, we have it with Lewis, Sebastian, Kimi and Fernando.
Who says that any of those are the greatest ever driver?
I know what you mean by the next great. As most have pointed out none of them are really greats as it’s current F1 but with that said here are my top 3:
1) As much as I don’t want to say it – Vettel 4 championships in a row is quite something, although I still think the car had all to play for very much like it was last season for Hamilton. You can argue webber should have got close to him but the reality is Webber did not have the same car and had probably lost the love for F1.
2) Out of drivers who have the potential I’d say there are about 3. Max Verstappen is first out of all of them. He has a certain spark in his driving. Hulkenburg is another strong potential but with the field so car performance orientated it’s shot him in the foot and I think it’s a great move for him to look into WEC as that’s where the racing is at in my opinion. Jolyon Palmer, test driver for Lotus showed in the Chinese GP weekend and had strong pace and maturity considering he did not know the track he was less than a second I think it was, against Maldonado who was in the top 10 in that practice session.
3) As much as I hate to say this – The stupid petty drama between Hamilton and Rosberg will go in the history books titled under “When F1 was crap, and Drivers Childish” All this whining on the radio and in interviews that does my head in that everyone seems to love. Man up and drive the pair of them! “My seat is getting really hot”, and all this nonsense and driver assisting stuff. It’s not action.
Obviously this became a short rant, however with all this i think the next greats are in WEC in my opinion. There is racing there and not petty talking. If F1 really wants to grab my attention like it once did, then it needs get rid of DRS, it’s not a technological advance in cars and makes for boring overtakes, I think GP2 shows that DRS is not needed for good racing. They also need to sort money thing out and get rid of Bernie as he’s killing the sport now.
I also forgot Bottas who has amazing potential and just needs to get that Williams behind him again to show he can compete for podiums again.
For me, I have to go with Ricciardo, the guy is something else, as aggressive/intelligent as Lewis, as ruthless as Sebastian, as fast as Kimi and as adaptable as Fernando.
Aren’t you giving him a little too much credit for last year? He barely got a hold on Vergne and only got the better of Vettel thanks to reliability and a proper dosis of luck. Yes he did better last year but the points really don’t reflect that.
I only wonder what he would do in a Mercedes with qualifying on the top row a sure bet. would Hamilton have strolled to 3 wins already?
Can be said about basically any driver. I’m pretty sure Vettel/Alonso/Button/Kimi would’ve taken a win by now, if not two or three.
Drivers today are not able to show feats of greatness. They are far too limited by tires and management of everything. And as FA just pointed out, sometimes they are lapping 10 seconds slower on race days than 10 years ago. F1 needs to be put back in the hands of the drivers before we can consider any of them amongst the true Greats of the past. They are not able to be gladiators out there.
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