Can Mercedes F1 Achieve the Success They Achieved Last Season?
Giancarlo Perlas July 26, 2017
The 2016 season of Formula 1 motor racing proved to be a triumph for Mercedes as they won both the drivers and constructors titles—marking the latest in a string of successful seasons for the manufacturer. The team has won both of these titles for the past three Formula 1 seasons, which is a really impressive record, and together with the star driver Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes is a hot favorite again heading into the 2017 season. So, with the season around halfway through now, how is Mercedes F1 faring this time around?
The season got underway back in March and will finish in November, and, at the moment, it is not Mercedes F1 or Hamilton who lead the way. Sebastian Vettel is the man currently on top in the World Drivers Championship with 177 points, and he is driving for Ferrari.
However, with ten races now completed, Hamilton and Mercedes F1 are hardly out of the running, as they sit just one place behind on 176 points—ensuring that there is everything still to play for. Last season the Silver Arrows cars provided by Mercedes simply swept aside all before them, but Ferrari have come roaring back this time around. The year 2016 was a massive disappointment for the manufacturer, whose cars failed to win a single race during the course of the championships—having been expected to be the major challenger to Mercedes. This meant that there was immense pressure on Ferrari going into this season, especially as they now have former champion Vettel behind the wheel of their car, and so far both he and they are managing to live up to the hype in 2017.
There have also been big changes made to the rules going into this season which many observers have described as the biggest shakeup in the Formula 1 rules since hybrid turbo power units were introduced three years ago. The changes have seen both the cars themselves and the tyres made wider than before, with the aim of making them tougher to handle for the drivers by increasing grip and downforce.
Some observers felt going into the new season that these changes could benefit the likes of Ferrari at the expense of Mercedes F1, but the latter are clearly holding their own even if things are a lot tighter now than they have been for the past few seasons. Before the start of the season Mercedes were firm bookies favourites to retain the constructors championship and this remains the case at the halfway stage with Mercedes on 1/10 to do so. On the other hand, Ferrari sits in second place at 11/2.
For anyone who is considering placing a wager on which manufacturer will come out on top. Although Mercedes F1 is a massive favorite, there is still the potential of an upset and nerves might start to play a part as the season draws to its conclusion.
With half of the season still to go, there is an awful lot left in play and plenty of thrills and spills left to witness during this Formula 1 season.
