Just when it seemed that the death knell was ringing loud and clear for Formula 1 suddenly there appeared thunder and lighting! I guess that even the Lord almighty couldn’t handle the boredom anymore and sent forth a new bull that answered to the name Honda. And to steer this bull ably he added new vigour and energy to a 21-year-old lad Max Verstappen- who convincingly stated that he is the real Mccoy and not a flash in the pan. He has been on the podium enough to showcase his talent but where he stands apart is by taking a Japanese engine manufacturer to a win after a drought of 13 years! Button was the last to provide a sense of respectability to Honda in 2006. After a terrible start he rallied brilliantly to put it past the hapless Leclerc. Ifs and buts will remain unanswered as to the damage Max might have caused to the mighty Mercedes and Ferrari if he had a clean start.
Pertinent questions arise after the breath of fresh air that was the Austrian GP. Was Max a beneficiary of Hamilton’s own set of problems? Bottas’s lack of a killer instinct ? And an erratic performance from his multiple world champion team mate Vettel? While these may be relevant the RedBull driver drove what he would recall as the best in his career thus far and for years to come. Over exuberance has caused him plenty of grief in the past and hopefully that is done and dusted with this stonking wi . The other young 21-year-old talent Leclerc is gaining wisdom the painful way! By losing from a winning position in the 1st race of the year and now this heartbreak. Anyway it would be rather silly to write off Hamilton after just one loss this year. His fan following is growing globally from all walks of life – top athletes to movie stars! One can’t begrudge him this adulation. He is single handily keeping F1 together. The paradox is that he is causing the boredom by his routine success but on the other hand is the attraction since the current crop of F1 drivers does lack charisma! Seb Vettel is loved and hated for his mercurial behaviour! So now the question that begs to be asked- will Verstappen and Honda remain faithful to one another? If Honda is indeed planning to exit F1 in 2020 and if Valetari Bottas’ departure will create a vacuum in Team Mercedes would Max make a move? The jury is out there.
