2020 Formula One Preview

After a milestone year in 2019, Formula One heads into 2020 with a few new races, one new team name, two new drivers and 21 confirmed races.

Albert Park will host the Australian Grand Prix for the 25th time and it will the season opener on March 15th. Australia is also the first leg of the first back-to-back on the 2020 schedule with the Bahrain Grand Prix following seven days later on March 22nd. The inaugural Vietnamese Grand Prix will take place on April 5th. The race will take place on a 23-turn, 3.484-mile street circuit in Hanoi. The track will feature a 0.9 mile straightaway along with corners that replicate Suzuka, Monaco, Sepang and the Nürburgring.

The next scheduled race will be May 3rd and it is the Dutch Grand Prix from Zandvoort. This is the first time the Netherlands has hosted a Formula One race since 1985. The Zandvoort layout has changed since the last time Formula One was at facility and the track has undergone some re-profiling in preparation for the race. The final corner will have 18 degrees of banking. McLaren has won the last two Dutch Grand Prix with Alain Prost and Niki Lauda.

Zandvoort is also leading off the second back-to-back of the 2020 season with the Spanish Grand Prix following on May 10th. Lewis Hamilton has won the last three races at Circuit de Catalunya. Monaco will be the sixth round of the 2020 season on May 24th and three different drivers from three different manufactures have won the last three Monaco Grand Prix.

Azerbaijan and Canada will be run on back-to-back weeks on June 7th and June 14th. There has yet to be a repeat winner in Azerbaijan. The French Grand Prix will kick off the summer on June 28th and Hamilton will be going for his third consecutive victory at Circuit Paul Ricard. One week later on July 5th, the Red Bull Ring hosts the Austrian Grand Prix and Max Verstappen will be looking for his third consecutive victory in the Alps.

Silverstone is the midway point of the season on July 19th. Hungary will be the final race before the summer break on August 2nd. Formula One returns to action on August 30th with the Belgian Grand Prix from Spa-Francorchamps and Ferrari will be looking for its third consecutive victory at the legendary track. Belgium will also leadoff the fifth back-to-back of the season with the Italian Grand Prix from Monza following on September 6th. Hamilton is tied with Michael Schumacher on five Italian Grand Prix victories.

Singapore and Russia is the sixth back-to-back on September 20th and September 27th. Mercedes is undefeated with eight Russian Grand Prix victories. Mercedes has won six consecutive Japanese Grand Prix and will have a chance to make it seven consecutive victories at Suzuka on October 11th.

The seventh back-to-back of 2020 will be the United States Grand Prix on October 25th and the newly named Mexico City Grand Prix on November 1st. Only once since 2015 has a driver swept the races in the United States and Mexico and that was Hamilton in 2016. Brazil will be the penultimate round on November 15th with the season concluding on November 29th with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Mercedes has six consecutive victories at Abu Dhabi.

The Chinese Grand Prix was scheduled for April 19th but due to the coronavirus outbreak the race has been postponed. The race has not been officially canceled and a makeup date is still possible.

Constructors:
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team
Lewis Hamilton: #44 Mercedes AMG F1 W11 EQ Performance
What did he do in 2019: 11 victories, 17 podium finishes, 21 points finishes in 21 starts, 413 points and his sixth World Drivers' Championship.
What to expect in 2020: Hamilton is the championship favorite. He is the man to beat until he is beaten and it is that simple. Mercedes did have a few engine woes in testing but I feel like it will get sorted out. We enter 2020 with Hamilton eight victories away from the all-time record and one championship away from tying that all-time record. He has had at least nine victories in the last six seasons. He has scored points in 61 of the last 62 races and he has been on the podium for 47 of those 62 races. The last two years we have seen Hamilton win despite not necessarily having the best car. Ferrari and Red Bull have been getting closer but have not been able to put together 21 races to combat Mercedes. We have six years of Mercedes dominance. It is bound to end and maybe it does in 2020 but it could be one more year of Silver Arrows success.

Valtteri Bottas: #77 Mercedes AMG F1 W11 EQ Performance
What did he do in 2019: Four victories, 15 podium finishes, 19 points finishes in 21 starts, 326 points and second in the World Drivers' Championship.
What to expect in 2020: Bottas will have another good season behind Hamilton. He will win a few races, he will get more than his fair share of podium finishes, he will score a good number of points and he will make himself look pretty good heading into free agency in 2021. I am not sure he will be second in the world championship again because Ferrari and Red Bull will make strides but this will not be a disappointing season.

Scuderia Ferrari
Sebastian Vettel: #5 Ferrari SF1000
What did he do in 2019: One victory, nine podium finishes, 16 points finishes in 21 starts, 240 points and fifth in the World Drivers' Championship.
What to expect in 2020: Vettel will be the second-best Ferrari driver. I think he has lost the team. The team knows Charles Leclerc is not only the future but the present. It is just a matter of time before Vettel is shown the door. I think he will win a race because he still has the ability but he is to going to be the number one Ferrari driver majority of the time. That will be tough for him to accept and in 2019 the Ferrari infighting cost the team points. There is a good chance that will continue in 2020.

Charles Leclerc: #16 Ferrari SF1000
What did he do in 2019: Two victories, ten podium finishes, 18 points finishes in 21 starts, 264 points and fourth in the World Drivers' Championship.
What to expect in 2020: More victories and a stronger fight at the top of the championship. Ferrari seems really optimistic about the 2020 car and if it is able to hold a candle to Mercedes there is a chance Leclerc can contend for the championship. Leclerc had a better season than 2019 turned out to be and he had a fantastic 2019 season. He should have won Bahrain and Austria but to be a championship-contender he will need more than just four victories. It is possible Leclerc could have a standout season, one with seven to eight victories and takes the fight to Hamilton and Mercedes but it will be something Leclerc has never undertaken before and it is a fight greater than Ferrari has ben able to handle.

Aston Martin Red Bull Racing
Alexander Albon: #23 Red Bull Racing RB16
What did he do in 2019: 13 points finishes in 21 starts with his best finish being fourth at Japan, 92 points and eighth in the World Drivers' Championship after running the first 12 races with Toro Rosso and final nine races with Red Bull.
What to expect in 2020: A lot of people being surprised at the end of 2020. Albon is not going to be Red Bull's lead driver in the championship but I think he will be competitive and could pick up a race victory. I think he will get a few podium finishes. When he got into the Red Bull midseason he immediately performed better than Pierre Gasly in the same car. This should be a good year for Albon.

Max Verstappen: #33 Red Bull Racing RB16
What did he do in 2019: Three victories, nine podium finishes, 19 points finishes in 21 starts, 278 points and third in the World Drivers' Championship.
What to expect in 2020: It seems like Verstappen is the second of a three-horse race for the championship. Hamilton is the man to beat. Leclerc and Verstappen are incredible. Last year, Verstappen was encouragingly consistent. He was in the top five of the first 12 races. He ended the season with three consecutive podium finishes. Red Bull seems to have it. Honda seems to be there. Everything could be lining up for Verstappen and Red Bull to dethrone Mercedes. Red Bull doesn't have the infighting of Ferrari. Like Leclerc, Verstappen has to do something he has not done in Formula One to defeat Hamilton. He could do it. The pieces are there. Red Bull is up for the fight.

McLaren F1 Team
Lando Norris: #4 McLaren MCL35
What did he do in 2019: 11 points in 21 starts with his best finish being sixth at Bahrain and Austria, 49 points and 11th in the World Drivers' Championship.
What to expect in 2020: Top ten in the championship and closer to his teammate. He was one position from the top ten in the championship in 2019 as a rookie. McLaren is moving in the right direction though this is the team's final year with Renault before switching back to Mercedes engines in 2021. I do not think McLaren is there to compete with the top three teams but it could solidly put itself in fourth. Norris will score a good chunk of points.

Carlos Sainz, Jr.: #55 McLaren MCL35
What did he do in 2019: One podium finishes, a third at Brazil, 13 points finishes in 21 starts, 96 points and sixth in the World Drivers' Championship.
What to expect in 2020: Another season to be happy with but not finishing in the top six of the championship. I think Albon will get Sainz, Jr. for sixth but seventh would not be something to be ashamed of. Sainz, Jr. is going to mix in with the top three teams a little bit when someone has trouble or retires. I am not sure he can get back to the podium. Brazil last year was such a screwy event but Sainz, Jr. will be ready to swoop in if the there is an opening. Based on testing, McLaren is going to have a tougher fight with Renault.

Renault F1 Team
Daniel Ricciardo: #3 Renault R.S.20
What did he do in 2019: Eight points finishes in 21 starts with his best finish being fourth in Italy, 54 points and ninth in the World Drivers' Championship.
What to expect in 2020: Based on testing, Renault could be making a leap forward. Ricciardo was fourth overall over six days of testing I think he can score more points, he definitely should get more points finishes, and perhaps Renault can get a few top four finish in 2020. Things could get tighter in the middle of the field and things could be better but see Ricciardo slip a few positions in the championship.

Esteban Ocon: #31 Renault R.S.20
What did he do in 2019: Mercedes-AMG test driver.
What to expect in 2020: Ricciardo was fourth in testing and Ocon was sixth. Both were better than the McLarens. I was convinced Ocon had to be better than Ricciardo in 2020 but if Renault is the fourth best team and Ocon is eighth in the championship with Ricciardo in seventh than that is a good year back. Ocon sat on the sidelines last year and was thought to be in waiting to step into a Mercedes race seat should Bottas not get out of his slump. Bottas improved, kept his seat for 2020 and Ocon could not be on the sideline for a second consecutive year, leaving almost no choice but taking a shot at Renault. The French driver goes to the French manufacture and has to get some results. He could improve his stock mightily ahead of 2021 free agency but his 2019 sabbatical could keep him from a larger team snagging him.

Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda
Pierre Gasly: #10 AlphaTauri AT01
What did he do in 2019: One podium finish, second in Brazil, 14 points finishes in 21 starts, 95 points and seventh in the World Drivers' Championship after running the first 12 races with Red Bull Racing before running the final nine races with Toro Rosso.
What to expect in 2020: Maybe I am still under the influence of the end of 2019 but I think Gasly could be the sleeper of 2020. He went from struggling with Red Bull to competitive with Toro Rosso. The Brazil podium came with a lot of fortune but he outscored Daniil Kvyat 14 points to ten points in the final nine races of 2019 with Gasly's runner-up finish removed. Add it and it was 32 to ten in favor of Gasly. In Albon's 12 races with Toro Rosso he scored 16 points. Purely on points per race, Gasly led the Toro Rosso drivers in 2019 with 3.555 to Kyvat's 1.7619 and Albon's 1.333. Is 3.555 points per race good? That averages out to 74.666 points over a 21-race season and good enough for ninth in the 2019 championship, ahead of both Renault drivers. That would be a big boost for the renamed AlphaTauri and if Honda can lift Red Bull to championship-contenders, it could get Gasly to be a regular points scorer.

Daniil Kvyat: #26 AlphaTauri AT01
What did he do in 2019: One podium finish, third in Germany, ten points finishes in 21 starts, 37 points and 13th in the World Drivers' Championship.
What to expect in 2020: As much as I am sold Gasly could be the surprise of 2020, I think Kvyat will be firmly between 12th and 16th in the championship. He had one rainy day at Hockenheim where Hamilton spun off from the lead, Leclerc threw it away and Gasly hit rock bottom. That allowed Kvyat to pick up 40% of the points he scored for the entire 2019 season and even after that result he could not average two points per race over the entire season. It is crazy to say but Kvyat might finish in the points more in 2020 than he did in 2019 but end up scoring fewer points.

SportPesa Racing Point F1 Team
Sergio Pérez: #11 Racing Point RP20
What did he do in 2019: 11 points finishes in 21 starts with his best finish being sixth at Azerbaijan and Belgium, 52 points and tenth in the World Drivers' Championship.
What to expect in 2020: Pérez was seventh over the six days of testing but I do not think that will stick for the entirety of the 2020 season. The season might start strong but I would expect results to slide and Pérez  to finish outside the top ten in the championship. I think AlphaTauri will end up better in the constructors' championship. As the season goes on I think Alfa Romeo and Haas will be closer to Racing Point. Pérez carried Racing Point's water in 2019 and he will do the same in 2020 but he will not be carrying has heavy of a load.

Lance Stroll: #18 Racing Point RP20
What did he do in 2019: Six points finishes in 21 starts with his best finish being fourth at Germany, 21 points and 15th in the World Drivers' Championship.
What to expect in 2020: More of the same, which is not much. While Pérez was seventh in testing, Stroll was 16th. He picked up 12 points in the German Grand Prix in 2019. He scored nine points in the other 20 races on the 2019 schedule. I think you are looking at a guy who will score about 12 to 15 points in 2020 and combine that with Pérez's 35-45 points and Racing Point will be eighth or worse in the constructors' championship.

Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen
Kimi Räikkönen: #7 Alfa Romeo C39
What did he do in 2019: Nine points finishes in 21 starts with his best finish being fourth at Brazil, 43 points and 12th in the World Drivers' Championship.
What to expect in 2020: Räikkönen getting fed up and announcing this will be his final year in Formula One. He is 40 years old. I am not sure he has wanted to be in Formula One the last two years. It is more of a chore for him, one that pays him multi-million dollars but a chore nonetheless. He is pretty good at this chore but he only scored twice in the final ten races of 2019. Alfa Romeo was good in 2019, mostly because of Räikkönen and I expect him to continue the heavy lifting in 2020. I think he can come close to matching his points total from last year.

Antonio Giovinazzi: #99 Alfa Romeo C39
What did he do in 2019: Four points finishes in 21 starts with his best finish being fifth at Brazil, 14 points and 17th in the World Drivers' Championship.
What to expect in 2020: Oof... it is hard to see it getting much better. Last year was underwhelming. Giovinazzi was whooped. Räikkönen scored tripled the number of points as the Italian. You would like to think Giovinazzi could score at least half of Räikkönen's points total but that seems to be too much to ask for.

Haas F1 Team
Romain Grosjean: #8 Haas VF-20
What did he do in 2019: Three points finishes in 21 starts with his best finish being seventh at Germany, eight points and 19th in the World Drivers' Championship.
What to expect in 2020: A Haas driver is getting fired during the season. How did this team keep both drivers from 2019? There were times in 2019 it seemed like the team wanted both drivers gone and I am not sure either driver wanted to be there. We are a long way away from when Grosjean was finishing sixth on Haas' debut. This is a breakup that needs to happen. I am not sure where either go from here. Testing was not great with Grosjean in 15th over six days.

Kevin Magnussen: #20 Haas VF-20
What did he do in 2019: Four points finishes in 21 starts with his best finish being sixth at Australia, 20 points and 16th in the World Drivers' Championship.
What to expect in 2020: Same as Grosjean, it could be better but Magnussen could be out of the team before we get to the summer break. I think Grosjean is more likely to be fired by the team but Magnussen is more likely the driver that will burn one too many bridges and be kicked out. Magnussen was 18th in testing. Before testing, I could envision both Haas drivers scoring 20-30 and could be eighth in the constructors' championship. That seems much less likely now.

ROKiT Williams Racing
Nicholas Latifi: #6 Williams FW43
What did he do in 2019: Second in the Formula Two championship with four victories, eight podium finishes and 18 points finishes from 22 races.
What to expect in 2020: Another tough season for Williams but hopefully not as tough as 2019. The one thing on Williams' side is the car was reliable. The team had 38 finishes out of a possible 42 finishes. Only Mercedes, Red Bull and Alfa Romeo had more finishes. There is hope for Latifi after he was 17th in testing. The goal for this season is to complete as many laps as possible and just get one point. One point will be a big confidence boost for him as a rookie.

George Russell: #63 Williams FW43
What did he do in 2019: Zero points finishes in 21 starts with his best finish being 11th at Germany, zero points and 20th in the World Drivers' Championship.
What to expect in 2020: Russell needs to score a point and he was tenth in testing, a big jump up the order. It wasn't on him that he went scoreless in 2019. Robert Kubica only scored one point and that was in the chaotic German Grand Prix and after both Alfa Romeos were penalized 30 seconds for illegal driver aids used at the start of the race. I think things will be better for Williams and Russell, not necessarily spectacular but I think he gets at least three points, a big improvement from 2019.

First practice from Melbourne will be held at 9:00 p.m. ET on Thursday March 12th. Second practice takes place at 1:00 a.m. ET on Friday March 13th. Third practice will be at 11:00 p.m. ET later that Friday with qualifying coming at 2:00 a.m. ET on Saturday March 14th. The Australian Grand Prix will take place at 1:10 a.m. ET on Sunday March 15th.