A brief look at the events of last year’s most controversial sport
Formula One – considered the pinnacle of motorsport since it’s conception in the 1950’s. Over the years, long-time fans of the sport have grown accustomed to the occasional rule-bend. From Michael Schumacher finishing a race in the pit lane, to illegitimate sponsors dragging whole teams into financial ruin, it’s safe to say that one would not be foolish to expect such a twist in the rules followed by an investigation and ultimately, an outcome. More recently however, we have been fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to witness one of the most dramatic Formula One seasons in history.
On the morning of Friday 12th March, I awoke to an immense feeling of excitement. This was it. The beginning of a new religious dedication to a year of sport. The first day of practice around the Bahrain International Circuit brought with it, all the hype and the fastest cars to date. The season was already shaping up to go down in history. If only I had known then what side of history this season would fall under, perhaps I may not have been so giddily optimistic.
For Scott Mansell, a Youtuber and avid Formula One fan, the emotions were even higher. Having seen success with his YouTube channel “Driver61” now with over 800,000 subscribers and having an already-extensive background knowledge on all-things-racing, the raw ingenuity of these cars was ground-breaking.
“Coming from an engineering background and coincidentally having the same surname as one of the greats, it almost seemed like destiny that I would end up liking Formula One,” Mansell said, as I rather empty-headedly asked him why he enjoys the sport. “I was so excited by the cars that were developed for last season. The fastest we’d ever seen and proven to have had enough downforce to drive upside down along a tunnel roof. This season was bound to be incredible, and from an engineering aspect, it absolutely was.”
As the season progressed, Red Bull seemed to have a more dominant car than their 7-time World Champion rivals, Mercedes, but everybody at home and on the paddock knew that the German outfit would never go down without a fight. Unfortunately, this bubbling rivalry was about to turn into an all-eclipsing social media war which Scott predicted would ultimately outgrow the races themselves.
“It was becoming increasingly obvious as the season was reaching it’s end that the fans had turned Formula One into a global debate. Fans of both drivers (Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen) were taking to Twitter and YouTube to give their opinions and start fights,” said Mansell. “Some of the back-and-forth was absolutely disgusting. The racial abuse Lewis received after Silverstone was shameful.” This sentiment was shared by a few well-minded individuals with a love for the sport. For the vast majority however, this was only the battle to start the war. With YouTube viewership spiking and numbers previously unheard-of in the world of livestreaming, this rivalry was exactly what Formula One needed to rake in a new generation of fans.
The penultimate race of the season took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and was an absolute catastrophe in its own right. Again however, this saw a further increase in viewers. With Hamilton claiming the win, albeit unjustified as some would say, the final race of the season began with both drivers on equal points. The perfect ending for all. On one hand, the organisations behind Formula One, growing exponentially as millions tuned in. On the other hand, the diehard fans of either driver who saw this as a huge championship-shaped stick to poke the opposition with. This race certainly did not disappoint from a dramatic standpoint. Following a sequence of questionable decisions by Race Director Michael Massi, it all came down to the final lap, Verstappen with an undeniable advantage. As the Dutch driver went on to become the World Champion and end Hamilton’s 9-year dominance of the leaderboards, the validity of the sport was brought into question. With a new season beginning in a few weeks’ time, the online debate still rumbles. Despite most of the teams having turned over a new leaf, the fans have other ideas. “It’s disheartening, knowing that so many people are still stuck up on last year, whilst all these advancements and upgrades are being made right in front of us,” stated Mansell. “I hope for the good of the sport, we can just move on as a fanbase and appreciate the sport that has brought us so much joy over the years!”
Tom Leyland Sports Journalism 