2020 season plot and predictions?

2020 season plot and predictions?

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TheDeuce

Original Poster:

21,450 posts

66 months

Friday 4th October 2019
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In between the current season (which has been great) and 2021 which is the shake-up year, the upcoming 2020 season hasn't been given too much attention. But it's the final year of evolution in the current era - it *should* be amazing.

As the title - predictions please smile

Brave predictions only, expect them to be referred to as 2020 unfolds wink

stevemcs

8,644 posts

93 months

Friday 4th October 2019
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They will ban team radios, give them one set of tyres and will have to buy a parking ticket and avoid double yellows if they enter the pits. Hamilton will be banned from saying you fans are the best or the tyres are rubbish.

Oh and overtaking will have to be carried out on the track and not in the pits and each driver has to pick another car for one round.

I guess my predictions won’t happen, if they do i’ll Start watching it again smile

Ferrari will win the world championship, Hamilton the drivers championship, mclaren will work themselves to the back of the grid, vettlel will have retired George Russell will be in a better car and Williams will replace Claire Williams

Edited by stevemcs on Friday 4th October 19:43

TheDeuce

Original Poster:

21,450 posts

66 months

Friday 4th October 2019
quotequote all
stevemcs said:
They will ban team radios, give them one set of tyres and will have to buy a parking ticket and avoid double yellows if they enter the pits. Hamilton will be banned from saying you fans are the best or the tyres are rubbish.

Oh and overtaking will have to be carried out on the track and not in the pits and each driver has to pick another car for one round.

I guess my predictions won’t happen, if they do i’ll Start watching it again smile

Ferrari will win the world championship, Hamilton the drivers championship, mclaren will work themselves to the back of the grid, vettlel will have retired George Russell will be in a better car and Williams will replace Claire Williams

Edited by stevemcs on Friday 4th October 19:43
Umm... well at least if you're still not watching then you won't know how wrong you might end up being wink

(although you probably do still watch anyway..)

Bo_apex

2,524 posts

218 months

Friday 4th October 2019
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Honda find some consistancy and comparable speed.
Charles and Max share equal points at season end but they need to do a countback

HustleRussell

24,625 posts

160 months

Saturday 5th October 2019
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Merc will stun everyone, unleashing all of the developments which they have been holding back since they effectively tied up this years championships.

StevieBee

12,847 posts

255 months

Saturday 5th October 2019
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Whilst a lot tighter, I think the general run of things will be largely unchanged.

I'd suggest that we'll see a more consistently competitive Red Bull and Albon emerging as a threat to Max's crown in the team.

As a wild card, I'd throw in McLaren as the stand out team for next year - podiums. Maybe a surprise win.

Teddy Lop

8,294 posts

67 months

Saturday 5th October 2019
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Certainly threatens to be tight at the front doesn't it, and also some close midfield battles both on track and strategically, you do wonder if changing the regs so soon is the best idea.

I recon to make it interesting the race tv editors and crofty should swap places with the national anthem singers at most races as I doubt any of them can do a much worse job.

sandman77

2,398 posts

138 months

Saturday 5th October 2019
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Teddy Lop said:
Certainly threatens to be tight at the front doesn't it, and also some close midfield battles both on track and strategically, you do wonder if changing the regs so soon is the best idea.
Exactly! Have they still not learned that every single time there is a shake up in the regulations it results in one team with a huge advantage over the rest. Currently Ferrari and Merc are pretty even and Red Bull are quickly catching so why the need for the new regs?

Back on topic and my prediction is that 2020 will be the closest battle we have for the next 5 years.

TheDeuce

Original Poster:

21,450 posts

66 months

Saturday 5th October 2019
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sandman77 said:
Teddy Lop said:
Certainly threatens to be tight at the front doesn't it, and also some close midfield battles both on track and strategically, you do wonder if changing the regs so soon is the best idea.
Exactly! Have they still not learned that every single time there is a shake up in the regulations it results in one team with a huge advantage over the rest. Currently Ferrari and Merc are pretty even and Red Bull are quickly catching so why the need for the new regs?

Back on topic and my prediction is that 2020 will be the closest battle we have for the next 5 years.
Yep, next season will be like his season but turned up another notch, I'm sure of it!

Generally I agree about the regs changes - but I do also think the cars have ended up a little silly at this point (the dirty air problem definitely takes away from 'racing') and also, they're not exactly pin-up lookers imo. A change is probably due, and the 2021 cars look to be far better proportioned, and will allow more over taking. We have already seen an increase in over taking this season based on some far smaller aero reg changes, and to be fair, it has improved many previously dull circuits.

ghost83

5,476 posts

190 months

Saturday 5th October 2019
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I’d put some money on Honda going all out!

I also see Ferrari going for all out glory

I don’t see Renault or merc winning 2020

ajprice

27,437 posts

196 months

Saturday 5th October 2019
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Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull will be evens. McLaren as the 4th team in-between the top 3 and the rest, mixing it with the top 3 and getting podiums on their day/when the track suits them/when the top teams cock it up. Williams catch up and get involved with the mid teams, which will be pot luck for who comes out on top. For the thread though, putting the other teams in order.

5th Haas Whyte Bikes
6th Toro Rosso/Alpha Tauri
7th Renault
8th Alfa Romeo
9th Williams
10th Racing Point Team Stroll

rdjohn

6,164 posts

195 months

Saturday 5th October 2019
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StevieBee said:
Whilst a lot tighter, I think the general run of things will be largely unchanged.

I'd suggest that we'll see a more consistently competitive Red Bull and Albon emerging as a threat to Max's crown in the team.

As a wild card, I'd throw in McLaren as the stand out team for next year - podiums. Maybe a surprise win.
This is my general feeling, but not so sure about McLaren.

When everyone was raving about Ferrari in pre-season testing this year, I still thought that Mercedes would win comfortably. Bringing a technically brilliant car to Oz is only part of the package.

The Ferrari driver conflicts will need resolving if they are not just going to take points from each other. Merc. learnt their mistakes with ROS and HAM when they had a dominant package, Ferrari will not have that luxury.

Fundamentally, I do not believe that having a brilliant technical guy as TP is smart either. Toto is superb at managing all the other bits of the team, but knows when to delegate and who to trust.

When they were superior, Mercedes made some dumb tactical decisions, but they learn from them, so again, it is now one of their strengths.

Having a powerful PU is great until it goes pop half way through the race. I think Merc tend to be quite conservative with the way that the run theirs throughout the season - scoring good points in every race is all important. As is not taking grid penalties for failures.

My biggest surprise this year was the failure of a Renault to slot into 4th position, or even pass the Honda RB. I now don’t feel confident that they will make a big leap next year either. Top management probably needs to change, they are surviving on former glories. They desperately need fresh blood. While I think McLaren can get even stronger, I think that, ultimately, their PU will hold them back - especially now that they have given notice to terminate.

Sadly, I do not see Williams breaking out of their current malaise either. Which is bad news for George - I think he deserves something a little better. I don’t see much changing between TR, Hass Racing Point and Sauber. It all depends on how the dice rolls on race day - they are the bit-players.

I don’t think that the Hulk will get a drive in F1.

thebigmacmoomin

2,797 posts

169 months

Saturday 5th October 2019
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Mercedes will win again as Ferrari will implode etc etc

TheDeuce

Original Poster:

21,450 posts

66 months

Saturday 5th October 2019
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I'm assuming Mercedes will win - pretty much on the basis it's likely the most valuable win opportunity they will ever get, so they will pull no punches (or resources) in 2020 to make it so.

That doesn't mean they can't screw it up, or be out done by another team making an innovative break-through of course... But ignoring such entirely unpredictable possibilities, I think it's very likely they will be successful in 2020. If they are, sod it - they deserve it.

Jinba Ittai

562 posts

91 months

Sunday 6th October 2019
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Hamilton will just pip it as the Ferrari drivers take points of each other. McLaren slip back as their relationship with Renault suffers. Red Bull do much the same as this year, albeit with a bit more reliability, leaving Verstappen tempted to Mercedes for 2021 with a big money offer. If he doesn't take it, Russell gets the seat.

HustleRussell

24,625 posts

160 months

Sunday 6th October 2019
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Ricciardo / Ocon is going to come to blows and will become one of the most talked about intra-team rivalries.

TheDeuce

Original Poster:

21,450 posts

66 months

Sunday 6th October 2019
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HustleRussell said:
Ricciardo / Ocon is going to come to blows and will become one of the most talked about intra-team rivalries.
If next year's car is a bit of a let down again, that rivalry could be epic - they would have nothing to do other than battle and knock spots off one another.

Not least as Ocon has to prove he was worth bringing back to the grid, whilst DR has to prove he still deserves a better car.

I can see it happening. Maybe I even welcome the idea... smile

Teddy Lop

8,294 posts

67 months

Sunday 6th October 2019
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TheDeuce said:
HustleRussell said:
Ricciardo / Ocon is going to come to blows and will become one of the most talked about intra-team rivalries.
If next year's car is a bit of a let down again, that rivalry could be epic - they would have nothing to do other than battle and knock spots off one another.

Not least as Ocon has to prove he was worth bringing back to the grid, whilst DR has to prove he still deserves a better car.

I can see it happening. Maybe I even welcome the idea... smile
I dunno, rivalries never flare up bigger, and buddy team mates sour, than where the car has a chance of something in my experience...

Them both needing to prove something is on point though.

I wonder how close Albon (assuming he retains the seat) can get to max, and if they're fighting together whether the cool and collected unthreatened max we've seen this year can avoid reverting to the crashstappen he was when Danny was pushing him? Be interesting to see how this one plays out.

TheDeuce

Original Poster:

21,450 posts

66 months

Sunday 6th October 2019
quotequote all
Teddy Lop said:
TheDeuce said:
HustleRussell said:
Ricciardo / Ocon is going to come to blows and will become one of the most talked about intra-team rivalries.
If next year's car is a bit of a let down again, that rivalry could be epic - they would have nothing to do other than battle and knock spots off one another.

Not least as Ocon has to prove he was worth bringing back to the grid, whilst DR has to prove he still deserves a better car.

I can see it happening. Maybe I even welcome the idea... smile
I dunno, rivalries never flare up bigger, and buddy team mates sour, than where the car has a chance of something in my experience...

Them both needing to prove something is on point though.

I wonder how close Albon (assuming he retains the seat) can get to max, and if they're fighting together whether the cool and collected unthreatened max we've seen this year can avoid reverting to the crashstappen he was when Danny was pushing him? Be interesting to see how this one plays out.
That's probably true - although I think the car would have to be capable of something notable, at least 3rd in WDC for example (which it patently won't be capable of..). There are various reasons why team mates might battle more than is desirable.

And yes, Albon v Max could be interesting. At least part of the 'new Max' we have seen has to be down to the fact he really hasn't been threatened this year at all. I do also think he's done exceptionally well as a raw talent though, and probably will stay ahead of Albon next year by a safe-ish margin. If not, it could be an excellent sub-plot of many races.

Edited by TheDeuce on Sunday 6th October 12:13

ukaskew

10,642 posts

221 months

Sunday 6th October 2019
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1. McLaren will score a few podiums

2. Leclerc and Vettel will run each other off at the first corner somewhere

3. Ricciardo will become increasingly banzai as he grows frustrated with the Renault

4. The Haas boys will crash into each other

5. Most of the races will be good, but people will still complain and say F1 isn't what it once was.