As a global pandemic held sport in a vice like grip, it looked highly unlikely that Formula One would even be able to stage the 2020 edition of its annual schedule and any talk of Lewis Hamilton earning a seventh Driver’s Championship was nothing more than wishful thinking.
While although there would have been all manner of sleepless nights for Ross Brawn and his colleagues, due to plenty of previous scheduled race weekends either being moved around or in some cases cancelled outright, the show did eventually go on.
It may have been an entertaining show in the main, as motor sport fans were glad that the pinnacle of the discipline was back on their screens and perhaps unsurprisingly, it was a show that was dominated by Lewis Hamilton.
Because for all the fears that he would be denied the opportunity to make it seven in terms of titles, those fears were unfounded, and the Stevenage born driver was once again a class apart from all his Formula One counterparts.
Counterparts that are certainly brimming with talent and you only need to look at the recent Sakhir Grand Prix as evidence of this, as the 2020 champion was unable to race due to a positive COVID-19 test.
With the grandmaster out of action, it allowed the rest of the class to play and in fairness, there was a glimpse of what Formula One’s eventual new era would look like, once Hamilton finally walks away from the grid for good.
Of course, at the time of writing the 35-year-old is still yet to pen to paper on a new deal for 2021 and beyond and the longer the delay, the greater the hopes for all those who consider themselves to be near rivals.
Because without the Mercedes kingpin on the grid, it automatically increase the chances of everyone else looking for success and perhaps more importantly, levels the playing field in terms of overall spectacle.
Going back to the Sakhir Grand Prix and the entertaining way in which it developed on race day, it certainly ignited more interest than before and this is only because, most people wanted to see somebody else take the chequered flag.
That someone was eventually Sergio Perez and with the Mexican being ushered out of Racing Point, as they morph into Aston Martin and pay Sebastian Vettel a hefty amount for his services, he certainly increased his own value.
Value that could see him take the second seat at Red Bull for 2021, as they prepare to use Honda engines for one final year and with a question mark regarding their power supply for 2022, it could be the last genuine chance at returning to the top step of the podium.
However, that chance could be diminished if Mercedes finally tie their man down to a new deal and if that is the case, then it is extremely hard to look past the German manufacturer winning the Constructors’ Championship for an eighth successive year.
While eight certainly seems to be the magic number for Lewis Hamilton, as if he continues the status quo and adds another title to his burgeoning collection, he will then surpass the legendary Michael Schumacher.
While if that proves to be the case, the argument regarding who is the best driver to compete in Formula One in the past 70 plus years, is one that finally comes to an end. That is at least, until a new pretender comes to the fore in the long and distant future.
Whether such a pretender ever presents itself, is something that cannot be guaranteed. However, if Mercedes keep their driver duo for next year, silverware will not be all that far away, and Lewis Hamilton will be the championship favourite according to SBR.
Because for all the talk of rule changes in 2021, they seem to be nothing more than a minor deterrent in terms of stopping the Silver Arrow in continuing their lengthy dominance and with Mercedes number two Valtteri Bottas not in a position to challenge, the question is who can?
If Sergio Perez signs for Red Bull then he may have to play second fiddle to Max Verstappen and even though the Dutchman won the final race of 2020 in Abu Dhabi, it does come with mitigating circumstance.
That circumstance saw Lewis Hamilton driving for Mercedes having only just returned from the fatigue of coronavirus and with the title already in his back pocket, it was only ever an appearance to fulfil contractual obligations.
While it is contractual obligations that team boss Toto Wolff will now look to extend and although there has been talk of different directions being taken, the likelihood is that the British racing legend commits to his current employers for a while longer yet.
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