Lewis Hamilton begins his bid for an unprecedented eighth drivers’ world championship this week facing a cluster of challenges to his crown, as Formula One launches its cost-cutting era with a record 23-race global calendar.
The defending champion passed his 36th birthday in January and struggled this month in pre-season testing, which was dominated by Max Verstappen and a reinvigorated Red Bull, having after long delays committed to only a one-year contract, for 2021, during the sport’s brief off-season.
After contracting Covid-19 and duly missing the Sakhir Grand Prix last year, Hamilton had returned to be beaten in the season-ending Abu Dhabi race by Verstappen –- a ‘blip’ that may be seen by some as an early signal of a decline in his powers, which will have encouraged not only the young Dutchman, but others.