102 replies to this topic

[Marklar]

Sebastian Vettels maiden world championship in 2010 was the last time where we got a new world champion - after the same happened also in the previous years (Raikkonen, Hamilton, Button). Last year at the Belgium GP we got for the first time since then a podium just with non-WDC. And last years championship result had 3 non-WDC in the top 4.

Which begs the question when we will we get a new world champion? And more important who do you think will it be?

[DutchQuicksilver]

My bet is on Ricciardo. If not at Red Bull, it will certainly be at Ferrari or Mercedes, he'll eventually end up at on of those two teams.

[HeadFirst]

Rosberg. He's got the Mercedes, and now he's only a Rihanna away from a WDC.

[PayasYouRace]

These things have a weird way of being generational, and the next generation always has a surprise or two.

 

Ricciardo looks like he's got a lot going for him right now. But it's so difficult to tell.

[Imateria]

At this point in time Ricciardo would be my bet but who know's how the grids going to be in a few years time. Rosberg I reckon will never be WDC whilst he's teamed with Hamilton.

[xtremeclock]

My bet is on Ricciardo. If not at Red Bull, it will certainly be at Ferrari or Mercedes, he'll eventually end up at on of those two teams.

 

I seriously doubt Ferrari will consider Ricciardo, Vettel is their 4 times WDC star (he is performing like one) and probably they won't make him feel 'uncomfortable' unless of course he agrees....

Edited by xtremeclock, 15 August 2015 - 19:15.

[SilverArrow31]

Whoever it is it wont be for a while. I am predicting Hamilton and Vettel to continue dominating this decade of F1.

[Jackmancer]

Whoever it is it wont be for a while. I am predicting Hamilton and Vettel to continue dominating this decade of F1.

 

Predictions are difficult, especially about the future ;-)
 

In 1995, it might have looked obvious that Hill and Schumacher would dominate the rest of the decade, or, in 2006, it might have looked like Alonso and Raikkonen would.

[nosecone]

I voted for Nico Hülkenberg. It's more hoping  than guessing

[George Costanza]

Predictions are difficult, especially about the future ;-)
 

In 1995, it might have looked obvious that Hill and Schumacher would dominate the rest of the decade, or, in 2006, it might have looked like Alonso and Raikkonen would.

 

To be fair, in from 1995-2005 onward, there was no doubt who was the best driver; Michael was indeed the best, regardless of WDC standing or not.

Edited by George Costanza, 15 August 2015 - 20:25.

[jonpollak]

Good topic Marklar. I'll say Max Verslappen.

[Coral]

i vote for Max Verstappen, simply because of his extremely impressive start in F1. He's one of those drivers you just "know" is going to do great things.

[sennafan24]

I am going to go with my heart.

 

Danny Ric

 

 

To be fair, in from 1995-2005 onward, there was no doubt who was the best driver; Michael was indeed the best, regardless of WDC standing or not.

Michael Andretti?

[apoka]

Interesting question. I think Hamilton is the favorite for the title this year and next year. However, Rosberg is not miles away in the WDC standing this year and still has some chance. Next year, he would also have another chance. My vote goes to him.

 

The driver who can trouble Hamilton most next year talent and car wise could be Vettel. Even if he gets a new team mate in Bottas, I think he would be the one fighting for the WDC if Ferrari has any chance at all.

 

Going further on the grid, we have Red Bull who could surprise in 2016 if they sort out things, although that doesn't seem very likely right now.

 

McLaren seems too far away at the moment for the WDC. I wouldn't be surprised about podiums in 2016, but putting a whole WDC campaign together requires stable performance.

 

Summary: Probably no new WDCs in 2015 and 2016, but Rosberg should have the highest chance (and I think he is a bit underrated around here). From 2017 on, things could shake up massively and I expect Ricciardo to be in the mix. He's a brilliant driver.

Edited by apoka, 15 August 2015 - 20:59.

[HistoryFan]

I think the next new world champions will be

 

Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc.

[paulogman]

Ricciardo or verstappen depending on which way the rules go and which team adapts best.

if they don't get the best car then it could be bottas or one of the merc proteges.

[hittheapex]

Based on the state of the regulations and pecking order, I'll go with Rosberg. He's not miles away from Hamilton and with a good run of form and/or some bad luck or a Hamilton dip in form he can be world champion.

 

It would really help if he capitalises on opportunities such as Hungary. He should have gained a hatful of points and inconceivably managed to lose a couple more to Hamilton by the end.

[Volcano70]

Bottas, he is shown he can contend in a williams with Merc and Ferrari, and if he does go to ferrari he may have a good chance of getting a WDC.

[Fatgadget]

Its no accident the current front runners are Mercedes and Ferrari and they have ONE fundamental common denominator which is crucial for success these days...engine and chassis under one roof.Unless a team has a similar set-up,forget it.Therefore the next champions for the forseable future will be driving one of them cars.

[jonpollak]

True dat

[CurbPainter]

So difficult to say, because you have no idea which team will be the main title contender in a few years time. It could well be McLaren/Honda surprises us, or Ferrari again, or still Mercedes, or Red Bull, or who knows Haas is excellent when the Ferrari engine is on par with the Mercedes engine...

 

...and who are driving for them at that time ?

 

I can make a list in diminishing order with the ones who I think are closest now, but the longer it takes for a new one to become a new WDC, the bigger the variable.

 

Rosberg, Ricciardo, Verstappen, Botas, Vandoorne, Ocon, Leclerc, or another one of the talents who still doesn't seem to be very promising but figures it out all of a sudden.

[043Max]

dUh. Verstappen of course.

[Watkins74]

Its no accident the current front runners are Mercedes and Ferrari and they have ONE fundamental common denominator which is crucial for success these days...engine and chassis under one roof.Unless a team has a similar set-up,forget it.Therefore the next champions for the forseable future will be driving one of them cars.

 

Talk about thin-slicing history. Why not add the Red Bull - Renault years, or Brawn Mercedes, McLaren-Mercedes? 

[Kyo]

until these new engines are frozen the chances of a non works team wining are significantly reduced.

 

So only Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and RBR (and after that Renault) will have a realistic chance.

 

So this year the only one with a chance is Rosberg. Next year I would say Rosberg, Ricciardo and whoever drives for Ferrari. The year after can only be a wild guess so it may be anyone.

[Exb]

I'm hoping it will be Vandoorne

 

(edit: or even Kev, I'm not that fussy as long as its in a McLaren )

Edited by Exb, 16 August 2015 - 01:20.

[Jimisgod]

Ricciardo. He's proven he can race and win against all the big guys (Hamilton, Alonso, Vettel) already.

 

Verstappen hasn't done that yet, he's always been further back and hasn't proven his wheel-to-wheel prowess against what I'd call WDCs (Button & Alonso don't really count this year because McLaren is so ****)

[Tourgott]

Daniel Ricciardo

[Lights]

Ricciardo, because he's the only one in the list I'm sure would mount a serious challenge for the title when given half a chance. He beat Vettel, has excellent racecraft and already has the experience at the very front. 

[baddog]

There will not be one. Lewis Hamilton will win one more, then Sebastian Vettel will win the remaining championships until F1 closes down in 2019 due to the great collapse of civilisation.

[Requiem84]

Ricciardo seems the most obvious bet. Racing for a championship, imo, is something quite different from racing for racewins.

 

Sometimes you need to consolidate rather than go for every inch on track. This year DR had some scruffy moments in wheel to wheel fights, and last year as well he was driving on the absolute limit of what was possible when racing others. Not to mention the different kind of pressure one has when driving for the WDC. Many top drivers have crumbled in moments like these...

[DarthWillie]

Rosberg but he needs a Hamilton meltdown. After that so much will depend on the driver market which at the top teams is quite stuck except the Ferrari seat.

Bottas hasn't convinced me this year, my hope is for hulkenberg

[KnucklesAgain]

The one vote for other current driver on the grid was me misunderstanding the question

[jannyg]

I am going with a bold shout and I am going to pick Daniil Kvyat, I see greatness in the kid.

 

But it realistically can be any from Ricciardo, Kvyat and Verstappen/Sainz. Depends on whether they can avoid being teammates with each other when they get the car which is WCC and WDC worthy.

This all depends on timing: 

• Red Bull may take one or two years to get back in the groove while Merc scoop up the titles
• Ricciardo might not sit around and wait for this and could be at Ferrari/Mercedes as a teammate of Vettel/Hamilton
• Kvyat if still around will be ready to take advantage fully matured and with a 19yo Verstappen as teammate

 

Right now Ricciardo is the fastest of the lot, but Kvyat and Verstappen have so much scope for improvement due to their age

[Fatgadget]

Talk about thin-slicing history. Why not add the Red Bull - Renault years, or Brawn Mercedes, McLaren-Mercedes?

...Thought we are talking about future champions no?

[lars75]

I'm hoping it will be Vandoorne

 

(edit: or even Kev, I'm not that fussy as long as its in a McLaren )

 

So it could be de Vries aswell?

[lars75]

Ricciardo. He's proven he can race and win against all the big guys (Hamilton, Alonso, Vettel) already.

 

Verstappen hasn't done that yet, he's always been further back and hasn't proven his wheel-to-wheel prowess against what I'd call WDCs (Button & Alonso don't really count this year because McLaren is so ****)

 

Huh?

 

How could he? 

[043Max]

....until F1 closes down in 2019 due to the great collapse of civilisation.

 

 

  now you jinxed the World. This is Excacly what will be the Only thing able to stop Verstappen.....

[MrWorldwideJr]

Huh?

 

How could he? 

 

It's not a criticism of Verstappen, simply a statement of fact.  

Of course he hasn't had a chance to prove himself against WDCs yet and its not his fault that he hasn't.  It is also the case that until he has been given the chance to race at the front and has proven that he can do so there will be a doubt about whether or not he can.

Again not a criticism of Verstappen simply an acknowledgement of the fact that there are a lot of things that he hasn't had the chance to prove yet and therefore a still a lot of questions about his ultimate potential until he is given the chance to prove them.

Similar to how we still don't know how Ricciardo would deal with a title battle because he hasn't had the chance to be in one yet.

[lars75]

It's not a criticism of Verstappen, simply a statement of fact.  

Of course he hasn't had a chance to prove himself against WDCs yet and its not his fault that he hasn't.  It is also the case that until he has been given the chance to race at the front and has proven that he can do so there will be a doubt about whether or not he can.

Again not a criticism of Verstappen simply an acknowledgement of the fact that there are a lot of things that he hasn't had the chance to prove yet and therefore a still a lot of questions about his ultimate potential until he is given the chance to prove them.

Similar to how we still don't know how Ricciardo would deal with a title battle because he hasn't had the chance to be in one yet.

 

No I understood it wasn't criticism, so that fine. 

 

But the one thing I don't understand is why people believe that the drivers decide who will be the best, but in fact it is always the right surcomstances that do. 

 

Every driver in the current F1 could have a shot at the tittle in the current Merc. None of them could do it in the current McLaren. This is how it always was and always will be in F1. So I don't rate drivers by there WDC titles! I rate them by the style I favour most and the caracters how they come across in the media (because I don't know them personally).

 

So I favour guys like Gilles/Jacques Villeneuve, Irvine, Zanardi, Montoya, Senna, Schumacher, Jos/Max Verstappen, Piquet sr, James Hunt, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Vettel and guys like that over drivers like Prost, Hill, Hakkinen, Alonso, Massa, Ralf Schumacher and Frentzen for instance. Not that I think the last few stink at their Job but they don't get me exited to watch carracing. A kind like watching Marques and Rossi or watching Pedrosa you see?!

 

A few weeks ago I saw a tweet/article of a professional jury choosing wich of the current F1 driver would be the best at a kart and they have chosen Max above all others.

 

And I think to rate drivers you need to put them in equal equipment. The FWS last year was a good concept to that! All the same cars an engine and every race another engineer to work with. Max didn't won there everytime because of errors and trouble (just as in F3 and F1) but was the top contender to deal with. When he didn't make a mistake or got pushed of (Fuoco) and his car didn't brake down he was the one to beat.

 

And in a car I give the other F1 drivers a good shot to beat him, on a KZ1 kart I don't think many of them would stand a chance against him! Just as that professional jury thinks.

 

Unfortunatly I can't find the article anymore 

[noikeee]

I'm struggling to see past Ricciardo or Verstappen, I think any of the others will need pretty special circumstances or a remarkable evolution to become champions.

 

Below F1 it's always hard to throw predictions, but I reckon at least one out of Vandoorne/Ocon/Kirchhofer/Leclerc will become a competitive top driver in F1.

 

I voted for Verstappen as I think Red Bull will find it hard to come back from their current lack of performance even if they get Mercedes engines, which will hinder Ricciardo for a while. Even if he later switches teams or Red Bull fight back, Verstappen by then should be at his peak and in a better position. But futurology is always difficult and for all we know Verstappen could even stall and struggle.

Edited by noikeee, 16 August 2015 - 11:46.

[MrWorldwideJr]

No I understood it wasn't criticism, so that fine. 

 

But the one thing I don't understand is why people believe that the drivers decide who will be the best, but in fact it is always the right surcomstances that do. 

 

Every driver in the current F1 could have a shot at the tittle in the current Merc. None of them could do it in the current McLaren.

 

I think pretty much anyone who has taken the time to sign up to a forum specifically to discuss motorsport understands this, I don't really see where you're getting the idea that we don't.

 

 

So I favour guys like Gilles/Jacques Villeneuve, Irvine, Zanardi, Montoya, Senna, Schumacher, Jos/Max Verstappen, Piquet sr, James Hunt, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Vettel and guys like that over drivers like Prost, Hill, Hakkinen, Alonso, Massa, Ralf Schumacher and Frentzen for instance. Not that I think the last few stink at their Job but they don't get me exited to watch carracing. A kind like watching Marques and Rossi or watching Pedrosa you see?!

 

A few weeks ago I saw a tweet/article of a professional jury choosing wich of the current F1 driver would be the best at a kart and they have chosen Max above all others.

 

And I think to rate drivers you need to put them in equal equipment. The FWS last year was a good concept to that! All the same cars an engine and every race another engineer to work with. Max didn't won there everytime because of errors and trouble (just as in F3 and F1) but was the top contender to deal with. When he didn't make a mistake or got pushed of (Fuoco) and his car didn't brake down he was the one to beat.

 

And in a car I give the other F1 drivers a good shot to beat him, on a KZ1 kart I don't think many of them would stand a chance against him! Just as that professional jury thinks.

 

Unfortunatly I can't find the article anymore 

 

I don't think anyone is disputing that Verstappen was very impressive in karts or the FWS (he was) but none of this is really relevant to who will eventually become World Champion is it?  We're not discussing who is the best driver or who we rate the highest or who would be best if F1 was just one big kart race so all the othere circumstances beyond pure talent are relevant to the question.

 

Anyway to be a little unimaginative and boring I would answer Ricciardo to the question.  I don't think that Rosberg quite has the ability to beat Hamilton over a full season as teammates and I don't see him going anywhere else  where he would have a chance of the title.  On the other hand I can see Red Bull moving back towards the front at some point over the next few years and that would place Ricciardo in pole position to take advantage if he sticks around.  Equally if he leaves it would likely be to Ferrari where he could well have a shot at the title at some point also.

[lars75]

I think pretty much anyone who has taken the time to sign up to a forum specifically to discuss motorsport understands this, I don't really see where you're getting the idea that we don't.

 

 

I don't think anyone is disputing that Verstappen was very impressive in karts or the FWS (he was) but none of this is really relevant to who will eventually become World Champion is it?  We're not discussing who is the best driver or who we rate the highest or who would be best if F1 was just one big kart race so all the othere circumstances beyond pure talent are relevant to the question.

 

Anyway to be a little unimaginative and boring I would answer Ricciardo to the question.  I don't think that Rosberg quite has the ability to beat Hamilton over a full season as teammates and I don't see him going anywhere else  where he would have a chance of the title.  On the other hand I can see Red Bull moving back towards the front at some point over the next few years and that would place Ricciardo in pole position to take advantage if he sticks around.  Equally if he leaves it would likely be to Ferrari where he could well have a shot at the title at some point also.

 

On your first comment: I'm willing to think this because some are making me believe this by saying that surten drivers are midcore because they never became WDC. But less then 5% of all F1 drivers ever became WDC and about 10-15% became race winning drivers. So to win a race once is a great goal, but get the chance to become WDC is even slighter. But not winning a race or WDC doesn't make a driver midcore to me.

 

I don't dare to say who will become the next WDC because it all will depend on time and place. Rosberg could be next, but from this list I suspect Ricciardo and Verstappen to have a good shot at is as well.

[Tapz63]

Hulkenberg will get Kimi's seat for 2017 and win the title 2018 or 2019.

[lars75]

Hulkenberg will get Kimi's seat for 2017 and win the title 2018 or 2019.

 

Hopefully but it seems Porsche is willing to make him an offer he can't refuse and it's nog a horsehead between his sheets. Picked it up somewhere bu don't no where to be precise.

[Kao18]

I am interested to hear who the ones saying 'other driver who has not entered F1 one yet' voted for and through what team they are going to realistically achieve that?

[Jimisgod]

Huh?

 

How could he? 

 

He hasn't had the car, but thus far the only driver who has had the opportunity and has proven he could keep up AND is yet to be in a WDC capable car is Ricciardo.

 

Verstappen has to have a RIC at Hungary '14 or VET at Italy '08 moment before I'll put him at the front of the queue

[lars75]

I am interested to hear who the ones saying 'other driver who has not entered F1 one yet' voted for and through what team they are going to realistically achieve that?

 

Ocon with Mercedes I guess :-)

 

Vandoorne/de Vries with the McLaren Honda squad

 

Gasly with RedBull

 

Lynn with Williams

 

leClerck nobody possibly knows

 

Fuoco/Marciello with the Ferrari squad

[milestone 11]

Bottas, he is shown he can contend in a williams with Merc and Ferrari, and if he does go to ferrari he may have a good chance of getting a WDC.

Against Vettel? Not a cat's chance in hell. I really don't get the hype that surrounds him, or for that matter Verstappen. Massa has compared favourably with Bottas at Williams, I fail to understand why Ferrari would even consider him given their post Hungary experience of Massa.

[HoldenRT]

Voted for Ricciardo but not because I expect him to win one anytime soon (can't see Redbull/Renault challenging anytime soon) but because on merit, simply from a driver point of view, he seems the best choice.

 

He seems to have that 'it' factor that many of the greats or top drivers have and he's only young.  Bottas sometimes shows it.  Nico is ok it's just that Lewis is better.

 

In terms of factoring in the car, Vettel seems the best chance but this topic is about 'new' champions, so yeah.

 

Give poor Max a chance to finish his rookie season before hyping him for championships.  He's very young and raw but has a lot of potential.

[lars75]

He hasn't had the car, but thus far the only driver who has had the opportunity and has proven he could keep up AND is yet to be in a WDC capable car is Ricciardo.

 

Verstappen has to have a RIC at Hungary '14 or VET at Italy '08 moment before I'll put him at the front of the queue

 

Totally not compareble!!!

 

The B-Spec STR was a exact copy of the RB but Ferrari powered. As far as it goes Max already topped the Vettel P4 from 2008 as the only other STR youngster ever. But expecting him to win in a wet race at Spa or Monza would be to much if everything goes to normal. And up untill he gets a current Ferrari (comparable with last years RedBull I guess) he will not be able to do a Ric at Hungary last year as well. You can't expect Alonso to get the same out of his McLaren as in 2007 as well, can you?

 

Judge him on the things he showed up untill now. His quali and race in Malasia, his race in China, his FP and race in Monaco, his mistake in Silverstone, his races in Austria and Hungary.

 

And what I saw there give me good hopes for the future, a rough Diamond that needs a little cut to be bright and near to perfection. Hopefully they don't mess this Diamond up that it looked promissing but never will shine as bright as it could.