The drivers are facing an F1 season in 2021

With the upcoming Formula 1 season 2021, which drivers are under the greatest pressure to perform?

Half of the drivers on the grid are left without a seat secured for the new era of F1 in 2022 when major regulatory changes come into play, guaranteeing a fascinating driver market. And Lewis Hamilton’s one-year contract with Mercedes only opened up what was already an exciting silly season.

In the midst of the uncertainty and dominoes of the drivers in 2020, which are already generating an interesting dynamic for 2021, some drivers are facing decisive seasons that could shape the rest of their F1 careers …

If Valtteri Bottas does not win his first F1 world title this year, it is unlikely that his Mercedes future will be determined by his performance alone.

It seems like Bottas’ time at the German manufacturer will depend more on factors beyond his control, particularly whether Lewis Hamilton decides to continue the race and whether George Russell can prove beyond any doubt that he deserves a Mercedes seat in 2022 .

Nevertheless, it is ultimately up to Bottas to do what he can to prove to Mercedes that he is indispensable. For the fifth year in a row, the Finn is entering the season on a rolling contract and he has little excuse for not appearing in what is likely to be the best machine.

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Whether he takes his fate into his own hands or decided his fate for him, 2021 will be a decisive year for Bottas.

While Esteban Ocon says he can forgive a relatively slow start to Formula 1 after a sabbatical year after losing his seat at Racing Point, the Frenchman has to hit the ground running in what is arguably the most important race year of his career so far.

Ocon was clearly surpassed by Daniel Ricciardo at Renault last year, despite having a strong end to the campaign, taking his first podium at the Sakhir Grand Prix with a brilliant run in second place.

But with two-time world champion Fernando Alonso returning to the renamed Alpine squad this year, there will be no hiding place for Ocon as he has been with the team for a full season.

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The 24-year-old has already been usurped by Russell as long-time successor to Hamilton at Mercedes and will be looking for a more consistent and convincing campaign this season.

Alonso’s destruction could seriously damage not only Ocon’s reputation, but also its chances of keeping its Alpine seat through 2022 as its contract expires at the end of the year.

Granted, 2021 won’t be a “make-or-break season” in the traditional sense for Norris, as his place at McLaren looks pretty secure as one of the drivers with a deal for the next year. However, it will certainly give him his biggest test to date in F1.

Up until that point, we only had Carlos Sainz, whom Norris could face during his two-year stint in F1. Sainz may have had the upper hand over Norris in the final standings in 2019 and 2020, but the Briton generally held up against a driver Ferrari was dying to sign, particularly in qualifying when he beat the team’s Saturday fight 9-8 Course of the last season.

Daniel Ricciardo will be a completely new challenge for Norris and, as a seven-time Grand Prix winner, will probably be a more formidable opponent than Sainz. After all, the Australian pushed his teammates aside relatively easily, apart from the extraordinary Max Verstappen.

A head-to-head battle with one of the best in the business will be a real test for Norris – who is so highly rated by McLaren and many in the paddock thanks to his stellar junior career – and how he reacts will either build or diminish his reputation.

Like Norris, Sebastian Vettel’s career does not depend on his performance in 2021 as he has signed a multi-year contract with Aston Martin. Instead, it’s more about the impact of the season on his reputation.

After a bloody last few years at Ferrari and the failure of failing to achieve his goal of bringing a world championship back to Maranello, Vettel has found a new home in the renamed Aston Martin squad where he hopes to rediscover his mojo and get back in shape get.

The superiority of new teammate Lance Stroll and leading the Silverstone team for continued success in 2021 would help restore some of the damage Vettel has suffered in recent years.

On the flip side, anything but Stroll’s dominance in 2021 would further dent the four-time world champion’s reputation as one of the all-time F1 greats after a miserable 2020.

Antonio Giovinazzi is another driver who is under immense pressure to perform this season.

After a difficult rookie year with veteran Kimi Räikkönen in 2019, Giovinazzi’s form improved noticeably in his second season. The Italian even managed to outperform the most experienced driver in F1 in one lap of the 17-lap season.

Having decided to stick with the same driver line-up for the third year in a row, Alfa Romeo expects Giovinazzi to take another step forward in 2021, and Ferrari has set clear goals for the 27-year-old as well.

While Giovinazzi insisted in an interview with Crash.net late last year that he was only focused on himself and unfazed by a lack of certainty about his future, his position could be seriously compromised if he doesn’t see his upward trend this year continues threat from Ferrari’s up and coming young talent.