These are some of the good intentions for F1 teams and drivers
Red Bull Content Pool
General
The end of the year is always the time for good intentions for the new season. Here are some good intentions for drivers and teams based on the past season. Be sure to let us know in the comments who you think should have a good intention.
Fighting with Max Verstappen - Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris
A suitable resolution for Charles Leclerc, and especially Lando Norris, would be to fight more with Max Verstappen. Since the Miami Grand Prix, Verstappen has not had the best car in Formula 1 but he barely lost any ground on his biggest rivals. This was due to the Dutchman's consistency and fighting spirit, which was clearly missing from his rivals.
Lando Norris, in particular, had the chance to catch up to Verstappen for a long time but failed to do so consistently. When he was near the track with Verstappen, he often lost out. On the latter front, Leclerc seemed slightly more potent, but the Monegasque also sometimes ended up crashing his car by going too far over the limit. If the two want to compete for the world title in 2025, this will be an essential resolution.
Regaining qualifying form - Lewis Hamilton
With a record 104 pole positions, it is fair to say that Hamilton's most significant strength for many years was qualifying. In 2024, however, Hamilton was severely trounced in that area by teammate George Russell. The latter was, on average, more than a tenth faster in qualifying, winning the qualifying duel 19-5. Hamilton had never lost by such figures before.
Is it age, or was it a lack of motivation, knowing he would leave for Ferrari? Whatever the two, Hamilton will need to find an extra gear to succeed at Ferrari. With the field close together, even the smallest of margins could end up costing a few spots on the grid. Then, it will be harder to win a title race.
Lessons in strategy for beginners - Ferrari (& McLaren?)
Although things are improving at Ferrari under Frederic Vasseur, there is still more than one strategic flaw during a race weekend. Think, for instance, of the British Grand Prix, where everything went wrong in the rain. Or when they called Sainz in during the Las Vegas Grand Prix, only to change the call on him as he made his way toward the pit lane because they were not yet ready.
Yet Ferrari was not the only top team with strategic blunders this year. While eventually becoming world champions, McLaren also threw away many points due to unbelievable decisions. The so-called papaya rules didn't go down well with the public either, mainly as it produced unusual situations on several occasions.
Headphones replaced by earplugs - Racing Bulls
With Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar as drivers, Racing Bulls' resolutions cannot be other than to give earplugs to the engineers. Tsunoda is highly flammable, but anyone who has followed Hadjar in F2 knows that he might be a bit worse. The duo's onboard radios will, therefore, be accompanied by a lot of swearing and ranting.
The solution may be to give the engineers earplugs, or another solution is to 'mute' their driver's onboard radio. That way, it stays nice and quiet over the team's channels, but the necessary information can still be given to the drivers.
Which driver or team do you think should have a resolution for 2025? Let us know in the comments!
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