Dead even and down to the wire, but has it got too dirty?
The Hindu
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have produced a Formula One season for the ages. The enthralling title race has generated buzz, drawing new eyes to the sport. But have the driving and war of words crossed the limit of what is acceptable?
Formula One had been waiting for this for a long time. Ever since the regulations were overhauled in 2014, with the sport switching to the hybrid power unit, Mercedes has been dominant. Save for Ferrari’s brief challenges during parts of the 2017 and 2018 seasons, the Silver Arrows have often entered the track secure in the knowledge that the race was theirs to lose.
While the drivers make the sport what it is, engineering excellence plays a defining role, with the fastest car being more important for success than the fastest driver. For F1 to have an exciting season, the first requirement is to have at least two closely matched teams. This is not an easy thing to achieve, especially in modern F1, considering the varying budgets across the grid.