The greatest comeback since Lazarus? Formula 1 has seen its fair share of thrilling turnarounds, and this season might just add another to the list. With Max Verstappen no longer having the fastest car on the grid, McLaren and Mercedes are closing in fast.
Max Verstappen, currently holding a 78-point lead over Lando Norris, has had to come to terms with the fact that he no longer has the fastest car in Formula 1. McLaren and Mercedes have been on a roll, winning the most recent quartet of races heading into the summer break.
In the constructors’ standings, Red Bull’s lead over McLaren has shrunk to just 42 points. If Verstappen and Red Bull fail to clinch the championships this year, it would be one of the biggest mid-season turnarounds in F1 history.
History is littered with thrilling second-half comebacks. Damon Hill nearly toppled Michael Schumacher in 1994 after the German’s mistakes, and Sebastian Vettel closed the gap on Jenson Button in 2009 but fell short. Yet, some have managed to pull off the impossible.
Take, for instance, John Surtees in 1964. After the fifth round, he wasn’t even in the top five. Yet, by season’s end, thanks to some dramatic events like Graham Hill’s crash and Jim Clark’s oil leak, Surtees clinched the title.
And who can forget the 1976 season? James Hunt won the championship after Niki Lauda’s horrific crash at the Nurburgring. Despite Lauda’s brave return, Hunt’s relentless drive ensured he edged out Lauda by just one point.
In 1982, Keke Rosberg won the championship with only one victory throughout the season. A highly competitive year saw 11 different race winners, but Rosberg’s consistency paid off in the end.
Fast forward to 2007, when Kimi Raikkonen seized the title amid McLaren’s internal conflicts. Despite being 18 points behind with seven races to go, Raikkonen’s consistent performances helped him snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
More recently, Sebastian Vettel turned around a significant deficit in 2012 to win his third successive title. A string of victories in the latter part of the season saw him leapfrog his competitors.
Lewis Hamilton also showcased an incredible comeback in 2018. After trailing Sebastian Vettel mid-season, Hamilton capitalized on Vettel’s mistakes to claim his fifth world title.
The current F1 season is ripe for another dramatic comeback story. With McLaren and Mercedes sharing the last four wins, Verstappen’s dominance is under threat. History shows us that comebacks are not just possible but frequent in F1, and this year might be another thrilling chapter in that saga.
As the season progresses, all eyes will be on McLaren and Mercedes to see if they can continue their winning streak and dethrone Red Bull. If history is anything to go by, we are in for an exhilarating finish.
