Formula 1: 5 drivers who could be the next champion not named Lewis Hamilton

Charles Leclerc

Piggybacking off of the idea that Ferrari have had the upper hand over Mercedes as a whole throughout much of the 2018 Formula 1 season, Alfa Romeo Sauber rookie Charles Leclerc, who has signed with Ferrari to replace 2007 Formula 1 champion Kimi Raikkonen starting in the 2019 season, could also very well become the next champion not named Lewis Hamilton.

Ferrari have been content with Raikkonen playing a support role to four-time champion Sebastian Vettel since Vettel began driving for the team in the 2015 season. Raikkonen’s second stint driving for the team, as he also drove for them from the 2007 season through the 2009 season, began in the 2014 season, yet he has not won a single race since he made his return.

If Ferrari wanted this to continue, they would have re-signed the 38-year-old Finn. Raikkonen has proven that he can be a team player, so it is pretty clear that Leclerc was not signed solely to replace Raikkonen as a wingman to Vettel. There would be no point in signing a replacement to do something that Raikkonen has done almost perfectly over the last few seasons.

This effectively means, without a doubt, that Leclerc, who just turned 21 years old, was signed to do two things: win race and win championships. Whether or not he can do so right out of the gate remains to be seen, but he is seen by many as a future world champion, and justifiably so given the success he has had in his rookie season driving for Sauber, a team that have been a backmarker over the last few seasons and really still are from an overall speed perspective.