Formula 1: The scariest stat about Mercedes’ dominant onslaught

Mercedes have been untouchable to start the 2020 Formula 1 season, and that doesn’t look like it will change. But one stat during this three-race stretch stands out.

For the third consecutive race to open up the 2020 Formula 1 season, Mercedes dominated from the pole position on Sunday at the Hungaroring, as Lewis Hamilton took the lead of the driver standings away from Valtteri Bottas with his second consecutive win.

Mercedes have looked untouchable to start the year, and there is little doubt that they will be 2020 constructor champions, giving them seven consecutive titles, and that one of their two drivers, likely Hamilton, will be the world champion, giving the team seven consecutive driver titles.

They have already opened up a 66-point lead (121-55) over Red Bull in second place in the constructor standings, and the closest rival behind the Mercedes duo in the driver standings is Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in third. He is already 25 points Bottas (58-33), which is a full race win. Bottas trails Hamilton by five (63-58).

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But what is most notable about Mercedes’ dominance is the fact that they’ve done it at venues where they were rather weak last season.

The Silver Arrows opened up the 2019 season with eight consecutive victories, including five straight 1-2 finishes. But Red Bull and Ferrari were still able to make things interest on a week by week basis, as they combined to win six of the 21-race season’s final 13 races. Mercedes still ended the year with 15 wins.

Two tracks combined to host the first three races of the 2020 season: the Red Bull Ring (Austrian Grand Prix and Styrian Grand Prix) and the Hungaroring (Hungarian Grand Prix).

In last year’s race at the Red Bull Ring, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took the pole position and led 58 of 71 laps. Verstappen, who won for Red Bull, led four laps. Hamilton and Mercedes led only nine.

In last year’s race at the Hungaroring, Verstappen dominated from the pole position, leading 59 of 70 laps, but a late call to pit for new tires allowed Hamilton to take the lead late for the win. He led the other 11 circuits.

So the fact that the first three races on the 2020 calendar were at tracks where Mercedes led only 14.18% (20 of 141) laps last year gave fans reason for optimism that the season would not be a complete runaway for the Brackley-based team.

Instead, here we are through three races, and Mercedes have led 211 of 212 laps, with Verstappen leading the other one simply because Hamilton made an early pit stop for slick tires one lap before he did in the Hungarian Grand Prix. Mercedes have three straight wins from pole, and we have yet to see a single on-track lead change this year.

As if the other teams on the grid hadn’t received enough bad news, Mercedes appear to only be getting started, having had this success at venues where they were far from being the team to beat only a year ago.

The next several races on the confirmed 10-race schedule suit their strengths as well, starting with the doubleheader at Silverstone Circuit on Sunday, August 2 and Sunday, August 9. On paper, they should win every race remaining on the updated 2020 calendar, although it is still believed that between five and eight events will be added.