Formula 1: Is this MLB record an ominous sign for F1 fans?

An interesting MLB development regarding the success of Mercedes hits home with a lot of Formula 1 fans, no pun intended.

When I saw the ESPN headline of “Mercedes starts season 8-for-8 to set MLB mark”, I thought I was reading a miscategoried or a mistitled post about something that had to do with Formula 1, given the dominance of the Mercedes team in recent seasons.

Here it had nothing to do with Formula 1 at all — which would’ve been implied for anybody other than Formula 1 fans, of course, given the fact that it literally says “MLB mark”.

Nevertheless, I took a look, and what I found was interesting.

Chicago White Sox rookie designated hitter Yermin Mercedes got three hits in his first three at-bats against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday to improve to 8 for 8 to start 2021, giving him the all-time record for consecutive hits to start a season by any player in the modern era (since 1900). He went 5 for 5 the previous night.

Take a look at the eight hits that made up his record streak.

• Line drive single off of a 1-2 changeup from Andrew Heaney
• Ground ball single off of a 1-0 sinker from Javy Guerra
• Line drive single off of an 0-1 cutter from Chris Rodriguez
• Line drive single off of an 0-2 cutter from Mike Mayers
• Double to left field off of an 0-2 change from Alex Claudio
• 421-foot home run off of a 2-2 splitter from Alex Cobb
• Ground ball single off of a 1-2 sinker from Alex Cobb
• Double to deep left-center off of a 1-0 sinker from Alex Cobb

He had entered the season with just one career at-bat (0 for 1) last year.

Back to Formula 1: could this be an ominous sign for the fans tired of the same old, same old?

Of course, the two aren’t related whatsoever. It just so happens that the White Sox rookie has the same last name as the most dominant team in Formula 1.

However, that headline still comes across as pretty ironic.

It’s quite interesting that just two seasons ago, Mercedes set their Formula 1 record with…how many wins to start the season?

More from Formula One

• Formula 1: Top Red Bull threat identified for 2024
• Formula 1: Why the Max Verstappen retirement obsession?
• Formula 1: Williams ‘mistake’ hints Logan Sargeant’s future
• Formula 1 awaiting key confirmation for 2024 season
• Formula 1: The ‘championship’ Max Verstappen only leads by 3 points

Eight (8), the second highest all-time behind McLaren’s 11 from the 1988 season, when they happened to have two guys behind the wheel who you might have heard of: Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.

And despite being clearly slower than Red Bull to open up the 2021 season, great strategy on the pit wall and the usual brilliant driving by Lewis Hamilton netted them the victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit.

We seriously doubt they’ll go 8 for 8 to start the 2021 season. If Hamilton manages to do so, however, that would be an all-time record — much like it was for the other Mercedes.

But the team Mercedes could set another record with crazy eights later this year — as could Hamilton.

The Silver Arrows have won the first seven driver and constructor titles of the V6 turbo hybrid era, which began in 2014. They already hold the record for both.

But why not extend both to go 8 for 8? They remain the odds-on favorites to do so, despite promising signs from Red Bull early on.

An eighth consecutive driver title would also presumably the eighth career world championship for Hamilton.

While he secured his first title with McLaren in 2008, it would be his eighth title driving a Mercedes-powered car as well.

The second race of the 23-race 2021 Formula 1 season is the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, April 18. This race is set to be broadcast live on ESPN from Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET.