Formula 1: Two-round, 10-team 2021 mock draft
By Asher Fair
Ferrari – Round 2, Pick 5 (Pick 15 overall): Fernando Alonso
A lot of fans thought that the 2018 season would be the final season for Fernando Alonso after he called it a career. But a lot of fans also had a feeling that he would be back, and sure enough, the two-time world champion returned for the 2021 season on a multi-year deal.
Even before he retired, the 32-time Grand Prix winner hadn’t had the opportunity to drive top equipment in several years. Racing in other series throughout the world, he has proven that he still has what it takes to win if given the right equipment.
But now 39 years old, how much longer will his latest Formula 1 stint? That is why, despite being sixth on the sport’s all-time wins list, he falls to Ferrari at #15 overall.
Alpine – Round 2, Pick 6 (Pick 16 overall): Sebastian Vettel
No, Sebastian Vettel isn’t 39 years old like Fernando Alonso. He isn’t 36 years old like Lewis Hamilton. He is still only 33 years old.
So how does a four-time world champion and a 53-time Grand Prix winner fall not just behind those two but all the way down to #16 overall to Alpine in a draft not among all drivers in the history of the sport but among only the 20 active ones?
First of all, at 33 years old, he is still the fourth oldest active driver. Secondly, his performances in recent years have not been those of a four-time champion, even before Charles Leclerc joined the team in 2019 and beat him handily in both 2019 and 2020. Maybe he will have a career rebirth at Aston Martin, but for now, things aren’t looking great.