F1 takes a break from headliner Verstappen

AS MAX Verstappen crossed the damp line yesterday at SpaFrancorchamps in Belgium, it marked the conclusion of the opening act of the hit theatre show that is Formula 1.

And with an intermission lasting until the end of the month, there’s considerable time to ponder over the season thus far.

Red Bull and Max Verstappen have been the dominant force, McLaren have gone from zero to underdog hero in four months and off the track the circus of Formula 1 has continued to provide juicy storylines for Netflix’s Drive to Survive.

Here are the key moments with half of the season over.

THE

NEW, OLD AGE

Formula 1, over the last 15 years, has been a sport of eras. First it was Sebas- tian Vettel and constructor Red Bull, then Mercedes and, mainly, Lewis Hamilton. Now we are well and truly in the era of Max Verstappen.

The Dutchman and his Red Bull outfit have been the dominant force this season. Verstappen has won all but two of this year’s races, the outliers going to his teammate Sergio Perez in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan – in Hungary the team beat McLaren’s record of 12 wins in a row.

And sure, Red Bull cannot be blamed for their dominance – they’ve got more out of their resources than other teams have with theirs – but that doesn’t mean fans can’t be right when they call the processions slightly boring.

Formula 1 will be hoping for other winners in the latter parts of the season because without it, the brand loses value for fans.

Russian Roulette

Seasons away from the track are never smooth and tranquil, they’re as chaotic as much of the race action. This season has seen a driver in Nyck de Vries sacked from his seat for AlphaTauri and replaced with former Red Bull and McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo.

The Australian is a fan favourite and draws in the crowds, but he’s yet to score a point in his car. Alpine, before the weekend’s Belgian

Grand Prix, parted ways with team principal Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane. Another grandee of the constructor Pat Fry has joined Williams.

The off season saw Williams, McLaren and Ferrari all make major structure changes as teams look towards 2026 and major engineering changes to the cars.

It looks as if, then, no one is safe in the world of Formula 1, and it’s almost a certainty that a number of drivers who’re gracing the tracks of the globe this year will not be next season. The sport needs change. It’s as simple as that.

No number of mass changes off race or extra episodes added to the sport’s Netflix roster can get away from the fact that Formula 1 is becoming less interesting to fans who have followed the sport since before Drive to Survive. It’s a global phenomenon, but it is a predictable one. It should be an issue for the sport’s chiefs, and one that needs addressing.

But that’s for another day, because F1 fans the world over can actually chill out and relax for a month before the circus turns up in the Netherlands at the end of the month ahead of nine further races across four continents.

Ricciardo replaced De Vries this month