Miss the first part of the Formula One season? Or, you know, every F1 season ever? No worries! Whether you’re a casual watcher or even a never-been-a-fan, our Netflix-ish guide will get you up to speed.
If you like Russell Westbrook, you’ll love… Kimi Raikkonen
Raikkonen is, uh, let’s call him a strong personality. He’s known for giving blunt answers to the media, and his crew usually catches his wrath through the headset during races. Heck, when he crashed at the 2006 Monaco GP, Raikkonen just left the track to go to his yacht. Why is he given such a long leash? The 2009 champ has 21 wins and 10 top-five seasons.
Rating: 3/5 stars
If you like James Harden, you’ll love… Valtteri Bottas
Clean-shaven Bottas was a career middle-of-the-pack finisher who called 2018 his most disappointing season. The lightly bearded 2019 version of Bottas? He’s off to the best start of his career and appears destined for a chase to the F1 championship. Bottas has won twice and hasn’t finished worse than fourth. New facial hair, new hardware?
Rating: 4.8/5 stars
If you like Trevor Lawrence, you’ll love… Charles Leclerc
Like the Clemson QB, Leclerc was supposed to be good … but not this soon. He landed with Ferrari at age 21 and already sits fifth in the standings — and if it weren’t for fluke mistakes, he’d be even higher. He’s still No. 2 on his own team behind legend Sebastian Vettel, but Leclerc has constantly pushed his colleague for track position — and hype.
Rating: 4.2/5 stars
If you liked the Shaq/Kobe beef, you’ll love … Mercedes
Five-time champ Lewis Hamilton never plays well with teammates, and this year is no different. He’s grumbled about teammate Valtteri Bottas’ early surge, specifically because he didn’t like that Mercedes gave Bottas several top engineers. This year’s champ will likely come from the Mercedes garage — just don’t expect many congratulatory hugs.
Rating: 5/5 stars
If you liked Paul George’s return, you’ll love … Robert Kubica
In 2011, Kubica was in a horrific crash, suffering massive blood loss, a nearly severed arm and fractures to his shoulder and leg. He spent years chasing an unlikely trip back to F1, and in 2019, after serving as a test driver last year, he achieved his goal of a ride for Williams. He’s 20th in the standings … but No. 1 in the comeback story rankings.
Rating: 1/5 stars
If you liked Bryce Harper to Philly, you’ll love … Daniel Ricciardo
The Aussie had a stellar run from 2014 to ’16 that established him as a future star. Since then, he’s been inconsistent and has had car troubles. When he joined Renault this year, it was a match between a team looking to return to its mid-2000s glory and a driver seeking a change. Style? Oh, he’s got that too. Ricciardo’s helmet game is head and shoulders above the rest.
Rating: 3.6/5 stars
* Watch your faves hit the podium at the French GP on June 23 (9 a.m. ET, ESPN).
http://www.espn.com/racing/story/_/id/26966653/what-f1-netflix-ish-guide-2019-formula-1-season
