Historically, four consecutive podiums at the beginning of the season guarantee being champion or runner-up
Fernando Alonso has three podiums in three Grand Prix, in Baku he will look for the fourth
Fernando Alonso is signing a spectacular start to the season. With three podiums in the first three Grands PrixI had not starred in such a dynamic since 2005 and 2006when he was world champion with Renault. A podium in the fourth race of the championship, the Azerbaijan GPwould give him wings in the World Cup classification.
The Baku race is a mystery. After almost a month off, all the factories in the Formula 1 they will have taken the opportunity to implement improvements and perfect their cars. However, I would have to change the script a lot to stop seeing Red Bull and Aston Martin above.
These two teams have been the main protagonists at the start of the season, especially in the case of Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso, the big surprise. If both teams manage to maintain their dominance, everything indicates that in Baku we could see them again in the drawer.
The only ones who have gone up to the podium in the three Grands Prix this season are Max Verstappenthe leader and defending champion, and Fernando Alonso. To achieve it again in the Azerbaijan GPboth would be in an excellent position to fight for the first two places in the Formula 1 World Cup.
In the 73 years who keeps the championship alive, everyone who has managed to get on the podium in the first four races has ensured a first or second place finish in the general classification. In fact, Fernando Alonso He has done it twice: when he was proclaimed world champion in 2005 and 2006.
Since I first made it Emerson Fittipaldi in 1973a season that ended in second place, authentic legends of the discipline have become part of this prestigious list, such as Michael Schumacher, lewis hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Alain Prost either Ayrton senna.
Verstappen, the stone in the way
The biggest obstacle for Alonso is Max Verstappen. The Belgian, who goes overall leader with a 15-point margin over his teammate, Checo Perez, and with 24 over the Asturian, he seems to be the rival to beat. He too has achieved three podiums in three races, with the difference that he has won two victories and a second place. The man from Oviedo, however, had to settle for three bronzes.
What has happened throughout history when two drivers have achieved the feat of getting on the drawer in the first four races? That they have raffled off the first and second place in the World Cup. It has happened three times, all of them in the recent history of the Formula 1. In 2015, lewis hamilton and Nico Rosberg; in 2019, hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. In both, the absolute domain of Mercedes in its golden age and the British pilot took victory. In 2021however, hamilton not so lucky and max verstappen ended up winning the World Championship on the last lap of the last race, in Abu Dhabi.
For now, let it keep raining podiums.