The rivalry primed to save F1's post-Hamilton era
Though Lewis Hamilton's departure is inevitably drawing closer, Formula 1 is going to be able to replace its current single transcendent star with something it hasn't really had in two decades - a genuine classic sporting rivalry
Formula 1 will wave goodbye to most of its star appeal when Lewis Hamilton leaves, and that day is only getting closer. No individual is bigger than an entire sporting spectacle, and Hamilton's exit will not kill F1 - but it could leave it severely hurt, and F1 needs a contingency plan.
The marketability of a championship and the attention of fans are not givens, they have to be earned. Trying to do that without a star asset is like taking a knife to a gun fight: yeah, you might have a chance of winning, but you're probably fighting a losing battle.
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