The 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the final race of the decade, providing us with an underwhelming end to what was a decade of mixed emotions for fans of the racing series, with the final podium providing us with a reflection on the past decade, while giving a glimpse into the future.

The reason that I say that the final podium provides us with a refelction to the past, and a glimpse into the future is because of the drivers that stood upon those steps. Lewis Hamilton, a six-time World Champion, Max Verstappen, the youngest-ever F1 race winner, and Charles Leclerc, the first team-mate to beat Sebastian Vettel in the driver’s standings since 2007.

Lewis Hamilton has dominated for more than half the decade, winning his second World Driver’s Championship back in 2014, but before that, the years of 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 were dominated by Red Bull Racing, and more specifically, Sebastian Vettel. These two drivers alone won nine of the ten World Driver’s Championships available, Nico Rosberg winning the 2016 title for Mercedes. Winning the final race of the decade, Lewis really summed up what we will associate this decade with, Mercedes domination, despite the early 2010’s being dominated by Red Bull Racing.

Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen provide us with a glimpse into the future. The young Ferrari driver immediately proved to us why he deserves to be in the #16 scarlet-red car, before unfortunately having to drop back to third due to an issue with his car. This came of the back of a terrific rookie campaign for Alfa Romeo Sauber, finishing 13th in the championship. The 2019 season was a difficult one for Leclerc, with the loss of his friend, Anthonie Hubert, after crashing at Spa. The next day, Leclerc went on to win the race, showing the world what a true talent he is.

Max Verstappen, burst onto the stage in 2017 for Scuderia Toro Rosso, After just one full season, and a few races into the next season, he was promoted to the Red Bull Racing set-up, winning on his debut in Spain. He would go on to pick up seven further race wins, claiming his first pole position at the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix.

But the future of F1 doesnt revolve around these two talents, throughout the grid their is a number of stand-out talents, ready to take their chance when it comes. Lando Norris, McLaren, out qualified his team-mate, Carlos Sainz in his rookie season in 2019, As well in 2019, George Russell, completed a 21-0 qualifying washout against his Williams team-mate, Robert Kubica.

Alex Albon, who got a late race seat at Toro Rosso, drove brilliantly for the team for the first half of the season, before moving up to the Red Bull Racing team, finishing in the top six for every race he completed, with Brazil being his only DNF of the second half of the season.

The future of Formula One looks bright, with the current crop of drivers being some of the best yet. It is unlikely that there will be a changing of the guard in terms of the championship for at least another season, but as soon as Lewis Hamilton starts to slow, Verstappen and Leclerc will be pushing for the title.