F1: 5 major changes before and after the F1 summer-break 2018

The Formula One calendar makes its return to action this weekend at the indomitable Spa circuit in Belgium, with the driver's championship evenly poised. Lewis Hamilton leads Sebastian Vettel at the top of the standings by 24 points but the Ferrari looks more than ready to race to the very front especially after an impressive spell of testing at the Hungaroring in Budapest.

While most eyes are going to be on the World Championship battle, the upcoming race is special for a number of reasons. Plenty has gone down in a short one month's time that could pretty much shake things up in F1 for the next few years. They say the mid-season break is required to let the drivers blow off some steam after a grueling first period of action on the calendar, but this time around it seems to have been far from relaxing to say the very least.

As we head on over to phase two on the road to season completion, we wanted to take a look at some of the events that have altered the course of F1 for this season at least and could impact the coming few campaigns as well. Here are 5 major changes before and after the F1 summer-break:

#5 Esteban Ocon is the hottest property in the driver market

Esteban Ocon has come to the fore at Force India this season. After beating former teammate Pascal Wehrlein to a place in the Force India setup last season, the youngster has performed extremely well more often than not despite all the off-track concerns surrounding his current employers.

The Mercedes junior driver was penciled in as one for the future by the Silver Arrows and recent performances have warranted him a place in their plans for the coming years, even though 2019 may be a little too early. With drivers jumping ship around F1, Ocon himself could be on the move next season because he is one of the hottest properties around at the moment, but if he does end up staying at Force India, he will most likely partner with Lance Stroll after his father Lawrence Stroll purchased a majority stake in the team. Either way, the future looks very bright for Ocon.

#4 Jean-Eric Vergne might return to F1 in 2019

Remember this guy? Jean-Eric Vergne was last seen scorching the race tracks in F1 back in 2014 with former teammate Daniil Kvyat but was replaced at Toro-Rosso for prospects such as Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz Jr. But since being left out of plans at Red Bull Racing, the Frenchman has gone on to capture the Formula E Championship which he is defending right now, and with Carlos Sainz Jr. now moving on himself, Vergne could be set for a glorious return to Toro-Rosso pretty soon.

The change could be made as early as next season and might well be the perfect opportunity for Vergne to redeem himself and get back into the F1 groove.

#3 Ricciardo, Gasly and Sainz switch teams for 2019

Chopping and changing among drivers isn't new to F1, but this season has been topsy-turvy in this department to say the very least. Daniel Ricciardo set off a chain of events recently after it was confirmed that the Australian had signed with Renault for the 2019 season. The shocking move came as a surprise to even his employers at Red Bull and the search for a replacement was on.

Enter Pierre Gasly. The 22-year-old has impressed many with his performances this season but even he didn't expect to be drafted into the big leagues just yet. Moving from Toro-Rosso to partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull, it is pretty much a dream come true for the Frenchman.

Elsewhere, the retirement of Fernando Alonso opened the door for a new face at McLaren and Alonso's friend Carlos Sainz Jr. has now taken up that mantle, leaving Renault in the process. Renault won't mind it much though, with Ricciardo acting as a more than able replacement in the driver's seat.

#2 Fernando bids good-bye to F1

A true champion hangs up his boots at the end of this F1 season and the world couldn't be sadder. Fernando Alonso announced his retirement just recently in a move that shocked the racing fraternity and his many fans who have seen the career ups and downs of the Spaniard almost like they lived it themselves.

Beating Michael Schumacher seemed impossible in the early 2000s but one unassuming youngster did the unthinkable in 2005 and then repeated the feat again the following year to certify him as F1's next big thing. After driving for McLaren and Ferrari through a glittering career, he now calls it quits at 37-years-old with McLaren, bringing an end to one of racing's most controversial yet gripping personal journeys.

#1 Force India management changes

One of the most compelling stories of this campaign has surrounded the future of Force India as a team in F1. The team co-owned by Indian business tycoon Vijay Mallya was in desperate need of new ownership this term but matters went awry very quickly.

Force India driver Sergio Perez sued his own employers "to save the team" earlier this year and triggered a frantic turn of events that finally ended with Lawrence Stroll leading a consortium that ended up taking ownership of the franchise. While this does seem to have saved the outfit from the administration, a Russian firm has since alleged that the bidding process wasn't fair and that equal opportunities were not provided during the same.

As things stand, the team is controlled by Lance Stroll's father Lawrence, but the situation doesn't look to be dying out any time soon.