4 drivers who have the potential to be the next breakout F1 champion

With five titles for Lewis Hamilton and four for Sebastian Vettel and both of them arguably occupying the most coveted seats in Formula One right now, it does seem unlikely for anyone new to be fighting for a world championship in the near future. But things can change very quickly in this sport.

With some amazing talent coming through the ranks and establishing themselves in F1, it would be interesting to see who wins the race to be crowned the next champion after Hamilton and Vettel. We saw that when Jenson Button jumped into a Brawn and walked away with the championship in 2009, or even when Vettel himself, despite being an outsider in the championship battle, snatched it away from Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber in the last race of 2010.

We also saw a certain German who went by the name of Michael Schumacher stealing a couple of championships in an unfancied Bennetton.

The grid is full of amazing talent right now (albeit some pay drivers as well), and the only thing that's stopping them, for now, is the car that's underneath them.

Ever since the last change in regulations in 2014, Mercedes have dominated the sport. Ferrari have caught up with them and slowly become a match in terms of pace, but these two teams only offer four seats on the grid which, if occupied, provide a realistic chance of fighting for championships.

Red Bull have made efforts to cut the advantage of the top two, and their win in Mexico shows that they are capable.

As always in F1, the fight for the championship depends on two important factors: 1. driving ability and 2. the powers of the car. It would be interesting to see who wins this race among the current new crop.

Here is a look at four drivers who have the potential to become the next Schumacher or Vettel:

1. Charles Leclerc

Leclerc is a driver who has not stuck to a single racing category for more than a year. He pretty much ruled F3 and GP2 in his rookie years, and completely dominated his highly experienced teammate in his debut F1 season.

Leclerc is, as has been admitted by many up and down the grid, the real deal. There aren't many that get promoted to the most coveted seat in F1 in just their sophomore year.

Driving for Ferrari next year could put the cat among the pigeons, but it provides Leclerc the perfect opportunity to become the next champion that the grid has been waiting for since a while now.

The biggest hurdle could be going up against one of the best drivers of this generation, but then what better way to make a mark on the sport than beating the best there is. 2019 could be the year when the grid and the world itself ultimately find out how good the Monegasque is.

2. Max Verstappen

Many would argue that if it wasn't for that engine in the back of that Red Bull, Verstappen would already be a champion. But in Formula 1 you need the car to win the championships, and for arguably the most impressive driver on the grid in recent times it seems to be the car that will be the defining factor and not his ability alone.

A lot hinges on the car that Verstappen drives (or rather the engine at the back of it). Honda have been making all the right noises in recent times but until that engine is fitted at the back of the Red Bull and its performance is visible on the track, the less said the better.

For now, it does seem the affable Leclerc driving the scarlet Ferrari is in a more favorable position as compared to Verstappen.

3. Esteban Ocon

A stat that Ocon has in his favor over Verstappen and Leclerc is that while rising through the ranks, he has beaten both of them. And one stat that both Leclerc and Verstappen have in their favor is that they will be driving a championship-contending car while Ocon will most likely take up the role of reserve driver at Mercedes.

After impressing everyone on the grid with his driving, it's a travesty that Ocon hasn't landed a starting seat for next year's season and even more shockingly hasn't got the expected promotion to Mercedes despite Valtteri Bottas' average season.

Toto Wolff has been put under a lot of stress in recent times by the media for not being able to provide a race seat to Ocon for the next season. With the way that Bottas has been driving recently, Mercedes would do well to replace him with Ocon if his performances don't improve.

4. Daniel Ricciardo

The "Honey Badger" has lost his smile in recent times owing to some appalling luck on the grid, with as many as eight retirements this season. He's made a switch to the Renault team with a long-term aim of becoming the team leader and emulating to an extent what Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher did after their respective switches to Mercedes and Ferrari.

If he succeeds and Renault are able to provide him with a car capable of fighting for championships, then Ricciardo has the potential to stitch together a winning campaign. Whether he will be able to beat Verstappen and Leclerc to it is a different question altogether.

For at least one or two more seasons it looks unlikely that Renault will be able to bridge the gap to the front, especially after finishing two laps behind Verstappen in Mexico.

Could it be someone else apart from these four who could upset the current multiple champions? Could it be Nico Hulkenberg, George Russell or Lando Norris? For now, none of them is in a favorable seat nor have they proven themselves enough to stake such a claim.

Hulkenberg goes up against a proven race winner and de facto team leader in Ricciardo in a Renault which is not even capable of fighting for podiums right now. Russell steps into a Williams which is nothing but a pale shadow of its glory days. And Norris is still pretty raw and steps into a McLaren, a former legend of the game but which is showing no signs of improvement.

It's often said that the devil is in the details, and with Leclerc and Verstappen already in a race-winning seat, it does seem that we could be looking at either of these two as the next face of F1.