10 reasons to be excited about the new Formula 1 season

It's lights out, and away we go. The coronavirus pandemic halted the 2020 Formula 1 season before it could truly get underway, but the wheel-to-wheel action finally began this weekend with the Austrian Grand Prix.

Though truncated, the campaign promises to deliver plenty of excitement. Below, we examine 10 storylines to watch on - and off - the track this year.

Hamilton's pursuit of Schumacher

Lewis Hamilton is closing in on GOAT status. The Briton, who's won five of the last six drivers' championships on offer, goes into the year as the favorite, once again, to stand atop the podium.

If the Mercedes superstar can retain his crown, he'll equal Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher's record with seven titles. The German icon's benchmark of 91 Grand Prix victories is also under threat, as Hamilton needs just eight wins to surpass that total.

Heading into a shortened season amid such unusual circumstances, anyone with title aspirations simply can't afford slip-ups.

Hamilton, the best, most consistent driver on the grid, seems well placed to deal with those circumstances. Though there are rising young stars - and even a competitive teammate - desperate to usurp him, the record-chasing 35-year-old will be more than ready for the fight.

More fireworks at Ferrari

Before the pandemic halted the season, much of the talk in the paddock focused on the escalating driver war between Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel.

The teammates clashed last year - most notably in Brazil - and it was clear by the end of the campaign that the 22-year-old Monegasque had overtaken the four-time world champion atop the Ferrari pecking order. May's announcement that Vettel and Ferrari are parting ways threatened to put a damper on the fireworks, but if anything, it could make the rivalry even tenser.

Vettel, still without a seat heading into 2021 after listening to a year's worth of criticism about diminishing skills, is now free to race for himself. And he should, in theory, be highly motivated to prove Ferrari was too quick to discard him, especially considering the team apparently didn't engage in contract discussions with him before deciding to look elsewhere.

Ferrari is expected to lag behind Mercedes and Red Bull; Leclerc is "99% sure" this season's car is worse than last year's. The team's preseason showing left much to be desired, forcing a significant redesign of the aero package that won't be ready until Hungary, but the two men with the exact same machinery should still be able to fight it out on the track.

Verstappen's quest to become youngest champion

It might just be destiny for Max Verstappen.

If anyone is going to dethrone Hamilton this season, it'll likely be the rapid Dutchman. A son of motorsport fanatics who's been racing since the age of four, he's accomplished eight "firsts," including becoming the youngest driver to compete in Formula 1, and being the youngest Formula 1 Grand Prix winner. But the biggest box remains unchecked.

Vettel became the youngest World Drivers' Champion in 2010 at the age of 23 years and 134 days. The 22-year-old Verstappen, who finished third in the 2019 standings while winning three races, can break that record in 2020. With Red Bull steadily improving and the Honda engine showing its mettle last season, do you feel comfortable betting against him?

Unique calendar could cause chaos

Amid everything that's happened going into the 2020 season, the team able to adapt quickest and handle the changing landscape of the calendar should get a significant advantage over the rest of the field. And the sharpness of Mercedes' operation makes it difficult to look past the six-time reigning champion.

But the unique calendar could throw a wrench in the works.

Mercedes won the first eight races of last season, with only Verstappen's thrilling victory in Austria - when he overtook Leclerc late - halting that run. With the Red Bull Ring providing the venue for the first two races of the new campaign, Verstappen and his team will get an opportunity to jump out early on the well-oiled Mercedes machine. To boot, Verstappen also took the pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix last season, which will be the third race on the 2020 calendar. If he hits the ground running, look out.

Plenty of driver movement still to come

Vettel's split with the Scuderia kicked off a chain reaction of moves in May. McLaren's Carlos Sainz will take Vettel's seat at Ferrari in 2021, while Daniel Ricciardo will replace Sainz, leaving Renault very sour in the process.

But the game of musical chairs - branded as "silly season" in the Formula 1 world - is far from over.

With the majority of the drivers' contracts expiring at the end of the 2020 season, only three teams - Ferrari, McLaren, and Racing Point - have fully confirmed lineups for 2021. If Vettel decides he wants to keep racing, will someone give him a contract going into next year? What about Valtteri Bottas? If the Finn doesn't put forth a true, sustained challenge to Hamilton this season, would Mercedes replace him?

Red Bull, too, is well known for its propensity to move drivers around, and outside of Verstappen, there are no certainties, especially at sister team Alpha Tauri (formerly Toro Rosso). And, of course, rumors of former champion Fernando Alonso's potential return to Formula 1 continue to swirl. Could a reunion with Renault be in the cards?

There's already been significant movement before anyone's fired up an engine, and plenty more could be coming.

Best of the rest heating up

Mercedes and Red Bull will tussle for supremacy in 2020, but the competition among the chasing pack will make for riveting viewing. Netflix's "Drive To Survive" helped shine a light on some of the more underrated teams and personalities in the sport.

Ricciardo is looking for a bounce-back year after a disappointing debut campaign for Renault. The Australian's new teammate is Esteban Ocon, who many expect to accomplish big things in Formula 1.

Then there's Pierre Gasly, who's aiming to prove the higher-ups at Red Bull made a mistake when they replaced him with Alexander Albon. And what about the notorious "Pink Mercedes" that Racing Point are rolling out this season? With an improved car that looks like a blatant copy of last season's Mercedes, can the perennially underrated Sergio Perez push his team to the top of the midfield battle?

Drama will not be in short supply this season.

Russell's continued growth

When George Russell joined Williams in 2019, the British rookie signed a three-year deal. However, with Mercedes' seats up for grabs following the 2020 season, could Toto Wolff come to poach a promising racer who was part of his junior driving program?

Williams maintains it will not relinquish its top driver to Mercedes, and Wolff has said he wouldn't want to make the 22-year-old join the top team before he's ready and stunt his growth. Right now, the expectation is both Hamilton and Bottas will sign new deals with Mercedes and return for the 2021 campaign, too.

However, if Russell continues to show promise and if Williams stays haplessly at the back of the grid, Mercedes could choose to invest in youth - a growing trend in the sport, even for top teams.

Renault targets return to podium

Since returning in 2016, Renault has improved each season. That run of form ended in 2019, when Renault dropped from fourth to fifth while finishing behind McLaren, which beat the French manufacturer with its own engine.

But there are signs Renault is making the necessary adjustments to challenge for a podium place.

Ricciardo said the overall balance of the car has improved. More importantly, the engine appears to be more reliable than last season. At the Bahrain Grand Prix in March 2019, Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg encountered problems on the same lap, and they were both knocked out of the race.

Renault is hoping 2020 is different, and the early signs are promising.

One final buddy-buddy act at McLaren

McLaren may employ the most amicable - and complementary - pair of drivers. Lando Norris, the team's homegrown star, and Sainz, the ambitious Spaniard, form the youngest duo in F1. They're great together, but that doesn't mean the two are easy on each other. Norris out-qualified Sainz on several tracks last season, but the latter scored more points.

Behind the post-race smiles and humor is a genuine competitive spirit. There's more at stake in 2020, too.

Norris is entering his second year as a professional and is ready to shed his rookie shyness, while Sainz is looking to build on a third-place finish in Brazil and leave McLaren on a high note before switching to Ferrari next season. With both their on-track performances and off-track shenanigans, Norris and Sainz will want to make a statement together one last time.

Kimi on the team radio

Gloves! Steering wheel! The drink! Any chance to hear the notoriously blunt - and, frankly, hilarious - Kimi Raikkonen talk to his race engineer is something to savor. Even if he would much rather drive in silence.

This season may provide the last chance to see the Finn behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car.

Raikkonen's future is undecided, and he's said retiring is an option if the 40-year-old is no longer enjoying himself. For the sake of racing fans everywhere, let's hope Alfa Romeo puts forth a competitive car that can convince the Iceman to stick around beyond 2020.