True 'villain' is driving up my F1 interest

IT might not be for everyone, but I quite like a bit of International Car Driving - known to most people as Formula One.

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It was a conversation with an old colleague which led me to give it a new moniker, as he had suggested that I could just as well get as much entertainment by watching him drive his car around the car park than watching F1 drivers roaring around at 200mph plus. Hence from then on it was International Car Driving.

It's not always entertaining, I am willing to admit, but this season seems to have sparked a renewed interest, and I think I know why.

It's not the fact that we have a high number of young, talented British drivers involved, from Lando Norris and George Russell to experienced seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, now in a Ferrari.

Instead, it’s that there is a ‘villain’ to aim our vitriol at, in the form of spiky (yet supremely talented) Dutchman Max Verstappen.

While it’s nice to have good guys in the sport, it can be, frankly, also a bit boring.

Which is why having the angry young Dutchman involved has really reignited my interest.