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Category: News

  • GMO

    GMO

    (Photo courtesy The Standard)

    By Hilda Kavai
    (hildahnkavai@gmail.com)

    President William Ruto lifted a 10-year ban on Genetically Modified (GM) crops on October 4, 2022, allowing their importation into the country.

    As expected, the move has elicited mixed reactions from a variety of sources. Opponents of genetically modified foods have stated that President Ruto acted too quickly and that a task force should have been formed first to conduct public participation and awareness creation before implementation.

    As Kenya prepares to commercialize genetically modified crops, some farmers and advocacy groups are raising concerns about their safety.

    The fact that many Kenyan farmers will begin using genetically modified (GM) maize seeds early next year, following the government’s recent lifting of a 10-year ban on the crops.

    According to the country’s agricultural authority, the seeds will be planted on half a million acres and will be drought resistant, helping to alleviate shortages caused by a lack of rain.

    Kenya is currently facing a severe water shortage as a result of four failed consecutive rainy seasons, as well as one of the worst droughts in the East African region in four decades. This means that crops cannot grow, prompting warnings of impending famine. They claim that the lifting of the GMO ban was motivated by a genuine need to ensure food security and environmental protection.

    Kenyan farmers can now openly cultivate GM crops and import genetically modified foods and animal feeds, such as white GMO maize, now that the ban has been lifted. Maize is Kenya’s staple food, and it is grown on 90% of all Kenyan farms. It is used to make ugali, or maize meal, the country’s most popular dish.

    According to scientists, the GMO maize variety developed in Kenya has a 40 percent yield advantage over the conventional hybrid grown locally.
    Agriculture employs 80% of Kenya’s rural population and is the backbone of the country’s economy. Kenyan farmers rely on their crops not only for a living but also to feed their families.

    There are also concerns that farmers who begin using GMOs will become overly reliant on the companies that sell genetically modified seeds, allowing them to dominate the market at the expense of ordinary Kenyan farmers.
    Kenya is the continent’s eighth country to approve the use of GMOs. They are currently permitted for cultivation in 70 countries worldwide.

    According to a state agency in charge of general supervision and control over the transfer, handling, and use of GMOs, the maize varieties have undergone clinical trials and have passed safety assessments.

     

  • ARE MASS GRADUATION PARTIES THE WAY TO GO?

    ARE MASS GRADUATION PARTIES THE WAY TO GO?

    (Photo courtesy of Juliung Julius)

     

    By Wambui Mwaura

     

    Graduation is a special life event that many people look forward to. It is understandable that after the hustling and bustling of campus life; burning the midnight candles, hopping between classes and generally going through the vigor of higher education academic life, that one would want to celebrate the culmination of the academic journey. A highly acclaimed diploma is thus the ultimate prize, and worthy of celebration. It is a joyful time in the lives of students, and they look forward to celebrating it with family, friends and well-wishers. Graduation spells a sigh of relief, and marks an end to the constant financial outlay f壯陽藥
    ees entails. This is true for parents and guardians or even students who pay their own fees. For the fact that it is a one-off affair, many parents and guardians feel it is warranted to splash huge sums of money on parties in celebrating their children during this time, which represents a huge milestone in their lives.

     

    While some are able to go out of their way to cater for this event, the reality is that not everyone is able to afford extravagant parties. These expenditures usually include: exclusive red carpet dinner parties, photography, new clothing, transport for their extended families and community members among many others. Just like any other big occasion, marketers, event planners and service providers are the biggest gainers. This is why they would never relent in pushing these big ostentatious party narratives to students, thereby creating a kind of situation where students are in fear of missing out.  It usually leaves the less privileged students with feelings of inadequacy and pressure for not being able to keep up with the Jones, and even causing some to fall into depression.

     

    In Daystar graduation groups for example, these planners, in the guise of student/entrepreneurs, step up to offer their services to fellow students for things like graduation dinner gowns, make-up services, graduation photo services and many others.  “As a graduate of the class of 2022, I [had] a chance to market the products of a business I started in 2020 to my fellow graduating students, and I am so glad to say that my business income has grown by 10%”, says Mercy Kasalu, the CEO of Mercelina Collections, and a Daystar University 2022 graduating student (Public Relations Major). She, like many others, benefitted from the fear of missing out this occasion created among her peers.

     

    The current economic crisis facing Kenya is something that can no longer be ignored, and households are tightening their belts, spending the scarce money meagerly on only essential commodities in order to meet basic needs. Needless to say that some families haven’t the wherewithal to cater for special occasions like big graduation parties. It is no secret that many students are facing the brunt of these harsh economic times, and coming up with the graduation fees alone proves to be a huge challenge for them to talk more of extravagant parties. This makes me wonder; are mass graduation parties something worth considering?

     

    Part of the concept of mass weddings is to enable financially constrained couples to celebrate their love at a low budget. For others, it’s just about being financially prudent and not wanting to spend huge sums of money on a day’s event. The same concept can also be applied to students who are not in a position to splash huge sums of money for the graduation occasion. Maybe mass graduation parties should be something worth considering by event planners and service providers in the spirit of inclusivity. Ultimately, everyone deserves to have a memorable graduation celebration, and it should not be dependent on how deep one’s pocket is.

     

    The proponents who are for big parties and huge celebrations might not agree with this. Some of them would argue that they saved for years in order to make it a memorable day to celebrate themselves, for a huge milestone in their lives. That is also true, because no one gets to set a standard of how anyone should celebrate their big day. The parting point is that everyone should feel celebrated, and no one should have to endure the feeling of inadequacy because of financial constraints. Mass graduation parties might indeed be the answer, and probably the next frontier for school party planning. This should be a call to duty for event organizers to take this up as a new business venture. Over to you event organizers.

     

     

     

  • SIM Card Registration Deadline Locks Out Thousands

    By Angela Mutayi.

    The dawn of the 15th of October was not that of a new day alone but also a new phase for Kenyan communication. This is after thousands of unregistered Kenyan SIM cards were suspended by their various telecommunication companies following the set deadline by the Communications Authority of Kenya. Communications had been made to Kenyans from earlier this year to register their SIM cards under their national identity cards by 15th of April to avoid suspension. This deadline was extended to 15th of October, following a low turnout after which unregistered SIM card owners have had their SIM cards suspended. Unregistered Safaricom SIM holders suffer the biggest blow because they are now unable to access MPESA, a popular money transfer means as well as communicate via text messages or purchase browsing bundles. Affected clients have since been advised to visit their nearest Safaricom outlets and have their SIM cards registered.

    The move by the Communications Authority of Kenya to have all Kenyan SIM owners register their cards is to lock out SIM-based fraudsters. Fraud has been a rising issue in Kenya where many are extorted of money via text messages or calls. The perpetrator often presents opportunities such as fake rewards and asks for money in return to cater for whatever the situation demands. Some have mastered the art of configuring money transfer messages similar to MPESA ones and dishing them out to unaware individuals as accidental transfers after which they ask for reversals and end up scamming the individuals. There have been many unprecedented forms of extortion on the rise which have pushed the hand of CA to act in this manner. I believe that in so doing, telecommunication companies have information on their users, and in case of any scam, relevant action can be taken. This move will also ward off attempts by scammers because they often use unregistered or stolen SIM cards in their work.

    Subsequently, there has been a rather low turnout to register lines in the wake of the call. The move to extend SIM card registration from 15th April to 15th October 2022 was after over 14 million Kenyans had failed to register their cards before the initial deadline. My take on all this is that most Kenyans have been ignorant of the matter. Many lack information on the importance of registration or simply what it entails. Some are simply oblivious to the situation at hand, and others do not see the need to provide their personal information to the telecommunication companies again. I mean, why register again when they already have my details right? A recent conversation with a group of friends sparked up the topic, and one asked why they simply could not lift the same details he had provided when he acquired the card and use them for the registration. My take is to countercheck that indeed the holder of this SIM card is the same one on the details you will provide.

    Communication is one domain that continues to develop with technology. Artificial Intelligence is now taking over communication and as a developing nation, these global trends bound to catch up with us. The only issue is that it has caught up with others more than the rest, and some are still in the dark. SIM card registration is only a progressive move in a much bigger and developing telecommunications system. I believe that the future is bright, and in all the negativity and darkness the web sometimes holds, there is a light, there is security and protection against them and for Kenya, and the Communications Authority of Kenya is on the lookout for us.

  • DUSA President Declares DUSA Secretary General Impeachment Null & Void

    By Evelyne Syombua

    The Daystar University Students Association President Walter Nalwa on 25 October declared the impeachment of the DUSA Secretary General null and void.

    Walter Nalwa issued the communication via internal memo send to all students, Dean of Students, DUSA Congress Speaker Evans Owino, DUSA Congress among others.

    “DUSA Council appreciates critiue either positie or negatie. We highly appreciate issues including agcademics, welfare, co-curricular and extra-curricular. Dragging any other students into your personal, political feuds is uncalled for. However the Secretary General appeared before the congress and apologized for the uterances prior made,” stated the memo.
    The memo was send in response to the DUSA Congress communication on the impeachment of the DUSA Secretary General send on 24 October.

    DUSA President, Nalwa indictaed in the memo that Congress did not follow the process required, ”The congress leadership did not follow the due process under article 8.13 andi article 8.1c of the DUSA constitution before planning the alleged impeachment. I therefore urge the Congress leadership to be objective and put more focus uniting and not dividing whatsoever”.

    Nalwa appealed to his fellow leaders to take care of those under their charge. The fate of the DUSA Secretary General now lies in the hands of the two parties with each holding a different view on the matter.

  • DUSA Secretary General Desmond Mwyne Voted out of DUSA

    DUSA Secretary General Desmond Mwyne Voted out of DUSA

    By Evelyne Syombua Kioko

    The Daystar University Students Association(DUSA) Secretary General Desmond Mywne has been relieved of his duties as of today 24 October 2022.

    The communication was made by the office of the Speaker of Congress Evans Owino. Having failed to adhere to the values expected from him as a student leader in Daystar University and the DUSA Congress voting against him, Desmond Mwyne was declared unfit to hold the S.G position.

    The S.G had appeared before Congress for questioning on Tuesday 18 October regarding his alleged misconduct.  As detailed in the findings, the S.G had used his office in an abusive, vulgar, and demeaning manner in the Fun Day Whatsapp group forums.

    The replies were directed to students who had asked for clarification regarding payment for the Fun Day event that was held on 15th October and some took to complaining regarding the S.G via email to the office of the Dean of Students.

    One of the replies send read, ’’look kid if it feeds your emptiness go for it, if it makes you effective go for it, if it makes you irrelevant as you’ve always been GO FOR IT, if it makes you appreciated for go for it. You are who you are stop overselling you STUPIDITY here’’.

    The S.G also posted on his WhatsApp status and went as far to disrespect the constitution, ‘’ Wacha waendelee ku qute constitution like mad men… the law my ass, chapters my foot…’’ this ended his whatsapp status in which he had said the next students’ fun day event would be held in Bali.

    A student witness Ms Catherine Omondi who was a victim of the SG’s testified before the DUSA Congress.

    This marks the Second DUSA Council Member to be voted against by the DUSA Congress after the former DUSA Council Treasure was impeached last year 14 October 2021 by DUSA Congress 2021/22.

    The Electoral Commission of Daystar is hereby expected to conduct a by election according to the DUSA constitution.

     

     

     

  • ‘HUSTLER’ CSs WORTH SH 6BN

    ‘HUSTLER’ CSs WORTH SH 6BN

    {Photo courtesy of Victor Matara}

    By Nicole Waweru

    (Email: wanjirunicole28@gmail.com)

    On Monday 17, October, the selection parliamentary committee began vetting President William Ruto’s Cabinet nominees. The nominees are; Musalia Mudavadi, the former Amani National Congress (ANC) leader with a net worth of ksh.4 billion, Justin Muturi, former speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya with a net worth of ksh.700million, Aden Duale, Garissa Township Member of Parliament (MP) with a net worth of ksh.851 million, Alfred Mutua, the former Governor of Machakos County with a net worth of kshs.420 million, and Alice Wahome, the MP of Kandara in Murang’a County with ksh.218 million.

    Shock hit Kenyans after the immeasurable wealth of these nominees was revealed in Parliament, this sparked a conversation on Twitter as many Kenyans said that the politics in Kenya is very remunerative. In as much as some had worn the lens of ‘politics being lucrative,’ others had however accredited their wealth to corruption, which is still not a surprise. Some were questioned about their past encounters with corruption scandals like Mudavadi, who was asked about the Goldenberg and Nairobi Cemetery land scams. For the Goldenberg scandal, he told the committee that he inherited the scam at the Treasury at its tail end and some of the transactions were unknown to him whereas, for the Nairobi Cemetery land scam, he said he faced a politically instigated investigation by the then Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission, (KACC) and in the end, the culprits were caught and jailed.

    Looking at the wealth attained by these Cabinet nominees, we can see that their wealth is also constituted by separate and individual ventures that they carry out outside of politics. For example, one of the nominees, Justin Muturi, says that his income comes from the pension he is earning after serving as a speaker of the National Assembly for ten years, from farming and legal consultancy. He also added that his property was acquired through bank loans and a civil servant stipend for the last 36 years of his career.

    The vetting and nomination process in Kenya is seen to be very orderly, the 12th Parliament amended the Public Approval and Parliamentary Approval Act 2011, to increase the vetting period from 14 days to 28 days. According to research from Mutai, (2022), once the Committee on Appointments receives the list of the Cabinet nominees, the clerk will be required to issue a public notice asking Kenyans with representations to submit memoranda on the nominees. With the nomination process in Kenya, once the Parliament completes the vetting which is set to end by Saturday 2:30 pm, the clerk will notify the President of the decision made within seven days of the decision. Article 152 (1) of the Constitution says the Cabinet includes the President, the Deputy President, and the Attorney-General, and not fewer than 14 and not more than 22 Cabinet Secretaries.So, the question that has been the talk on all social media handles is, “Is politics profitable?” My answer to this is yes. It is no doubt that the Members of Parliament (MPs) in Kenya are amongst the highest paid in the world relative to the size of the economy. Parliament seats are one of the most coveted positions in Kenya this is supported by the holder’s wealth and social ranking. In the years before, there has been an evident trend of those in high senior private sectors leaving, in quest of more laid-back political offices.

    As the ongoing vetting goes on, we hope that these nominees are very passionate about what they are fighting for right now, and when they are appointed, they will stick to their word and do fulfill all the promises that they have made. Their words are on record and I am sure many Kenyans will want to see them be true to their word.

  • MWYNE UNFILTERED

    MWYNE UNFILTERED

    By: Gertrude Prosper

    getrude2003@gmail.com

    The Daystar University Students Association (DUSA) Secretary General Desmond Mwyne was summoned to appear at a hearing before the Congress on 18 October 2022 in Athi River, main campus.

    The purpose was to address an offensive comment he posted on his social media, insulting D.U students. He was summoned by the council on multiple accounts of insulting students and solicitation of funds. In attendance were twenty-six members of Congress from both the main and Nairobi campus.

    At the hearing chaired by the Speaker of the house, Evans Owino, Mwyne sat composed facing all members present. He was to explain in detail the use of the seven hundred thousand given to him by the finance manager to cater for the event.

    “The money was spent on shirts, grounds, quality sound, a stage, food and buses and there were still some risk factors because we cannot scan loyalty”, he said. Without having brought receipts as proof, the council found his statement incomprehensive.

    The Speaker then inquired who allowed the students to be charged sh.200 as an attendance fee and the S.G had the following to say. “I told the finance manager in front of my committee, by virtue that I don’t have the 900k I asked for the event, therefore for the 700k I will have to charge students, which she approved. We charged every student 200 each to meet certain expenses but still at the end of the event we had a debt of 55k.”

    “We didn’t lock people out but the money we were allocated determined how many people would come,” Mwyne responded.

    A dissatisfied student, Catherine, was in attendance as a witness. “I wasn’t very sure whether we were supposed to pay for the event, but after confirming with the SG I paid. Surprisingly, we were left by the bus and didn’t attend the event. I was shocked to hear the SG on the phone using vulgar language on us, saying “leave those people I don’t want unnecessary chaos” and yet he is the one who told us to pay”, she said.

    The Speaker proceeded to read a screenshot of a conversation between a student inquiring about the event and Mwyne’s blatant rude response.

    Forming beads of sweat on his nose and his hands unwillingly trembling, Mwyne accepted the impudent response to the inquisitive student but denied posting the above-quoted statement.

    “We are living at a very crucial time where things are shared on the internet, and in the current era of so much information, therefore anyone can do that. I am a public figure and anyone can access my photos, therefore I never took those photos nor posted them though I saw them circulating”

    The council is yet to decide on his fate.

  • ‘Go to Uni’ they said

    ‘Go to Uni’ they said

    By Nicole Waweru

    wanjirunicole28@gmail.com

    Life after high school sure did look like it would be the best thing that would happen to us, didn’t it? I am sure many of us were just eager and excited to start campus life, a life without restrictions and one where we are free to do whatever we want, whenever we want. As much as campus life is a dream it has still proven to have both its challenges and fun side.

    According to a survey I did recently, many university students do in fact struggle in university, and one that mostly popped up was that getting to an early 8 am class has become a struggle, especially for those staying off-campus. There are issues of traffic, having lecturers who cancel classes after you have woken up very early to go to school if you struggle with social anxiety, then making friends becomes a huge problem and not hearing your alarm hence, waking up late.

    “Since I commute to school, I often lack time for revising because I am always waking up early and getting home late from school,” explains a student from Kiambu Institute of Science and Technology.  

    However, university is not all that bad. Your university experience can be really exciting depending on what you do in campus. Joining different school clubs and associations can help build your interpersonal skills and can help you break out of your bubble and interact with different people. Comparing University to high school you can clearly see the differences that are present. For example: in campus you have the liberty to plan your schedule when choosing your classes, you get to socialize with a lot of different people.

    “I get to have fun and a lot of freedom to do what I want, in return I learn a lot of life lessons as well,” a student from Maseno University explains.

    Also, balancing your social life with your school work is also very important. University is also school and as much as you are enjoying your freedom you need to also prioritize your studies and work hard at school; we all need to graduate at the end of it all. If you know that you are a morning person, then you can plan and wake up early and study and vice versa. Do not forget and party every weekend of your semester, at least do it every other day, revise your school work and catch up on group and personal assignments.

    “As much as I am introverted, I try to create time for friends and family by making sure I am done with school work earlier,” a student from Daystar University says.

    “I set time very early in the morning to study and do all my assignments and take away CATS if any,” a student from Kenyatta University explains.

    Lastly, remember that in university all it takes is your self-discipline and your own personal goals. No one will follow you around in campus but remember that it is your life and you literally have power over your future. All you need to do is remember to study and interact with people. You learn new things along the way, you get into relationships both platonic and romantic relationships. Like I always say, just remember who you are and be YOU.

  • MEDIA GURU & AFP’s CELINE CLERY ON NEWS COVERAGE, REPORTING AND WRITING FROM THE HUMAN PERSPECTIVE.

    MEDIA GURU & AFP’s CELINE CLERY ON NEWS COVERAGE, REPORTING AND WRITING FROM THE HUMAN PERSPECTIVE.

    (Photo courtesy of Wangui)

    By Hannington kinuthia

    An exuberant session took place at Daystar University in DAC 606 that brightened up an early gloomy Wednesday 27th July 2022.

    Under the guidance Ms. Wairimu Gitau, the facilitator for the day, the freezing audience was warmed by the presence of the guest speaker, Celine Clery, an expert in news coverage for more than a decade. A rejuvenated audience of distinguished learners had their pens ready to take notes of the day’s lessons on video production in news coverage.

    The French oracle of news coverage, Mrs. Celine Clery, took center stage to familiarize all and sundry with the gospel. Her journey kicked off a decade ago when she was invited to work with Agence France-Presse (AFP) shortly before relocating to the Europe-Africa desk in London. Seven years and still counting, she has been AFP’s video coordinator for the East Africa region based in Nairobi.

    Astonishingly, she supervises news coverage from 14 countries, and just not to be mistaken, her prolific nature has led to her reporting in nearly all of the region’s states! A distinguished student in the class of media reporting, she has numerous mind-blowing achievements, Celine has superbly engaged presidents and was a frontline reporter in Sierra Leone for the Ebola calamity and the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean. She is a living icon in the field of journalism- news coverage.

    AFP is a French news agency that moves outside the country’s boundaries to propel happenings around the globe, inherent in 151 countries. Consisting of over 1000+ journalists , the news agency covers stories, packages them, and markets them to respective media houses even here in Kenya.

    The main aim of AFP is video coverage from a human perspective. With a monopoly of unique ideas on the technicality of video coverage that is termed as Golden rules of AFP-Shooting, Editing, and Dope sheets, three key factors in a video coverage. These skills and techniques took learners’ breaths away undoubtedly.

    In video shooting, friends of the lens (photography enthusiasts) got a new dawn of grace after being updated with excellence in taking shots. In shooting, context is key -images must tell, where we are, and what we are talking about. Interviews observe the rule of the thirds (not centered) upon only one interviewee, it is most advised to switch locations. Under editing, the best images come first on the timeline with image lengths of between 30 sec to 1 min.
    The order of soundbites is a mirror image of why you are covering the story. Dope sheets. Here she keenly described how headlines describe the video, Leads must describe the content of the video as well as give relevant context.

    A projected slideshow performance by Celine was an enlightener and the game changer to the dumbstruck and tongue-twisted learners who had their eyes glued to the projector screen in utter loathing to their thoughts that provided false beliefs to each self that they were ripe with content. A keen gaze into AFP (Agence France-Presse) notes threw off a keen but taciturn audience with how the agency gathers news from France and around the world with factors such as being timely, objectivity, factual, and credibility meticulously considered.
    Celine insisted on the journalistic tasks in the newsroom and on the field while reporting. Professionalism is non-negotiable! In the event of interviewing high-profile individuals in society- Heads of states and government, Ambassadors, delegates- it is unprofessional to take selfie pictures with them (not unless requested by the interviewee to have an official photo) and post them on your social media accounts with catchy captions, blowing up the social spaces.

    According to her, she argued, that when in the field covering a story in whichever part of the world, as a reporter, it is expected of them to stop existing in their social media lives, remaining inanimate is of great relevance for the production of a masterpiece of a story without eliciting premonition to the audiences.

    Ethics and codes of conduct for journalists! Knowing what to do is just as important as knowing what not to do. Biasness in the field could lead to disastrous outcomes, assassinations not an exception. She insisted on involving both sides of the party to avoid being one-sided in reporting or writing. Understanding the impact a story can bring -cold war and tensions- should educate oneself on whether to let the story go on air or to kill the story to serve a greater interest. There was plenty covered under codes of conduct -filming children, sexual victims, obscuring pictures and names, accountability, independence, acts of violence, and election reporting.

    Based on the approaching august polls, Celine argued out on the techniques of covering an election story. In France, on the day of voting, one is restricted to participate to cover a story on who a citizen is voting for. Increasingly unlike here in Kenya, we have witnessed reporters on field duty giving airtime to citizens to pronounce their preferred candidate, a challenge posed to the media.

    In Celine’s words, development and pre-production make up 50% of your story. Consideration of the 5Ws+H rule is not an option in coverage. Drawing to the session’s commencement, a feature story from in attendance Celine Nyangere, a master’s student, done and posted on YouTube courtesy of Look Up Tv, with the title Young Hustle: A young spoken word artist, was projected, similarly, the class facilitator, Ms. Wairimu Gitau’s feature story with the title Idle no more, was also reviewed. Both feature stories are a serious bone of contention to attendees.

    Ultimately, the closing remarks from Celine emphasized the ability of journalists to be backpack-type of journalists. Being able to be multi-skilled is an upper hand when being in the field or searching for a job. Fact-checking, just as one of the AFP objectives, should be an inherent value in media personnel, engaging with authorities also before filming a story and cross-checking your work before final submission. Notable smiles beamed the room upon departure.

     

  • FORMULA 1: HOW THINGS STAND HEADING INTO THE SUMMER BREAK

    FORMULA 1: HOW THINGS STAND HEADING INTO THE SUMMER BREAK

    By Blaise Ogutu

    ogutublaise@gmail.com

    Ever since the season kicked off 5 months ago in Bahrain, the F1 campaign has been a constant slugfest between Red Bull and Ferrari. Back and forth throughout 12 races, all the winners have either come from the Italian team or the team run by the energy drinks company. In the drivers’ championship, the battle seems to be going Max Verstappen’s way with seven wins out of twelve compared to his counterpart Charles Leclerc with only three wins this season. The other two race winners have also been Red Bull and Ferrari drivers in the form of Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz.

    For a team that was believed to have the best package on the grid in terms of performance and reliability, Ferrari have often found themselves throwing away race wins with poor strategies and surprisingly engine malfunctions. Something their fans have grown accustomed to since 2018 with Sebastian Vettel.

    Behind all this Ferrari-Red Bull battle is 8-time constructors champion Mercedes who had a torrid time finding form in the earlier races but have since improved on their consistency. For many races, the team struggled to come to terms with the new regulations and the one thing hurting their title defence challenges was the cars ‘porpoising.’ Recently that has seemed to be water under the bridge but their pace is still ways off the top two sides.

    Their drivers have also had different stories to tell. Multiple world champion Lewis Hamilton struggled to get in sync with the machinery as he posted some of his worst ever finishes this season. In Italy, at the Emilia Romagna GP, Hamilton finished in a measly 13-place but has since bounced back. His teammate George Russell has looked more comfortable than Lewis consistent top five finishes throughout the season.

    The rest of the grid looks far detached from the top three teams with Renault Alpine in fourth place 177 points behind Mercedes. They are followed by McLaren who have been a disappointing outfit this season. Touted as one of the teams to break the Red Bull-Mercedes dominance of previous years, the team has drastically dropped as they can’t get veteran driver Daniel Ricciardo to put in performances that match his teammate Lando Norris. Alfa Romeo and Haas follow in sixth and seventh place and both teams would be proud of their performances this season. Haas have had Mick Schumacher and Kevin Magnussen consistently getting point finishes, which helped lift the team in the standings.

    The three remaining teams are Alpha Tauri, Aston Martin and Williams. Alpha Tauri are also another disappointing outfit performing way below their standards as a mid-table team. Aston Martin have also had their issues with reliability and with the announcement of Sebastian Vettel’s retirement, they have to find a new driver for next season. Williams haven’t had their luck in quite a while and it isn’t changing with the kind of finishes their two drivers are posting.

    Max verstappen Celebrates after winning the Hungarian Grand Prix