F1 2021

[Lord Camomile]

Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch

Good he's recovering well, though. As everyone else has said, utterly remarkable to walk away from that without further injury.

 

[dessiato]

That looks very painful, presumably his foot is healing.

 

[1%er]

Interlagos race under threat
Authorities in Brazil have five days in which to submit relevant documents after judge suspends F1 contract over use of public funds to secure the race at Interlagos. Just last month it was announced that Interlagos had secured a new contract for 5 years, after the contract with the previous promoter came to an end. Under the previous deal, agreed under Bernie Ecclestone, F1 received no fee and understandably the sport had no desire to continue once that contract expired.

At this point, with Chase Carey's hopes of taking the race to Rio de Janeiro rapidly evaporating, a new promoter for Interlagos was needed. Step forward Brasil Motorsport, a company owned by investment entities controlled by Mubadala, a global investment company from Abu Dhabi. "We are pleased to announce the city of Sao Paulo will continue to host the Brazilian Grand Prix until 2025 and look forward to working with our new promoter in the years ahead," said Carey in one of his final acts as F1 boss. "Brazil is a very important market for Formula 1 with devoted fans and a long history in the sport. The race in Brazil has always been a highlight for our fans, the drivers and our partners and we look forward to providing Formula 1 fans with an exciting race at Interlagos in 2021 and over the next five years."

"It is a great joy to be able to announce that Interlagos will continue to host one of the of the most important events in world motorsports," added the Mayor of Sao Paul, Bruno Covas. "We made a tremendous effort to keep the race in our city. We have robust infrastructure for tourists, public safety and offer top-notch services. "We believe that hosting the Grand Prix, in addition to promoting our city to the world, will continue to bring important contributions such as job creation and income generation," he continued. "We have seen studies that show that for every Real invested in the Sao Paulo GP, 5.20 Reals are generated for the local economy."

At the time of the announcement it was confirmed that the event would be named the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, thereby leaving the door open for another city, such as Rio, to host the Brazilian Grand Prix, whilst also reflecting the level of financial support from the city of Sao Paulo. However, documents subsequently released reveal that the level of support from the city is 20m Reals (£2.75m) a year for the duration of the contract. Under the old arrangement, the city only financed any necessary renovation work at the track.

With the details of the new contract now made public, a petition was started challenging the deal. "The facts reveal without a doubt, at least at this stage, that the principles of publicity and transparency are being violated in an explicit manner," said Judge Emilio Migliano Neto as he suspended the contract ahead of further investigation. "For this reason, also the absence of bidding, there is a need to suspend the execution of the contract, to assess whether there were effectively resources to cover the expenses detailed in the signed agreement."

"F1 is important for Sao Paulo and for Brazil, I'm a fan," tweeted local councillor and lawyer Rubens Nunes, "but that does not authorise the city to enter into contracts without a bid, under secrecy and with a company without 'expertise' in the area, created a few days ago for this."

The authorities now have five days in which to submit the relevant documents.

[I bet there are loads of races that wish they had such a low race fee ]

Could F1 suspend new technical regulations until 2022
From 2021, Formula 1 was due to enter a new era with completely new technical regulations. However, these were postponed last year by one year due to the coronavirus crisis and now it seems that a longer delay is also possible.

Postponement of the rules
With the arrival of Liberty Media, the focus was on a new future for Formula 1 and for that new future, other cars were needed. The first real change under the leadership of Liberty Media was the new technical regulations, which should ensure that the cars look different and provide better racing. However, in early 2020 it became clear that these rules would be pushed back. Because of the coronavirus, teams and also Formula 1 itself got into financial problems and that is why there was no extra money available to develop the new cars. However, it now appears that F1 is hesitating about a longer postponement.

Small teams in trouble
According to La Gazzetta Dello Sport, Formula 1 is considering postponing the new rules for one more year due to the outbreak of the British mutation of the virus. With seven of the ten teams based in Britain, they are hugely affected and there are concerns about the financial implications for the teams. The arrival of the new rules, despite the budget cap, will bring a hefty cost to the teams and small teams such as Haas and Williams could suffer. According to the Italian media, F1, FIA and the teams will sit down in February to assess the situation.

Edit for UPDATE Formula 1 denies postponement of regulations
A Formula One spokesman told reporters that there is no question of postponing the 2022 rules. ''Any suggestion the 2022 regulations will be delayed is wrong and has not been discussed. The new regulations are designed to improve competition on track and give our fans closer racing. This combined with the new financial regulations will improve F1 and create a healthier and stronger business model for the whole sport'', the spokesman concludes.

 

[1%er]

Alpine Formula 1 team interim livery
The Alpine Formula 1 team has revealed a first look at its rebrand with an interim livery on a 2020 Renault, ahead of the full launch of its new ‘A521’ car next month. For the sixth season of Renault’s works entry, it has opted to give its niche performance sub-brand Alpine the full F1 treatment as part of a major restructuring of the company and its assets. A revived automotive programme, including a new electric sportscar in collaboration with Lotus, plus the F1 team, Renault Sport Racing and the Renault Sport iterations of road cars will come under the ‘avant-garde’ Alpine brand.

This morning Renault revealed a first look at the Alpine F1 entity, as part of the initial announcement of details of the company’s new ‘Renaulution’ strategy in Paris. Its interim car has a simple black livery with the French tricolore at the rear of the engine cover. Antony Villain, Alpine’s design director, called the interim livery “the first evocation of the Alpine F1 team’s new identity. Some of the structural graphic elements will remain on the racing livery while others will change,” he said. “Numerous variations on all the motorsport assets are still to come.” The A521 name for the chassis, which will be paired to a Renault-branded engine, takes inspiration from Alpine’s traditional naming format. It may be a reference to Renault-Alpine’s prototype the A500 from the mid-1970s, updated to reflect the year of competition.

Red Bull Racing and Honda close to engine takeover deal
With Honda leaving Formula 1 at the end of this year, Red Bull Racing has to find an alternative power source. Mercedes will not be supplying it, neither will Ferrari, so Renault is the only one left. Since that did not work out in the past, the team is focusing on a takeover of the Honda engine and things seem to be moving in that direction now. Its being reported that Red Bull Racing and Honda are close to a deal to take over the Honda engine starting in 2022. Red Bull Racing initially wanted clarity in November 2020, which then became December 2020 and now in January it is still not finalised. However, the two sides were due to meet again this week, with the two confident that a solution is close at hand. The primary reason the deal has not been finalised is because of the complexity involved. Several manufacturers agree with Red Bull Racing on freezing engine development in general, but clash on fundamental positions. The ideal scenario for Red Bull Racing is a complete freeze from 2022 on engine development, but not everyone wants to go along with that.

Ferrari, for example, would only agree to the new engine regulations coming into force a year earlier (2025 instead of 2026) and they also have to deal with the fact that they are still behind the rest. With a complete freeze, they would be shooting themselves in the foot and from that perspective, it is not wise to go along with Red Bull's proposal. The whole discussion around freezing engine development is obviously much more complex, but that is what The Race believes is the main obstacle to getting the deal done. However, the talks between Honda and Red Bull Racing are on good terms and going in a positive direction, also because it is supported by Honda Japan. Once the deal is done, Red Bull Racing will take over Honda's operations at the Milton Keynes plant and expand their own Red Bull Technologies campus. A deal also means that the existing Honda staff will be taken over. It is also highly likely that Honda will continue to provide long term support, albeit in a scaled-down form.

Claire Williams talks about sale of team
Last spring, Williams became the first Formula One team to be wholly owned by an investment firm, Dorilton Capital. In an interview, Claire Williams now gives an insight into the frustration and reasoning behind the sale of the team in 2020. In an interview with the New York Times, Williams explains her and her father's decision to sell the family business to investor group Dorilton Capital in May 2020. Williams states: “When Coronavirus hit there was the bigger picture to think about, how we were going to go racing again and keep our business afloat during lockdown. It was like, ‘Right, we’re really scraping about here on what we’ve got.’ Then the decision came that we had to seek investment or sell. We didn’t have a choice. We’d literally done everything.”

Williams explains that the reasoning behind selling the former family business was twofold. The first reason, she argues, had to do with the job retention of everyone who worked for the team. Williams explains: “The first was saving the team. When I say saving the team, I mean ensuring the people had the security of their job, that the team existed or survived for their benefit.” The second reason concerns Frank Williams, father of Claire and co-founder of the team. “I wanted to make sure my dad came out of it with money to show for his work, not that he would have cared”, Williams argues. “My dad’s never taken a penny out of the team over the years. I wanted to ensure he had something to show for his legacy. That was really important to me as well. I felt that quite keenly considering the position the team had been in for many years.”

No return of "Rich Energy" as they are in liquidation
Rich Energy CEO William Storey has teased a return to F1 sponsorship is imminent, in the same week that British courts have appointed liquidators. Rich Energy CEO William Storey has indicated that his energy drinks company are set to return to Formula 1 sponsorship. The company became famous for all the wrong reasons in 2019. Having signed up as an unknown energy drink title sponsor of Haas in 2018, the British company became embroiled in a copyright battle with British cycle manufacturer Whyte Bikes over their trademarked logo. With Whyte Bikes winning the case, more trouble followed as Haas & Rich Energy had a very public falling out. At the height of Rich Energy’s court battle with Whyte Bikes, the company tweeted to say their sponsorship deal with Haas had been terminated.

The courts have recently issued a wind-up order for Lightning Volt and, this week, the original Rich Energy/Lightning Volt company has been handed over to liquidators at London’s Resolve Group. Despite the company that Storey is listed as having control of being in liquidation, he took to Twitter this week to say that Rich Energy are going to be returning to Formula 1.

 

[spitfire]

Alpine Formula 1 team interim livery
The Alpine Formula 1 team has revealed a first look at its rebrand with an interim livery on a 2020 Renault, ahead of the full launch of its new ‘A521’ car next month. For the sixth season of Renault’s works entry, it has opted to give its niche performance sub-brand Alpine the full F1 treatment as part of a major restructuring of the company and its assets. A revived automotive programme, including a new electric sportscar in collaboration with Lotus, plus the F1 team, Renault Sport Racing and the Renault Sport iterations of road cars will come under the ‘avant-garde’ Alpine brand.

This morning Renault revealed a first look at the Alpine F1 entity, as part of the initial announcement of details of the company’s new ‘Renaulution’ strategy in Paris. Its interim car has a simple black livery with the French tricolore at the rear of the engine cover. Antony Villain, Alpine’s design director, called the interim livery “the first evocation of the Alpine F1 team’s new identity. Some of the structural graphic elements will remain on the racing livery while others will change,” he said. “Numerous variations on all the motorsport assets are still to come.” The A521 name for the chassis, which will be paired to a Renault-branded engine, takes inspiration from Alpine’s traditional naming format. It may be a reference to Renault-Alpine’s prototype the A500 from the mid-1970s, updated to reflect the year of competition.

Red Bull Racing and Honda close to engine takeover deal
With Honda leaving Formula 1 at the end of this year, Red Bull Racing has to find an alternative power source. Mercedes will not be supplying it, neither will Ferrari, so Renault is the only one left. Since that did not work out in the past, the team is focusing on a takeover of the Honda engine and things seem to be moving in that direction now. Its being reported that Red Bull Racing and Honda are close to a deal to take over the Honda engine starting in 2022. Red Bull Racing initially wanted clarity in November 2020, which then became December 2020 and now in January it is still not finalised. However, the two sides were due to meet again this week, with the two confident that a solution is close at hand. The primary reason the deal has not been finalised is because of the complexity involved. Several manufacturers agree with Red Bull Racing on freezing engine development in general, but clash on fundamental positions. The ideal scenario for Red Bull Racing is a complete freeze from 2022 on engine development, but not everyone wants to go along with that.

Ferrari, for example, would only agree to the new engine regulations coming into force a year earlier (2025 instead of 2026) and they also have to deal with the fact that they are still behind the rest. With a complete freeze, they would be shooting themselves in the foot and from that perspective, it is not wise to go along with Red Bull's proposal. The whole discussion around freezing engine development is obviously much more complex, but that is what The Race believes is the main obstacle to getting the deal done. However, the talks between Honda and Red Bull Racing are on good terms and going in a positive direction, also because it is supported by Honda Japan. Once the deal is done, Red Bull Racing will take over Honda's operations at the Milton Keynes plant and expand their own Red Bull Technologies campus. A deal also means that the existing Honda staff will be taken over. It is also highly likely that Honda will continue to provide long term support, albeit in a scaled-down form.

Claire Williams talks about sale of team
Last spring, Williams became the first Formula One team to be wholly owned by an investment firm, Dorilton Capital. In an interview, Claire Williams now gives an insight into the frustration and reasoning behind the sale of the team in 2020. In an interview with the New York Times, Williams explains her and her father's decision to sell the family business to investor group Dorilton Capital in May 2020. Williams states: “When Coronavirus hit there was the bigger picture to think about, how we were going to go racing again and keep our business afloat during lockdown. It was like, ‘Right, we’re really scraping about here on what we’ve got.’ Then the decision came that we had to seek investment or sell. We didn’t have a choice. We’d literally done everything.”

Williams explains that the reasoning behind selling the former family business was twofold. The first reason, she argues, had to do with the job retention of everyone who worked for the team. Williams explains: “The first was saving the team. When I say saving the team, I mean ensuring the people had the security of their job, that the team existed or survived for their benefit.” The second reason concerns Frank Williams, father of Claire and co-founder of the team. “I wanted to make sure my dad came out of it with money to show for his work, not that he would have cared”, Williams argues. “My dad’s never taken a penny out of the team over the years. I wanted to ensure he had something to show for his legacy. That was really important to me as well. I felt that quite keenly considering the position the team had been in for many years.”

No return of "Rich Energy" as they are in liquidation
Rich Energy CEO William Storey has teased a return to F1 sponsorship is imminent, in the same week that British courts have appointed liquidators. Rich Energy CEO William Storey has indicated that his energy drinks company are set to return to Formula 1 sponsorship. The company became famous for all the wrong reasons in 2019. Having signed up as an unknown energy drink title sponsor of Haas in 2018, the British company became embroiled in a copyright battle with British cycle manufacturer Whyte Bikes over their trademarked logo. With Whyte Bikes winning the case, more trouble followed as Haas & Rich Energy had a very public falling out. At the height of Rich Energy’s court battle with Whyte Bikes, the company tweeted to say their sponsorship deal with Haas had been terminated.

The courts have recently issued a wind-up order for Lightning Volt and, this week, the original Rich Energy/Lightning Volt company has been handed over to liquidators at London’s Resolve Group. Despite the company that Storey is listed as having control of being in liquidation, he took to Twitter this week to say that Rich Energy are going to be returning to Formula 1.

That William Storey sounds like a right cunt. I just went to have a look at his Twitter and he's also anti vax and covid sceptic.

 

[1%er]

No Grands Prix of Monaco, Azerbaijan and Canada?
It seems that the coronavirus may again spoil a number of races this season. The Grands Prix of Monaco, Azerbaijan and Canada are in jeopardy and it seems that there will be no Grand Prix this year. The first calendar presented by Formula 1 consisted of 23 races. Not much later it released a revised calendar without China and moves Australia to late in the season. The omission of China means a return of the Grand Prix at Imola. This is not the end of the changes to the calendar. There are some reports that the races of Monaco, Azerbaijan and Canada will disappear in 2021. These are street circuits where the construction of the track starts months before the race.

Despite the disappearance of the circuits, Formula 1 already seems to have found replacements. Like last year, Istanbul Park, Mugello and Nurburging are candidates to fill the empty slots. The empty 'TBC' slot seems to go to Portimao.

Jurgen Hubbert obituary (RIP)
Former Mercedes executive Jurgen Hubbert, a key player behind the marque's move into the DTM and Formula 1, has died at the age of 81. It was on Hubbert's watch that Mercedes joined forces with McLaren, creating a partnership that would win two World Championships with Mika Hakkinen in 1998 and 1999, and a third with Lewis Hamilton in 2008. "Deeply saddened to hear the news of our friend and family member Jurgen," Hamilton noted in an Instagram post. "He was such a racer at heart and I enjoyed our chats and his enthusiasm [for] racing. His commitment to Mercedes and the team over the years was inspiring."

Born in 1939, Hubbert graduated in engineering from the University of Stuttgart in 1965, and he joined Daimler-Benz that year. He moved through the ranks quickly, holding various senior roles at the Sindelfingen plant, and by 1987 he became a deputy member of the board of management of Mercedes cars. On reviewing the state of the company Hubbert decided that motorsport was the way forward. Mercedes had not fully embraced an official involvement in racing since 1955, so it was a huge step.

"When I looked at the situation the company was in it became clear to me that we had got ourselves into some difficulties," he noted in 2018. "Due to an ongoing internal debate, we had been neglecting our vehicles. The focus was on becoming an 'Integrated Technology Group.' I hoped that we could polish up the image of the brand by means of motor sport activities. I remembered the 1950s, when I was still at school and took a lively interest in the sport, and I also looked back to the 1930s. There were always times when the company was not doing all that well and it was motor sport that gave the brand an extra push. It had worked on those occasions, and I had something like that at the back of my mind."

Mercedes became officially involved with the revamped DTM in 1988, in parallel with increasing support of Peter Sauber's World Sportscar Championship team. That morphed into a full works Silver Arrows effort and brought the marque titles in 1989 and 1990, along with a Le Mans win in the former season. With a return to Grand Prix racing on the horizon Hubbert hired former journalist Norbert Haug to head up the motorsport programmes. However, the plan to move into F1 with Sauber-run works team which would have involved Michael Schumacher was shelved.

Nevertheless Mercedes still gave the Swiss outfit low-key support in 1993-'94, before replacing Peugeot as McLaren's engine partner in 1995. "It didn't work out at all," Hubbert recalled. "We just went from one setback to another. Cars in which the engine blew up on the home straight on the penultimate lap and in front of massive audiences. Then in 1997, Ron [Dennis] said, 'It's coming, it's coming! You can smell it!' And I thought, 'What's he on about?' And then we won in Australia. That was 1997 the first Mercedes win with David Coulthard at the wheel. And next year, we finished as World Champions."

Hubbert took on a more senior management role within Daimler while also becoming a powerful figure behind the scenes in F1. He was one of the key players behind the GPWC, the aborted attempt by the manufacturers to break away from Bernie Ecclestone. He continued to be a big supporter of McLaren even after his retirement in 2004. During his tenure with Mercedes he had a huge impact on its road cars, overseeing the introduction of the A-class, M-class and CLK, as well as the birth of the Smart car range. He also found time to pursue an academic career, teaching engineering at the Technical University of Karlsruhe.

Paying tribute to his contribution current Mercedes and Daimler chairman Ola Kallenius said: "Jurgen Hubbert was Mister Mercedes. With integrity, innovative spirit and great success, he shaped Mercedes-Benz forever. As a leader, he was able to integrate and motivate his teams with a passion for technology and the highest standards for himself. He is forever assured of the appreciation of the entire Mercedes family. In gratitude for his many years of good work, we will honour his memory." New F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali added: "All of us at Formula 1 are deeply saddened to hear that Jurgen Hubbert has passed away. He was an incredible man and a friend and he will be greatly missed. My thoughts are with his family at this time."

 

[1%er]

Ecclestone and Jordan's view on Lewis contract talks
The drama surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s 2021 contract is “all just for show”. That is the view of former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who questions the reasons behind rumours of difficult negotiations between Hamilton and Mercedes. “Apparently they disagree on the terms,” former F1 team boss Eddie Jordan told Auto Bild, revealing that one of his regular sources is in fact Ecclestone himself. “I have heard that Lewis wants more than Mercedes is willing to pay and it’s also about sharing the team’s income and playing an influential role in the Mercedes group. If I was the boss of Daimler, I would show him the door and say ‘either you drive on our terms or you go’.” Jordan said that when Ayrton Senna died in 1994, Ecclestone told the teams to “Stop whining. Everybody is replaceable. “Lewis should know that by now,” Jordan added.

However, Ecclestone has now told Roger Benoit the veteran correspondent for the Swiss newspaper Blick that he doubts the Hamilton contract narrative completely. “It’s all just for show,” the 90-year-old said when asked about Hamilton’s contract dramas. “It’s so that Lewis in particular stays in the headlines during these dreary weeks.”

F1 responds to street race cancellation claims
On Friday, it was reported that three grand prix in May and June, including the prestigious Monaco GP, are set to be cancelled due to coronavirus concerns. Specifically, the cancellation of the street races in Monaco, Azerbaijan and Canada will be announced next month, according to reports. “Monaco (May 23), Azerbaijan (June 6) and Canada (June 13) will, insiders say, fall off the calendar just like last year. Announcement of that news is expected next month,” online Dutch news site Formule1.nl reported.

However, Formula One has since dismissed these claims as “completely wrong” and said they are not planning to make any further changes to the 2021 calendar at the moment. “We have set out the details of the revised 2021 calendar and there are no other changes. The suggestion street races will not take place are completely wrong,” an F1 spokesperson told reporters. Earlier this month, it was confirmed that the Australian GP would be postponed and the Chinese GP was facing cancellation.

Alpine F1 Team bring in Davide Brivio as sporting director
Italian Davide Brivio has joined the Alpine F1 Team as sporting director, the team that was formerly Renault, announced on Sunday. "We are delighted to confirm Davide Brivio will strengthen our team ahead of the 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship season," Alpine said in a statement. "His specific role and responsibilities will be announced in the coming weeks."

The news comes just days after the shock departure of team principal Cyril Abiteboul. Davide, who left the MotoGP team Suzuki at the start of the month after guiding Joan Mir to the world title, will report to the Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi. "Davide joins the Alpine F1 Team with a wealth of experience and success following more than 20 years in the MotoGP World Championship," said Alpine.

Respected throughout the paddock as one of the best team managers, Brivio played a major role in rebuilding the Suzuki factory team since its return to MotoGP in 2015. Before that, he had been a Yamaha team manager and, as such, the great architect of the victories of Valentino Rossi, seven times world champion in the premier class including four times with Yamaha in the 2000s.

As well as a change in branding and leadership at the top, Alpine will also have a new driver line-up in 2021. Daniel Ricciardo's switch to McLaren means Fernando Alonso returns to the team where he won his two world championship titles to partner Esteban Ocon.

 

[1%er]

F1 to consider rotation of circuits
The Formula 1 calendar was completed again on Wednesday with the test days, but that is far from the last news about the calendar. There are 23 races to be held and F1's new CEO has different ideas about that. The 2021 F1 calendar was supposed to return to normal, but in the end it did not. The coronavirus is far from out of the world, so the Australian Grand Prix was postponed and the winter test is now in Bahrain. However, Australia will probably not be the last race to be postponed or cancelled. For example, it is very difficult for street circuits to start building the circuit early in the current era. Fixed circuits are less affected by this and are more flexible in this respect. Stefano Domenicali wants to have a more flexible F1 calendar in the future and does not exclude the rotation of circuits.

''It is a large number, 23 races, let there be no doubt about that. It's about quantity, attention and the dedication of the fans. So some will say it is too many, others may say it is not a problem. ''I think the problem will solve itself if our product is very good,'' the Formula One big boss said. ''We might go to a situation where we have fewer races, but that we rotate with different Grands Prix, so we can have the focus on different regions. We have to think about that carefully this year as we prepare for a situation where the world is back to 'normal''', Domenicali concluded.

 

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Testing dates and car launches
As part of Formula 1's cost-saving measures, the teams and the FIA agreed to reduce testing from six days down to three days for this season. With teams limited to just a single car for the duration, it means each driver will only get one day and a half of running ahead of the opening race of the season in Bahrain. The original plan had been for testing to take place at Barcelona in Spain in early March, but the ongoing situation surrounding coronavirus has changed things.

With lockdowns taking place in much of Europe, allied to uncertainties over the impact of Brexit travel restrictions on UK teams, it was felt that hosting it in the original location did not make much sense. So with the original F1 season opener being moved from Australia on 21 March to Bahrain on 28 March, it made most sense for testing to take place at the Sakhir venue too. It means there will now be a single test session in Bahrain from 12-14 March.

Formula 1 teams are currently working hard on preparing their 2021 cars , with the official unveilings expected to take place in either late February or early March. Here is a run down of what each team has said so far.

Mercedes
Mercedes has yet to confirm its launch plans, but there is speculation that it could run the car for the first time in early March during a filming day at Silverstone.

Red Bull
Red Bull has not finalised any launch plans for its car yet, but it has confirmed that its upgraded car will be called the RB16B because it retains many parts from last year's challenger.

McLaren
McLaren has faced perhaps the busiest winter out of everyone, as it is the only team that is swapping engine suppliers for this year. The Woking-based outfit is moving from Renault power units to Mercedes, with its 2021 car being called the MCL35M as a result. The team has not yet revealed any launch plans, but has teased some images of its car in its usual orange colours.

Aston Martin
The Racing Point team has been rebranded as Aston Martin for this year and, as well as a new car, it will be running with an all-new British racing green livery. The Silverstone-based outfit has stated it will launch its car and new colours at an event in March.

Alpine
The Renault team has been rebranded as Alpine for this year, as part of a push to build the French sportscar brand. The team will run with an all-new livery and has said it will reveal its Alpine A521 at an event in February.

Ferrari
Ferrari expects to unveil its new SF21 just ahead of pre-season testing in Bahrain. The Italian outfit wants to hold a team launch event in the early part of this year, with the car showcase waiting until later.

AlphaTauri
AlphaTauri has not yet announced a launch date for its Honda-powered 2021 car, but it is expected to run the car for the first time at a filming day at Imola that will take place between 23-25 February.

Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo was the first Formula 1 team to confirm a launch date for its 2021 car. It will reveal its C41 at an event in Warsaw on 22 February.

Haas
Haas will be running with an all-new driver line-up in 2021, with Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen having been replaced by Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin. No plans have yet been announced for the reveal of its new Ferrari-powered car.

Williams
Williams will embark on 2021 with an unchanged driver line-up, as George Russell and Nicholas Latifi continue as team-mates for the second year. The Grove-based outfit, which was purchased by Dorilton Capital last year, has not yet revealed any plans for its new car launch.

Although the 2021 cars must carry over the same chassis as last year, several rule tweaks have been made that will ensure some differences. In order to help Pirelli's tyres cope with the ever faster cars, tweaks have been made to the cars to reduce downforce in 2021, particularly targeting the floor. Pirelli was supposed to keep its 2019-spec compounds for a third season in a row, although it recently had teams test prototype tyres for next year. Those prototypes, which feature a more robust construction, were heavily criticised by the drivers, so it remains to be seen which specification will ultimately be used.

In a further bid to reduce costs ahead of the incoming budget cap, teams will also be forced to stick to their current chassis for 2021, although they are allowed to spend so-called development tokens to rework certain areas of their cars, including the aerodynamics. Engine manufacturers are also allowed to introduce a new power unit specification before the first race.

 

[cybershot]

Hope we see a return of British racing green but I doubt it.

Aston Martin
The Racing Point team has been rebranded as Aston Martin for this year and, as well as a new car, it will be running with an all-new British racing green livery. The Silverstone-based outfit has stated it will launch its car and new colours at an event in March.

Yes.

 

[dessiato]

I want to order some Alpine face masks. The Renault ones took 52 days to get here so I'm hoping I can get some in time for the races.

 

[Indeliblelink]

Jenson Button has joined Williams as a senior advisor.

 

[spitfire]

“Yes Martin it’s very strange that we haven’t seen Latifi this season without his helmet on. His coach says he does it to keep in the zone. Must be working as he’s had 3 race victories and is currently 3rd in the standings.

Fond of pasties for an Italian though...”

 

[1%er]

F1 in discussions with new manufacturers
Formula 1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali says the sport is in discussions with new manufacturers "keen to understand" the benefits of Grand Prix racing's platform. The last automobile manufacturer to enter the sport or rather return to F1 was Honda in 2015, while Renault boosted its presence as an engine supplier by taking over Lotus in 2016 and fielding a works effort. As for F1's teams, Haas is the most recent outfit to have joined the grid, also starting its big adventure in F1 in 2016. While Aston Martin will be a new name joining the fray this year, the legendary British sportscar maker will be lending its brand to Racing Point F1, the team owned by Aston executive chairman Lawrence Stroll.

The automotive industry's paradigm shift to electrification would perhaps appear as a deterrent for manufacturers to enter Formula 1. But the sport's inherent visibility and global platform, and the promise of a new era sitting on the 2022 horizon, continues to garner the interest of outside manufacturers according to Domenicali. "I think one of the biggest challenges that automotive manufacturers have today is to feel younger," the F1 boss told Sky F1's Martin Brundle. "There is this kind of fight between the old school of OEM [Original Equipment Manufacturers] and the new OEMs that are coming in the mobility side. But I think the OEMs can use the platform to get also the fresh image they maybe need for the future. What I can say is that we are in discussions with other manufacturers," added the former Lamborghini CEO. "For the moment, they prefer to stay still quiet, but the good news is that there are other companies, very important companies, that are really keen to understand what is the value that they can bring home using the F1 platform. Not only in terms of technology, in terms of also the value of what Formula 1 can bring to the automotive manufacturer."

While F1 will usher in new technical regulations next year, the definition and especially the cost of F1's future power unit set to be introduced in 2025 or 2026 will likely significantly impact outside interest from potential manufacturers. "It’s not possible that the power unit in Formula 1 can cost what it is costing today," insisted Domenicali. "I think there is a margin, a big margin on that, and one of the agendas we have is that we would like to involve teams and OEMs to try and anticipate the new engine even earlier than what is expected of the regulation, and make sure these kinds of things will be part of the agenda, and I’m sure we can do it."

Maya Weug is to become the first female driver to join the Ferrari Driver Academy
Dutch driver Maya Weug is to become the first female driver to join the Ferrari Driver Academy after outshining her competitors at the evaluation camp which took place at Ferrari’s headquarters in Maranello, as part of the final stage of the FIA “Girls on Track-Rising Stars” programme. The initiative was set up by the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission, in conjunction with the FDA. It aims to promote women in motorsport and support the most talented young female drivers between the ages of 12 and 16.

Jean Todt, President of the FIA was very complimentary of Maya and the program as a whole, “This is an important moment in Maya Weug’s career, and I extend my warmest congratulations to all four drivers who reached this final selection. “The FIA Girls on Track – Rising Stars programme is key to our commitment to supporting gender diversity in our sport. I would like to thank Ferrari Driver Academy all our partners who have joined us in embracing such an innovative and positive initiative.” Weug, who was born in Spain to a Belgian mother, inherited her passion for motorsport from her father, and tried a kart for the first time at the age of seven and fell in love with it. For Christmas in 2011, she was given a kart of her own and from then on, nothing could keep her away from racing. Awaiting Weug is a busy training program, which includes taking part in a FIA certified Formula 4 Championship.

The first edition of the FIA “Girls on Track-Rising Stars” may have come to a close but entries will soon be open for the second edition on the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission portal. Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal & Managing Director Mattia Binotto highlighted the success of the Ferrari Driver academy, and looks forward to seeing her development over the years to come : “Over the course of this year, she will progress along with us and also take part in one of the F4 Championships Certified by FIA, the category seen as the first step in single-seaters on the road to Formula 1. Maya’s arrival is a clear indication of the Scuderia’s commitment to making motorsport increasingly inclusive, in line with the hashtag supported by the entire Formula 1 community, #weraceasone. This project is therefore a new element to mark the start the year for the FDA, which is proving to be a great success: five of its 19 students have made it to Formula 1 and four of them, 20% of the entire grid, will be racing this coming season in the top level of motorsport.”

Marco Matassa, head of the Ferrari Driver Academy was impressed with the speed of Weug even with little experience in single-seater cars, “We were impressed with her dedication and preparation, from a physical perspective and also with her approach to competition. Despite very limited experience in a single-seater, she had a good turn of speed and demonstrated a mastery of the car that meant she could immediately implement the instructions she was given.” The understandably excited Weug cannot wait to get started, adding “I will never forget this day! I am so happy to be the first female driver to join the Ferrari Driver Academy. Winning the final stage of the FIA “Girls on Track – Rising Stars” programme makes me realise that I was right to pursue my dream of becoming a racing driver. I will give my all to show the people who believed in me that I deserve to wear the Ferrari Driver Academy uniform and I can’t wait to come to Maranello to start preparing for my first season of single-seater racing”

 

[dessiato]

 

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Will Robert De Niro play Bernie
Robert De Niro and Star Wars actor John Boyega are set to feature in a fictional crime-thriller set in the Formula 1 paddock. Netflix, the streaming service behind F1 documentary series 'Drive to Survive', has given the green light for production to begin on a new motorsport-based blockbuster. 'The Formula' follows the story of an American F1 driver who falls in with the mafia and is forced to serve as a getaway driver. Gerard McMurray, director of Burning Sands, one of Netflix's first original films, will write, direct and produce the film, and he revealed several details about the production in an Instagram post on Monday. He wrote: “[It] Feels amazing to see this idea in my head finally come to life that I’m writing, directing, and producing. My new production company Buppie Productions is teaming up with Tribeca Films and Netflix to bring to you a dope original film coming soon called THE FORMULA starring two of my favourite actors, John Boyega and Robert De Niro. It’s the story of a young man from Detroit who becomes an international racing star in the world of Formula 1 under the tutelage of his mentor with old mob ties.” A release date for 'The Formula' has not yet been announced, with McMurray simply teasing the film is "coming soon".

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Will Robert De Niro play Bernie
Robert De Niro and Star Wars actor John Boyega are set to feature in a fictional crime-thriller set in the Formula 1 paddock. Netflix, the streaming service behind F1 documentary series 'Drive to Survive', has given the green light for production to begin on a new motorsport-based blockbuster. 'The Formula' follows the story of an American F1 driver who falls in with the mafia and is forced to serve as a getaway driver. Gerard McMurray, director of Burning Sands, one of Netflix's first original films, will write, direct and produce the film, and he revealed several details about the production in an Instagram post on Monday. He wrote: “[It] Feels amazing to see this idea in my head finally come to life that I’m writing, directing, and producing. My new production company Buppie Productions is teaming up with Tribeca Films and Netflix to bring to you a dope original film coming soon called THE FORMULA starring two of my favourite actors, John Boyega and Robert De Niro. It’s the story of a young man from Detroit who becomes an international racing star in the world of Formula 1 under the tutelage of his mentor with old mob ties.” A release date for 'The Formula' has not yet been announced, with McMurray simply teasing the film is "coming soon".

My god that sounds terrible

 

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Netflix will cancel series that are liked but then greenlight stuff that sounds that awful.

 

[Limejuice]

If they get De Niro to play Bernie, they'll have to saw off his legs to make the height.

 

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Ross Brawn has signed a new contract
Ross Brawn has signed a new contract to remain in charge of Formula 1’s sporting division under the ownership of Liberty Media. The former team principal of the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari and Honda was appointed managing director of motorsport when Liberty Media purchased Formula 1 from Bernie Ecclestone back in January 2017. Brawn has remained in that role ever since and is now going to continue for the foreseeable future as Formula 1 prepares to introduce brand new regulations in 2022.

“I’m very excited about the challenges we face at the moment,” Brawn told reporters “It would have been frustrating not to see the new cars running. I think also the challenge of Covid, all those things keep me motivated and wanting to carry on. I’ll have to stop at some point in the future, we all do, but I’m not planning it at the moment. I think with Chase [Carey] stepping back, it was useful or important to have some continuity and I’m glad to carry on. So, exciting times. My remit’s pretty flexible. Stefano [Domenicali] has joined, I’m probably the person he knows best in our organisation. So I’ve been a reference for him on any number of things. But as he gets to know all the people in our team, then he will undoubtedly work more closely with them.” The deal for Brawn to continue in his current role was agreed earlier in January.

Red Bull has to wait for engine freeze vote
Red Bull is facing another two-week wait for a vote on whether Formula 1 will introduce an engine freeze from 2022. According to team advisor Helmut Marko, Red Bull has agreed on a deal to continue using Honda’s power unit after the Japanese manufacturer leaves F1 next year, a move which depends on a vote to freeze engine development. That vote was expected to take place on Monday but it has been delayed and will now not take place for at least another two weeks when the F1 Commission next meets in February.

"The agreement that still existed on Friday was no longer there on Monday,” Red Bull motorsport advisor Dr. Helmut Marko told Motorsport-Magazin. "There are more talks and negotiations.” Following Honda’s decision to pull out of F1 at the end of the 2021 season, Red Bull has made it clear its intention is to take over the intellectual property of the Honda engine rather than becoming a customer of another manufacturer, something it believes would hamper its bid to challenge reigning world champions Mercedes for world titles.

In order to avoid the high costs of developing the engine in-house, Red Bull has been pushing for a freeze on F1’s engine specification to come into effect from 2022, allowing both Red Bull and its senior team AlphaTauri to continue running Honda’s power units. After initially being against the idea of an engine freeze, Red Bull’s rivals Ferrari have since come around to the proposal, while Mercedes has also indicated its support.

Michael Schumacher documentary no release date
For the fans waiting for the Michael Schumacher documentary, there is good and bad news. The good is that the film is finally finished, but the release date of the film has been delayed and is unknown for now. Mick Schumacher will make his debut in Formula 1 in 2021 and there will be many questions surrounding him. Mick's father had a skiing accident in 2013 and little news has come out since. However, a documentary is ready to make more clear. The documentary's director and producer Vanessa Nöcker says that the film is finally finished, but a release date is still unknown. The documentary was initially supposed to be released on 5 December 2019, but was moved to the end of 2020. However, due to the Corona virus, the documentary has now been pushed back even further.

"Corona has made the situation very difficult. Therefore, we cannot give a date at the moment and ask for a little more patience'', says Nöcker. Sabine Kehm, spokesperson for the Schumacher family, revealed what we can expect. ''The film portrays Michael's impressive career, but also many of the facets of the complex man'', Kehm concludes. For the first time, his wife Corinna, father Rolf and children Gina-Maria and Mick will speak openly about the situation.

 

[1%er]

If they get De Niro to play Bernie, they'll have to saw off his legs to make the height.

Only up to the knees, Bernie is around 7" shorter than De Niro, which surprised me as I thought De Niro was taller than that

 

[spitfire]

Carlos drives a Ferrari.

 

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Adrian Campos has died RIP
Campos started 17 grands prix in 1987-88 without scoring a point and then focused on running teams in the junior series, working with future F1 champion Fernando Alonso. Former Formula One driver and team boss Adrian Campos, who helped Fernando Alonso become a two-time world champion, has died aged 60. Campos Racing, who have teams in the Formula Two and Three support series, said in a statement on Thursday that their founder had passed away from "sudden coronary disease".

"His heart stopped beating, but his memory will be the engine that will keep us all fighting to continue his legacy," they added on Twitter. Spaniard Campos started 17 grands prix for Minardi in 1987-88 without scoring a point. He then focused on running teams in the junior series, working with future F1 drivers Marc Gene and Alonso early in their careers. Indeed, Alonso came through the junior ranks under Campos' stewardship and later became a household name in F1, winning back-to-back F1 world titles with Renault in 2005-06. Upon hearing the tragic news, Alonso posted a picture of his hero during his F1 days on social media.

Britain's Jack Aitken, the Williams reserve who made his grand prix debut in Bahrain as a stand-in last year, raced for the Campos F2 team in 2020. Aitken said: "Adrian, RIP. You were so kind, true to your word, competitive, mischievous, wise. You always knew exactly what to say to me, because at heart you were still a driver. And you created a family at Campos full of brilliant, talented people, who will miss you dearly. I will too."

In 2009 Campos had a bid to enter a Campos Meta team in Formula One accepted but financial problems saw it change ownership and compete as Hispania, later HRT F1. The team folded at the end of 2012. Following the tragic news, tributes began to pour in for the motorsport icon. A spokesperson for F1 said: "We are very sad to learn of the passing of Adrian Campos. As a driver and then founder and president of Campos Racing, Adrian leaves an incredible legacy in motorsport. We send our condolences to his family and friends, and all at Campos Racing."

Is Aston Martin up for sale already
While F1 folk are getting excited about Sebastian Vettel paying his first visit to Aston Martin Racing (formerly known as Racing Point), with a short haircut, the main company’s financial situation remains difficult. Lawrence Stroll and his fellow investors own stakes in both companies and the racing team has been rebranded to promote Aston Martin but they are separate entities. For those who are watching these things, the Aston Martin share price is pretty volatile. It is not long ago that the shares were trading at £19, which put the market cap at £4.3 billion. But in the course of 2019 they fell gradually to £10 and then dropped sharply in the autumn, when the company issued a profit warning. Then in 2020 COVID-19 arrived and things got even worse. Today the shares are worth £1.85, although the issuing of new shares has meant that the market cap of the firm is £2.13 billion. The company also has considerable debt (around £1.2 billion) although when it comes to the enterprise value, with debt and cash added to the share value, it is still reckoned to be worth around £4 billion, which is what someone will need to pay to acquire it.

This morning there was an interesting story from China’s East Money, a website that watches the financial markets, which suggested that the China’s BYD Auto Company is preparing to acquire the Aston Martin car company, in a deal that would value the British firm at £4.1 billion. BYD (which stands for Build Your Dreams) started out as a company producing rechargeable electric batteries. Today it is the largest supplier of rechargeable batteries in the world. It bought the Tsinchuan Automobile Company in 2002 and while its current range includes electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and petrol-engined vehicles, it has always been a company that aims to build electric cars. Last May the firm announced plans to expand into Europe with an SUV and a range of commercial vehicles. It also has a joint venture with Daimler to produce luxury electric cars using the Denza brand. It should be remembered, of course, that Daimler will have a 20 percent of Aston Martin by 2023 in exchange for an engine supply deal.

It should also be remembered that at the start of 2020 Geely and the battery manufacturer CATL both looked at acquiring Aston Martin, but lost out to the Stroll consortium. However since then it has not been an easy ride for the car company, although much depends on the sales of the Aston Martin DBX, the company’s first SUV. Things have also been changed somewhat by the British government’s announcement in October that it plans to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2030, forcing car manufacturers to develop electric models. Some hybrids will be allowed to be sold until 2035, but that’s it. This may kill the British car industry in its current form.

Of course, if Aston Martin is switched over to producing high-end electric cars, its involvement in Formula 1 would make very little sense in the long term, although no doubt the sport will move towards more hybridisation in 2025 and perhaps to full electricity in 2030 or 2035. What happens to Formula E at that point is not clear. But, who knows? Maybe East Money isn’t right.

McLaren fire up Mercedes-powered MCL35M
McLaren has fired up its new Mercedes-powered MCL35M for the first time ahead of the 2021 Formula 1 season. The Woking-based outfit has had a busy winter getting its new car ready for the campaign, having switched from Renault power. The changes to the car to accommodate the Mercedes power unit have been extensive, and required a host of tweaks to last year's chassis. The team has needed to use up both of its two development tokens, which all outfits are allowed to use to make alterations from their 2020 challengers, in a bid to get the required work done.

Speaking earlier this week, McLaren's production director Piers Thynne said that while most teams were carrying over their chassis from last year, his team essentially had to build a brand new car. "Whereas every other team will carry over most of its car from last year into this year, our switch to the Mercedes power unit means that's not the case for us," he said. "It's driven a huge amount of change and, essentially, we've been building a new car. The number of new parts on the MCL35M is about the same as when we built the MCL35. The back of the chassis and gearbox bell housing around the engine have changed significantly to adapt to the new power unit. Changing power unit greatly alters the architecture of the car and the way everything is packaged, so the entire cooling layout and all the pipework, be that for fluid or air, has changed, along with all electrical harnessing and control boxes."

The fire-up of the McLaren at its Woking factory was overseen by team principal Andreas Seidl and CEO Zak Brown. Images that McLaren released of the fire up did not reveal any design details of the new MCL35M beyond the traditional papaya orange colour scheme and the fact that the team is retaining a number of its current sponsors. McLaren will be racing with a new driver line-up for this season following the departure of Carlos Sainz Jr to Ferrari. Lando Norris is staying on board for his third campaign with McLaren, while Daniel Ricciardo is joining the squad from Renault.

A new look for Vettel

Sebastian Vettel’s final season at Ferrari was far from pleasant, finishing a distant 13th in the F1 standings as the famous Italian outfit limped to its worst record in three decades. Now the ousted German superstar has made his first public appearance in his new drive and social media had a field day over the apparent toll his failed six-year Ferrari stint had on his hairline. Vettel unveiled a new look when having his Aston Martin seat fitting as he prepares for a fresh start in the rebranded Racing Point drive.

 

[cybershot]

Has he aged 20 years during the past month or so!

 

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Ross Brawn looking to make changes
Ross Brawn, the managing director of Formula One, says he is interested in diversifying the racing calendar. Rather than setting up each race weekend in a similar way, Brawn says it would be interesting to vary, in an attempt to attract new fans and give old fans a new dose of excitement. "What I would like to see is some weekends where we do run a different format, and we can judge what the responses are, so we don’t commit the whole championship to a new format. That would be a sensible way to move forward, and find new avenues that would appeal to the fans and perhaps appeal to new fans. We don’t want to alienate our existing fans. We’re very loyal to our fan base. But if we can find ways of engaging with new fans, that would be for everyone’s benefit.”

Nevertheless, Brawn is convinced that experimentation should never undermine the excitement of the championship: "It should always be a meritocracy. What you don’t want to do is have a championship that’s spoiled because you’ve done something which creates strange results.”

Turkey as an example; Brawn pointed to the Turkish GP as an example of the positive effects an unpredictable race weekend can have on viewing pleasure. He explained “Turkey was a great example. We had some negative comments about grip levels and the conditions, yet it was one of the greatest races of the year. Everybody took something away from that, and it was very interesting to see the more experienced drivers come to the fore.”

Race start times
As mentioned previously, F1 have decided to change the start times of races from ten past the hour, to on the hour. here is a list of all local start times.

Limejuice This doesn't make you redundant young man, please continue to post the start times in the UK for every race

 

[1%er]

Flavio and Bernie
I came across this tidbit while looking at yachts for something else I'm doing.
The Italian press has reported that Flavio Briatore’s Force Blue, the 63.22-metre explorer yacht built by Royal Denship in 2002, has been acquired in auction by former Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone for €7,490,000. The yacht had been seized by Italian Customs in 2010 in La Spezia on the basis that there was outstanding VAT to be paid on fuel. The yacht was later permitted to charter within the Mediterranean and one of the first guests was Ecclestone. In recent weeks Briatore had attempted to block the sale, but the Appeal Court of Genoa decided to go ahead because of the risk of the yacht’s deterioration due to forced inactivity, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. The auction took place on 27 January with the bidding starting at €7 million – a fraction of the yacht’s estimated value. There were reportedly four contenders taking part with Bernie Ecclestone emerging as the winner. Ecclestone and Briatore are old friends from the days when the Italian was executive director of the Benetton and Renault F1 teams. What is strange is the fact that the sale took place before the final decision by the Supreme Court (now postponed until 9 June), which could return the yacht to Briatore or confirm its seizure.

Bernie got a great deal if he can keep the yacht, its true value is somewhere between €10 and €12million on the open market I think having been looking at the price of super yachts over the last few months. I wonder if Bernie has brought the yacht for Flavio as they are great mates and a couple of wheeler dealers who know how to work the system.

 

[spitfire]

Yeah I'd put money on that being right.

Briatore is such a shady fucker.

That does sound like a bargain price for a big yacht like that. I used to work for a company that did work on super yachts and the rule of thumb is a million a metre. But that is the brand new and bespoke price, not for one that's nearly 20 years old.

 

[cybershot]

Yeah that's definetly a I'll give you the money for it and a bit extra to keep your name as the registered owner until this all blows over!

 

[1%er]

Yeah I'd put money on that being right.

Briatore is such a shady fucker.

That does sound like a bargain price for a big yacht like that. I used to work for a company that did work on super yachts and the rule of thumb is a million a metre. But that is the brand new and bespoke price, not for one that's nearly 20 years old.

Flavio Briatore brought the yacht around the time of its refit in 2009 for $20million, it is now an older yacht and from what I have read needs another refit. The strange thing about this story is that the yacht was originally seized back in 2010 with an estimated V.A.T debt of 5 million Euros. Now I know these boats use a lot of fuel but to get a V.A.T debt of 5 million Euros for fuel in just 1 years is impossible I believe. There is more to this than just V.A.T on fuel, I think the V.A.T on the yacht must not have been paid. I think what has happened here is that Briatore brought the boat originally called Big Roi and claimed he was going to keep it outside the EU (no VAT to pay if kept outside the EU for 3 years), but changed the name to Force Blue and brought it back inside EU waters where VAT should be paid. That would make much more sense than a tax bill for fuel.

 

[1%er]

Renault looking to Williams for engine deal
The sole engine manufacturer on the grid supplying just one team, Renault have reportedly made “contact” with Williams regarding a 2022 engine deal. Set to lose McLaren to Mercedes at the conclusion of the 2020 championship, leaving the French company with just one team on the grid, its own Alpine team, last year Renault began speaking with others teams, specifically Alfa Romeo. The Hinwil team, although involved in a long-time partnership with Ferrari and backed by Alfa Romeo, was considering its options. Team boss Fred Vasseur told Blick in December: “We’re tied to Ferrari until the end of 2021, then we’ll have to go over the books because the next contract should run from 2022 to 2026 because of the new cars.” When asked if that next contract will be with Ferrari, he replied: “You can never tell. It’s like with a marriage. No one guarantees you’ll stay with the same woman forever – like me!”

A month later reports emerged that the marriage will continue with the team poised to extend its partnership with Ferrari until 2025. That has left Renault once again looking for a new customer team. According to reports that customer could be Williams. The reports claim that Williams is the ‘only serious option for the manufacturer’ and that ‘first contact between both parties has already been made’. There are, however, three ‘obstacles’ to overcome. The first is time as the teams have already began designing their 2022 cars. Needing to know the dimensions of the engine that will power the car, a switch to Renault in 2022 could be a problem unless it is decided in the coming weeks. The second issue is Williams’ extended co-operation with Mercedes. The team announced in early January that it would be increasing its technical partnership with Mercedes from the 2022 season. Under the increased collaboration, Mercedes will “supply of certain transferable components” such as gearboxes and other hydraulic parts. This is something that Renault have never supplied, problem three as Williams would need to get these parts from its engine partner.

Red Bull will need to wait longer for engine freeze vote
Red Bull Racing is anxiously waiting to see whether engine development will be frozen from 2022. The vote for this rule has been pushed back to 21 February, but Helmut Marko is optimistic about the chances. Because Honda are withdrawing from Formula 1, Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri have a problem. Red Bull's teams will no longer have an engine from 2022 onwards. Red Bull would like to take over the engine from Honda and produce it, but not further develop it. Red Bull has therefore asked for the planned freeze on engine development in 2023 to be brought forward by one year.

However, that is not so easy. Each team in Formula 1 has its own interests and Ferrari and Renault would not be eager to help Red Bull with this. That the rule will be implemented seems as good as certain, because Formula 1 cannot cope with the loss of two F1 teams. It does seem, however, that the other teams are doing everything they can to postpone the decision for as long as possible. While the first talks were held back in January, the vote was already postponed to 11 February. According to reports the vote has now been postponed even further, and Red Bull will have to wait until February 21. However, Helmut Marko is optimistic, that the rule will come into force. ''We need six out of ten votes, so only a simple majority. I assume that apart from Red Bull and Toro Rosso, the three Ferrari teams (Ferrari, Alfa Romeo and Haas) and also Renault will agree," said Marko, who surprisingly does not mention Mercedes, even though they have openly indicated their support for Red Bull.

No F1 race in Rio de Janeiro
As I predicted two years ago when this idea first came up. Plans to build a Formula 1 circuit in a forest on the outskirts of Rio have formally been abandoned, a local Brazilian government official has confirmed. Former F1 CEO Chase Carey was keen to move Brazil's grand prix away from Interlagos, and a deal to run the race in Rio was formally agreed last September. However, the development plans faced hurdles, and in December F1 announced a new contract to keep the Brazil race to be known henceforth as the Sao Paulo GP at its traditional home.

The proposed new venue was at Deodoro, a former military base that was utilised for some events at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, including hockey, rugby sevens, shooting, BMX, mountain biking, show jumping and the modern pentathlon. The construction of the track would have had a major impact on the Camboata forest area, and despite promises to tackle the environmental issue with the planting of new trees, the plans faced considerable opposition. They had to be approved first by the State Institute of the Environment [INEA], and then the State Environmental Control Commission [CECA]. In a letter to the acting governor of Rio dated September 14 and made public the following month Carey said: "I am writing to update you that we have now finalised race agreements with Rio Motorsports LLC to host, stage and promote Formula 1 events in Rio de Janeiro. These agreements are ready for execution and announcement by Formula 1 as soon as all necessary licences have been issued by the relevant authorities, INEA/CECA, in Brazil/Rio de Janeiro."

When getting those licences proved difficult Carey switched his focus back to Interlagos, and he quickly concluded a deal with a new promotion company that is backed by the Abu Dhabi government. On Monday Rio's secretary of the environment Eduardo Cavaliere confirmed that plans for the Deodoro track will not be going ahead, and that at the mayor's request he had written to INEA formally confirming that the licensing process for building the circuit is being "archived." In a Tweet that he tagged to world champion Lewis Hamilton he wrote: "Rio is racing for a sustainable future: Camboata Forest shall NOT be supplanted by Rio international race track. Under Mayor Eduardo Paes's leadership we have OFFICIALLY WITHDRAWN the construction's licensing process."

The loss of Rio represents F1's third high profile failure to get a new event up and running since Liberty Media took control, with Vietnam looking unlikely to ever proceed after a corruption scandal, and Miami on hold during the pandemic in the face of strong local opposition. However F1's deal with the Rio promoter is not tied to the Deodoro venue, and in theory the race could be revived elsewhere in the city.

[I have to say I am really surprised that Chase Carey's advisors didn't tell him to stay away from this, I said at the time this was just Bolsonaro playing to his base in Rio and that is clearly what it was, if I (and many others) could see it so plainly why didn't the people from Liberty media or did they? As reported above the race at Interlagos is under threat, legal action has been brought to stop the city holding the race but as this is all happening in Brazil I'm sure that a brown envelope stuffed with cash will ensure that there is a race in Sao Paulo. It could be that Liberty Media did fully understand that Bolsonaro could not pull this off but went with it to try and get Sao Paulo to pay a race fee. Under the deal struck by Bernie there was no Race fee paid by the Interlagos circuit ]

Rich Energy still at it
Former Haas title sponsor Rich Energy have announced that they are set to confirm a return to Formula 1 sometime this week.
Here we go again? Controversial former Haas Formula 1 title sponsor Rich Energy announced last month that they are set to confirm a return to Formula 1 sometime in the first week of February. Yes, that now means this week.

Company co-founder and CEO William Storey has noted that his company will be landing with a far more competitive organization than they were with two seasons ago, but he has not announced the new partner team. He called it “the greatest comeback since Lazarus” in a Twitter post that expectedly garnered some entertaining reactions.