F1 2021

[1%er]

2021 McLaren MCL35M
Here’s the very first pictures of McLaren’s new Mercedes-powered MCL35M, revealed at their Technology Centre at Woking in the UK. “Despite relatively stable technical regulations from 2020, there are several significant aerodynamic changes to the rules that are important to get right.” said McLaren Technical Director James Key. “Every change to these regulations presents an opportunity, and the team in Woking has been working incredibly hard in difficult conditions to maximise those opportunities. One of the key elements of the MCL35M design is the integration of the Mercedes-AMG power unit, which has taken a considerable effort from the team in Woking, as well as our colleagues at Mercedes. Despite our limited scope for installation in a homologated car, the team has done a fantastic job of optimising our design work. Building a Formula 1 car is never easy. These are the fastest and most technically complex racing cars in the world and that challenge has only been compounded by the covid-19 pandemic. Over the past year, the team in the factory has been subject to incredibly strict, rigorous testing and working procedures aimed at keeping our people safe. I’m immensely proud of how our incredible group of people has risen to this challenge and developed the best possible package.”

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Modern F1 cars would look so much better if they banned all that fiddly aero crap just in front of the sidepods.

 

[Limejuice]

The above shot shows a very elegant solution to a broader engine unit.

Not exactly a Coca-Cola bottle shape, but pleasing, nonetheless. It looks like it should be a stable arse end to my untrained eye.

But those claws in front of the sidepods look quite menacing.

 

[1%er]

Technical Insight: Technical analysis of the new McLaren MCL35M
McLaren’s MCL35M was the first car to be unveiled ahead of the 2021 Formula 1 season and given it shares the same name as last year’s car, it came as no surprise that it looked almost identical. Whilst it’s difficult to notice the substantial changes, casting a technical eye over the car compared to last years and you’ll see plenty of development has taken place, likely more so than on any other 2021 car. Even then, the majority of changes won’t really been seen until pre-season testing when further parts are bolted on. There still a months worth of development time between the launch and the first day of testing. But the McLaren will undergo some of the most visible changes because of a non-visible change – the switch from Renault to Mercedes power. The engine change has not only completely changed the mechanics under the bodywork, but thanks to some exemptions by the FIA, McLaren has been able to adapt the parts approved in 2020, such as the chassis, gearbox, suspension attachments and cooling, to accommodate its new Power Unit (PU).

Sidepod Changes
The first difference you might notice, albeit minimal, is the more sculpted sidepod/engine cover, which is a direct result of the new PU. The team has been able to conform its bodywork to fit the new PU, which has a completely different layout to that of the Renault PU. The sides are more tapered than last year, whilst the McLaren-made gearbox has undergone some changes to accommodate the new PU. The bodywork, which narrows just behind the drivers compartment, recreates that famous aerodynamic slide that brings the flow of air to the floor and diffuser, just like on last year’s Mercedes. It is also possible to observe the new floor, free from slots and channels for the air flow, which follows the updated technical regulations. This looks to be a ‘launch-spec’ floor and is fairly primitive in design, so we can expect to see a lot of changes in this area by the first race of the season as teams look to recover the downforce lost as a result of the rule change. As for the air intake above the driver’s head, you can see the shape has changed and is now more similar to that of the Mercedes W11. An interesting technical detail is represented by the air intakes for cooling on the sides of the driver compartment, which have wider and more sloping vents than the MCL35, following the trend to descend towards the bottom of the new bodywork of the sides. It is clear that the management of the cooling between the Renault PU and Mercedes PU is quite different, and required considerable work over the winter for the James Key and his engineers.

Longer wheelbase
One of the most visible changes you might not notice unless compared side-by-side to the 2020 car, is the longer wheelbase of the MCL35M. Also the increase in pitch could be a direct consequence of the implementation of the Mercedes PU – which also runs a longer wheelbase – but which also involves an increase in the efficiency of the diffuser. The aerodynamic restrictions at the floor and diffuser have also led to a decrease in the rake set-up, as we will probably see on the other cars that will be presented in the following weeks. The high rake set-up, which is something championed by Red Bull, is more penalising with the changes made to the new technical regulations. In 2021 the Pirelli tyres will also change, which will have a more rounded shoulder and a more rigid construction to be more resistant to the stresses due to the increase in downforce. In this regard, while not being able to modify the internal homologated parts of the front suspension, McLaren has slightly revised the design of the pivot of the upper triangle (green arrow) and of the bracket, that is the element that moves the anchor point of the suspension strut to a push rod scheme. They have also revised the brake duct, which has a wider shape in the upper part, forming a sort of “inverted L”.

Aerodynamic Upgrades
In terms of aerodynamics, the first real innovations studied by James Key and colleagues will certainly be seen on their debut in the pre-season tests. The MCL35M seen in the presentation still featured much of the aerodynamic components seen on last year’s car. However, some differences with the MCL35 have been seen, especially on the rear-wing endplate, of which we have seen the twisted slots like on the Haas and Red Bull, and not straight like in the old solution of last year. Also in the rear-wing area remains the double-profile T-wing seen last year in the high-power circuits. Analysing the aerodynamics at the front, it can be seen that the barge boards are very similar to the latest development last year, but have simplifications that were dictated by the 2021 technical regulations, which resulted in the abolition of the double boomerang. In fact, the new flow diverters, although always very complex in design, are simplified. The nose is also almost identical to that of last year, and maintains the same front impact structure approved at last season’s Tuscan GP. The mantle flow diverter, called “cape”, has been slightly revised, which compared to the late 2020 version is more aligned with the turning vanes under the frame. While maintaining the same deformable front structure, McLaren has continued to develop the aerodynamic part that surrounds it, to have a greater cleanliness of the flows under the car.

Green light for brand new circuit in Madrid
There is no shortage of racetracks in Spain, but another one is coming soon. Madrid has given the green light for a brand new circuit a few kilometres from the capital. Spain already has three circuits with the FIA Grade One stamp. Besides Barcelona and Jerez it is MotorLand Aragon (with four different layouts). The fourth circuit will be built near the town of Morata de Tajuna in the area of an old limestone mine. It will host both Formula 1 and MotoGP.

For almost eight years there have been rumours about the construction of this circuit, but now finally the decision has been made. "The idea is to build a facility that will operate 280 days a year with motorsport events and concerts in the summer," Mayor Angel Sanchez told reporters. The circuit will also cause little inconvenience at that location "I don't think there will be any problems obtaining the necessary permits because it will be in a very degraded area and with totally unproductive land." The fact that there is now a green light for the construction of the circuit does not mean that we can expect a Grand Prix soon. It is estimated that the project will take about three years. The first phase, in which the circuit is built, has an estimated duration of ten months. The second phase, in which all facilities are built, will take about two years. The proposed layout will have a length of about 4500 metres, with a straight section of about 650 metres and an average track width of 20 metres. The circuit will have a total capacity of 80,000 seats. There will also be a hotel, a petrol station, a car park with a capacity for 1,500 vehicles, a karting track and a museum. The cost of the project, some twelve million euros, is entirely privately funded.

F1 Gossip: Hulkenberg set for return? Vettel sells Ferrari cars
After his one-off outings last year as a substitute for Racing Point, Nico Hulkenberg looks increasingly likely to be named official test and reserve driver for the rebranded Aston Martin squad for the upcoming 2021 season

Four-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel has decided to sell a number of cars from his collection featuring Ferraris including a 2016 LaFerrari, 2004 Ferrari Enzo, 1996 Ferrari F50, 2016 Ferrari F12dtf, and the 2015 Ferrari 458 Speciale

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has played down a suggestion former Mercedes power unit designer Andy Cowell could be a target for their newly formed engine division

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali says that Miami is not the only location being targeted as the championship looks to add a second race in the US, with former grand prix venue Indianapolis also "in the equation”

The new budget cap regulations for the 2021 F1 season will provide a “huge challenge” for Mercedes, according to technical director James Allison, as it looks to adopts a more efficient approach to its development

McLaren’s Lando Norris has revealed details of his Covid-19 diagnosis, admitting that he felt “very drained” during the period

533 days after his FIA F2 crash at Spa that put him in a coma and left him severely injured, Juan Manuel Correa has got back behind the wheel of a single-seater car ahead of his return to racing this year with French squad ART in FIA F3

 

[cybershot]

Do we think McLaren have an unfair advantage over everyone else for the upcoming season? I know all teams have some sort of 'development tokens' but could the McLaren realstically challenge for the constructors this year in one of those sort of Brawn/Leicester City type oddities.

Of course assuuming they have got it right, it could of course turn out to be a worse car!

 

[1%er]

Monaco to begin construction of F1 circuit next week
The Monaco Grand Prix circuit is to be constructed from next week in preparation for its Formula 1, Formula E and Historic races in the coming months. Last year saw both the F1 and Historic grand prix’s cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the event organisers are pressing on with planning for the 2021 events. While coronavirus has also put this year’s races under threat, the Automobile de Monaco said in January it was committed to making sure the events ran as normal. Monaco is currently scheduled to host all three races over a one-month period, beginning with the Historic Grand Prix between April 23-25.

This will then be followed by the Monaco E-Prix on May 8, before the Monaco Grand Prix takes place on May 20-23. On Wednesday, the local government announced the instillation of the street circuit would start from next Monday. Preparations will include repainting track markings and installing barriers and various other infrastructures around the track. To ensure the work can be completed in time for Historic GP in April, construction will begin on February 22 and will last for seven weeks.
Monaco’s absence from the 2020 calendar was the first time the Principality had not held a race around its streets since 1954. It is currently due to host the fifth race of the 2021 season behind Bahrain, Imola, Portugal and Spain.

Netflix is almost done with third season of Drive to Survive
In 2020, Netflix was once again present in the paddock. This was to shoot footage, conduct interviews and obtain enough material for the third season of Drive to Survive. The first two seasons were very interesting to watch and with the strange year that 2020 was, also for Formula 1, this time it will be all the more interesting to get a look behind the scenes. In past years, Drive to Survive was released in February, but there is still no known date for the third season. No trailer has been released by Netflix yet either, so the question is whether they will make it for February or March. Through a small update, the executive producer of the series has indicated that they are almost done. At the moment, the third season is being edited and that takes the most work after filming. But with the news that they are almost done, a trailer can't be far behind. The series itself is then expected to be released on Netflix in the near future. If they follow the same path as last year, everything will be put online at once.

Several drivers start the coming season with penalty points
In case of a serious offence or causing an accident, the stewards can decide to hand out a penalty point. This will be added to the driver's licence and when the total of 12 is reached, a suspension will follow. This has never happened in the history of Formula 1 since the system was introduced in 2014, although Lewis Hamilton came close in 2020. What is the state of play now?

Reduction after one year. The system works in such a way that the penalty points awarded remain in place for one year. The points awarded at any one time are deducted from the total after exactly one year and with quite a few being awarded in 2020, not everyone goes into the new season with a clean sheet. Hamilton, who at one point came close to the limit, now has some breathing space, as many points have been taken away. However, he still leads the list, along with George Russell.

Lewis Hamilton - 6 penalty points
Austria - 2 (Not slowing down enough under yellow flag)
Austria - 2 (Causing collision)
Italy - 2 (Pitted during closed pit lane)

George Russell - 6 penalty points
Great Britain - 3 (Too little brake under yellow flag)
Turkey - 3 (Ditto)

Lando Norris - 5 penalty points
Styria - 2 (Overtaking under yellow flag)
Turkey - 3 (Not slowing down enough under yellow flag)

Kimi Räikkönen - 4 penalty points
Hungary - 1 (Car placed incorrectly on grid)
Tuscany - 1 (Wrongly entered the pit lane)
Eifel - 2 (Causing a collision)

Antonio Giovinazzi - 3 penalty points
Great Britain - 1 (Incorrect behaviour behind safety car)
Italy - 2 (Pitted during closed pit lane)

Lance Stroll - 3 penalty points
Portugal - 2 (Causing collision)
Portugal - 1 (Ignoring track limits)

Charles Leclerc - 3 penalty points
Styria - 1 (Obstruction)
Sakhir - 2 (Causing collision)

Sergio Pérez - 2 penalty points
Spain - 1 (Blue flags ignored)
Tuscany - 1 (Causing collision)

Daniel Ricciardo - 1 penalty point
Russia - 1 (Ignoring instructions from race direction)

Esteban Ocon - 1 penalty point
Silverstone 70 - 1 (Obstruction)

Carlos Sainz - 1 penalty point
Turkey - 1 (Obstruction)

Vettel, Verstappen and more are 'clean'
As you can see, not every driver is mentioned in the overview, this is because there are also drivers who can start 2021 with a clean slate. These are Valtteri Bottas, Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, Pierre Gasly and Nicholas Latifi. Fernando Alonso, Mick Schumacher, Nikita Mazepin and Yuki Tsunoda are also free from penalty points as 'newcomers'.

Australian GP layout to be revised before 2021 race
The Albert Park circuit is set to undergo a major revamp with plans in place to alter its existing layout ahead of the 2021 Australian Grand Prix. Melbourne had been due to be resurfaced and have some of its corners re-profiled after this year’s event, but the decision to postpone the race until November has seen work brought forward. The first changes have already been completed, which has seen the width of the pitlane widened by two metres and the pit wall moved to be edge of the track.

The next phase will revolve around the circuit’s layout, with various corners to be tweaked in a bid to improve overtaking opportunities. Albert Park has traditionally been a difficult circuit to overtake on, leading to criticism from drivers and fans over the lack of on-track action. The biggest change will see the tight right-hander at Turn 9 be axed in favour of a fast kink leading on to the straight towards the Turn 11/12 complex. This change will result in the entry speed into Turn 11 being much higher, which may destabilise the cars to create more opportunities to pass into the right-hander at Turn 13.

Turn 13 will also be made wider at the entry of the apex with additional camber to prevent cars running single file through the corner. The third phase will see the entire circuit resurfaced after November’s race if it goes ahead as planned. Albert Park’s layout hasn’t undergone changes since it replaced Adelaide as host of the Australian Grand Prix in 1996. Work on the alterations are due to commence next Monday and is expected to completed by July. This year marks only the fourth occasion Melbourne won’t host the first race of the season.

Pink colour gone at Racing Point, but now another team seems to be choosing BWT
The pink Racing Point of 2020 will not be seen again in 2021, as Aston Martin will drive with green colours. The pink does not seem to be going away completely, however, as BWT has reportedly found another place in Formula 1. In 2017, Force India surprised friend and foe with the new livery of the VJM10. It suddenly turned out to be pink and that had everything to do with the new sponsor BWT. With the pink colour, the water company has a unique look and naturally stands out in the Formula 1 field. Aston Martin, however, does not want the pink colour.

With the takeover of Aston Martin, the partnership with BWT came to an end. Aston Martin might have had a small strip of pink left for the sponsor, but the entire car would no longer be shrouded in pink. BWT therefore decided to leave and it looked like the sponsor would not return to F1 either. There are reports that Haas is negotiating with the sponsor. BWT would like to dress the Americans' car in pink, in return for a million euros for Haas. An interesting option for the team that was unable to find a new title sponsor after the deal with Rich Energy and therefore decided to go for a combination of young talent and a bag of money for 2021.

 

[1%er]

AlphaTauri unveils its 2021 charger the AT02
Scuderia AlphaTauri pulled the covers off its 2021 car the AT02 that will be raced this season by Pierre Gasly and F1 rookie Yuki Tsunoda. AlphaTauri's charger, which was unveiled digitally in Salzburg, at the new showroom of Red Bull's premium fashion brand, features an all-new matte blue and white livery. The Faenza-based squad enjoyed a banner year in 2020 thanks to Gasly's shock win at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, a triumph achieved 12 years after the team's maiden F1 victory with Sebastian Vettel at Monza in 2008.

This year, AlphaTauri has opted to pair Gasly with highly rated Tsunoda who will become the first Japanese driver to race in F1 since Kamui Kobayashi in 2014. Tsunoda's promotion to F1 comes off the back of a consistent rise through the junior ranks and a third-place finish in the 2020 FIA Formula 2 Championship "The decision to go for Pierre and Yuki in 2021 was taken because Scuderia AlphaTauri’s philosophy is still to give talented young drivers from the Red Bull Junior Program the opportunity to step up to F1 and to educate them this is why Yuki now gets his chance," explained Team Principal, Franz Tost. "With Pierre on Yuki’s side we have an experienced driver, who can help our Japanese rookie to develop faster, but at the same time we can aim for good results. I think this pair is the best possible scenario to achieve both our targets, and I’m also confident this will be a successful one."

Despite Tsunoda's rookie status, Gasly believes his 20-year-old team will contribute to AlphaTauri's progress in 2021. "I’m ready to take on the role of team leader," said the Frenchman who has fully recovered from a bout of COVID-19 over the winter. "Yuki is a very quick driver, and he will help us move the team forward we will work together to achieve that. I really believe last year was the team’s best in terms of the way it worked, the development, the performance and the way it managed the race weekends. "I’m always hungry for more, and I’m sure we can achieve great things in 2021."

Tsunoda has been fully focused on his preparations for his maiden season of Grand Prix racing. "I’ve been lucky enough to spend some time with Scuderia AlphaTauri ahead of the season, so I’m already developing strong relationships and learning a lot from them including Pierre, who is an incredible talent," he said. "My main goal is to learn quickly and deliver results as soon as possible, and I’m really excited to get started."

Williams or Haas to turn pink?
It appears there is a bidding war between both Haas and Williams to have BWT as a sponsor. Some reports claimed this week that with Aston Martin switching to a green livery for this season, the pink-coloured Austrian water treatment company BWT had turned its attention towards a move to Haas. But the German broadcaster RTL said those reports were “incorrect”. "According to our information, BWT will not sponsor the American racing team Haas,” RTL reported.

Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that BWT expressed interest in linking up with the Alpine team for 2021, but the talks broke down. In fact, correspondent Lorenzo Pastuglia says BWT is now “very close to an agreement with Williams. The negotiations are at an advanced stage and close to the end,” the famous Italian sports daily added. Pastuglia claims the Alpine talks broke down because BWT wanted its corporate colour pink to feature strongly on the 2021 livery, as it did at Racing Point.

I guess we will just have to wait and see

 

[cybershot]

Drive to Survive Season 3 Premieres March 19

 

[Indeliblelink]

Drive to Survive Season 3 Premieres March 19

Great news, really looking forward to the 3rd series, what with everything that happened in 2020 it should be fascinating, I just wish it would start it earlier in the year rather than just as the new race season starts. I'm gagging for some F1 action NOW.
I guess it takes considerable time to edit it together.

 

[1%er]

What AlphaTauri did (and didn’t) reveal in new F1 car images
AlphaTauri became the second Formula 1 team to release images of its new car for the 2021 world championship and tried to keep some of the more interesting design aspects hidden for now. While McLaren showed off photographs of its MCL35M on Monday, and had a real-life run at Silverstone the following morning, AlphaTauri instead offered some renders of its AT02 and video of last year’s car with this season’s livery. By looking closely at what AlphaTauri has shown us, we can already pick up some changes that have been made and be alerted to those areas that remain secret. The first thing to note is that Alpha Tauri has indicated that it has opted to spend its development tokens at the front of the car, introducing a new nose and front suspension in order to unlock additional mechanical and aerodynamic performance. As a consequence of these changes, the team has also updated some of its steering components with parts supplied by Red Bull Technology to its sister team last season as permitted by the technical regulations.

The studio images of the AT02 suggest that it is keeping those cards close to its chest at this stage, with the designs seen in the images only subtly different to the ones used on the car in 2020. However, when we dig a little deeper there’s plenty for us to chew on while we wait for more images from the filming day it has scheduled for February 24. Let’s kick things off with the floor, which is one of the most interesting design features of the AT02. In order to comply with the new regulations for this year, teams must take a slice out of the edge of the floor ahead of the rear tyre. This is bound by dimensional requirements within the regulations, but still leaves some scope for individualism, just as we’re seeing here.

When viewed from above, the AT02’s floor cut-out has a Z-shaping around 200mm from the point where the diagonal boundary starts. When viewed from the side we must also note that this juts into a substantial floor scroll, forming a partnership with an outwardly angled floor strake. This trio of design elements is clearly an attempt at recouping some of the losses associated with the loss in floor span ahead of the rear tyre and the inability to add fully enclosed holes within 100mm from the floor’s edge, as was possible last season. Interestingly, the team has also added another floor scroll ahead of the rear tyre, with a similar sized flap mounted atop of it. All of these design decisions are born out of a desire to influence the turbulent wake that’s created by the rear tyre and would otherwise result in a loss of performance from the diffuser.

The area ahead of the sidepods has also been refined, taking the opportunity to move to the ever popular Venetian blind-style horizontal deflector panelling. The forward-most deflector panel has been bought forward over the floor’s axehead and squared off at the connecting point with the bargeboard clusters boomerang. The rear panel in the deflector has also been detached from the sidepod, whereas it had previously arched over to meet with it. This batch of changes have an impact on how the turbulence created by the front tyre is handled. They also improve the performance of the airflow moving around the sidepods and can influence the flow across the rear tyre. The yellow highlight added on the sidepod bodywork indicates how much work has been done by the team and Honda to improve its cooling package, which in-turn allows it to improve the car’s aerodynamics. The sidepod bodywork has been shrink wrapped to the internal components much closer than before as there’s less fear of overheating, which has also allowed the team to follow a trend whereby the bodywork’s contouring bleeds down to the floor much earlier. This is especially important this season with the floor’s real estate having been shrunk back. The bargeboard cluster has also been optimised in numerous ways, but the most intriguing aspect is the arrival of a new fin mounted about halfway up the assembly, with the twisted foil offering a supportive surface for the airflow to be manoeuvred against.

Even though AlphaTauri had the opportunity to update its rear suspension and gearbox without having to spend any tokens, it has opted to carry over the 2020 specification parts. This, as we can see from the rear shot, has allowed the team to refine its cooling packaging around a known quantity, with the main outlet framed by the upper and lower wishbones. This view also affords us an opportunity to take another look at the work done on the sidepods, which now cascade down more elegantly to the floor than they did last season. The double swan-neck rear wing pillars that were introduced during 2020 have also been retained, while the diffuser shown is largely a carryover from the design used last season. However, the strakes have been cut down by 50mm to come in-line with this year's regulations, although that could change when the car hits the track.

Circling back to the front of the car, there are a couple of things worth mentioning, including the changes made to the front wing with an inboard footplate added, the outer footplate re-profiled and the overall shape of the flaps altered as the team look to adjust the airflows transit around the front wheel. The front brake duct is similar in size and shape to the one used toward the end of last season but this, along with the currently blank section beneath, could well change during testing as the team adds the fins we have seen become commonplace up and down the grid.

American investor group interested in taking over F1 team
At a time when Formula 1 teams are struggling financially due to the coronavirus crisis, it is always good news to hear that there are parties willing to invest in a team. This time the interest comes from America and they have two interesting teams in mind. Last week, the investor group Sportstek Acquisition Corporation went public. It is a 'company' that is purely and simply aimed at acquiring or buying itself into sports clubs. They are open to all kinds of sports, but there is a special connection with Formula 1. One of the founders of the group is Tavo Hellmund, who can be held responsible for the construction of the Circuit of the Americas in Austin. Moreover, he has shown interest in a Formula One team before. That was when Manor F1 ran into trouble in 2015.

He says that interest is still there. In doing so, he would like to work with one of the other parties interested in taking over Manor at the time: American racing hero and team owner Michael Andretti. "Since hanging up his helmet, Michael has proved that he is a world-class team owner. F1 would be better off with him, without a doubt," said Hellmund, who also immediately admits which teams are at the top of his list: AlphaTauri and Sauber Alfa Romeo. Especially the first one would be a remarkable development.

 

[1%er]

Drive to Survive Season 3 Premieres March 19

What Netflix have to say
The ten-episode run will cover the 2020 championship and reveal what happened behind the scenes as the sport scrambled to react to the global impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The season starts with a cliffhanger with the planned first race in Australia called off just minutes before the gates were due to open to admit fans for free practice. After that it was another three months before racing was able to resume in Austria at the start of July where Netflix camera crews were present to capture the action as Valtteri Bottas took first blood at the Red Bull Ring.

A few weeks later there was drama for Racing Point when Sergio Perez became the first F1 driver to test positive for COVID-19, forcing the team to turn to Nico Hulkenberg as a last minute replacement. The new season of Drive to Survive subsequently shadowed Ferrari at the Italian Grand Prix, a home race that went terribly wrong for the Scuderia which suffered a double retirement for Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel. An F1 statement called the latest series “the most dramatic season to date”, and added that “fans will once again be taken behind the scenes to witness first-hand how the drivers and teams battle it out for victory in a year like no other”.

First airing in 2019, Drive to Survive is produced by Academy Award winner James Gay Rees and Paul Martin for Box to Box Films which was also behind the acclaimed Senna documentary. Netflix is yet to confirm whether cameras will be back i the paddock for 2021, with a decision on season four still to be announced. The series has been popular with fans but is expensive to make, with Ross Brawn stating last year that it was not a particularly profitable venture for F1 despite raising the sport's international profile. While the show has made stars of figures such as Haas team principal Guenther Steiner, others have been less happy with the way that they have been depicted in the final edit. "I don’t think it was the real me," Max Verstappen complained about season 2 "The series is all about excitement and it needs to be exciting, so they position you and whatever fits to the episode."

 

[1%er]

Alfa Romeo unveils its 2021 Formula 1 car
Alfa Romeo has unveiled its new C41 Formula 1 car ahead of the 2021 season, sporting some minor livery design changes from last year. The C41 livery has flipped the colour scheme at the rear of the car from last year, turning the engine cover white with a red logo, and making the sidepods red. The new car will make its on-track debut this Friday in a shakedown at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya before enjoying its first extended run-out in pre-season testing on 12-14 March.

"The launch of a new car is always an emotional moment, the culmination of months of effort from everyone back at the factory and the start of a new adventure," said team principal Frederic Vasseur. "I think the philosophy upon which the team is based remains the same, we have to do a better job tomorrow than we are doing today. We finished last season in P8, so we have to target a better result in 2021. To do so, we have to keep improving in each department, trackside and back at HQ. Every team on the grid has very high expectations right now: all the teams expect to do a good job in the winter and to be in a good position for the first race, but soon it will be the time for everyone to show their cards."

Alfa Romeo enters the 2021 season looking to bounce back from a disappointing campaign last year that mainly saw it scrap with Haas and Williams in the 'Class C' fight. Although the team was able to match its finish of eighth place in the constructors' championship from 2019, its points tally nosedived as Raikkonen and Giovinazzi accrued just eight points, recording a race finish of no higher than ninth. Alfa Romeo was limited by the poor performance of Ferrari's power units throughout last year, but the Italian marque hopes to have resolved the issues ahead of the 2021 season. It is anticipated that Sauber Motorsport which operates the Alfa Romeo F1 squad out of Switzerland is expected to extend its partnership with Ferrari until 2025. The current deal expires at the end of this season.

Alfa Romeo opted to retain both Raikkonen and Giovinazzi for 2021, marking their third year racing together. The duo will be joined by reserve driver Robert Kubica once again as the team retains title sponsorship from Polish firm PKN Orlen, prompting this season's unveiling to take place at Warsaw.

 

[dessiato]

Alfa Romeo unveils its 2021 Formula 1 car
Alfa Romeo has unveiled its new C41 Formula 1 car ahead of the 2021 season, sporting some minor livery design changes from last year. The C41 livery has flipped the colour scheme at the rear of the car from last year, turning the engine cover white with a red logo, and making the sidepods red. The new car will make its on-track debut this Friday in a shakedown at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya before enjoying its first extended run-out in pre-season testing on 12-14 March.

"The launch of a new car is always an emotional moment, the culmination of months of effort from everyone back at the factory and the start of a new adventure," said team principal Frederic Vasseur. "I think the philosophy upon which the team is based remains the same, we have to do a better job tomorrow than we are doing today. We finished last season in P8, so we have to target a better result in 2021. To do so, we have to keep improving in each department, trackside and back at HQ. Every team on the grid has very high expectations right now: all the teams expect to do a good job in the winter and to be in a good position for the first race, but soon it will be the time for everyone to show their cards."

Alfa Romeo enters the 2021 season looking to bounce back from a disappointing campaign last year that mainly saw it scrap with Haas and Williams in the 'Class C' fight. Although the team was able to match its finish of eighth place in the constructors' championship from 2019, its points tally nosedived as Raikkonen and Giovinazzi accrued just eight points, recording a race finish of no higher than ninth. Alfa Romeo was limited by the poor performance of Ferrari's power units throughout last year, but the Italian marque hopes to have resolved the issues ahead of the 2021 season. It is anticipated that Sauber Motorsport which operates the Alfa Romeo F1 squad out of Switzerland is expected to extend its partnership with Ferrari until 2025. The current deal expires at the end of this season.

Alfa Romeo opted to retain both Raikkonen and Giovinazzi for 2021, marking their third year racing together. The duo will be joined by reserve driver Robert Kubica once again as the team retains title sponsorship from Polish firm PKN Orlen, prompting this season's unveiling to take place at Warsaw.

As long as it goes as well as it looks...

 

[1%er]

Red Bull’s new RB16B car
One of the most hotly-anticipated cars of the 2021 launch season has broken cover, with Red Bull unveiling the RB16B set to be campaigned by Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez this season. The new car will look to build on the solid foundations set by its two Grands Prix-winning RB16 predecessor with Red Bull hoping that the RB16B, in the hands of the new Verstappen-Perez driver pairing, will return the team to championship-winning ways this season for the first time since 2013. The RB16B will also mark something of a swansong for Honda in F1, with Red Bull set to take on the running of the Japanese manufacturer’s power units from 2022 onwards with that process aided by an engine freeze recently agreed amongst the teams, and currently set to last until the end of 2024.

The RB16B will first be driven in anger at pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit on March 12-14, two weeks ahead of the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix on March 28. However, with Red Bull having caused a sensation in December when they signed the out-of-contract Sakhir Grand Prix race winner Perez to replace Alex Albon in the team, the Mexican is due to test in an older-spec Red Bull in order to get him up-to-speed with the team’s systems ahead of the Bahrain test. Albon, meanwhile, will still maintain a role within the team as their test and reserve driver, with the Thai having told the media a day prior to the RB16B’s launch that he was targeting an F1 return in 2022, admitting he would even be prepared to take a drive with Red Bull’s AlphaTauri sister team to get back on the grid.

 

[1%er]

Detail leaked on FIA’s punishment for Ferrari
On occasion, people forget themselves and what they are doing in front of a camera, & certainly this is something that occurred recently with former F1 and Ferrari driver Mika Salo, and current FIA steward, during a Twitch stream interview where Salo accidentally reveals part of Ferrari’s 2020 punishment.

“They suffered from Ferrari’s cheat last year because they had Ferrari motors and could use less gas, so I think Alfa would be pretty good this year when they get their full power.”
“So Ferrari’s getting out a new engine, right?”
“I dunno if it’s a new engine but they’re allowed to use it to its full power. Having to use less gas was their punishment for their cheating last year” claims Salo.

The background behind the story is that near the end of the 2019 Formula 1 season, several teams had pressed the FIA to continue their detailed investigations into the Ferrari power unit that seemingly could gain a significant power on command. This power boost was crucial in both Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc performances on Saturday qualifying, but also on the straights during the race; where even the mightly Mercedes couldn’t keep pace. It was suspected that the trick was to do with fuel flow rates and increased oil burning.

Many teams pointed their finger at Ferrari for cheating, spurred on by a whistleblower in the form of an ex Ferrari engineer who had moved to Red Bull. Red Bull slowly leaked the information before the season even got moving. Eventually, the FIA decided to put a second fuel flow sensor on the Ferrari power units just before the 2019 US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, then mystically the Ferrari’s found it difficult to challenge the front of the grid. Fast forward to late 2019, and the FIA commits to make a full investigation into why the Ferrari engine appeared so strong during the season. By early 2020, the FIA issued a communication stating that it cannot publish details of any ‘cheating’ simply for the fact it couldn’t prove it. Therefore the matter would be settled privately between the FIA and Ferrari, and punishments would be behind closed doors.

Infuriating many other teams on the grid who issued a joint statement of, in effect utter disgust, the FIA then released a 2nd statement detailing the reasoning behind the decision basically, for the good of the sport, we cannot allow a huge legal battle, therefore “The FIA will take all necessary action to protect the sport and its role and reputation as regulator of the FIA Formula One World Championship.”, including a secret deal no less!

As a consequence, there was a late technical change, appearing to be a specific move to affect Ferrari’s power unit the most in 2020, indeed a change specifically designed to cripple the Ferrari engine concept. This could be considered a punishment as Salo describes above, and no doubt one of several technical limitations imposed late in the day. This of course significantly handicapped Ferrari’s 2020 Formula 1 campaign, and dropped Ferrari customer teams even further back. Haas and Alfa Romeo being the worst off. It’s reasonable to assume that with this late restriction imposed, Ferrari decided to take the blow in 2020 and keep their car using a power unit of a 2019 vintage, but with the fuel flow restrictions, rather than try to modify their engine and redesign it which during early COVID lockdown, would be impossible.

Ferrari fans may take heart that their red team could well be returning to the front of the grid in 2021 heralded by Alfa Romeo boss Fred Vasseur publicly claiming Ferrari will recover a “large part” of last year’s lost pace during an interview at the 2021 car launch. The Alfa’s (formerly Sauber) of course using a Ferrari engine. On the new power-unit, Vasseur says: “We are on a good path. I think that on their side, they will recover probably a large part of the issue that we had last year”, the ‘issue’ being, of course, Salo’s claimed ‘gas restriction’ imposed on the Ferrari engine as a result of ‘cheating’.

It is extraordinary to hear such words used to describe the actions of a team as big as Ferrari, uttered by a current FIA steward to boot. But then equally, it only confirms precisely what many F1 fans suspected at the time.

Briatore warns Alonso: I’ll lock you in the garage if you go back on the bike
Former Renault F1 team boss Flavio Briatore has said he warned Alpine driver Fernando Alonso that he will have him locked up ahead of the new season if he insists on continuing road cycling following the driver’s accident in Switzerland earlier this month which left him out injured. Speaking during an interview with F1 journalist Peter Windsor, Briatore said the driver was "lucky" to walk away from the incident, in which he was hit by a car while out training ahead of the new season, with only two broken teeth.

“Fernando was unable to speak for a day. It was not because of his injuries, but because of a special face mask that reached up to his eyes. He was very lucky that he got off with two broken teeth." However, Briatore said he has no doubts that the returning former world champion will be ready for testing in Bahrain next month. "He is already back in training and is recovering quickly. I am completely convinced that participating in the winter tests, which start on March 12, will not be a problem. Fernando will be ready." And the Spaniard’s old boss said that the driver should halt all training on road bikes "I warned Fernando Alonso, finally stop getting on your racing bike and riding the road, that's really dangerous! Better go into the mountains and train on the mountain bike, where there is less traffic. But he just doesn't want to hear it. I even threatened him: I'll lock you in the garage!"

 

[1%er]

Salo backtracks on Ferrari engine claims
The former Toyota driver caused quite the stir online after appearing to reveal Ferrari's classified engine punishment for a 2019 rule breach. However, Salo has now attempted to clear the air via an Instagram statement, claiming to have been misunderstood. Mika Salo has taken to social media in an attempt to clarify his bold claims about Ferrari's apparent engine punishment. The Finn, who is now an FIA steward, affirms that he was misunderstood by media outlets who reported his remarks on Twitch a few days prior.

Salo previously claimed that Ferrari's punishment for a 2019 engine irregularity was that they had to use less power throughout the 2020 season. Such comments were the first of there kind, as the FIA has remained mysteriously coy over the breech. The former F1 driver has now backtracked, however, claiming to have been misinterpreted. “Certain comments that I made on Twitch a few days ago were interpreted in a very misleading way. I want to clarify that I do not know the details of the agreement between the FIA and Ferrari. We only talked about what had already appeared in the media", Salo stated in an Instagram video. "It was just a stupid joke and an informal conversation between two friends. I can only say that I really don't have any clue about this contract".

Gene Haas Pulled Grosjean's IndyCar Ride
Romain Grosjean's fiery, Formula 1 career-punctuating crash rattled the racing world, which for a moment believed it had lost another driver. But the Frenchman emerged from the flames, and after a lengthy recovery, took once again to a Dallara-built race car to continue his career in IndyCar. Spooked by his crash, though, Grosjean won't race on superspeedways—or with the backing of Gene Haas, who admitted he has dropped plans to sponsor Grosjean in Indycar for a reason that'll wrinkle a few eyebrows. "He has a wife and three kids, and I just told him I couldn't see giving him money to go out and kill himself. I just felt like he needs to stay home and take care of his family. He escaped the big one there," Haas told reporters. "If you really understood what happened there… If that car had been a few degrees one way or the other, he wouldn't have been able to get out through that hoop, and he would have died. So, extremely lucky. I just could not fathom having to face a widow or his kids. I just couldn't do that," Haas concluded. "So I said, 'nah, stay home, I can't help you there anymore.'"

Interpreted charitably, Haas's statements imply Grosjean's pierced not only the trackside barriers at Bahrain International Circuit, but also the wall separating racing drivers and mortality in Haas's mind. Life-threatening crashes at the professional level of racing have become such a rarity that when one happens (or almost happens), it can be hard for those who played any role in its occurrence to reconcile their involvement and their ideals. On the other hand, Haas's crisis may be less one of morality than one of money. Grosjean told reporters the reason he and his former F1 teammate Kevin Magnussen were ejected from Haas was due to financial issues, hence Haas selling a seat to the PR nightmare that is Nikita Mazepin. How much of Gene Haas's F1 and planned IndyCar sponsorship budgets come from the same pool, of course, isn't known to the public, so it's hard to conclude this is definitively why Haas and Grosjean are parting ways. Perhaps the upcoming season of Netflix's Drive to Survive will shed some light on the matter.

 

[1%er]

Verstappen loses number one mechanic
Lee Stevenson, who has served as Verstappen's chief mechanic for the past few years in F1 has vacated his position as he seeks to pursue a new opportunity within the Red Bull camp. Stevenson has been frequently spotted on television, most notable at the Hungarian Grand Prix last year, where he was seen leading the efforts on the grid to get Verstappen's car ready in time for the race. The Red Bull man has taken to Instagram to announce his departure from his role as the Dutchman's number one mechanic.

"Ten victories, three pole positions, 42 podiums. I could not have dreamed of such a great adventure together with the best driver on the grid. It is a shame that we did not win a world title together, but Max will certainly succeed!" Stevenson said in an Instagram post. "My adventure as the number one mechanic on the car of Max has come to an end. I am getting a new role within the team, an opportunity that I could not miss! I wish everyone on the team all the luck in the world in conquering. of more wins. Hopefully they capture the title!" Stevenson will now become the Chief Mechanic of the show car team. It is unclear who his replacement will be.

Liberty boss “not worried” about F1 balance sheet after big losses
Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei insists that he’s “not worried” about Formula 1’s balance sheet as the sport tries to recover from a tough 2020 season. Liberty announced on Friday that F1’s revenues fell by 44% from 2019 to 2020, resulting in a substantial operating loss of $386m and less income divided between the 10 teams.

Maffei remains confident that the financial performance will improve in 2021 as spectators return to events and the revenue from race promotion fees increases. Liberty has been hit hard by COVID-19, with its other divisions notably the Atlanta Braves baseball team and Live Nation concert promotion company also losing income. “I think one of the things about being part of the Liberty group is we have the ability to hopefully look ahead and be thoughtful with the benefit of our operating companies,” Maffei said in a call with Wall Street analysts. “The F1 balance sheet is very, very strong. I think the operating levels that we have in our agreements are fine. So I'm not really worried about the balance sheet.” Maffei said that all of Liberty’s businesses will be ready when the world emerges from COVID restrictions: “We certainly aren't in the crystal ball business exactly. But we are in the business of trying to prepare to make sure we benefit when it does open, and that we're prepared if that doesn't happen at the rate of change or pace that we would like.”

Maffei conceded that even if fans return to F1 races in 2021, it won’t be in the usual numbers over the full season. That will, in turn, inevitably hit income from race promoters. “We're going to have a variety of alternatives where fans will be to some degree there,” he said. “And I don't think it will be binary, we're not necessarily going to see zero to 100. But we'll be somewhere potentially in between. So I'm more optimistic as we go to the end of the year that we're going to get to 100 percent of capacity. I think promotion [income] will be still reduced in ‘21, certainly versus what we would have in a non-pandemic year. We will have restricted audiences, and restricted fans at some of our events. We're not here to make a forecast, in part because some of this is still up in the air, floating around. It'll definitely be impacted, the amounts to which we'll see.” Maffei is confident that F1 broadcast income, which took a hit due to the reduced calendar in 2020, will be back to usual levels in 2021. “We expect a fairly normal broadcast revenue stream in light of our 23 races," he said. "Again, no crystal ball about exactly how COVID plays out. But our goal was to try and take the pain in ‘20, to the degree that we rightly had to make concessions to some of our broadcasters – our goal was to do as much as possible make that a '20 event, and bring '21 back to normal. That is our hope and our expectation. But COVID could change that, as a warning.”

Looking further ahead Maffei insisted that the new Concorde Agreement will ultimately generate a greater share of income for F1 as its profits increase. He said: “Going forward, with the new Concorde Agreement we have a structure which as we increase profitability, we have the opportunity to take back some of what historically F1 earns. Over the years, the rates get a little more attractive for us. Whether we'll hit that in ‘21, given the risks around pandemic, I'm not as confident, but in the years going forward, as we continue to have a fully healthy business, I do believe our share of the margin will slightly increase.”

 

[1%er]

Mercedes W12 car
Mercedes has revealed its new Formula 1 car ahead of the 2021 season when it will bid for an eighth consecutive constructors' championship. The first render images of the Mercedes W12 car were released on Tuesday morning ahead of an online presentation at 11am GMT featuring drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. Mercedes has retained the black-based livery for 2021 following its switch before the start of last season to incorporate a strong anti-racism message.

But the team has ditched its speckled-star design on the engine cover, replacing it with a series of stickers for its AMG brand against a background that fades to silver. Although there is a majority carryover from the W11 following the freeze on development, all teams have been permitted to spend two development tokens on major updates for the 2021 cars. Mercedes revealed in February that it was battling some "issues" with its updated engine, but was confident of getting fixes in place in time for the new season.

The German marque enters the 2021 season following a busy winter off the back of its drivers' and constructors' championship successes last year. The team announced shortly after the end of the season that INEOS had become a new shareholder, taking a one-third share in the squad, with team principal Toto Wolff upping his stake to the same level. Wolff also agreed to continue to serve as Mercedes team principal for at least three more years, having overseen its streak of seven consecutive title wins since 2014. While there are no changes in Mercedes' driver line-up, the team only announced in February that seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton had signed for 2021, agreeing a one-year extension. The deal ensured Hamilton stayed on the grid, but the short deal has led to a number of questions about his future beyond 2021.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Mercedes W12 car
Mercedes has revealed its new Formula 1 car ahead of the 2021 season when it will bid for an eighth consecutive constructors' championship. The first render images of the Mercedes W12 car were released on Tuesday morning ahead of an online presentation at 11am GMT featuring drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. Mercedes has retained the black-based livery for 2021 following its switch before the start of last season to incorporate a strong anti-racism message.

But the team has ditched its speckled-star design on the engine cover, replacing it with a series of stickers for its AMG brand against a background that fades to silver. Although there is a majority carryover from the W11 following the freeze on development, all teams have been permitted to spend two development tokens on major updates for the 2021 cars. Mercedes revealed in February that it was battling some "issues" with its updated engine, but was confident of getting fixes in place in time for the new season.

The German marque enters the 2021 season following a busy winter off the back of its drivers' and constructors' championship successes last year. The team announced shortly after the end of the season that INEOS had become a new shareholder, taking a one-third share in the squad, with team principal Toto Wolff upping his stake to the same level. Wolff also agreed to continue to serve as Mercedes team principal for at least three more years, having overseen its streak of seven consecutive title wins since 2014. While there are no changes in Mercedes' driver line-up, the team only announced in February that seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton had signed for 2021, agreeing a one-year extension. The deal ensured Hamilton stayed on the grid, but the short deal has led to a number of questions about his future beyond 2021.

That paint scheme is awful

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

It’s like they had two designs - black and turquoise (good), red and silver (good) but then couldn’t choose between them

 

[1%er]

Lewis Hamilton explains why he only signed a one-year contract extension at Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton has moved to explain why he only signed a one-year extension to his Mercedes contract. The seven-time world champion ended speculation over his immediate future by penning a new deal last month ahead of the start of the 2021 season later this month. It remains to be seen what happens after that with other teams, including Aston Martin, sure to be interested with retirement from the sport altogether also an option.

Hamilton for his part is happy to keep his long-term plans in his own hands. “I am in the fortunate position where I have achieved most of the stuff that I wanted to achieve up to this point. So there is no real need to plan too far into the future,” he said at the launch of the team’s 2021 car. “We are living in an unusual period of time so I just wanted one year, then we can talk about if we do more, and keep adding it by one if we have to. In the past it was just about winning world championships. Last year, there was a lot of discussion about equality, inclusion and there was a lot of talk. This year, it is all about pushing for diversity and really making sure that action is taken. That is at the core of the drive for me, but we exist to win and that is what we are working towards and it is also my goal to deliver that.”

Testing for the new season gets under way in Bahrain a week on Friday before Hamilton opens his bid for an unprecedented eighth championship in the Gulf Kingdom a fortnight later. With few changes to the rulebook over the winter, Hamilton’s Mercedes team will start as the favourites to complete a remarkable eighth drivers’ and constructors’ double. “The launch day of a new car is always a really exciting one,” said Hamilton ahead of his 15th season. “It’s great to reveal to the world the result of everyone’s hard work at the factories and to see some of my team-mates in person, which has been so rare during the past year. I’ve been in touch with the engineers through the winter, keeping track of their preparations as I prepare myself for the season ahead. The excitement has been building and building, so now I just can’t wait to get out on track in the W12.”

 

[1%er]

Alpine (Renault) F1 Team unveiled their 2021 car A521
The newly rebranded Alpine F1 Team has unveiled its 2021 car, the A521, in a live presentation streamed on Tuesday afternoon. As widely expected, the car features a completely different livery to its predecessor, in line with the team’s rebrand from Renault to Alpine. The A521 has a primarily blue livery, with accents of red and black, in addition to some white strokes on the engine cover and a few other parts of the body. Alpine’s 2021 driver line-up will consist of Fernando Alonso, who won both of his World Championships with the Enstone-based team, and Frenchman Esteban Ocon.

Alonso is returning to F1 after a two-year hiatus, and he is set to take part in pre-season testing and the season-opener in Bahrain this month despite suffering a fractured jaw in February after being hit by a car while cycling. In addition to unveiling their 2021 challenger today, Alpine also announced that Daniil Kvyat will be their reserve driver for the upcoming season. The Russian was axed by Scuderia AlphaTauri last season after being outperformed by team-mate Pierre Gasly, and the team elected to bring in Japanese youngster Yuki Tsunoda in place of him.

 

[1%er]

Is Hulkenberg on his way to Mercedes
Nico Hulkenberg, last year’s super sub, is in line to join Nyck de Vries and Stoffel Vandoorne as one of Mercedes’ reserve drivers for the 2021 season. Launching their 2021 challenger, the W12, on Tuesday, Mercedes confirmed De Vries as one the team’s two reserve drivers for the 2021 championship alongside his fellow Mercedes Formula E team-mate Vandoorne. “We also have a strong reserve driver line-up for the 2021 season, with Stoffel Vandoorne continuing in the role alongside his Mercedes team-mate in Formula E, Nyck de Vries,” the F1 team said in a statement.

The list, though, may not end there. There is one out-of-work driver seeking a role on this year’s grid, last season’s super sub Hulkenberg. The German filled in at Racing Point at three grand prix weekends, starting two of those, and scoring 10 points. He also showed his class in qualifying, third on the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix grid. Despite his performances the 33-year-old did not land a race seat for this season, although that could yet change. Speaking to Sky Germany, Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff revealed Hulkenberg is in line to join the team’s reserve driver list. “We know that he is one of the top drivers who somehow didn’t get the last chance to drive for a top team,” said the Austrian. “Having such a resource in the team is of course interesting and we are not averse to it.” He added: “The question is not when the decision will be made but when it will be announced.”

Last season Formula 1 saw four substitute performances, Hulkenberg’s three and one for George Russell. Although Mercedes had Vandoorne down on as their reserve driver, when it came down to it the team opted instead to use junior driver Russell when Lewis Hamilton tested positive for Covid-19. Russell, a Williams driver, qualified P2 and scored his first-ever F1 points with a ninth placed finish. As such it remains to be seen whether being a Mercedes reserve driver for this season will mean being called up to the role should it be required.

Baku to host F1 ‘ghost race’ in June
Azerbaijan’s return to the F1 calendar this year will take place without the presence of a crowd. Last year, the popular Baku street race was cancelled amid the pandemic, but Formula 1 has scheduled a June 6 date for the event’s return in 2021. However, the company that operates the Baku City Circuit has now announced that the grand prix will be held behind closed doors this year.

There will also be no post-race concerts, the Trend news agency added. “There are restrictions for the event,” confirmed Baku City Circuit’s PR chief Ayan Najaf-Agayeva, adding that the official duration of the race weekend will also be reduced from 4 to 3 days. It was also announced that, due to the pandemic, Azerbaijan’s F1 contract has been extended from 2023 to 2024.

 

[1%er]

The 2021 Aston Martin AMR21
The AMR21 was revealed in a striking green livery in recognition of the brand’s traditional racing colours, carrying prominent branding from title partner, Cognizant, the IT giant helping lead the team’s digital transformation journey towards future success. The recent influx of new partners ensured that the AMR21 was presented with logos from a host of global brands alongside Cognizant, including Peroni Libera 0.0%, Crypto.com, SentinelOne, EPOS, NetApp, Girard-Perregaux and Replay. The long-standing support of BWT continues with the addition of a delicate magenta stripe down each side of the chassis. Ravenol, JCB, Bombardier and Pirelli all continue their partnerships into the new era.

Aston Martin Lagonda’s Executive Chairman, Lawrence Stroll, opened today’s event and welcomed fans, media, colleagues and partners who were enjoying the show virtually from all around the world. He was joined by Tobias Moers, CEO of Aston Martin Lagonda; Otmar Szafnauer, CEO and Team Principal of Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team; and, by video link, Brian Humphries, CEO of Cognizant, who all spoke of the great significance of seeing the Aston Martin name back on the Formula One grid. The new driver pairing of Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll were also prominent in the presentation, as well as Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team Technical Director, Andrew Green. Now that the new Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team car has been revealed to the world, the team is turning its attention to preparing for a day of promotional running, taking place on March 4th at Silverstone. Tomorrow will therefore mark the exciting and much anticipated track debut of the AMR21, before it makes its journey to Bahrain for testing next week (March 12th-14th) ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 28th.

Lawrence Stroll, Executive Chairman, Aston Martin: “I have dreamed about this day for a very long time. I have always been a car guy, since I was a child. I have always loved racing, too. My first dream was to own a Formula One team. My second dream was to acquire a significant shareholding in Aston Martin Lagonda. Today is about the merging of those two dreams. So, as I say, today is all about dreams, and it shows that dreams really can come true, in the shape of our new AMR21. Aston Martin returning to Formula One after an absence of 61 years will have a powerful effect on the sport, the media and the fans, commanding global attention. The team who designed and built our new Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ car the 500 men and women who conceive, manufacture, build and prepare our cars so that we can go racing at the pinnacle of global motorsport has always punched above its weight. Now, as the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team, it has the power with which to punch even harder. This is just the beginning. The team is pushing forward, and our ambitions are limitless. We now have the pieces in place, the people and the partners, to make real progress. The launch of the new AMR21 is also the celebration of a new beginning for Aston Martin. Today’s transformational event has given us the opportunity to communicate the evolution of the iconic Aston Martin Wings logo for only the 12th time in the company’s 108-year history. The Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ car is our group’s highest expression of performance, innovation, engineering quality, attention to detail, and teamwork. For that reason it is natural that our new logo should make its debut on our new Formula One car. As for the year ahead, the core nucleus of what we need to succeed is already present and correct. I have great confidence in Otmar [Szafnauer], Andrew [Green] and all who work for them. I firmly believe we have the perfect blend of experience and youth in Sebastian [Vettel] and Lance [Stroll]. An ethos of fierce ambition and unshakeable dedication is shared by every single team member. It is exhilarating to see - and to feel.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal & CEO, Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team: “Launching the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team gives everybody associated with this company a real sense of purpose and pride. It is a truly iconic car brand and it is a huge privilege to bring Aston Martin back to the pinnacle of motorsport where it belongs. There is a change on the driving front, Sebastian [Vettel] joining us to race alongside Lance [Stroll]. Sebastian is someone we can all learn from, and his integration into the team has been very smooth – as you would expect from someone with so much experience. It is clear in my mind that Sebastian has lost none of his speed. It is down to us to create an environment in which he feels comfortable so he can deliver at his brilliant best. Lance is a very talented young driver, as his two podiums and wet-weather pole position last year demonstrated. We expect more of the same this year. Our goal for 2021 is to build on what we achieved last year and take a further step forward. There is no reason why we cannot achieve that with our talented workforce combined with the new financial investment. Success does not come overnight, but I am convinced that we are putting the key elements in place to continue moving up the grid this year and in the years ahead.”

 

[cybershot]

Liking that racing green.

 

[1%er]

The 2021 Haas‘ VF-21
Haas‘ VF-21 livery launch coincided with two major announcements of a new title sponsor and a new partnership involving Mick Schumacher. If one element was made abundantly clear when the virtual covers came off the American outfit’s 2021 challenger, it was the immediate impact and influence of the Mazepin family and the significant funds they bring to the team. Father Dimitry Mazepin has found his son, Nikita, a seat on the Formula 1 grid and with that also comes Uralkali, Dimitry’s potash fertilizer production and exportation company, becoming the new title sponsors of Haas. Not to mention the colours of the Russian flag being adorned on the new VF-21. “I’m very pleased to welcome Uralkali to Formula 1 as title partner to Haas F1 Team,” said Gene Haas, chairman of Uralkali Haas F1 Team. We look forward to representing their brand throughout the season. It’s an exciting time for the team with Uralkali coming onboard and having Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher driving for us. It’s definitely a case of all change but I’m hoping that we get back to being in the mix for scoring some points at these races. It’s been a tough couple of seasons, but we’ve also got our eye on the bigger picture, in particular 2022 and the implementation of the new regulations.”

Team principal Guenther Steiner added: “I happily echo Mr. Haas’s comments, we are pleased to be partnered by Uralkali this season and beyond. We approach a new season with a new title partner and two new drivers, it’s going to be an exciting year head hopefully exciting only in a good way though. We face a year of learning with the drivers while technically we look ahead to the future. It’s no secret that the VF-21 will not be developed as we focus our energies now on the 2022 car and, what we hope, will be a more level-playing field. We all know roughly where we expect to be this season in terms of the competition, but we must ensure we’re there to capitalize on opportunities when they present themselves. But first we have to get the guys dialed in at testing. Time behind the wheel is short – so it’ll be a steep curve, but I’m personally looking forward to seeing their development as drivers and as team members within Uralkali Haas F1 Team.”

But the draw of Mick Schumacher has also come to fruition via the way of a new partnership with 1&1, a leading German telecommunications provider, which will see the son of the seven-time World Champion, Michael, become the brand ambassador. The 1&1 logo will also feature on the VF-21 car. “Uralkali Haas F1 and Mick Schumacher complement our sports sponsorship activities perfectly,” Ralph Dommermuth, CEO of 1&1 Drillisch AG, said. “The team is starting the new season with a fresh energy. With the reigning Formula 2 world champion, Mick Schumacher, one of the most up-and-coming drivers is on board. Add to that innovative engine technology from Ferrari and five years of Formula 1 experience, Uralkali Haas F1 Team has many exciting elements which we hope will make for an exciting and competitive 2021.”

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

The red white and blue on the front wing elements is a nice touch.

 

[cybershot]

Speaking of major announcements and title sponsors. What happened to the rich energy drink twat?

 

[spitfire]

It's Badgers birthday, he's almost at 3 pages. No one gets to 3 pages.

Come on Race Fam.

https://www.urban75.net/forums/threads/badgers.373886/

 

[1%er]

Williams Racing FW43B launch hijacked due to app being hacked
Williams’ was set to reveal their 2021 car via an AR app, giving supporters the opportunity to see the FW43B in their homes, but unfortunately, this was cancelled an hour before the launch, with a press release from the team revealing that the app had been “hacked prior to launch”. However, the team still revealed it’s overhauled livery at 2pm this afternoon via renders, presenting a completely new look to resemble Williams’ team’s past, the present transformation and its drive to future ambitions.

The front of the car has remained largely white-base design, similar to 2020’s FW43, the rear has been completely revised as it sports a blue striped pattern which also incorporates the Williams ‘W’ logo. The British racing company will be hoping that revamped livery will inspire the cars to challenge for points consistently in 2021, after failing to score a single point throughout the 2020 campaign. Williams is also set to embark on their first season full season under the ownership of Dorilton Capital, after completing the takeover from Williams’ family in August. in which Jost Capito has been appointed as the team’s new CEO.

Speaking for the first time as CEO of Williams Racing, Capito said: “Williams Racing is a sporting icon, and a team that has forged a reputation of success through sheer determination and grit intertwined with innovation, passionate and skilful race-craft and an absolute desire to win. Highs and lows are typical in any long-established sporting brand’s journey and historic success can be a strong motivator, but it cannot be relied upon to define future success in the modern era of Formula One. Therefore, we have created a fresh new livery for the 2021 car; one that acknowledges our incredible past and retains the spirit, drive and motivation that remains at the core of Williams’ DNA yet looks to the future and signposts our long-term ambition to return to the front of the grid. Whilst we are just starting out on this journey and there is still a lot of work to do, we are happy to see momentum in the right direction and look forward to continuing that progress on track this season.”

Williams’ FW43B will make its on-track debut in just a week time as teams head to Bahrain International Circuit for pre-season testing from March 12-14.