Author: Natalie

F1 2020: Who Will Renault Sign for 2021?

Some years the driver changes in F1 are downright predictable. But every now and then drivers and teams drop some bombshells that catch everyone by surprise. Seb Vettel’s departure from Ferrari is such a bombshell.

All expectations were for the four-time champ to resign with Ferrari and continue on his quest of winning the title in the red like his childhood hero Michael Schumacher. While Vettel still has one more chance in 2020 to claim that elusive fifth crown his time with Ferrari is guaranteed to be over after the final race of the season.

His decision caused significant reaction in the driver market. Ferrari has already announced the signing of Carlos Sainz Jr. while McLaren snatched Daniel Ricciardo from Renault to fill their vacant seat in 2021. As it stands the seat at Renault, alongside Esteban Ocon, remains empty. Unsurprisingly, the speculation as to who will join the French team continues to simmer.

The good news is that Renault has re-affirmed its commitment to remaining in F1 as a full works team. This put to bed any rumours of the team closing up shop and making an ungraceful exit any time soon. Importantly, it also assures any potential driver that Renault is serious about F1.

A few drivers’ names have been floating around for the Renault seat.

Most likely

Guanyu Zhou. At 21-years old the Chinese racing driver is easily one of the most in the Formula 2 championship. Massively quick and seemingly consistent Zhou is already part of the Renault Sport Academy and is currently retained as Renault’s reserve driver. In addition to his inherent speed Zhou also comes complete with serious sponsorship from China. If he were signed up Zhou would be the first Chinese driver in Formula 1.

Valtteri Bottas. At the end of 2020 Bottas will be out of contract at Mercedes. It is a pretty safe assumption that he will want to remain with the team. But there is, allegedly, interest from Daimler in the services of one Seb Vettel. This would mean Bottas needs to find a new seat and Renault could be a good fit.

Bottas’ performance at Mercedes has, at times, been fairly poor. For example, in 2018 he didn’t win a single race in easily the most dominant car on the grid and finished a lowly fifth in the championship. But his performances have also been good at times. Good enough to ensure the constructor’s title. But the tantalising though of Vettel and Hamilton in the same team may be one that Daimler simply cannot pass up.

He’ll probably do well at Renault too. There will be less pressure than at Mercedes. His only job will be to score solid and consistent points for the mid-field team something he has already proven capable of with his time at Williams. There are credible reports that Renault has initiated discussion with Bottas’ management.

Out-of-the-box

George Russell. The young Brit is a must on any team’s list of potential signings. Russell is a Mercedes Academy driver, and could well be in line for the Merc seat himself. From pre-season testing Williams appear to have put together a much-improved car for 2020. But sooner than later Russell will need to move up the grid and if Merc doesn’t take up the option of moving him into the works team he could be off to new pastures. Renault would do well sign up Russell.

Alex Albon. F1 chain reactions are real and this move is somewhat dependent on the speculation that Bottas could end up at Red Bull if Vettel takes his Merc seat. From his brief time as a Red Bull driver Albon has shown tremendous promise. The Thai driver is undeniably a star in the making and would boost any team he joins. But he’s comfortable at Red Bull and it is unlikely that Helmut Marko and Christian Horner would let him go. But stranger things have happened.

What box?

Sebastian Vettel. In the statement announcing the end of his relationship with Ferrari there was no mention of what Vettel’s future would be. He could well hang up the gloves at the end of the season. He could head off to Merc. Or he could join Renault.

He brings massive star power, presence, and a treasure trove of experience. It will boost morale at Renault and perhaps just be the shot in the arm the French manufacturer needs. But does Vettel want to putter around in the mid-field? Is his love of racing still deep enough to, potentially, give up winning?

Romain Grosjean. Frenchman in a French team is always the best-case scenario for a French team. Lets not forget that Grosjean signed for Haas just before Renault announced their full-time return to the sport. Chances are they would’ve retained his services if the uncertainty at the time didn’t force him to make the move to the American team.

Yes, he’s had several issues and even more crashes. But Grosjean has the potential to be very good. His time at Lotus proved his capability. All he needs is a bit of belief and consistency.

Special mentions

Nico Hulkenberg. The German driver finds himself outside of F1 after being dropped by Renault for Esteban Ocon. The question is whether Renault would want to dip into the Hulkenberg-well for second time? They know what he is capable of and if all other options fail to come to fruition he may be in with a shot of returning to the sport with Renault.

Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard has made no secret of his desire to return to F1 and his management will push hard to get the Renault seat. He won two titles with Renault in ’05 and ’06 and more than likely hasn’t lost any speed since his last stint in the sport. BUT. Signing Alonso doesn’t mean getting a prodigiously quick racing driver. It also means getting Alonso and all of his baggage.

June 9, 2020
F12020: Why Ferrari Chose Sainz over Ricciardo

Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel have jointly announced that after the conclusion of the 2020 season, assuming it actually gets underway, they will no longer be partners.

If you’d cared to look for it the writing has been on the wall for some time. Yes, hindsight and all that but Vettel just hasn’t seemed to be as in love with Formula 1 as he had been in his Red Bull heyday and even his early years at Ferrari. Vettel and Ferrari’s story is a romantic one that the four-time champion had been dreaming of since the days of watching his hero Michael Schumacher win five consecutive titles for the Prancing Horse. A title with the famed Italian team was always Vettel’s ambition but it simply hasn’t come to fruition, for a number of reasons. There is still a chance for Vettel if things get underway in 2020 and Ferrari can get their act together.

Little time was wasted in announcing Vettel’s replacement. In fact, a mere 48 hours after the Ferrari/Vettel statement was released it was revealed, via press release, that Carlos Sainz would be a Ferrari driver in 2021. It wasn’t much of a surprise given that most of the smart money was on Sainz to join the Scuderia. The other driver believed to be a serious consideration for the seat was Daniel Ricciardo. Neverthelesss, Sainz got the nod and has put pen to paper in what is the biggest move of his career.

Why exactly did Ferrari choose Sainz over Ricciardo? Let’s break it down. Sainz is quick, he’s consistent, and he’s only 25. Carlos Sainz has all the attributes that will be attractive to Ferrari and five seasons under his belt to boot. He appears, from what we’ve seen so far, to be a fairly low maintenance driver who gets on with the job. This is important for Ferrari. Fernando Alonso is brilliant racing driver but too demanding and political for his own good. His time at Ferrari yielded some memorable race wins and nearly a title or two but his time in red is also blighted by tension in the garage and on the pitwall.

Similarly, the fractious relationship between Vettel and Charles Leclerc may have been consigned to the second half of 2019 but it caused unnecessary distraction. Sainz’s demeanour doesn’t seem to lend itself to a potentially explosive relationship with Leclerc. What’s more, the Spaniard isn’t yet a championship contender so he wont necessarily have this expectation from day one. In many ways Ferrari will be able to groom Sainz much in the same way that they did Leclerc.

Sainz is hungry too. Even though its years behind him now he was left behind in the Max Verstappen promotion to Red Bull saga. He felt he was overlooked and could have dropped his head and easily morphed into an also-ran. But he rebounded incredibly well and finished best-of-the-rest in 2019. This shows a deep-rooted determination on top of what is already impressive speed and race craft.

Why not Ricciardo? The Aussie has been a fan-favourite from day one and would undoubtedly have been embraced by the Tifosi. He’s a proven race winner and a dynamite overtaker. He would’ve joined Ferrari as a bonafide championship contender from day one, should the machinery suffice.

BUT. No matter what he may say he left Red Bull because Max Verstappen was clearly the top dog. And he did so because he wants to be at a team where he would be considered the number one driver. At Ferrari he would’ve been coming into Leclerc’s team. As much as he may be assured of equal status within the team it is never a seamless process. No matter what they may say in the press the team will inevitably lean towards Leclerc because there is already a level of comfort and familiarity between the two. And, as previously mentioned, Ferrari want to avoid a war between its drivers.

It’s not all lost for Ricciardo who has inked a deal to join McLaren for 2021. It is an tacit admission from the Australian driver that he’d made a mistake to leave Red Bull. While Verstappen was racking up wins and podiums it never really came together for Ricciardo at Renault. And if he was truly convinced and believed in the French team’s potential he would’ve stuck around for it. Nevertheless, he could be playing a crafty long game by joining McLaren. Lest we forget they are retuning to Mercedes power in 2021 and sooner rather than later there will be a seat available at the works team and it could very well have Daniel Ricciardo’s name on it.

For now, Ferrari are unquestionably entering an thrilling period. For the first time since 2007 Ferrari will start a season without a champion in its line up. But they’re going to field one of the most exciting driver pairings in Sainz and Leclerc. If they can produce a car capable of consistently fighting for wins it is bound to be an explosive season for the Scuderia.

May 25, 2020
F1 2020: Formula 1 Feeling the Squeeze

Formula 1 may be the premier racing series in the world with an enormous yearly turnover but this unprecedented crisis has exposed how financially vulnerable it really is.

The opening nine races of 2020 have either been postponed or cancelled and several teams have implemented cost-cutting measures to ensure their survival. While the world continues to grapple with the crisis there is no guarantee of when, or even if, the F1 season is likely to start.

As a consequence concerns have begun to mount over whether all teams will survive. Though big teams such as Ferrari and Mercedes can weather the storm it is those down the grid that are scrambling to ensure their survival. While there may be no racing the team still have significant overheads to manage.

As one of the only true independent teams left on the grid Williams is such a team. Deputy team principal Claire Williams has said that it is absolutely critical for Williams to race in 2020 in order to ensure their presence in Formula 1. “We don’t have the backing that the majority of our competitors have up and down the grid…going racing is absolutely critical this year,” Williams said. She stressed that F1 should only go racing however if it safe to do so. Williams have already secured a fifty million pound loan through a company owned by Michael Latifi, Nicholas Latifi’s father.

Liberty Media, the sport’s commercial rights holders, has given teams a shot in the arm by providing early payment of under the profit-sharing agreement. In 2019 Formula 1 pulled in 4.2 million fans, which emphasizes the sports dependence on getting some type of calendar together for 2020. Liberty Media is believed to working on several possibilities. While one of those possibilities is the cancellation of the season it will only be considered as a last resort. Other plans include back-to-back race weekends, a truncated calendar of ten races, racing at other venues such as Imola, and having multiple races at the same track.

This crisis has once again exposed the weaknesses in Formula 1’s financial model. While top teams, read Ferrari, receive guaranteed funds those further down the field depend heavily on a portion of the profits. For years, perhaps even decades, the disproportionality of funds in Formula 1 has had to big an impact on the final product. For too long teams with nearly unlimited budgets have held the advantage while others fight tooth and nail to ensure two cars make it to the grid.

Several teams, including McLaren, have called for the incoming budget cap to pushed down to 100 million dollars. Currently, the agreed upon cap sits at 175 million dollars. This suggestion has been met by outright refusal by Ferrari. The Maranello based team has gone as far as threatening to quit the sport should the budget cap be lowered. This isn’t a new tune from Ferrari who has threatened to walk away on several previous occasions. The reality is that the sport simply isn’t financially sustainable in its current guise. While the governing bodies could choose to appease Ferrari in order to keep the famous mark on the grid they could lose two or three teams from the grid. This, Ross Brawn has said, would be catastrophic for the sport.

The sporting world is wrestling with a significant crisis that everyone wishes never materialized. Nonetheless, it is a good opportunity for Formula 1 to overhaul their financial model and to ensure the future of the sport for once and for all.

May 18, 2020
F1 2020: Who Will be the new Ferrari Driver?

Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel have jointly announced that after the conclusion of the 2020 season, assuming it actually gets underway, they will no longer be partners.

If you’d cared to look for it the writing has been on the wall for some time. Yes, hindsight and all that but Vettel just hasn’t seemed to be as in love with Formula 1 as he had been in his Red Bull heyday and even his early years at Ferrari. Vettel and Ferrari’s story is a romantic one that the four-time champion had been dreaming of since the days of watching his hero Michael Schumacher win five consecutive titles for the Prancing Horse. A title with the famed Italian team was always Vettel’s ambition but it simply hasn’t come to fruition, for a number of reasons. There is still a chance for Vettel if things get underway in 2020 and Ferrari can get their act together.

Immediately, and likely because we’re all terribly bored without any racing, the attention has turned to who Vettel’s replacement is likely to be. Naturally, it is every driver’s dream, at some stage, to don the famous red overalls. And because we fancy ourselves as extremely dedicated to F1 we must do our part and partake in the silly season rumours that is about to catapulted into overdrive, no pun intended.

Here at F1 Madness we have some ideas as to who might partner Charles Leclerc in 2021.

Natalie’s inkling:

Most likely

Carlos Sainz.

He’s quick, he’s consistent, and he’s only 25. Carlos Sainz has all the attributes that will be attractive to Ferrari. He appears, from what we’ve seen so far, to be a fairly low maintenance driver who gets on with the job. This should be very attractive to Ferrari after the spells with Fernando Alonso and the tension between Vettel and Leclerc caused unneccesary distraction.

Sainz is hungry too. Even though its years behind him now he was left behind in the Max Verstappen promotion to Red Bull. He could have dropped his head after that and easily could’ve morphed into an also-ran. But he rebounded incredibly well and finished best-of-the-rest in 2019.

Sainz has big potential and could very well come into his own without upsetting the Ferrari apple cart.

Daniel Ricciardo.

The Aussie has been a fan-favourite from day one and will undoubtedly be embraced by the Tifosi. He’s a proven race winner and a dynamite overtaker. He would join Ferrari as a bonafide championship contender from day one, should the machinery suffice.

BUT. He also left Red Bull because Max Verstappen was clearly the top dog. At Ferrari he will be coming into Leclerc’s team. As much as he may be assured of equal status within the team it is never a seamless process. No matter what they may say in the press the team will inevitably lean towards Leclerc because there is already a level of comfort and familiarity between the two.

Out-of-the-box

Valtteri Bottas.

The Finn has been on record as saying that the yearly contract negotiations are a distraction. He is a capable driver on his day for whom a change of scenery could make a world of difference.

While Ferrari might not admit to it in public they have set their stall on Charles Leclerc as the future of the team. Heck, he’s been signed up to the end of 2024. With this in mind Ferrari needs a back-up for their new star and Bottas has already shown that he is willing to play the team game as wingman. Sorry Valtteri.

Kimi Raikkonen.

The 2007 champion remains, to date, Ferrari’s last world champion. Yes, his last stint with the team came to an end at the conclusion of 2018. But lest we forget he racked up twelve podiums in his last Ferrari season including an impressive win in Texas.

With 103 podiums and a wealth of experience the Iceman has never been bothered with the politics. Raikkonen’s move to Sauber proved that he is in the sport for the love of it and this could make him the perfect foil to Leclerc.

What box?

Romain Grosjean.

The Haas driver has had his issues in the last two seasons but when it all comes together he is a very quick driver. He’s proven his ability alongside Raikkonen at Lotus in 2012 and 2013 and has a total of 13 podiums and four pole positions.

While Grosjean to Ferrari would undoubtedly be a shock he is a driver who hasn’t truly tapped into his potential. A chance at a top three team may be just what finally unlocks his speed and that elusive consistency.

Special Mentions:

Antonio Giovinazzi – He’s Italian and already in the Ferrari stable. And he’s Italian.

George Russell – Yes, he is tied to Mercedes and Toto Wolff wouldn’t want to let him but Russell could sever ties with the Germans if the Italians make him an offer he can’t refuse. Russell is unquestionably a star of the future and Ferrari could snap up a real talent here.

Our tech writer’s musings:

Most likely

Daniel Ricciardo.

Ricciardo has been coveting the Ferrari drive for some time now and would a be a good fit at the Scuderia. Ferrari’s tradition of going with tried and tested drivers went out the window when they signed Charles Leclerc in only his second season in F1. Bringing Ricciardo would bring things back to that tradition. We know Ricciardo is fast, he’s hungry for wins and after a podium less stint at Renault there’s no doubt he’ll want to show just what he can do.

Ricciardo will bring the playful energy to Ferrari that Vettel brought but Ricciardo is more boisterous about it. It will shake things up at Ferrari. The other upside is that he will be pushing Leclerc and vice versa. And we already know that Ricciardo can soak up pressure. Working under Helmut Marko could not have been easy. Whether he’d be willing to play the number two role is something that might make Ferrari reconsider.

Carlos Sainz.

Strong rumours floating around that Carlos Sainz will get the nod to join Ferrari. He is out of contract with McLaren at the end of 2020 and with Sainz joining Leclerc we’d see a young, dynamic Ferrari team going into a new era of F1.

Sainz’s performances at Renault and at McLaren have no doubt been noticed by the Ferrari management. He’s qualifying pace was good and he brought home solid results for McLaren. He could potentially be a great supporting driver for Leclerc. Will he play the number two role though?

Out-of-the-box

Nico Hulkenberg.

A year away from F1 is a long time but it does not mean you’ve forgotten how to drive. Nico Hulkenberg is the modern F1 tragedy, kind of like Fernando Alonso. Right guy for the job, bad car for the season or just bad luck. As of February 2020 Hulkenberg held the record for the most F1 Grand Prix starts without a podium. A staggering 129 starts.

A drive at Ferrari would certainly change that. Although he was vaguely linked to Ferrari some or other time in the past, it could be a viable option as a support role for Leclerc.

Kevin Magnussen

It’s not the worst idea and I could’ve thought of worse. But Kevin Magnussen has already shown his mettle. He’s quick, he fights hard on track and gets the job done. He’s had a very painful 2019 with Haas mainly due to the car design yet he still managed to outscore his team mate Romain Grosjean in the same equipment.

Haas uses Ferrari engines. Ferrari has data on Magnussen already and will make evaluating his performances a touch easier.

What box?

Alexander Albon

Albon is under contract till the end of 2020. With the Ferrari seat opening up why not take a shot? Ferrari already broke tradition of not singing an established driver and why not do it again and sign Albon.

Mentally strong and quick on track he had the monumental task of taking Pierre Gasly’s place in the Red Bull midway through the season and did well. Considering it was his first season in F1 and being promoted to what is essentially the first team to play with the big boys, he held his nerve and no doubt exceeded expectations at Red Bull.

It will be an interesting dynamic at Ferrari with both drivers hungry for wins and both fighting it out on track. With Leclerc and Albon very good friends off the track, it could bring about an interesting dynamic on the track. Mind you they’ve been racing each other all throughout carting, through F3 and F2

Special Mentions

Sergio Perez – simply because he’s always been linked with a Ferrari seat.

Valtteri Bottas – After Raikkonen announced he’d be leaving Ferrari, Bottas’ name popped up very quickly. He could be considered yet again. But after having played wing man to Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, he’d have to play wing man once again at Ferrari.

May 13, 2020
F1 2020: Breaking News – F1 Calls Off Season-Opener

Formula 1 has announced that it is calling off the opening round of the 2020 season.

The first race of the new F1 season was scheduled to take place around Australia’s Albert Park circuit this weekend. Despite fears of the coronavirus pandemic F1 surged ahead with plans to kick of its season of racing while several other major sporting codes have called a halt to activities.

Earlier on Thursday afternoon the McLaren team released a statement detailing their withdrawal from the race weekend due to a positive coronavirus test by a team member.

Towards midnight on Thursday all team principals were huddled in a meeting to discuss the way forward. By three am Australian time no decision had been made despite several rumours running rampant that the season-opener was to be postponed. Fans and journalists alike waited seemingly in vain for an official update from the power that be but nothing was forthcoming. It wasn’t until several hours later than an announcement was made that a majority of the teams had decided against racing this weekend.

“We appreciate this is very disappointing news for the thousands of fans due to attend the race” the official statement read. “All parties took into consideration the huge efforts of the AGPC [Australian Grand Prix Corporation], Motorsport Australia, staff and volunteers to stage the opening round of the 2020 FIA Formula One World Championship in Melbourne, however concluded that the safety of all members of the Formula 1 family and the wider community, as well as the fairness of the competition take priority”.

Though there are several aspects that needed to have been considered the amount of time that was taken before an official announcement was forthcoming has not endeared F1 to the racing community of its fans.

While Bahrain has already announced a race ‘behind closed doors’ it is difficult to imagine that it can go ahead. Similarly, the threat that Vietnam could soon be added to the postponement list, along with Australia and China, remains very real. The best-case scenario for F1 2020 is a season-opening race in Zandvoort. But even this remains up in the air.

March 13, 2020
F1 2020: Australian Gp Preview – Expectations & Anticipation

The wait is nearly over as the 2020 Formula 1 season is poised to commence this weekend at Australia’s Albert Park circuit.

The Formula 1 paddock will travel nearly halfway around the globe to reach the destination of the first round of the new season. They’ll leave behind not only their base of operations but also the expectations that six days of running in pre-season testing may have suggested. The testing at Spain’s circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya plays a crucial part in the teams’ own understanding of what they have produced for the first few races of the 2020 season. And while they may have some inclination as to where everyone stands it wont be absolutely confirmed until Sunday’s race.

The threat of coronavirus has already prompted Formula 1 to announce a postponement of the Chinese grand prix. A few days ago the Bahrain grand prix organizers, in conjunction with F1, revealed that the race would go ahead but without any spectators in the stands. German commercial broadcaster RTL has said that it will not be sending any journalists to the first three races of the season. RTL holds free-to-air broadcast rights for Formula 1 and will be broadcasting remotely. Italy too has announced a quarantine of spanning large parts of the country. Nevertheless, Ferrari and Formula 1 are confident that all will be in place for the season-opening race.

With the show set to go on there is also the added complexity of the make-up of the Albert Park circuit. The temporary, semi-street track is unlike any other on the calendar. The mixture of medium speed corners and three relatively short straight bits puts a bigger emphasis on braking stability. Still, Australia isn’t always the best indication of the pecking order. But there is still a potential twenty-six world championship points up-for-grabs for whoever wins the race and/or set the fastest lap.

Though the sharp-end of the grid seems likely to be dominated by the Big Three the mid-field promises to be an incredibly close battle. The stagnant regulations have meant that the 2020 cars are evolutions of their predecessors. It has, potentially, given teams the opportunity to put right any missteps there may have been in 2019 and the occasion to improve their designs for this season.

The expectation is that Mercedes will arrive in Australia with the quickest car with Red Bull and Ferrari, in that order, trailing the Silver Arrows. But Formula 1 is after all a sport that is infamously unpredictable, especially at the start of a new season. There are still questions however. Has Mercedes sorted the reliability issues suffered in pre-season testing? Did Ferrari run to their full capability? Is Racing Point genuinely nipping at the heels of the Big Three?

March 11, 2020
F1 2020: Testing Diary – Week Two

The two pre-season tests at Spain’s circuit de Barcelona Catalunya has concluded and true to Formula 1 form has produced more questions than answers.

Mercedes reliability

The first pre-season test was highlighted by an incredible run of reliability as drivers pounded around the Catalunya circuit for hundreds of laps without breaking down. But the second week of testing brought with it a number of mechanical breakdowns.

An on-track stoppage for Vettel in the second week slightly curtailed his running. However, it was later found to be a minor problem that was easily mended. Ferrari was able to re-install the repaired engine that ran issue-free. It wasn’t quite the same for Mercedes. While the works Mercedes team have emerged with what many believe to be the quickest car on the grid there are some questions over the reliability of the engine.

In the six days of testing Mercedes were forced to run three engines after suffering failures. Williams, powered by Merc, also ran three engines with deputy team principal Claire Williams confirming that the breakdowns were all different in nature.

Mercedes don’t think it’s a major concern but it is a potential chink in the armour ahead of the 2020 season. “It’s just not quite where we want it to be reliability wise,” said Lewis Hamilton. “But I am sure they are back at the factory now working hard to rectify whatever the issue is.”

Midfield

After a strong start to testing Racing Point is not ruling out the possibility of challenging Ferrari and the new car even has Sergio Perez proclaiming it the best car he’s ever driven in his career. For the rest of the of the midfield teams, outside the Big Three, it’s a question of wait and see.

For now long run pace and relative performance in Spain suggest a close contest in the midfield. Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner saying that there is no one of knowing the true pecking order. “We may be at the front [of the midfield] or at the back. We don’t know,” said Steiner.

While McLaren appears to be in a fight with Renault they are wary of Alpha Tauri (formerly Toro Rosso) who in turn are keeping a close eye on Haas and Alfa Romeo. It’s clear too that Williams have made significant strides forward in comparison to 2019 but just how much progress is still unknown. “Certainly the one of the biggest differences is the build quality as has changed dramatically from this time last year,” said deputy team principal Claire Williams. “That’s been really great to see, bringing a car that’s in really good shape, that comes out the box to a very high standard of which we should be proud at Williams.”

Pecking order

Pre-season testing is hardly definitive but it’s safe to say that barring unreliability Mercedes appears to have delivered a quick car. Ferrari’s openness on being behind both Merc and Red Bull and looking over their shoulder to Racing Point is a bit suspicious. It may just be their way of not heading to Australia as the center of attention and with the expectation of winning, as they did in 2019. Or it may well be true. Ferrari may be truly wary of Racing Point. In that is the beauty of a new Formula 1 season. As important as pre-season testing is there is no way of truly knowing what the pecking order will be. But all will be revealed when they roll out for qualifying in Australia.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

March 6, 2020
F1 2020: Testing Diary – Week 1

The first four-day test has concluded at Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya and has raised numerous talking points and more than a few eyebrows.

The Big Three

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto said in a press conference that the Maranello-based team might well be behind both Mercedes and Red Bull in the early part of the season. But the initial reports from both Seb Vettel and Charles Leclerc is that the 2020 car, dubbed the SF1000, is a definite improvement from last season’s car.

This is a different approach from Ferrari. In 2019 the team were upbeat and seemingly sure that they were heading to Australia well ahead of Mercedes. It wasn’t the case and the team spent the better part of the season playing catch up. This year they’ve taken what appears to be a more measured approach. There were no performance runs in the first week of testing and the engines were run at a very conservative mode for most of it too. It could be that they’ve decided to take the same, more cautious, approach with what they are saying too. It might well be smoke and mirrors and Ferrari’s attempt to not get ahead of themselves after being burnt in 2019.

Here is what we do know for sure. The long runs during the first test showed a car quite heavy on the tyres with the laptimes deteriorating quite a bit quicker than nearest rivals Merc and Red Bull. The team is also expected to introduce a bevy of new parts for the second test that could, if Binotto’s admissions are true, push them closer to their competitors.

There is a good feeling around the Red Bull garage that they have unquestionably taken a step forward. Max Verstappen racked up more than 100 laps in his first day in the car and declared it “fast everywhere”. How much of a step forward they have made and whether it is enough to beat Mercedes remains a mystery. But there is real optimism that Red Bull has produced a car that could well fight for the championship from the beginning of the season. It remains to be seen however if this optimism is a genuine reflection of pace or merely hype.

One of the biggest talking point to come out of the first test is Mercedes’s introduction of a moveable steering wheel which tech director James Allison has named DAS – Dual Axis Steering. From on-board footage of Lewis Hamilton’s car it became clear that he was pulling the steering wheel towards himself and then pushing it back before braking for either turn one or turn nine on the Catalunya circuit. It is believed, but unconfirmed by Mercedes; that the DAS system alters the toe, the lean angle of the front wheels, on the straits.

By adjusting the toe out it straightens the wheels thereby creating less aero drag and less scrub on the front tyres as they are now pointing straight ahead instead of at an angle. It is speculated that because the tyres point straight ahead it creates less resistance and therefore aids with tyre temperature and wear. The question remains as to how much of an advantage this system gives Merc. Some in the paddock believe that DAS is not a game-changer and that the rest of the Mercedes package for 2020 is far more important in providing performance.

Nevertheless, the DAS system is an incredibly feat of engineering that strikes right at the heart of what makes F1 technology the dazzling marvel that it is. While some might wish for the DAS to be illegal Merc has confirmed that the FIA has known about the system for some time and that they are confident of its legality.

Racing Point

When the Racing Point pulled out of the garage and rolled down the pitlane on the first day of testing it raised more than a few eyebrows and it wasn’t because of the slightly brighter pink livery either. You don’t need any technical nous to understand that Racing Point had produced, virtually, a carbon copy of Mercedes’s 2019 car. From the slightly bulbous nose through to the rear suspension it’s so similar that it has been nicknamed the ‘Pink Mercedes’ in the paddock.

Racing Point isn’t trying to hide the effective ‘photocopying’ of the 2019 Merc either. Along with tech director Andy Green they have patently admitted to taking thousands of photos of the 2019 Merc and simply copying the design. And it’s worked too, at least to some degree as a smiling Sergio Perez proclaimed that he finally has a racecar to fight with.

Williams

The Grove-based team could hardly have done worse than they did in 2019. The good news is that from all indication they are doing significantly better than twelve months ago. Not only was the team ready and raring to go on the first day of testing but also they were first onto track with a clear statement of intent.

George Russell, now in his second year with the team, is confident that the team wont simply be making up the numbers this year and that they will be racing in 2020. De facto team principal Claire Williams too was positively buoyant and with a smile on her face said that the target is getting into Q2, the second part of quali, points finishes, and a comprehensive upgrade schedule for 2020. There is unlikely to be a single person in the paddock who wouldn’t be happy that Williams has started to climb out of the doldrums of the last few years.

The second test, scheduled to run at Catalunya this week, is expected to see the focus shift somewhat towards more work on performance, meaning more focus on shorter runs and ultimate pace.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

February 24, 2020
F1 Season Review: Greatest Hits of 2019

In less than one hundred days a brand-new season of Formula 1 will kick off in Australia. A new decade and new challenges awaits but there is one more moment to appreciate the greatest hits of the 2019 season.

Team of the year

The easiest choice would be to pick Mercedes as team of the year. Their staggeringly impressive run of six consecutive double world championship triumphs certainly makes them one of the most prolific teams ever. And such is there record in the Hybrid era that is seems near impossible to be matched or beaten by anyone else.

But the team of the 2019 Formula 1 season is McLaren. Just two years ago, in 2017, McLaren ended the season in ninth place with a paltry thirty points scored by then-drivers Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne under the leadership of Eric Boullier. In 2019, now headed by former Porsche LMP1 boss Andreas Seidl, McLaren scored 145 points to finish fourth overall.

It hasn’t been so much of a turnaround for McLaren as it has been a rebuilding. The relationship with Honda never hit its stride and the atmosphere created by one Fernando Alonso simply wasn’t conducive to an environment needed to move a team forward. The appointment of Seidl and various other changes to the management structure to McLaren is one part of a concerted effort that began to stimulate the team’s resurgence.

They haven’t yet reached the point of challenging the ‘Big Three’ (Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari) but they are trending upwards in a manner that is very exciting. The misery that the team endured was tantamount to torture for the once majestic championship outfit. Before Carlos Sainz’s third place in Brazil the team had last visited the podium in 2014. But the podium finish was just a bit of icing on the cake. They also outscored the Renault works team but most impressively had built a car that worked, nearly, in all areas.

Here’s to the dark days of McLaren languishing down the bottom of the field being truly behind them. And here is too an extraordinary resurgence and long may it continue.

Driver of the year

With six world titles a convincing case could be made for Lewis Hamilton. But it is difficult to look beyond Carlos Sainz. Throughout the season the Spaniard continually proved his prowess and exceptional talent. His sixth place finish in the driver’s championship is all the more impressive when his season is deconstructed.

His season started with zero points in the first three rounds and he would fail to score on eight occasions in total, which included three retirements. But the thirteen point scores he did rack up with mightily impressive. From the sixth place in Monaco to the fourth in Hungary and certainly his first-ever podium in Brazil were all marvelous successes. But what truly underlined Sainz’s splendid ability and underlined his tremendous season was the tenth place finish in Abu Dhabi. In the context of Sainz’s season that tenth place finish meant that he finished sixth overall in the driver’s championship and ahead of Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly. And he did by passing Nico Hulkenberg on the final lap of the race too.

There were a lot of doubts when Carlos Sainz severed ties with Red Bull and moved to McLaren, not least of all for the driver himself. But now he’s proven himself more than capable of mixing it with the best of them.

Race of the year

The 2019 German grand prix is likely to go down as of the most chaotic and exhilarating races of all time. But this year’s Austrian grand prix just edges it in the stakes for best race of the year. It was an emotional weekend at the home race of the recently departed Niki Lauda and it turned out to be a race most befitting of the three-time champion.

Anti-stall at the start of the race seemed to fell any chance Max Verstappen had of challenging for the win as he dropped from second to eighth by the first corner of the race. But if unyielding tenacity were a person it would be Max Verstappen. Dazzlingly, he carved his way through the field and by the time the pitstops were sorted he was running fourth.

In the true uncompromising Verstappen fashion he made short work of Seb Vettel on lap 50 and a few laps later dispatched of Valtteri Bottas for second place. Only Charles Leclerc stood in his way now. With three laps to go Verstappen spectacularly barged his way past the Ferrari and was on his way to the most impressive win of his career.

It was an amazing feat for Red Bull to win their home race. But even more so for Honda who had reclaimed the top step of the podium for the first time since 2006. To say that Honda has had a torrid time in F1 would be an understatement. As a proud Japanese company they suffered the blows to their reputation with grace and humility. To see Toyoharu Tanabe, Honda F1’s technical director, in tears is all you needed to know just how difficult it had been and how much the victory meant.

Rookie of the year

Three rookies started the season in Australia and all three conducted themselves in a genuinely impressive manner. But Lando Norris’s relentless consistency and standout performances in, amongst others, Bahrain, Belgium, and Singapore announced the Brit on the world’s biggest motor racing stage.

As the season progressed Norris suffered, effectively, five retirements overall and racked up twelve points-scoring races. Aside from the numbers his race craft proved faultless to the point that most forgot that he was a nineteen-year-old rookie. It is unquestionable that if McLaren should produce a competitive car in 2020 that Lando Norris will be more than equal to the task.

December 17, 2019
F1 2019: Abu Dhabi Gp Review – Hamilton Dominates Season Finale

For the eleventh time this season Lewis Hamilton stood atop the podium on a weekend that he well and truly dominated. Not only did Hamilton win the Abu Dhabi grand prix at a canter but he also lead every lap, set the fastest lap, and started from pole position.

Car number 44’s advantage over the field was never in doubt as Hamilton cruised to the 83^rd victory of career in his 250^th grand prix start. Nearly seventeen seconds adrift Max Verstappen was second for Red Bull. The Dutchman also finishes third in the driver’s standings behind Valtteri Bottas in second.

Further adrift and never truly in the picture this weekend Ferrari was third on the road with Charles Leclerc. Ferrari were lucky to escape penalty after providing misleading information as to the amount fuel left in Leclerc’s car after Saturday qualifying. Instead the FIA imposed a fine of 50,000 Euros. Valtteri Bottas recovered to fourth after starting last due to penalties incurred for fitting a new power unit. Ferrari pace deficit was obvious all weekend and confirmed further by Sebastian Vettel finished fifth without ever troubling the frontrunners. It’s been a difficult season for the Italian team – most of it from their own making.

On a one-stop strategy Alex Albon was sixth in the other Red Bull while Sergio Perez beautifully mastered his tyres for an incredible 37-lap stint on the medium compound. His fresher tyres and brilliant move on Lando Norris around the outside at Turn 11 on the last lap meant a fine seventh place finish for the Mexican. It also ensures that Checo Perez finishes tenth in the drivers’ standings.

In eighth was Lando Norris just ahead of Dani Kvyat in ninth and Carlos Sainz in tenth. Sainz’s late move on Nico Hulkenberg netted him the final point on offer and, exceptionally, sixth place in the driver’s championship. McLaren end the 2019 season as the fourth best team in what can easily be declared their best year in the hybrid era. It is evident that the atmosphere at McLaren has dramatically improved since 2018 and credit is owed the management of the team. But outside of the ‘Big three’ McLaren have easily the most exciting driver line-up in Norris and Sainz. They’ve proven to be formidable competitors and if McLaren can produce a car able to fight higher up the grid they do so with the knowledge that their drivers will be more than equal to the task.

Though he had run most of the 55 lap race in the points it wasn’t to be a fairytale end to Nico Hulkenberg’s F1 career as he eventually finished twelfth. Further down the field Robert Kubica brought his full time driving career to an end in much the way that it started – unspectacularly and plumb last.

The domination of Mercedes continued in 2019 and for a record breaking sixth consecutive time they have won both the driver’s and constructor’s titles. They have been utterly relentless and merciless and it seems difficult to fathom that they can be beaten. But the teams will work, they will believe and in 104 days they will go again.

December 2, 2019