Category: Previews

F1 2021: Mexican Gp Preview – Advantage Red Bull?

Not too long ago a Formula 1 season would have run its course by this point of the year. Several years ago, the final race on the calendar would just sneak into the month of November and a couple of year before that it ended even earlier in October. But in 2021 the racing is far from over with five more races to go, including this weekend’s Mexican grand prix.

The stunning venue of Mexico City, and the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, has been a welcome stop on the F1 calendar since 2015. Previously, the circuit had hosted F1 as the season finale in the early 60s. Situated in one of the world’s most vibrant cities the circuit stands out for its positioning nearly 2 kilometers above sea level and for the end of the lap, which is situated within the raucous Foro Sol stadium section.

All drivers are likely to have their supporters amongst the crowd but the majority of the boisterous and colourful Mexican crowd will be cheering on Checo Perez. He arrives at his home race this year with his best opportunity of being on the podium, if not winning. It has been a difficult year of adjusting to the demands of the Red Bull car for the popular Mexican driver but there have been some moments and performances that have validated his re-signing, by Red Bull, for 2022. Not least of all his defense against Lewis Hamilton just two weeks ago in Texas while in a severely compromised physical state. And if ever there has been a moment for Checo to shine in 2021 this race, in his beloved Mexico, would be it.

Due to its positioning high above sea level the Mexican track has, since its return, always been one that has suited the Red Bull package. At exactly 2285 meters above sea level the lower concentration of oxygen has a big impact not only on power unit performance but also on the aerodynamics of the car as the thinner air provides less downforce.

The 4.3 km circuit too has a few overtaking opportunities available to drivers. The 1.2 kilometer run to turn 1 on the first lap is nearly always dramatic as the slipstream allows for a lot of overtaking. A shortish sequence of corners follows the long strait and promotes wheel-to-wheel racing before opening up into a second, longish, strait.

F1 last visited Mexico in 2019 and Hamilton and Verstappen were in vastly different places two years ago. Hamilton’s 2019 win from then-Ferrari driver Seb Vettel took him a decisive step closer to his seventh title while Verstappen finished sixth after a first-lap clash with Hamilton and another clash, a few laps later with Valtteri Bottas. And that, after he had been stripped of pole position for ignoring yellow flags in qualifying. But Verstappen arrives this weekend a far different driver. Aside from turning Red Bull’s nigh-impossible strategy into race-winning gold in Texas there is an inherent calmness about Verstappen’s demeanour. Not much appears to faze him and he has been able to maintain an incredibly high level of performance throughout the entire year. Barring accident or reliability, there is nothing to suggest that fans are not going to be treated to yet another breathtaking showdown between Verstappen and Hamilton.

There’s no doubt that Hamilton and Mercedes will be pushing as hard as they can to win this weekend. And they need to. Because if Verstappen walks away from Mexico with another win under his belt the writing might just be on the wall for the reigning world champions

November 5, 2021
F1 2021: USA Gp Preview – Battle Renews in Texas

Only five rounds remain in the 2021 season and just who will walk away as champion is as unclear as it was at the first race of the year.

This weekend Formula 1 is in Austin, Texas for the 17th round of season. The Circuit of the Americas has proved a popular one amongst fans and drivers since its introduction in 2012. F1 returns to the US for the first time since 2019 following a Covid-induced absence from last year’s calendar. F1 also returns to North America on the heels of the news that Miami has entered into the fray as a Grand Prix host for 2022.

As the US eyes up a big piece of the F1 pie the battle raging between Red Bull and Mercedes and Verstappen and Hamilton seems to have been balanced on a knife edge since the opening of the season in mid-March. Hamilton’s exercise in damage limitation at the Turkish Grand Prix could’ve gone slightly better however he will arrive in Texas at a circuit where he excels. With six wins around this track and without any penalties, as it stands, there is every expectation that he’ll start the weekend as favourite for the top step of the podium. But this season has been like few others for Hamilton. Over the last several seasons the second half of the year is, traditionally, when Hamilton would hit a level that previously made him all but unbeatable. But this hasn’t been the case in 2021 and the relentlessness which has previously been synonymous with Hamilton simply isn’t present. Nevertheless, there is still a handful of races to go and Hamilton is expected to raise the bar once more.

What also cannot be ignored is the engine issues that Mercedes have been struggling with over the last few months. The issues, seemingly contained to the internal combustion engine, has already forced two replacements on Valtteri Bottas’s side of the garage. And one of the engines replaced ran only 931 km before giving up the ghost. It’ll be an area of particular focus for Mercedes in the run towards the end of the season. In a championship as closely contested as 2021 all fingers are crossed that unreliability does not have a say in the ultimate outcome.

Despite Hamilton’s grand record around the Circuit of the Americas the Red Bull should perform especially well in the first sector of the lap. It’s high-speed sweeping turns, akin the sector one of Suzuka and the Maggots-Becketts complex at Silverstone, will emphasize the aero proficiency of the Red Bull. With the weather set fair for the weekend it’s likely to come down to the smallest of margins yet again. Teammates, Bottas and Perez, also become ever more vital not only in terms of support for Hamilton and Verstappen in qualifying, but also to serve as a potential obstacle where strategy comes into play.

Given the high-speed nature of the track Ferrari are not expected to feature as prominently. McLaren on the other hand, now powered by Mercedes, and with an in-form Lando Norris could drive home the advantage over constructor rivals Ferrari.

Six points is all that separates Verstappen from Hamilton at the top of the driver’s standings. It’s a thin margin that continues to ebb and flow between the pair. And it simply wouldn’t be Formula 1 in 2021 if there wasn’t at least a few more twist.

October 21, 2021
F1 2021: Turkish Gp Preview – Turkish Delight Beckons

Circumstances may have necessitated the return of Formula 1 to Turkey. However, it’s re-introduction to the Formula 1 calendar delivered a stunning Grand Prix in 2020. So much so that the organizers of the event are trying to secure a ten-year deal for Istanbul Park as part of the Formula 1 world championship.

They will have their work cut out though as in recent weeks F1 has committed to Qatar and Miami. And there are strong rumours too that the championship could return to Kyalami in the not too distant future if the final arrangements can be agreed upon. It does bring into question the length of the calendar and the subsequent strain on team personnel who are already stretch thin. As an example, F1’s season-ending triple header will see teams, in just four weeks, travel from Brazil to Qatar to Saudi Arabia to Abu Dhabi.

There is more news about the future of F1 as Porsche and Audi are assumed to be close to joining the championship as the 2026 engine rules are finalized. The teams and the sport have agreed to drop the MGU-H which has, in the past, because of its complexity and expense dissuaded manufacturers from committing to F1.

With the future of F1 taking shape there still remains the matter of the 2021 championship. To illustrate how different this year has been Lewis Hamilton ended the 2020 Turkish Gp as the world champion. It’s a far different scenario in 2021 as Hamilton goes into this weekend’s race only two points clear of Max Verstappen. The fact that Hamilton has also scored 85 points less than at the same point last season is another example of how hard the Mercedes driver has had to work.

There’s no sign either that the task will get any easier in the final seven races of the year. In fact, all indications are that the title fight could go all the way to the season-ending race in Abu Dhabi. But then, F1 in 2021 has proven that very little is predictable and that neither Mercedes nor Red Bull will have an easy run into the flag.

Unless things take a dramatic turn, it doesn’t appear that Hamilton or Verstappen will have much support from their respective teammates either. For Sergio Perez there haven’t been nearly enough moments this season where he has performed to the standard of the Red Bull. As such, the expectation that Perez will able to take points off Mercedes, or at least influence their race strategy on Sundays, isn’t especially high.

For completely different reasons Valtteri Bottas too is unlikely to hamper the progress of Verstappen. Though the Finn hasn’t consistently shown great pace this season his loyalty to the team has also been nullified given that he’s been, effectively, fired and replaced with George Russell for 2022. It is this lack of allegiance, as evidenced in Bottas’s lack of defense against Verstappen in Russia, which means that he cannot be fully relied on to ‘take one for the team’.

The Istanbul Park circuit shouldn’t expressly favour either the Red Bull or the Mercedes but, like in 2020, the weather could have a significant impact on the running order. The likes of McLaren and even Ferrari could well have an impact should the forecasted rain make an appearance.

October 4, 2021
F1 2021: Russian Gp Preview – Advantage Merc?

You’re unlikely to find many F1 fans that will sing the praises of the Sochi Autodrom in Russia. While the venue, formerly the host of the Winter Olympics, is a seaside holiday destination the F1 track is not one that will infuse excitement into most races. Nevertheless, the 2021 Formula 1 season makes its next stop in Russia for the 15th round of the season.

Though it might not be an inspiring venue it does have big points up for grabs for what has been one of the most closely fought and intense championships for quite some time. Both championship protagonists, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, arrive into the weekend on the back of yet another contentious incident. The Monza clash has been litigated to within an inch of its life both for and against both drivers. The fact remains however that Verstappen emerged from the weekend with a three-point gain to lead Hamilton by 5 points atop the driver’s championship. But Verstappen also received a penalty after being adjudged, by race stewards, as having caused the Monza collision.

As it stands wherever Verstappen qualifies in Russia, he will drop down a further three places. Due to its excessively long and flat-out run to turn 1 the Russian Grand Prix circuit is one that allows for overtaking. It is for this reason that the inevitable power unit change, and subsequent grid drop, for Verstappen may have been earmarked for this race. It is believed that at some point in the remaining races that Hamilton too will have to fit a new power unit and incur the same grid penalties. There is a chance however that Mercedes could try to eke out the lifespan of the current power unit components in Hamilton’s pool. But doing so would mean running the risk of suffering a potential mechanical failure. And in a championship as closely contested as this one losing points to the opposition could well tip it in their favour.

The good news for Merc is that the Sochi Autodrom is a track on which Valtteri Bottas excels. Add to this that the Russian Grand Prix has been somewhat of a stronghold for Merc and it looks like the deck is stacked for a good weekend. But if we know anything about Formula 1 in 2021 it is that it has been nigh on impossible to predict. If Verstappen is to start from the back of the grid Red Bull will look to Sergio Perez to, at least, delay the progress of Mercedes. But the Mexican has struggled of late and doesn’t go into the weekend with the highest of expectations. McLaren too, powered by Merc engines in 2021, could bring themselves into the equation.

Elsewhere, Kimi Raikkonen has, via Instagram, announced that he will be returning to the cockpit for this weekend’s race. The Finn has been self-isolating since testing positive for COVID-19 at the Dutch Grand Prix. It’s his Alfa Romeo teammate Antonio Giovinazzi though that’s under pressure to keep his seat for 2022. The Italian has shown some moments of real potential in the last few races but it might be too little too late. It is believed that a host of drivers are duking it out for the seat alongside Bottas. Chinese F2 driver Guanyu Zhou is believed to be the front runner for the seat.

Since its first race in 2014 there haven’t been many memorable moments at the Russian Grand Prix. But surely with the tantalizing battle that is this year’s title fight even Russia has the potential to deliver a race worthy of the 2021 F1 championship.

September 20, 2021
F1 2021: Hungarian Gp Preview – Battle Ready

In 2021, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have been at the forefront of conversation. It’s established now that these two are the main protagonists in the fight for the ultimate prize of the world championship. And as with any good drama an intense amount of controversy has been added to amp up the intensity. After all, what good is any story without some type of conflict?

The 2021 British Grand Prix and the clash between Hamilton and Verstappen lives rent-free in the minds of most F1 fans. Regardless of who you think is to blame, or not, it has magnified an already fierce battle. In Hungary this week there will undoubtedly be questions from the press to both drivers and their respective teams about the incident and it will all receive run-of-the-mill ‘we’ve moved on’ responses. The best and most important response will come on the track where it matters most.

Despite a nightmarish race weekend at Silverstone with zero points in the bank Red Bull is still likely to start the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend as favourites. The Hungaroring circuit might be known as one of the most spectator friendly, given that it’s effectively situated in a bowel, but it is not one famous for overtaking opportunities which places most, if not all, of the emphasis on qualifying. There’s no special format this weekend either as F1 returns to its traditional three practice sessions, quali on Saturday, and the Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon. So far this season Red Bull have held the ascendancy in pure pace over one lap. But Mercedes, through Hamilton, was able to best Verstappen at Silverstone. It might have been the rather big upgrade package or the vociferous home support or a combination of the two that propelled Hamilton to p1. The true test of whether Mercedes are genuinely closer, or even equal to Red Bull on pace, will come in Hungary.

As the championship battle expectantly twists and turns at the epicenter of Formula 1 there is much else that need to be confirmed, sorted out, and finalized during the winter break that follows the Hungarian Grand Prix. One of the most prominent stories involves the 2022 Mercedes seat alongside Lewis Hamilton. Toto Wolff has been just short of singing Valtteri Bottas’s praises after the Finn moved out of Hamilton’s way at Silverstone. And still George Russell continues to outshine his Williams car in an effort to snatch the Merc seat for himself. Elsewhere, Checo Perez hardly covered himself in glory in his last race but the expectation is that the Mexcian has done enough to maintain his Red Bull seat for next year.

Then there is the perennial question of Kimi Raikkonen and if he will continue or retire. The Finn is not only the oldest driver on the grid at 41 but also the most experienced in the history of the sport. As Alfa Romeo has re-stated its support of the team there is a raft of possibilities for the two seats. From GP2 stars such as Callum Illot and Theo Pourchaire to Mick Schumacher and even Valtteri Bottas have been linked with the team. It’s unlikely that all of this will be resolved in the winter break but the picture of 2022 will definitely begin to take shape.

As much of the focus is on the Hamilton/Verstappen duel the titanic scrap between McLaren and Ferrari, for third in the constructors standings, is another enticing prospect for this weekend. And such is the form of Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris that it can’t be ruled out that they may be able to mix it at the sharp end of the grid, at least in qualifying.

As enthralling as the title fight is one of the most enticing things about this season is that up and down the 2021 Formula 1 field there are drivers eager to stake their claim, teams keen for supremacy over their nearest rivals. And all there is only one place all of it can come to a head – on the track.

July 28, 2021
F1 2021: British Gp Preview – Hamilton-mania to Propel Merc?

Formula 1 not only returns to the famed Silverstone circuit but also to a full capacity crowd. With the exception of Monza, and maybe Zaandvoort later this year, there is hardly a more raucous us F1 crowd anywhere in the world.

The Silverstone circuit, based in Northamptonshire, is a marvel too. It’s ultra high-speed layout and iconic corner like Copse, Stowe, and the Maggotts-Becketts complex are as iconic as they are demanding. The black and white painted kerbs become little more than a blur as the cars buzz around the English countryside at one of the most magnificent venues in all of Motorsport.

All drivers will have their supporters at Silverstone not to mention the legendary teams such as McLaren and Williams. But it’s expected that none will have a bigger swell of support than Sir Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time champion arrives somewhat on the back foot and not having won a race since the Spanish Grand Prix at the beginning of May. But it isn’t necessarily an unknown position for Hamilton to be in. After all, in 2018 Seb Vettel looked to be running away with the title before fading in the second half of the season. Nevertheless, Max Verstappen and Red Bull are a completely different equation to Vettel and Ferrari. It wasn’t that long ago that Red Bull were reeling off championship titles much in the same way that Mercedes have done in the last seven years. And it doesn’t seem like they have forgotten how to put together a championship title run.

Mercedes haven’t had an answer to Red Bull for a good few months but they have a fairly big upgrade package to run on the car this weekend. It isn’t only on-track where they’re looking for some answers either. There is also the matter of who Hamilton’s teammate will be for 2022. As is usual there are a slew of rumours making the rounds with the most vociferous of them suggesting that a certain George Russell will be announced this weekend as a works Mercedes driver for 2022. If you were to ask Valtteri Bottas the Finn believes that he has more than a good chance of retaining his seat. An argument can easily be made for and against that. It would make sense for Toto Wolff to maintain the peaceful status quo with Bottas. But they also need to think about the future. And who better for Russell to learn from than Hamilton?

Rain or shine Lewis Hamilton has always been something special around the Silverstone track. He wants to win everywhere but none more so than on home soil. As impressive as Verstappen and Red Bull have been in 2021 a win at the British Gp will be a significant step towards the title. Not only will it mean an extended points gap but also it will unquestionably introduce, if not intensify, any grain of doubt in Hamilton’s mind. And there is every expectation that Red Bull will be the car to beat at Silverstone.

A full capacity crowd anywhere is a rarity these days, almost a novelty. Another novelty will be the re-jigging of the weekend’s format. Friday’s first free practice session remains unchanged but is followed by qualifying at 7pm. This quali session will determine the grid for Saturday’s 100km sprint race. Free practice 2 will take place on Saturday at 2pm while the sprint race is scheduled to start at 5:30 pm. It is important to note than there are no mandatory pitstops in the sprint race and that only the top three will earn points. Also, the finishing order of the sprint race will be taken as the starting grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix. Teams will also not be able to make any changes or adjustments to the cars as they enter parc ferme at the end of the first practice session. The new format, including the sprint race, is considered a trial run. There are some fears that the sprint race will amount to little more than a high-speed train, so says Hamilton, but it’s certainly worth it to see what might come out of it.

July 12, 2021
F1 2021: French Gp Preview – Can Title Battle Animate Paul Ricard?

As a travel destination the country of France is arguably one of the most coveted in the world. But when it comes to Formula 1 racing the Paul Ricard doesn’t exactly fill fans with an over boding sense of excitement.

The circuit, located between the cities of Toulon and Marseilles, made its return to the F1 calendar in 2018. Lewis Hamilton won the last race around the circuit in commanding fashion, which racked up Mercedes’s eighth successive victory of the 2019 season. In 2021 Merc and Hamilton arrive at the Le Castellet venue in quite a different position.

Granted the French grand prix has been pushed to earlier in the season but still few were likely to imagine Mercedes arriving on the French Riviera not leading on either of the driver’s and constructor championship standings. After a chaotic Azerbaijan grand prix in which neither Hamilton nor Max Verstappen scored any points the Red Bull driver holds a slender lead of four points over his rival. Checo Perez’s win in Baku also earned Red Bull a 26-point lead in the constructor’s standings.

Traditionally, Mercedes have been untouchable around the Paul Ricard circuit. So dominant were Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas in 2019 that the nearest qualifier to them, Charles Leclerc, was nearly seventh tenths off. Similarly, in the race Hamilton was roughly twenty seconds up the road from Bottas in second who had put a good twenty seconds into Leclerc as well. But if we know anything from the 2021 season it is that Mercedes have not performed nearly as clinically as they have in past years. Here and there some cracks have begun to show, some instance revealed of a team not at 100%. It isn’t a given then that the team will arrive in France at the favourites and this is exactly what Red Bull needs to take advantage of.

Max Verstappen is driving probably better than he ever has and this removes any doubt that if the car is up to the task the Dutchman will be at the sharp-end. But it’s the ominous consistently of Verstappen that is most impressive in 2021. Even if Mercedes were to be quicker on race day you can bet your house that Verstappen will be a close second, barring unreliability or freak tyre blowouts.

If Hamilton and Mercedes find themselves in uncomfortable territory it is nothing compared to what Valtteri Bottas is experiencing. The Finn has scored only 47 points and had a poor showing in Azerbaijan, which has done nothing but re-ignite the Russell-to-Merc rumours. So boisterous have the rumours become that there are a good few who believe that George Russell may well be announced as a 2022 Mercedes driver during the Silverstone grand prix weekend next month.

As the battle rages for the top honours there is a French driver who has well and truly covered himself in glory this season. Pierre Gasly’s breakthrough podium in Brazil was a true watershed moment. His subsequent win in Monza and another podium in the last race has only solidified his talent. It seems unlikely that a move back to the senior Red Bull team is in Gasly’s future but there should be quite a few teams keen to get his signature in the next few years.

It is an important race for Alpine too as they will race at their home grand prix under their new guise for the first time. Fernando Alonso impressed in Baku but has so far been outdone by French teammate Esteban Ocon. Alpine, headed by Davide Brivio, hasn’t maintained the progress gained towards the end of 2021. But an invigorated Alonso has always been to do miraculous things with cars that have no business being in the points. The question is whether his run in Baku was a once off or if the Spaniard is getting on top his car and his teammate.

Race previews are usually expected to indicate who is favourite for the win. But the best thing about Formula 1 in 2021 is that this has become all but impossible to predict. All indication, and the track layout, says that Mercedes should have the edge but it just hasn’t been that simple this season. What is a certainty however is that the fight for supremacy and victory is red-hot and might even be enough to inject some life into a circuit that has delivered rather dull races in its last two appearances.

June 15, 2021
F1 2021: Azerbaijan Gp Preview – Four Teams in the Mix

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix first made its debut on the F1 calendar in 2016. And all of the races since it’s debut have been packed full of drama.

Nico Rosberg who not only secured pole position and the fastest lap but also led every one of the 51 race laps dominated the first race, dubbed the European grand prix. It was an uncharacteristically messy race for Hamilton who crashed in qualifying before coming home in fifth while Sergio Perez scored a brilliant third-place finish for then Force India. A year later the drama intensified ten-fold and is mostly known for the now infamous incident of Seb Vettel bumping into the side of Hamilton under the safety-car. Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo who, at one stage, was 17th in the running won this race with all of its crashes and controversies, and a red flag. It also marked Lance Stroll’s first podium finish in third. The 2018 race will forever be known for the collision between Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo on the start/finish strait. The drama wasn’t over though as race-leader Bottas suffered a late-race puncture ultimately retirement. It handed the win to Hamilton who finished head of Raikkonen and the ever-present Perez. By all previous comparisons the 2019 race was a fairly sedate one in which Bottas earned redemption with a win from Pole.

Because of the global pandemic Baku didn’t feature on the 2020 calendar. Its return in 2021 promises to be nothing short of dramatic if the previous races around the Azerbaijan streets are anything to go by. And it might not by a straight out fight only between Red Bull and Mercedes either. McLaren should fancy their chances around Baku. The car is a rocket ship and did very well, on merit, in Monaco. Perhaps it’s not quite quick enough to take the top spot but any hijinks or drama or mistakes and McLaren will undoubtedly be in position to reap the rewards.

It isn’t all about the sharp end of the grid as the plotlines of the season are beginning to take shape. A driver under pressure and who needs to impress his team boss is Yuki Tsunoda. Aside from a splashy performance in Bahrain the rookie driver hasn’t done anything worth noticing on-track. He has however revealed quite a volatile demeanour over team radio. It’s been reported that Tsunoda has been moved from UK to Italy in order to be more closely “supervised”. Which is really just a polite way of saying the young Japanese driver needs to reevaluate his approach and adjust his attitude quickly. After all Red Bull and Helmut Makro aren’t known for their patience. They’ve racked up more than a few merciless axing’s in their time from Jean Eric Vergne to Sebastian Buemi to Dannil Kvyat, Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon to name a few.

Mercedes had a nightmare Monaco Grand Prix weekend and will want to rectify it in the most emphatic way possible. Bottas has proven to be quite handy around Baku. But all indications are that it simply won’t be a straightforward weekend. Not only could McLaren be there or there about but Ferrari too has traditionally performed well on the Azerbaijan streets. The Scuderia will be buoyed by the car’s performance on the Monte Carlo streets. And with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc clearly in brilliant form Ferrari could find themselves mixing it at the sharp end.

June 2, 2021
F1 2021: Monaco Gp Preview – Mercedes Momentum

One of the most difficult things to overcome, in most sports, is momentum. It affects either competitors or teams. Not only does it infuse an incredible amount of confidence and self-belief but it can also, conversely, create a seed of doubt in the opposition. And if the tiniest bit of doubt begins to creep into the psyche it can have a snowball effect if it isn’t managed properly.

In the context of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship it is evident that the momentum currently rests with Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes. With brilliant strategy and superb driving Sir Hamilton has won three of the first four races and holds a solid fourteen point lead over Max Verstappen. Mercilessly, Mercedes’s push both 2021 titles will continue and more than likely increase in intensity. The monumental job of wresting away the precious momentum is fully on the shoulders of Red Bull.

The good news is that Red Bull are a team that has championship winning mentality and they have easily one of the best drivers on the grid in the shape of Verstappen. However, the longer it takes for Red Bull to strike back the more difficult usurping Mercedes will become. Without exception every race and every point in a championship campaign is vital. The next race only becomes more important, or vital, if you’re behind the eight ball. Thus the upcoming race, which happens to be the Monaco grand prix, is rather important for Verstappen in the grand scheme of the championship.

As has been known for several years, if not several decades, the city streets of Monte Carlo is not conducive to overtaking. Though there may be the odd chance of an overtake success in this race relies almost entirely on qualifying. There exists the slightest possibility that strategy could enter the equation but only on rare occasions.

The Mercedes and the Red Bull have been closely matched in 2021. There isn’t must to suggest that it will be any different in Monaco. If anything, Red Bull’s most apparent advantage this season has been in qualifying. It’s is an advantage, if still prevalent, that will stand them in good stead in Monaco. But Red Bull also needs Checo Perez to step up to the occasion. The Mexican’s race pace can hardly be questioned but too often his lackluster quali form has left him out of the equation in Red Bull’s fight with Mercedes. An improved quali performance wouldn’t only imbue Perez with confidence but having to fight against two Red Bull’s will also force Mercedes and Hamilton into a position that haven’t been in before.

There will be those that say that the Monaco grand prix is a must win race for Verstappen and his championship aspirations. The reality is that if you are the one trailing then every race is a must win. What’s more, for Verstappen every race is a must win regardless of his position in the standings and that relentless quality and unyielding hunger for victory is sure to stand him in good stead against what is the biggest test of his racing career.

May 18, 2021
F1 2021: Imola Gp Review – Merc vs Red Bull, Part 2

By necessity Imola returned to the Formula 1 calendar in 2020. The race was so well received by drivers, teams, and fans that the paddock returns to the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in 2021.

The 2021 edition will officially be known as the ‘Made in Italy and Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix’. The new title is a bit of a mouth full but the Imola circuit is one steeped in history. The circuit, which hosted its non-championship F1 race in 1963, is a high-speed, anti-clockwise circuit much narrower than the modern tracks F1 frequents. What’s more the undulations, blind corners, and high average speed make it a real challenge for drivers.

Though F1 may be Italy-adjacent in San Marino this weekend Ferrari are not talking up their chances for the race. Instead the focus remains on Mercedes and Red Bull for the battle at the front end. In Bahrain Lewis Hamilton delivered a stellar drive to snatch the win from Red Bull and Max Verstappen. But it was clear that Red Bull had arrived at the season-opener with a car capable of challenging for victory from the get-go.

One of the major difficulties for Mercedes in Bahrain was the changing wind condition as it revealed a car highly susceptible to high winds. Conditions should be more stable in Imola but Merc believe that might still trail behind Red Bull this weekend. “I don’t think we’re good enough in the high-speed, and there’s plenty of that in Imola and in Portimao, and that’s one area where they’ve [Red Bull] got an advantage on us at the moment,” said trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin.

Despite their so-called advantage Red Bull are not resting on their laurels. Rumours are abounding that Red Bull are expected to introduce a significant upgrade to the rear suspension. The upgrade is believed to specifically address the rear tyre wear and temperature management. It remains to be seen what Red Bull introduces over the Imola race weekend but it appears that designers and engineered have discovered a manner in which to ‘adjust’ the camber of the rear wheels when cornering. F1 regulations state that rear wheels may not be overtly adjusted. However, Red Bull’s alleged new system relies on the flexibility of certain parts in combination with electronic adjustments to the differential, engine, and brakes which are allowed.

It remains to be seen if this upgrade exists and if it will be introduced this weekend in Imola. But even if it doesn’t eventuate Red Bull has an ace up their sleeve in terms of qualifying pace. Verstappen stunned Mercedes in qualifying for the Bahrain grand prix by four tenths of a second. Given the finite overtaking opportunities in Formula 1 being the lead car is imperative when it comes to controlling pace. But Mercedes’ strategy and Hamilton’s spectacular tyre management undid Red Bull in Bahrain proving that having the quickest car on track isn’t a guaranteed ticket to victory.

April 14, 2021