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F1 2021: Monte Carlo Gp Review – Max Wins Monaco

On the very first of 78 laps of the Monaco Grand Prix Mick Schumacher accounted for the only overtake of the race by audaciously passing his Haas teammate into the Lowe’s hairpin for eighteenth place. Otherwise the race around the Monte Carlo streets was fairly unspectacular in literal terms.

But in terms of the story that is the 2021 championship Monaco delivered on the drama. It kicked off on Saturday afternoon as Charles Leclerc secured pole in a surprisingly quick Ferrari. But the Monegasque’s joy was tainted as he clouted the barriers on the exit of the swimming pool in the dying seconds of quali. Potential damage to the gearbox could mean a five place drop on the grid should it need to be replaced. However, after inspection Ferrari was happy to continue as is. Unfortunately, a sighting lap before the start of Sunday’s race revealed an issue with a rear drive shaft which was enough to end Leclerc’s race before it even got started.

Though Leclerc’s spot on the grid remained vacant Max Verstappen was effectively in P1 with Mercedes’s Valtteri Bottas in P2. As expected, the Red Bull easily held off Bottas at the start and from there controlled the pace without any real or sustained pressure from behind. Carlos Sainz, running third, did well to salvage Ferrari’s day. In fact, the Spaniard began to close the gap to Bottas around the time the pitstops rolled around. But he wouldn’t have to fight much longer with Bottas as the Finn was forced into retirement at his first stop. An effective cross-threaded wheelnut meant that Bottas tyre couldn’t be changed which guaranteed his retirement.

Elsewhere, Hamilton’s lacklustre qualifying performance left him down in seventh. Promoted to sixth due to Leclerc’s non-start the Brit made zero progress. In fact, after the round of pitstops his lack of pace meant that he fell behind Perez, Vettel, and Gasly. A clearly irate Hamilton demanded answers from his team. The answer he sought was fairly simple – he was simply too slow to compete with the Alpha Tauri and Aston Martin much less the Red Bull.

Bottas’s retirement promoted Sainz to second with McLaren’s Lando Norris in third. A stellar stint before his first stop meant that Perez leapfrogged several cars to run a close fourth. Checo briefly challenged Norris but McLaren’s superstar kept his head well despite struggling on the hard compound tyre.

Equally as impressive, and voted driver of the day by the fans, Seb Vettel drove an extremely impressive race to deliver fifth place to a struggling Aston Martin team. Aston Martin’s chief strategist Bernadette Collins brilliantly called Vettel’s overcut strategy which means staying out longer than your immediate rivals. The consistent Pierre Gasly was sixth ahead of Hamilton in seventh. Lance Stroll converted an alternative strategy of running the opening stint on the hard tyre to a fine eighth place finish while Esteban Ocon was ninth. Antonio Giovinazzi capped a fine weekend for him by scoring the final point on offer in tenth for Alfa Romeo.

It was a day to forget for Daniel Ricciardo who not only qualified fourteenth but also had to endure the indignity of being lapped by his McLaren teammate. Fernando Alonso’s struggles against Alpine teammate Ocon continued as he finished thirteenth overall.

At the front focus was still required from Verstappen to keep it clean and out of the barriers. But apart from this the Dutchman was all but cruising. A Monaco race win is arguably on the bucket list of all F1 drivers and now Verstappen has ticked that box. What’s more, for the first time in his F1 career he finds himself in the lead of the driver’s championship.

It is uncharted territory for Verstappen. But it is also uncharted territory for Merc who hasn’t faced a sustained challenge since Ferrari bossed the first-half of the 2018 season. Though the racing may not have been top-notch in Monaco it certainly has set up the 2021 championship in a very sumptuous way.

It took Mercedes and Hamilton five races to build a gap of fourteen points over Red Bull and Verstappen, which was completely reversed in the space of one afternoon. It indicates just how fickle a points-lead can be and it indicates too that every single point is important in 2021.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

May 25, 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: Spanish Gp Review – Merc, Hamilton Ace Strategy

The circuit de Catalunya Barcelona isn’t one known for delivering the most thrilling races. The 2021 edition didn’t produce the wheel-to-wheel battle that most would have hoped for but it did deliver an intense and very high-speed game of chess.

On Saturday Lewis Hamilton secured the 100th pole position of his career by 0.036. It is a monumental achievement that must be applauded and will not only stand for some time but certainly be remembered forever.

It didn’t mean too much to Max Verstappen as he snatch the lead off the race as the lights went out. Valtteri Bottas was, customarily, dumped out of the equation nearly immediately as he fell behind the Ferrari at the start of the race. It quickly turned into a two horse race as Verstappen and Hamilton cleared off at the head of the field by one second a lap. The pack were brought back together as the safety car was deployed to facilitate the recovery of Yuki Tsunoda’s Alpha Tauri which seemed to suffer some electric issue.

As the first stint of the race wore on it was clear that Hamilton was able to manage his tyres better than Verstappen. As it were the Dutchman entered the pitlane first. There was a bit of a delay on the right-left wheel but still Verstappen’s pace on fresh tyres meant he would easily retake the lead of the race. Hamilton pitted a handful laps later and emerged five seconds behind. The seven-time champion made short work of the gap and maintained a gap within DRS range. On lap 41, mere tenths behind Verstappen, Mercedes made a bold call to pull Hamilton into the pits for a second stop. Red Bull couldn’t react as the undercut on fresh tyres meant that Hamilton was already ahead on track should Verstappen made a stop on the next lap. As it were Red Bull left Verstappen out and banked on track position winning the day. It was, even in hindsight, the only card they had to play. If it worked they’d win the race. If not, they’d emerge in second where they were bound to end up anyway.

And second is where Verstappen would ultimately end up as Hamilton took the lead of the race on lap 60. Hamilton’s win in Spain showed that somehow after so much success he is still able to raise his game. But it isn’t just Mac Verstappen versus Lewis Hamilton in this championship. What the Spanish Grand Prix proved is that it’s as much a fight between Mercedes and Red Bull. Red Bull will be the first to admit that they were well and truly outsmarted on strategy.

As Hamilton, Verstappen, and Bottas once again occupied the podium it was Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc who finished in a fine fourth place. Checo Perez was fifth for Red Bull ahead of Daniel Ricciardo is sixth and Spain’s Carlos Sainz in seventh. In eighth place was Lando Norris while Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly scored the final points on offer in ninth and tenth.

The next race, surely another face off between Mercedes and Red Bull, is the fifth round of the season around the picturesque city streets of Monte Carlo.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

May 10, 2021
F1 2021: Portugal Gp Review – Hamilton on Top

By the lofty standards of 2021 the Portuguese Grand Prix didn’t deliver much in terms of excitement. But it is no less important in the greater scheme of the season.

You’d be forgiven for looking at Lewis Hamilton’s winning margin and scoffing at the apparent predictability of it. But the 29 odd second gap to second-placed Max Verstappen is a bit superficial given that the Red Bull driver made a late pit stop in a bid to score the extra point on offer for fastest lap. In reality Hamilton had to work quite a bit to secure the win. Not only was he beaten to pole by teammate Valtteri Bottas, albeit by seven thousands of a second, but he had to work his way back to the front from third.

As it happened the two Mercs led cleanly from the front row of the grid with Verstappen in third. An uncharacteristic but no less odd mistake from Kimi Raikkonen resulted in the Finn losing his front wing which prompted the deployment of the safety car. Raikkonen appeared to clip the left-rear wheel of his teammate Antonio Giovinazzi on the start/finish strait, which wedged the wing under wheel of Raikkonen’s Alfa Romeo. Not only did it bring an early end to his race but it also littered the strait with carbon fibre hence the need for a safety car

Bottas was especially canny on the restart and waited right up until the safety car line before accelerating for the restart of the race. It must’ve caught Hamilton slightly by surprise as he not only missed his chance of having a crack at the lead of the race but was also subsequently overtaken by Verstappen. For all money it looked as if Red Bull were in the pound seat as Verstappen hounded the rear of Bottas in P1. But a slight mistake in turn 14 to allowed Hamilton to close up to the Red Bull. Not one to be wasteful of opportunities Hamilton made short work of Verstappen into turn one with the assistance of some DRS. It wasn’t too much later after that when he scythed around the outside of Bottas, again in turn one, and into the lead of the race.

Without setting the world alight Hamilton built a solid gap of around four to five seconds in the lead, which he comfortably maintained. Red Bull stopped one lap earlier for the hard compound tyre than second-placed Bottas. It proved decisive as Bottas emerged from the pitlane ahead of Verstappen but only momentarily. Because his tyres were up to temperature the Dutchman was able to take second off the Merc driver.

Bottas threatened a bit of a comeback later on in the race but a sensor issue put an end to his challenge on second place. Despite starting on pole it’s back to the drawing board for Bottas who has stood on the top step of the podium only once in the last nineteen races.

There was a number of overtakes further down the field but overall the Portuguese Grand Prix was just a bit flat. But still there are more than a few drivers who will be happy with their afternoon’s work. Checo Perez finished a solid fourth well ahead of the ever-dependable Lando Norris in fifth. Charles Leclerc was sixth for Ferrari ahead of the two Alpine drivers Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso in seventh and eighth. Daniel Ricciardo salvaged two points in ninth after starting sixteenth while Pierre Gasly took the final point on offer in tenth.

There’s no respite for the paddock as F1 moves straight over to Spain for the fourth round of the season. The Circuit de Catalunya Barcelona is notoriously poor for overtaking which means that qualifying may well be the be all and end all for the main protagonists this weekend.

May 5, 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
F1 2021: Bahrain Gp Review – Hamilton vs Verstappen

In recent history there could hardly have been a more exhilarating start to a Formula 1 season that what was produced in Bahrain in 2021.

Saturday qualifying already put not only the paddock but fans around the world on notice that the season opening race was bound to be something special. Max Verstappen delivered a stunning lap to take pole position from Lewis Hamilton by nearly four tenths ons second. Not only did it set the stage for an epic race battle but it also confirmed that for the first time in years Red Bull were hitting the ground running.

But the more than one hundred days of waiting didn’t seem to be enough for the racing gods as the first start of the race was aborted. Unfortunately for new Red Bull driver Sergio Perez it was because his car had decided to switch itself off on the formation lap. The Mexican driver was able to restart his engine but was consigned to a pit lane start.

After another formation lap the race got underway with Verstappen leading cleanly from Hamilton. It was Valtteri Bottas who was under most pressure as he fought off the fast starting Charles Leclerc. But the Ferrari was too canny for the Finn and snatched third place on the road. Elsewhere Lando Norris pulled off a stunning move in the first sector over new McLaren teammate Daniel Ricciardo. But the racing wouldn’t even last a full lap before the safety car was deployed to enable the recovery of the Haas driver’s car who is not Mick Schumacher. Curiously, he had spun off by himself and crash into the turn 3 barrier.

The racing resumed on lap four with Verstappen able to pull a couple of seconds clear of Hamilton. Behind Leclerc and Bottas, at this stage third and fourth on the road, Pierre Gasly was running ahead of Norris and the returning Fernando Alonso. Norris, clearly in a racy mood, quickly passed Gasly. The Alpha Tauri driver was immediately under pressure too from Ricciardo and subsequently lost his front wing and ruined any chance of scoring a decent haul of points.

While Hamilton pitted on lap 13 for hard tyres Red Bull chose to extend their first stint for a few more laps. But the undercut, read fresh tyres, proved decisive as Hamilton leapfrogged Verstappen into the lead of the race as the first round of pit stops shook out. The Dutchman was able to close the nearly seven second gap to Hamilton but didnt overtake the Mercedes driver before Hamilton opted, just 16 laps later, to visit the pitlane for a second time. It appeared that the Mercedes was working its tyre far more than the Red Bull with the advantage seemingly swinging towards Verstappen. By this stage Valtteri Bottas, already off the front running pace, had suffered a slow pitstop which put him well and truly out of contention.

Fernando Alonso’s return to F1 ended before the chequered flag as the Alpine driver was forced into retirement by a suspected brake issue. Nevertheless, the show carried on with a not-so-uncommon mistake from Seb Vettel which saw the Aston Martin curiously bump into the back of Esteban Ocon’s Alpine on lap 44. Vettel not only picked up some slight front wing damage and a red face but also a ten-second time penalty for causing a collision.

By now Verstappen once again found himself in second place but with fresher tyres than Hamilton. It seemed for all money that the Red Bull would catch and pass the Mercedes and take victory. Verstappen closed the gap and by lap 53 had his best shot of taking back the lead. But the Dutchman, while overtaking Hamilton around the outside of turn 4, had run off the track. Ever the sportsman Verstappen returned the place to Hamilton but also in the process relinquished his chance of getting back in front. There has been much controversy over the enforcement of track limit at turn 4 by the FIA stewards during the race. A clip on social media shows Hamilton exceeding track limits for 29 of the 56 laps without sanction. Naturally, the lack of enforcement of the track limits rule in this case has led to much heated debate online.

Nevertheless, Hamilton drove a stellar race to somehow eke out 26 laps on a set of tyres. There are those that will look at the result and see Hamilton as the victor and dismiss it as just another win for the Brit. But this one he really had to work for, he really had to earn. And the fact that Red Bull clearly had the quicker car makes Hamilton’s drive a genuinely impressive one. He had no business winning that race but he did anyway. That was a champion’s drive.

While Verstappen finishing in second just seven tenths of a second behind Hamilton it was Bottas who trundled home in a disconsolate third. Lando Norris drove an impressive race to finish fourth ahead of Perez who went from the pitlane to fifth on his Red Bull debut. Charles Leclerc was sixth for Ferrari while Daniel Ricciardo brought his McLaren home in seventh. Carlos Sainz was eighth on his Ferrari debut ahead of rookie driver Yuki Tsunoda in ninth for Alpha Tauri. Lance Stroll scored the final point on offer in tenth in what was a decidedly underwhelming weekend for Aston Martin.

The 2021 Bahrain grand prix and the battle between Hamilton and Verstappen could not have delivered a better opening to the season. There is great hope that this is merely the opening chapter in what could be an epic fight glory in 2021. One down, twenty-two to go.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

March 29, 2021
F1 2021: Bahrain Gp Preview – Red Bull Ready?

The 2020 Formula 1 season was groundbreaking and will be remembered for many reasons. Not least of all being that it was run and completed in the midst of a global pandemic. While the world is still fighting the battle against covid-19 Formula 1 is readying itself for a record-breaking 23 race season in 2021.

Ten teams, twenty driver, and hundreds of team personnel will kick off F1 2021 F1 with the least amount of testing ever run before a new season. A total of three days was all the teams were prescribed to shake off the dust and begin the process of understanding what the respective factories have produced for the new year.

The new racing season will start at Bahrain’s Sakhir International circuit this weekend. It’s a circuit well known to all with an interest in Formula 1 and one that, more often than not, produces an adrenaline-charged and engaging race under the flood lights. It isn’t the first time that Bahrain has hosted the season opener either. Back in 2006 the first race of the season was moved to the Middle Eastern track as Australia played host to the Commonwealth Games that year.

Though the circuit might be familiar there are several enticing questions that accompany the start of the 2021 season. Mercedes has been the dominant force of the hybrid era, which was underlined by their utter command of 2020. Nevertheless, their ‘struggles’ in pre-season testing has been well documented. Lewis Hamilton himself appears convinced that Red Bull has the quicker car heading into the season and he isn’t often a man that utters untruths. Nevertheless, it remains a near unfathomable concept that Mercedes does not have the pace to occupy the front row of the grid nor the top step of the podium. But if it is the case then F1 fans are in for a monumental championship season.

Nothing so far has suggested that the Red Bull is anything but a very quick car. In the hands of Max Verstappen, and perhaps even Checo Perez, it won’t be too bad a bet to stick some money on them for a win this weekend. If it is assured that Mercedes and Red Bull will occupy the top of the timing sheets then it is equally unsure as to which team comes next.

There is quite a bit of excitement around McLaren but there is also an expectation that Ferrari has taken a step forward, especially on the power unit front. How will Fernando Alonso do in his first race back in the sport? And how will the rookies Mick Schumacher and the ever-exciting Yuki Tsunoda fare? Alpha Tauri turned an eye-catching pace in pre-season testing. But was it all just for show?

The permutations and questions are seemingly endless of the eve of the new Formula 1 season. But that is what is building the 2021 season as possibly one of the most exciting in many a year. Simply put, it isn’t nearly as predictable, very little is a certainty, and you cannot afford to miss a single second.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

March 22, 2021
F1 2021: End-of-season Predictions

Formula 1 is likely one of the most difficult sports to predict accurately. There will be those who scoff at this and point to Mercedes’s six consecutive title-winning seasons as the perfect example of how predictable it is. But while championship glory is the ultimate prize there are so many more stories that combine to make Formula 1 the greatest sport in the world.

After a brutal half-season at Red Bull who would’ve predicted that Pierre Gasly so brilliantly rise to the occasion and end 2020 as a race winner? And who would’ve thought that Sergio Perez would win in Bahrain much less be signed up to Red Bull for 2021? And even fewer would’ve expected Ferrari not to keep Seb Vettel in their stable. The point here is that as much predictability as there can be in F1 there can be equally if not more unpredictability too. And on that note let’s set some of our own predictions for 2021. Now, these may well not pan out the way we expect heck they probably won’t, it is F1 after all. But if they do we’ll be happy to take credit and equally as happy to admit that we were wrong after a lengthy steward’s enquiry has been conducted.

We return to some predictions made all the way back in February this year to gauge how right or wrong we were.

Most improved driver

Natalie:

Seb Vettel has endured two and a half miserable seasons at Ferrari. Up to the mid-point of 2018, Vettel looked strong and very much on course to push Lewis Hamilton all the way to the ragged edge for the title. But it spectacularly unravelled and Ferrari fell dramatically by the wayside in succeeding years.

Some would say that Vettel has lost his edge but it might well be a case of Ferrari simply sucking the life out of him. He simply hasn’t looked like the jovial driver we have come to know. With Aston Martin, he may not be challenging for the title but Vettel has a great chance to re-ignite his passion for the sport and to re-discover what has made him one of the greats. The prediction is for Vettel to be on the podium in 2021 and to remind everyone of just how good he is.

End-of-season result: While Seb Vettel did, technically, stand on the podium in Hungary he didn’t quite fulfil the lofty expectations set for him before the start of the season. Though he did get to keep his Baku podium finish.

Final Opinion: Most improved driver – Carlos Sainz. The Spanish driver took like a duck to water in the Ferrari and not only underlined his inherent speed but also beat his highly-rated teammate, Charles Leclerc, to fifth in the driver’s standings.

Our tech writer:

I’m not one to agree with Natalie very quickly and this is no exception. There are quite a few that could be seen as most improved for the year. Sergio Perez is one of the names that come to mind. The Mexican is more mature, he’s measured in his approach and he has a new team to get settled in. Being at Red Bull won’t be very easy. The team is built around Max Verstappen after all. There will be a huge expectation on Perez to beat or just get close to Verstappen. It’s a long shot but my money is on Perez. Honourable mention here for Ricciardo and Stroll.

End-of-season result: I was wildly off with the Ricciardo prediction. Perez didn’t do too bad but not great either. Perez blew hot and cold throughout the season. He delivered when it counted.

Final Opinion: Have to go with Sainz. He did well with McLaren the previous season and then got to Ferrari and was classified every race this season leading to his P5 position in the driver’s championship. Mr Consistency this season.

Driver of the year

Natalie:

For some time Sergio Perez has been steadily plugging away, scoring points, and holding Racing Point together. He’d had a chance in 2013 at McLaren but it came to early on in the Mexican’s career and he never found his groove. Perez stepped up to a new level in 2020 and is very likely to build on this. In 2021 he will have a car capable of winning races. His experience, consistency, and speed will combine to catapult Checo Perez into the upper echelon of the grid.

End-of-season result: Checo had some real struggles matching teammate Verstappen, but who can blame him really.

Final Opinion: 10 race wins and 10 pole positions combine to make Max Verstappen not only the 2021 champion but also the best driver of the year. His drives in France and Texas stand out the most.

Our tech writer:

The best driver of the turbo-hybrid era has to be Lewis Hamilton. He’s in the best car and his performances have just been on another level to his peers. If he takes his 8th world title there’s no doubt he takes driver of the year.

Final Opinion: I’d still put Hamilton as the driver of the year. His ability to focus and put in performance after performance to narrow the championship gap down to zero coming into the final race of the season is what a 7-time world champion would do. He fought with everything till the chequered flag in the last race.

Most improved team

Natalie:

McLaren is already on a solid upwards trajectory and it will continue in 2021. Not only is the Mercedes engine being installed in the back of the McLaren chassis but they have also welcomed Daniel Ricciardo to the team. The Aussie will find his feet quickly and when he does he is a proven superstar that will deliver for McLaren.

End-of-season result: McLaren faded a bit towards the end of the season but they delivered a stellar racing year including a brilliant one-two finish at Monza.

Final Opinion: Sticking with McLaren.

Our tech writer:

Ferrari has a low base to work from. 2020 was abysmal for the Scuderia. Some restructuring went on at the office and no doubt some shiny new toys in the factory to improve the car. There are some positive noises coming out of Maranello pre-testing regarding the power unit. Aerodynamically they’ve been making some strides throughout 2020 and seem to be on some sort of pathway. And with Charles Leclerc who’s now the de-facto leader in the team, will be chomping at the bit to get going this season.

End-of-season result: Ferrari started there about, a slight slump in the midseason saw them drop below McLaren in the constructor’s championship. They kept at it and improved the car and ended up securing third in the championship. Finishing best of the rest is the consolation prize when you’re well and truly beaten every weekend. Special mention to Williams who finished ahead of Alfa Romeo in the standings. Another special mention to Alphatauri and their battle with Alpine. Franz Tost was aiming for P5. They were just beaten to it at the end by Alpine.

Final Opinion: Ferrari.

Constructor’s title

Natalie:

This is the type of predication that could very well not come to fruition but we’re going to make it anyway. The combination of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez is one that can deliver big points race-in-and-race-out. Red Bull unlocked some of their potential towards the end of 2020 and with a point-scoring machine like Perez in the car, they have a great opportunity of snatching this trophy.

End-of-season result: Checo Perez’s struggle to get comfortable in the Red Bull were slightly underestimated. But he certainly did the job in Abu Dhabi, didn’t he?

Final Opinion: Mercedes definitely deserved an 8th constructor’s title. There’s no doubt they were nerfed a bit by the new regs, as it customary in F1. There was no doubt a monumental effort to get the car into shape and it showed.

Our tech writer:

Constructors title No. 8 for Mercedes. I just don’t see any other team that’s able to challenge the Silver Arrows this year.

End-of-season result: Red Bull got close. A couple of unlucky races for them together with some poor showings from Perez cost them the constructors title at the end.

Final Opinion: Well deserved by Mercedes.

Driver’s title

Natalie:

When he eventually puts pen to paper on his contract Lewis Hamilton is the likely shoo-in for the driver’s title. A couple of early wins in the season to build his own momentum and to see if the short-term ‘threat’ of Valtteri Bottas and he should be well on his way to title number eight.

End-of-season result: Who would’ve thought that 2021 would finally see the end of Hamilton’s domination. He gave it all he had though in a season that will be remembered for all of time.

Final Opinion: Max Verstappen’s triumph as driver’s champion comes after an unforgettable season and it is richly deserved. Super Max!

Our tech writer:

I see I’m going to have to agree with Natalie on something! Bottas 4.0 or whatever version we’re on, it just seemed like beta testing all this time. It’s going to be Hamilton unless something drastic happens and we have Verstappen sneaking past at the end. That will be a coup for the bookies. Worth a fiver on Verstappen for the title then?

Final Opinion: Did anyone place their bets on Verstappen? People were ready to tear them up by lap 1 of the Abu Dhabi GP race. Something drastic did happen a few laps from the end and Verstappen snatched his first world title at the end.

2021 has been a season of anxiety, entertainment, controversy, penalties, and most of all – unpredictability. It is likely to be remembered as certainly the best season of the Hybrid era and definitely as one of the greatest of all time.

February 24, 2021
F1 2020: Abu Dhabi Gp Review – Clinical Verstappen signs off season

The saying goes that good things are worth waiting for. Red Bull have lived this adage more than most in 2020 as it was only at final race weekend that Max Verstappen could secure his first pole position of the season.

It was a stunning lap from the Dutch driver to edge out Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton by less than a tenth of a second. It may have taken seventeen qualifying sessions to secure the first place on the starting grid but it proved to be the perfect launching pad towards Verstappen’s tenth career win.

The Red Bull driver led cleanly off the line and easily gapped Bottas who in turn was able to pull away from Hamilton in third. A brief virtual safety car, which turned in a full safety car, to scoop up the stricken Racing Point of Sergio Perez prompted most of the field into the pits. But still Verstappen was unflappable in the lead of the race. Though the Abu Dhabi grand prix left a lot to be desired in terms of entertainment it was a brilliantly controlled and clinical drive from Verstappen.

For once Mercedes had no answer to the Red Bull’s pace. Second-placed Bottas never got closer than two and a half seconds and eventually finished more than ten seconds adrift by the time the chequered flag fell. Lewis Hamilton made his return after testing positive for Covid-19 but finished an unspectacular third. For most of the weekend Hamilton did appear low on energy and the 7-time champion confirmed afterwards that it was one of the most physical races he’d ever completed. Alex Albon came home in fourth and will now have to wait for news on his future with Red Bull.

It was a standout day for McLaren and Lando Norris led home teammate in Carlos Sainz in fifth and sixth respectively. The haul of eighteen points secures third place in the Constructor’s championship for McLaren. It is an especially extraordinary achievement for a team who just three years ago finished ninth out of ten teams with a paltry thirty points on the board for the entire season. To affect such a stunning turnaround in not very much time is a testament not only to the designers of the car but to the management of Andreas Seidl and Zak Brown and the ability of Norris and Sainz to not only unite the team but to also deliver on track.

Daniel Ricciardo signed off his final race at Renault with a solid seventh place finish ahead of Monza race-winner Pierre Gasly in eighth. Esteban Ocon was ninth in the other Renault while Lance Stroll could register only one point in tenth. In what has been a difficult season for all Ferrari-powered cars Kimi Raikkonen finished twelfth ahead of both works Ferrari drivers with Charles Leclerc leading home Seb Vettel, in his last race for the Scuderia, in thirteenth and fourteenth. As it were Perez was the only retirement from the race. The Mexican driver is seemingly out of the F1 picture for 2021 with only the merest of hope resting with a possible call up to Red Bull.

That Verstappen is ready to fight for a world championship is not in doubt. He showed his class once again with a faultless drive to win in Abu Dhabi. Though the Mercedes juggernaut is likely to roll on in 2021 Red Bull’s performances in the final third of this season presents a glimmer of hope. With Verstappen and the fairly unchanged regulations for next year 2021 may not be as straightforward as it appears. The good news is that there is only 93 days until we find out if Red Bull and perhaps even Ferrari have what it takes to challenge Mercedes.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

December 13, 2020
F1 2020: Sakhir GP Review – Vamos Checo!

Several months ago Formula 1 announced that it would race around the outer loop of the Bahrain International circuit. Some speculation was abounding as to what a race around the short circuit could produce. But not even the wildest theories could have predicted the race it ultimately delivered.

The week started with the good news of Romain Grosjean’s release from hospital after a stunning crash just days earlier in the Bahrain grand prix. This was followed by the announcement that Lewis Hamilton had tested positive for COVID and would not race in the penultimate round of the season. The seat should technically have gone to reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne but George Russell was drafted in instead.

The current Williams driver has rarely put a foot wrong in his nearly two seasons in F1 and it would be the golden opportunity for Russell to put the best of his skills on show. And deliver he most certainly did. He missed out on pole to Bottas by 0.026 but already there were signs that he was well capable of delivering something special on Sunday. He aced the start and stole into the lead of the race as if he’d done it a hundred times before. Behind a coming together between Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez forced Max Verstappen into taking avoiding action. Unfortunately for the Red Bull driver he couldn’t avoid the barrier and along with Leclerc ended his race on lap one while Perez dropped to eighteenth overall.

Russell led his Mercedes teammate Bottas comfortably for the majority of the race and looked well on course for an extraordinary win. He’d managed the first round of pitstops and a virtual safety car with aplomb. The Safety Car was called upon on lap 63 as Jack Aitken, Russell’s replacement at Williams, left debris on the exit of the final corner after brushing the barrier. Both Mercs were called into the pits for fresh rubber. Uncharacteristically, utter confusion reigned amongst the Merc pitcrew who fitted the wrong tyres to Russell’s car. It forced another pitstop to correct error but still Russell emerged in fifth with some hope of regaining the lead. He made short work of Bottas, Lance Stroll, and Esteban Ocon to run second in just a few laps. By now Perez had driven a stunning recovery right into the lead of the race. But just as Russell began to close the gap to the race leader he was called back into the pits with a slow puncture.

He emerged in fourteenth and was able to recover to ninth overall and set the fastest lap of the race. It was utterly gutting for Russell who was well in control and looked set to take victory. It may be scant consolation right now by Russell’s time will come. To be parachuted into a completely new environment behind the wheel of a completely new car is a monumental undertaking. George Russell has proven, unequivocally, that he is the man for Mercedes in the future.

As heartbreaking as the unraveling of Russell’s race may have been there was utter elation as for the first time in his 190-race career Sergio Perez claimed the top step of the podium. And by coming from eighteenth to first he did it in supreme style. The Mexican driver has stood on the podium on several previous occasions but never on the top step and he was understandably emotional. Esteban Ocon too delivered a high-class drive into second to secure the first podium of his career. The day though belonged thorough to Racing Point who also saw Lance Stroll on the podium in third.

In fourth place was Carlos Sainz for McLaren and Daniel Ricciardo was sixth in the other Renault as Alex Albon completed a fairly anonymous race in seventh. The history books will show that Bottas finished eighth ahead of Russell ninth but he, and everyone who was paying attention, will know that he was outdriven on the day. Lando Norris scored the final point on offer for McLaren in tenth.

As it stands Perez does not have a seat on the grid for 2021. Rumours have been lingering that he may have a chance at a Red Bull seat and he has undoubtedly given them something a bit more to think about.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

December 9, 2020