Tag: alpha tauri

F1 2022: Red Bull? Ferrari? Mercedes?

The wait for the start of F1 2022 is over. This weekend the season-opening race in Bahrain brings with it the start to a whole new era in the storied saga of Formula 1.

The new regulations have produced not only a completely different visual aspect to F1 but has showcased some of the brilliant engineering and design prowess up and down the paddock. From McLaren’s wavy floor to Ferrari’s scooped side pods to Mercedes seemingly complete lack of side pods the innovation has been cranked to the max.

The three days of public testing around the Sakhir International circuit has revealed at least some of what the picture could look like at the start of the season. The mid-field battle promises to be exceptionally tight with the likes of McLaren, Aston Martin, Alpine, and Alpha Tauri expected to occupy this space.

Williams looks in fairly good shape, relatively speaking, with Haas and Alfa Romeo expected to bring up the rear. For Haas it certainly hasn’t been a straightforward pre-season. First, their equipment and freight were delayed from arriving to Bahrain in time due to a broken-down plane. Then their title sponsor and one driver were removed from the team, which left them with the task of quickly finding a replacement. Although Pietro Fittipaldi, as reserve driver, seemed to be the most obvious choice Haas opted for experience instead and drafted Kevin Magnussen back into the team. The Danish driver brings with him a decent pedigree of being able to get the most out of a car and will be a good barometer for teammate Mick Schumacher.

What then of the top three. There are some who agree that Mercedes starts the season not as outright favourites. In fact, some have penned them down as in third place behind Red Bull and Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton himself has declared Mercedes as not in a position to win races. But we’ve read this chapter before, haven’t we? Mercedes downplays their chances and sandbag on track only to show up at race one and blitz the field. But there may be some truth to Sir Hamilton’s words. Firstly, the porpoising which Red Bull and Ferrari are appearing to manage is still a major problem at Merc. So much of an issue is the porpoising that Merc have taken to sawing off some underfloor strakes in a bid to change the air flow distribution not only on the forward section of the car but also into the underfloor and the rear diffuser. The front-wing angle has also been significantly altered to combat the understeer that has been plaguing the W13 throughout testing.

But Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz are not buying the line that Mercedes are struggling. Both point out that the Silver Arrows have made a habit of underplaying their position before the season starts. And despite an apparent consensus amongst the pundits in the paddock that Hamilton and co might not be the quickest the fact remains that only time will tell, literally.

Ferrari starts the season in the best shape they’ve been in for a few years. Without any reliability issues the car has run smoothly, and importantly, it’s been quick in both Charles Leclerc and Sainz’s hands. Yet team principal Mattia Binotto is remaining cautious by insisting that the Italian team remain “outsiders” behind Red Bull and McLaren.

On the final day of testing Red Bull bolted a serious upgrade package to its car and it went quite a bit faster, 7 tenths faster than anything Ferrari could manage. But headline times in testing are just that. It’s only in Q3 on Saturday where everyone’s hand will finally be shown. And as it stands right now it looks as if Red Bull and Max Verstappen are holding all the cards.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

March 14, 2022
F1 2021: Turkish Gp Review: Bottas Takes Straightforward Win

As with most F1 races in 2021 the Turkish Grand Prix was as highly anticipated as most of the others than have gone before it this season.

Halfway through the weekend the gauntlet was thrown down to Lewis Hamilton. Despite having the clearly quicker car over the weekend the Mercedes driver would drop down ten places from wherever he finished qualifying due to taking on board a new internal combustion engine. As it were, Hamilton was fastest overall on Saturday afternoon which saw him drop to eleventh on the starting grid.

Valtteri Bottas inherited the pole while Max Verstappen started alongside him in second. The Red Bull, sporting a striking white and red livery as a Honda homage, never had the pace of the Mercedes but there was still the potential for an advantage to be gained.

Condition proved testy with a damp track necessitating the start on intermediate tyres. Bottas led cleanly away from the start and never faced any sustained or serious pressure from Verstappen. The opening lap saw only one incident between Pierre Gasly and Fernando Alonso which saw the Spanish driver tipped into a spin at the exit of turn one. Although Gasly was adjudged at fault, and given a 5-second time penalty, the Frenchman was hard done by as he found himself sandwiched between Alonso on the right and Sergio Perez on the left.

Hamilton made steady, if unspectacular, progress at the start until he spent several laps stuck behind the Alpha Tauri of Yuki Tsunoda. But the Brit pulled off a sumptuous move around the outside of turn 4 to run sixth by the end of lap 10. Although the rain had ceased before the race start the track remained wet. As cold conditions lingered so too it delayed the drying of the track. Because no dry line was forthcoming the decision of when to pit was delayed more and more. However, albeit slow, the drying track was transforming the inters to slick tyres. It didn’t faze many drivers though as they continued to pound around the Istanbul Park circuit.

By the halfway stage of the 58-lap race, it was clear that Verstappen did not have the pace to beat Bottas. At this point Hamilton was bearing down on Sergio Perez for P4. Hamilton, clearly with superior pace, drew alongside Perez going into the turn 12 braking zone and the pair ran side-by-side through the final sequence of corners. But the Mexican held his own against Hamilton and denied him the position in a manner that will undoubtedly have pleased his Red Bull bosses.

By lap 38 both Bottas and Verstappen had stopped for a new set of inters while Charles Leclerc took over the lead of the race. The Monagasque sniffed a chance of an opportunistic win but would have to do so without making a pitstop. Ferrari rolled the dice on this strategy but quickly called Leclerc into the pits when he passed for P1, by Bottas. Meanwhile, Hamilton had initially asserted to his team that he would stay out to which the Mercedes pitwall agreed. However, despite running in third Hamilton began to lose time to Perez and Leclerc. He was called in on lap 51 and emerged in fifth place and under pressure from Gasly. Hamilton was fuming over team radio at the decision to call him. Ultimately, Mercedes decision was the correct one albeit too late. Hamilton likely would’ve been overtaken by Perez and Leclerc, on fresher rubber, and be shuffled down the fifth. If Mercedes had made the call earlier to box Hamilton, he may have had more time to catch up to and pass Perez and Leclerc. Nevertheless, the strategy error from Mercedes may seem only like a minor error but in a championship battle as close as in 2021 every point counts.

With Hamilton mostly of the equation for a race win Bottas took what could likely be his final opportunity to win, in impressive style. Lest we forget Bottas spun five-times in the 2020 Turkish grand prix. It makes his win, nearly error-free, all the more impressive then. Verstappen will be happy with a solid day’s work in second while Perez drove a brilliant race for Red Bull which netted him third place.

Charles Leclerc was fourth ahead of Hamilton in fifth while Gasly, recovering from his penalty, was sixth overall. Lando Norris ran a fairly anonymous race to seventh as Carlos Sainz recovered from the back of the grid to eighth place. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll was ninth ahead of Esteban Ocon, who was the only driver to run all 58 laps on one set of tyres, in tenth.

October 10, 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: Austrian Gp Review – Three Wins in a Row for Verstappen

If you are not a regular viewer of Formula 1 you’d be forgiven for assuming that the race around Austria’s Red Bull Ring was a replay of seven days ago at least from a Red Bull perspective.

Again Max Verstappen took the top step of the podium for a third consecutive win in 2021. But for as much déjà vu as Verstappen on the top step of the podium evokes there were some marked differences too. Not only did he win with seeming ease but also the margin, in terms of pure pace, was even bigger to Mercedes this week.

With no answer on pace or strategy the best Mercedes could do was a second place with Valtteri Bottas. For the majority of the race Lewis Hamilton ran second but some unexplained and unconfirmed damage at the rear of the car meant a lack of pace, even in comparison to teammate Bottas. Not only did he lose out on second but Lando Norris also made short work of the reigning champion to take yet another podium finish in third. Again, Norris delivered a stellar weekend, which included a first-ever front row start after missing out on pole position be less than half a tenth of a second.

Ultimately Hamilton finished fourth and seemed fairly downcast post-race. Mercedes clearly have a lot of work to do in order to catch up to Red Bull and Hamilton was reluctant to divulge in which area the car is lacking the most. In two weeks time F1 will run around the Silverstone circuit where Mercedes are expected to perform better. But the same was expected in France too. It remains to be seen what Hamilton and Mercedes can pull out of the bag against a rampant Red Bull and Verstappen.

It was a solid day for Carlos Sainz who brought his Ferrari home in fifth. The same can’t be said for Checo Perez though who banged wheels with both Norris and Leclerc on his was to a sixth place finish. The Mexican driver looked set to snatch second off Norris on lap 2 of the race but ran off track into turn 6. Norris, quite harshly, was given a 5-second penalty for forcing a driver off the circuit and Perez had dropped well down the field. A skirmish with Leclerc later in the race at the very same corner saw Perez given a 5-second penalty, which once again defied logic. As if to add insult to injury another tussle with Leclerc, this time in turn 8, earned Perez yet another 5-second penalty. The stewards certainly didn’t cover themselves in glory as they did their level best to discourage hard racing. One hopes that they’ll take a good hard look at themselves after a fairly poor showing.

Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo was seventh for McLaren with Charles Leclerc in eighth overall ahead Alpha Tauri’s Pierre Gasly in ninth. An entertaining late-race battle between George Russell and Fernando Alonso saw the Spaniard sneak into the final points-paying position in tenth.

Never before at any level of his racing career has Max Verstappen led a world championship. But three wins on the bounce with the most recent seeming no more taxing than a Sunday afternoon cruise makes Verstappen look very much at home. As it stands there are 14 more races and an awful lot of racing that remains on the 2021 calendar. Much can change in the next six months but what is becoming ever more certain is that if it is within Max Verstappen’s control then 2021 may just be the most special year of his racing life.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

July 4, 2021
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: 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: 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