April 2021

It was back to business as usual on Friday at Portimao with Mercedes leading the timesheet in both practice sessions. Still, it was a day of minor problems for the world champions. They suffered from the wind like everyone else, according to Andrew Shovlin, but that wasn’t the only thing. “Valtteri seemed quite comfortable with the car, he was on the pace from the start and able to generate good grip from the tyres which allowed him to get into some useful setup investigations. Lewis struggled more with the rear end and whilst he topped the timesheets, we’ve got some work to do to improve the balance for him tomorrow”, said Shovlin, the chief engineer at Mercedes. Hamilton was a little short of time in the second free practice session, especially on the long runs, but Shovlin has a logical explanation for that. “We’d found some damage on both cars at the end of the day that will have been costing some performance and will certainly explain some of Lewis’s issues on the long run but even with that corrected, we could do with finding a bit more pace.” So for now, Mercedes is slightly the favourite in Portugal, especially as both drivers are competing at the head of the field, something that was not the case at Red Bull Racing. However, at Mercedes, they are also taking into account competition from a different quarter. ” The single lap looks really close with Red Bull but Ferrari were also consistently around our pace”, said Shovlin.

The third Grand Prix of the 2021 season also means the third round in the battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton won in Bahrain, but Verstappen managed to win the race in Imola. In Portimao, there are again chances for both drivers and therefore they are both looking for the perfect setup, also Martin Brundle sees. “Hamilton was complaining a lot about the grip and let it be known over the radio that there is still a lot to do with the set-up of his car,” Brundle explained to Sky Sports. He sees that Red Bull were already close in FP1 and expects it to be exciting. “Red Bull are close to Mercedes there and that’s great for the fans.” Karun Chandhok let the same Sky Sports know that after the first free practice he sees a clear faster team, although the differences are very small. Mercedes already ruled Portimao in 2020 and Chandhok sees tentative signs that the German team will be the fastest again this year. “It seems like this is more of a track for the Mercedes cars, but Red Bull has brought updates. I don’t expect Red Bull to have the lead as they did in Bahrain”. A lot will depend on the kilometres they can do in Portugal and the setup they can fine-tune as a result.

After his difficult morning session, Lewis Hamilton bounced back to top the second practice session for the Portuguese Grand Prix, followed by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen who ended up 143 thousands of a second down on the Briton’s benchmark time. At the beginning of the session, air temperatures were 19 Celsius degrees with track temperatures being registered at 39 Celsius degrees, albeit the strong wind continued to present a slight distraction to the drivers. Most of the drivers started their afternoon session at Portimao on the yellow-banded Pirelli tyre with only Haas driver Nikita Mazepin opting for the Hard compound. At the end of the first runs, Bottas found himself on the top of the leaderboard, setting a benchmark of 1m20.423 on the medium compound. However, Max Verstappen came back on the medium compound he used during his first stint to jump to the top with a time of 1m20.322. Mercedes drivers were the first to be equipped with the red-banded soft compound. Interestingly, neither of them found a huge improvement on the soft compound with Hamilton registering the better time with a 1m19.837. His team mate failed to get close to Hamilton with Bottas posting a 1m20.181. The Red Bulls were late to join the party on the soft compound. Verstappen found just under four tenths of a second on the fresh, brand-new soft compound and failed to endanger Hamilton’s benchmark time. His team mate Sergio Perez struggled for one-lap pace in the afternoon and finished down in P10 with his best time being over six tenths of a second down on the seven-time world champion’s time. Ferrari and Alpine continued to impress in the second practice session with Carlos Sainz registering the fourth fastest time with a time of 1m20.197. Despite his strong pace during his race simulation, Charles Leclerc failed to extract the maximum of his SF21 over one qualifying simulation lap on lower fuel load, finishing seventh quickest. Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso headed the Alpine duo by beating his team mate Esteban Ocon only by 15 thousands of a second.

The return of spectators to Formula 1 may now be looming large, despite the fact that three of the next four grands prix will definitely be ‘ghost races’. The optimism also comes despite the official cancellation of the Canadian GP, whose June event will be replaced by 2020 substitute venue Istanbul. The good news for Montreal promoter Francois Dumontier is that Formula 1 has extended the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve’s existing deal for two more years, taking the contract all the way to 2031. Dumontier told La Presse that it is a “much less expensive” deal “than the majority of the grands prix in the championship”. “It’s a transaction that makes sense for Quebec,” said economics minister Pierre Fitzgibbon. Another shot of good news is that Hungaroring boss Zsolt Gyulai is hoping that spectators will be able to attend that race on August 1. “Tickets for the race are on sale, and we hope that the outbreak situation will improve significantly by August and we can host fans in the stands, just like football,” he said. Also bullish about the prospect of spectators is Silverstone’s Stuart Pringle, who is excited about hosting Formula 1’s first ever ‘sprint qualifying’ race. “Given we have very nearly sold out of tickets for Sunday, Saturday now represents a great opportunity for fans to see a Formula 1 race at Silverstone this summer,” he said. Finally, the Monaco Hebdo newspaper reports that health restrictions are easing in the Principality, and therefore the idea of “closed doors” at the forthcoming grand prix “for the moment is ruled out”. The publication said “several scenarios” are being studied, including crowd capacities of up to 50 percent.

Aston Martin has backed away after threatening legal action over Formula 1’s aerodynamic rule changes for 2021. Boss Otmar Szafnauer, presumably acting on behalf of billionaire team owner Lawrence Stroll, had hinted he suspects Liberty Media may have been part of the push to specifically disadvantage the Mercedes-like ‘low rake’ teams. But Auto Motor und Sport correspondent Michael Schmidt said Aston Martin has now given up that fight in order to not be regarded as “a bad loser”. “We just wanted to clarify with the FIA whether everything was correctly done during the rule-making process,” Szafnauer now says. The Aston Martin narrative may have fallen apart when even Mercedes technical boss James Allison admitted that all the teams were part of that process. “We all agreed with how the downforce should be reduced,” he said. “We also asked ourselves if it will affect every team, every concept equally, because of course there was the fear that a competitor would benefit.” It is also believed that Aston Martin’s argument crumbled when the sport’s major players got together in the most recent meeting of the F1 technical commission. McLaren’s James Key says of the saga: “The teams agreed that, of all the suggestions that were on the table, the one with the underbody was the best and the safest. “We could have made the rear wing smaller, but nobody wanted that,” he explained. “If someone had recognised a major disadvantage for themselves, they could have said it back then.”

Silverstone have announced that the British Grand Prix will be the first event to hold the Sprint Qualifying when F1 teams and drivers touch down at the venue in mid July. The shorter sprint qualifying race will be about one-third of the distance of a grand prix, with the hope being that fans are drawn in by the action on track. The results from the race will determine the grid for Sunday’s race, with the top three drivers receiving points. “Silverstone are delighted to confirm that the Formula 1 British Grand Prix will be the first event to trial the Sprint Qualifying format that was announced by Formula 1 and the FIA on April 26,” read a statement on the official Silverstone website. Silverstone managing director Stuart Pringle was delighted to announce the news, with Silverstone ready to play host to the new format. “We are incredibly excited that Silverstone fans will be the first to experience the Formula 1 sprint qualifying format at this year’s British Grand Prix,” said Pringle. “We have not seen such a major timetable shake up in the sport for years and I appreciate the continued efforts being made by Formula 1 and the FIA to enhance the entertainment on track giving our spectators even more to look forward to this July. “The Friday and Saturday crowds at Silverstone are arguably the largest on the F1 calendar and, following the live events drought of 2020, this year will be no exception. Given we have very nearly sold out of tickets for Sunday, Saturday now represents a great opportunity for fans to see a Formula 1 race at Silverstone this summer.”

Formula 1 is set to trial its Sprint Qualifying format at three venues this season, starting at Silverstone in July. But what specific tyre rules will be in force on those three weekends? As a reminder, drivers will qualify on Friday afternoon for the Saturday 30-minute mad dash that will determine the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix. Pirelli will allocate a total of 12 sets of tyres to each driver t cover the entire weekend: six sets of the Red soft tyre, four sets of the Yellow medium compound and two sets of the Hard white rubber. Four sets of intermediates and three sets of full wets will also be available for each driver – as is currently also the case – in the event of adverse conditions. Formula 1 is still finetuning the rules, so there could be a few tweaks to the following: • Free practice: In Free Practice 1, taking place for 60 minutes on Friday, each driver must use two sets of tyres (of any compound) and hand back one set to Pirelli at the end of the session. In Free Practice 2, taking place for 60 minutes on Saturday, each driver can use as many sets of tyres as they like within their allocation. • Qualifying: Only the Red soft tyre can be used, up to a maximum of five sets. Of these, one can only be used in Q3 (if a driver gets through). None of the drivers will be obliged to start Sunday’s grand prix on the tyre with which they set their best time in Q2. Instead, they have a free choice. • Sprint Qualifying: Each driver has a free choice of tyres. At the end of the Sprint Qualifying, they will return the set that has completed the most laps. Unlike the grand prix on Sunday, there is no obligatory pit stop during the Sprint Qualifying. If it takes place in wet conditions, each driver must hand back a set of Cinturato Blue wet or Cinturato Green intermediate tyres after the race. Pirelli will replace these with an extra set of Cinturato Green intermediates. • Grand Prix: After starting the race on whichever tyres they like – with no need to use the tyre that set the best time in Q2 – each driver can run their preferred strategy, but the rule obliging them to use a minimum of two compounds and make at least one pit stop remains in place. The rule that each driver must keep back two mandatory sets nominated by Pirelli for the race also still applies. The bottom line? Contrary to F1’s normal weekend format, where a driver must race on the tyre used to set his fastest time in Q2, everyone will have a free choice of tyres on race day.

Gunther Steiner has denied that Mick Schumacher has a “huge advantage” over fellow Haas rookie Nikita Mazepin in 2021. While 22-year-old Mazepin’s debut season on and off the track has been tumultuous so far, the similarly-aged Schumacher has had a comparatively smoother time. “I am positively surprised by the team – it’s fantastic,” Michael Schumacher’s son told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “We are already in synch even if we haven’t known each other for a long time. I feel at home. “The team has a good structure and there is a good atmosphere and this is certainly positive,” Schumacher added. However, Schumacher headed off to Maranello after Imola to work in Ferrari’s simulator, and then he tested a 2018 Ferrari on the Fiorano circuit. Russian Mazepin, in contrast, told Match TV: “As I am not a member of that youth team, I do not have such a privilege. I will prepare for Portimao here in Moscow.” However, Haas boss Steiner denied that Schumacher is enjoying a clear advantage over Mazepin. “I wouldn’t say it’s an advantage,” he told the German broadcaster n-tv. “Nikita also drives in the simulator. Driving is always good, you always learn something. “But actually there is very little advantage in driving a two-year-old car in Fiorano,” Steiner insisted. What Steiner does admit is that Schumacher’s situation could be playing on Mazepin psychologically. “If you put yourself in his situation, it all goes into the driver’s psyche,” he said. “He (Schumacher) drives more, so that certainly doesn’t help. But you have to deal with these things, and he will. “It is definitely not a disadvantage for Mick, but it’s not a huge advantage either,” Steiner added. Some have already given Mazepin the cruel nickname ‘Mazespin’ after repeated incidents in Bahrain and Imola, but Steiner insists: “To reproach him now doesn’t help. “You just have to explain to him that sometimes you have to take one step back and then two steps forward. You have to find the limit by approaching it.” Meanwhile, what is clear is that Steiner is happy with Schumacher so far. “He continues to motivate the team, which is not always easy,” Steiner said. “He’s a real professional – it seems like he’s been doing this for years. He leaves nothing to chance.”

Gunther Steiner has played down suggestions that the Haas project may be coming to an end in Formula 1. It is said that the small American team only started the 2021 season – its sixth in Formula 1 – because of Dmitry Mazepin’s sponsorship injection and extra support by Ferrari. Haas is treading water in 2021 by focusing exclusively on developing an all-new car for next year, but boss Steiner denied that the team might not make it to 2022 at all. “I think I can say the team is secure,” he told the Australian GP podcast. “We are fine. We have got a long-term commitment from Mr (Gene) Haas to Formula 1, our finances are good, we found ways to cross that bridge, so I’m really happy with that one.” Steiner says Haas has been working on the 2022 car since early February, and he’s “convinced” that the team will pull itself off the last rows of the grid following the 2020 “crisis”. “We’ve got people joining us from Ferrari on secondment – long-term secondment obviously – and that gives me the confidence, because otherwise how can you be confident if you are like last year?” he said. “We did a lot of changes and we already rebuilt the whole team – they are working already. We started to rebuild the team in December and got going again in January, so that’s where my confidence comes from.” As for 2021, Steiner said Haas will gauge the success of the season not in terms of points, but “how much progress these guys are making”. He is referring to rookies Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin, who are already under contract for 2022. “There will be some down moments – I mean, me personally on a Sunday night if you’ve finished 15th and 16th you’re not having the greatest Sunday evening,” said Steiner. “But you just need to keep focused, believe in the team and yourself, and it’s only ten more months to go anyway.”

2020 vice-champion Callum Ilott’s Formula 1 involvement has been increased for the current campaign, following the announcement that Alfa Romeo have snapped up the Ferrari junior as an official second reserve, a deal that includes multiple FP1 stints. Ilott – who is set to share reserve duties with Robert Kubica – will work with current drivers Antonio Giovinazzi, a former GP2 vice-champion, and the experienced Kimi Räikkönen, the 2007 F1 World Champion. Crucially, the deal will include multiple Free Practice 1 sessions this season, with the Italian team confirming that Ilott will run for them as early as this weekend in Portugal. “I am really happy to be joining the team for this season and I’d like to thank Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN and the Ferrari Driver Academy for the trust they have put in me,” said Ilott. “The two sessions I had with the team in the last two years have been extremely useful in getting me accustomed to the way a Formula 1 team works and I am confident I can hit the ground running in my new role as one of the reserve drivers at Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN. I can’t wait to be in the car and help the team continue its progress.” The British driver pushed 2020 champion Mick Schumacher all the way in the title fight last season with UNI-Virtuosi, missing out by just 14 points after an enthralling season closer in Bahrain. Ilott is already an official test and reserve driver for Ferrari, and is currently competing in the 2021 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup with Iron Lynx. Alfa Romeo team boss Frederic Vasseur added: “I am delighted to welcome Callum to our team: his journey through the junior series has been an impressive one and he is without doubt one of the most talented young drivers coming through the ranks. “He has worked with us before, each time leaving a lasting impression thanks to his work ethic and good feedback, and I have no doubt he will be a very positive addition to Robert Kubica, who will be unavailable on various occasions due to his other racing programmes. “Callum will have a busy programme and we can’t wait to see him on track again this weekend.”

Stefano Domenicali says the world of football might do well to look at how Formula 1 settled major political disputes in the past. Amid the ‘European Super League’ affair, the F1 CEO said Formula 1 has been in a similar situation before. “We had situations like this twice, where there was the risk of a fracture and attempts to have a championship that would bring home more from the point of view of sports income,” he told Italy’s Sky TG24. “At the moment Formula 1 is starting from the opposite approach – we are trying to control costs,” said the Italian. “It is no coincidence that this year is the first with the budget cap, which gives a different dimension of financial sustainability to the teams. “If I may, it is something football must face, even if it has to do so fairly rapidly,” Domenicali added. “It is certainly difficult but also important to balance all of the different interests.”