2021

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.”

Formula 1 chief Ross Brawn insists the championship will drop its Sprint Qualifying race proposal if it does not prove to be a success when trialed this season. On Monday it was announced that the F1 Commission had unanimously approved the new format – that will see a shortened 100km race take place on Saturday to set the grid for Sunday’s main event – at three selected rounds in 2021. The proposal has been met with a mixed response from fans and drivers alike but Brawn has stressed that F1 will only roll over Sprint Qualifying races into next season if they work. “[One of the challenges was] finding a format that had the right balance between giving us an opportunity to have exciting Friday and Saturday running – perhaps a shorter format race but one which did not take anything away from main event,” Brawn told the official F1 website. “We had to find that balance. Everyone had a different opinion on what that should look like. It was also about finding an economic and logistical solution that didn’t impact teams too severely. “They want this event, but they are all working under massive challenges and we had to find a solution that worked with them without compromising the event. “The drivers are open minded about the format – and that’s all we ask, that the drivers keep an open mind so we can evaluate this event and then we decide if in the future it forms a feature of the F1 season. If it doesn’t work, we put hands up and we will think again.” Brawn made it clear F1 is determined to ensure the new format does not undermine the grand prix but instead enhances the weekend spectacle as a whole. “The thing to remember about Sprint Qualifying is that it’s intention is to expand the whole weekend,” he explained. “It is not intended to impact the race event. The Grand Prix is still the vital event of the weekend. “We want to give fans engagement throughout the whole weekend. Sunday’s Grand Prix is fantastic, and we don’t want to cannibalise that, but we want to lift up the engagement on a Friday and a Saturday. “Friday is really for the aficionados at the moment. Watching practice session on Friday is fun but there is no conclusion to it. But on a Friday now [at these selected events], we’ll have the excitement of the qualifying format. “I think it will be a great addition. There is unlikely to be pit stops, so it’ll be a clean race. It’ll be 30 mins roughly, 100km of action. “We want to see how fans engage with it and if the short format is appealing, it’s complimentary and if it works with the main race. We feel it will. We feel it’s going to be very exciting.”

Formula 1 has approved the introduction of Saturday ‘Sprint Qualifying’ races at a trio of grands prix this year in the biggest shake-up to the format in years. Championship organisers have been keen to amend the structure of the weekend for several years and previously floated the idea of a reversed-grid Saturday race at select grands prix. This proposal was twice rejected and organisers focused on a different approach for 2021. The overall concept has been in the public domain for several months but the finer details – including the financial implications – have been under discussion between teams and championship officials. The amended format has now been ratified and while precise locations have yet to be outlined, it is set to take place at grands prix in Britain, Italy and Brazil this year. The usual qualifying format will be shifted to Friday afternoon, with Sprint Qualifying taking place on Saturday, after a second one-hour practice session. A race, of length approximately 100km, will take place, with the outcome determining the grid for Sunday’s grand prix. Three points will be awarded to the driver in first place at the end of Sprint Qualifying, with two for second and one for third spot. “We are excited by this new opportunity that will bring our fans an even more engaging race weekend in 2021,” said Formula 1 chief Stefano Domenicali. “Seeing the drivers battling it out over three days will be an amazing experience and I am sure the drivers will relish the fight. “I am delighted that all the teams supported this plan, and it is a testament to our united efforts to continue to engage our fans in new ways while ensuring we remain committed to the heritage and meritocracy of our sport.” FIA president Jean Todt welcomed F1’s move to seek new and exciting ways of engaging new and existing fans. “I am pleased to see that Formula 1 is seeking new ways to engage with its fans and enlarge the spectacle of a race weekend through the concept of Sprint Qualifying. “It was made possible thanks to the continued collaboration between the FIA, Formula 1, and all of the teams. F1 is showing itself to be stronger than ever with all stakeholders working together in this way, and much has been done to ensure that the Sporting, Technical and Financial aspects of the format are fair.”

The long-debated Sprint Qualifying format is expected to be approved by the F1 Commission today, paving the way for its introduction at three rounds later this year. In order for it to go ahead the plan must receive at least 28 votes out of 30. Each team has one vote, while Formula 1 Management and the FIA have a further 10 apiece.The scheme, first revealed by RaceFans in February, is likely to gain unanimous backing. Formula 1 believes adding extra races on Saturdays will increase viewership of race weekends, and has been trying to introduce the format in one form or another for years. But while Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has claimed the plan enjoyed “great feedback from everyone”, several drivers publicly expressed scepticism over it. Sebastian Vettel said it “makes no sense”, Sergio Perez urged F1 to think carefully about “risky” experiments with the race weekend format and Daniel Ricciardo said the extra races must not diminish the value of winning grands prix. The drivers largely fell into line following a meeting with Domenicali during pre-season testing in Bahrain, where they are believed to have been urged to rein in their criticism having panned a similar proposal last year. Pierre Gasly confirmed the sprint race proposal was discussed but said “I don’t want to go public.” “We did this meeting to see all together whether we can move the sport forward and improve the show for all the people and all the fans, because that’s what we all want,” he added. “The main target is to improve the racing. I think all drivers are united in trying to make the car performance closer to each other, improve the show.” The Sprint Qualifying races will be held at three rounds this year. The British, Italian and Sao Paulo grands prix are expected to be chosen. The remuneration package teams will receive in exchange for putting their cars at risk of extra damage has been a sticking point, and could be subject to further last-minute revisions. This is not expected to prevent the format being approved. Final ratification will come from the World Motor Sports Council, which will likely be done via an electronic vote.