2021

Istanbul Park in Turkey could be added to the 2021 F1 calendar in place of the Canadian Grand Prix, which may have to be cancelled again due to the pandemic. While recent media reports in Canada claiming the race has already been called off are understood to be premature, F1 is making preparations to abandon its trip to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve for the second year in a row.Canada has experienced a ‘third wave’ of Covid-19 cases in recent weeks. The number of infections rose to 8,616 per day over the past week, and the increasing spread of new variants of the virus is a particular concern. The home race for Lance Stroll and Nicholas Latifi was due to take place on June 13th, one week after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. If it cannot go ahead, F1 is planning to replace it with another race closer to the teams’ bases in Europe. A meeting of the F1 Commission today will discuss plans to relocate the seventh round of the championship to Istanbul Park. The Turkish venue featured on the F1 calendar between 2005 and 2011, and returned last year when the schedule was reorganised due to the pandemic. Germany’s Nurburgring, another 11th-hour addition to last year’s calendar, is also under consideration as an alternative to the Montreal round. However Turkey’s circuit is believed to have offered the championship better financial terms. The commission will discuss other subjects including plans for Sprint Qualifying sessions at three races this year, increasing the number of formal testing opportunities for junior drivers, addressing potential loopholes in the Financial Regulations which were introduced this year and the potential introduction of a salary cap.

Red Bull have struck an important blow with the arrival of Ben Hodgkinson. The man who played an important role in the development of the engine at Mercedes, will make the switch to Red Bull in 2022, and that does cause some tension. The 2021 Formula One season has only just begun, but with Hodgkinson’s move, Red Bull Racing have dealt the first blow. In a year like this, it’s all about sticking together as a team, and there will be internal problems at Mercedes since news of Hodgkinson’s departure came out. Not only is Hodgkinson leaving the team, but it also emerged earlier that he had spoken to some colleagues to join him at Red Bull. Of course, this causes a lot of commotion at Mercedes, because they don’t know which of their employees would like to join them. For Red Bull this is an important move on two fronts. On the one hand it brings in knowledge about Mercedes’ engine and someone who is capable of leading a project towards an own engine for 2025. On the other hand, this move also ensures that the major competitor is disrupted. Where Mercedes has been very quiet in recent years and every departure was dealt with internally, this is a huge blow. After seven world titles, a key member of staff suddenly opts for the big rival, and apparently staff members within the organisation have also been told to leave. It’s time for Toto Wolff to start putting out those fires. In the meantime, according to Motorsport.it, Mercedes is doing everything possible to postpone Hodgkinson’s departure as long as possible. Because this would involve a key pawn in the organization, Mercedes is demanding the longest departure before the new position at Red Bull can be started. Mercedes would thus try to have Hodgkinson make the switch to Red Bull only at the end of 2022.

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen believes that new regulations being introduced into F1 for the 2022 season will make it more difficult to drive the cars. A range of changes will come into effect next year that were originally planned for 2021 before being postponed due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The regulations include changes to components such as the aerodynamics, bodywork and tyres, though some things – such as the engine and gearbox – will largely remain the same. Verstappen thinks that balancing the new aspects of the car with those that have not changed could prove to be a challenge. “Of course I haven’t driven the new car yet, so I can’t answer that yet,” Verstappen said in an interview on his website when asked if the new regulations will suit him. “But we do know that the cars will be a lot slower. I understand that it will also have very different driving characteristics. The engines will be the same, so with the same or more power and less grip, it will not be easy. “We will see. I think it will go back to the 2014 or 2015 grip levels, so that’s a big change.” On the topic of whether Formula 1 fans will like the 2022 cars, Verstappen hopes that they will create more competitive racing to keep the fans entertained. “They will look very different,” the Red Bull driver said. “But the most important thing, and we all hope this, is that the racing will improve. That’s what the fans will like.” The future of the sport in 2022 might still be unclear but so far the 2021 F1 season is proving successful for Verstappen. A close battle with Lewis Hamilton at the opening race of the year in Bahrain saw the Dutchman finish in second. He went on to take victory at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix following a chaotic race. Verstappen is in second place in the drivers’ standings, just one point behind Mercedes’ Hamilton.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has said he is searching for a suitable replacement so he can step back from “this madness.” It has long been speculated that Wolff has been looking to walk away from his current position despite him purchasing a one-third stake in the Mercedes F1 Team in December – and the Austrian has revealed that he had asked technical director James Allison if he was interested in being his successor. “James and I speak multiple times every single day and we are totally coordinated on the strategic direction of Mercedes Motorsport and Mercedes Grand Prix,” Wolff said. “So, much earlier than before we decided the CTO role, it must have been a year or two ago, we discussed the future of the team principal role in Mercedes. He made it very clear it was not for him. “Since then, obviously, I am thinking and I am looking and I am observing what is happening out there and who is doing a good job so finally I can step back from this madness.” Earlier this month, Mercedes announced that Allison would be leaving his position as technical director to take on the newly created role of chief technical officer (CTO) in July. Commenting on this move, Wolff described Allison as a “huge asset” and outlined how they decided that making him CTO was the right move for him and Mercedes. “James is obviously a huge asset to the team, not only as a brilliant engineer but also as a leader. He has a good understanding and an overview of what is happening in Formula 1 beyond the technical space,” Wolff said. “He is a sparring partner of mine when it comes down to strategic discussions, political discussions and he is getting more involved also with the other departments and racing programs that we have. “It was almost a logical step to make him my technical twin brother. I am also the head of Mercedes Motorsport so it makes sense to have a technical director for all motorsport. “He enjoyed the idea, so we’ve worked on that for a year.”

Formula 1 will continue to stage the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka until the end of the 2024 season after securing a three-year contract extension. Suzuka has held the Japanese Grand Prix in all but two years since its first staged an F1 race in 1987, but its existing contract was due to expire after the 2021 race scheduled for October 10. In an announcement made on Saturday morning, F1 revealed that it had agreed a three-year extension to the existing Japanese Grand Prix with the race promoter, Mobilityland. “I am truly delighted that Formula 1 will continue to race at Suzuka Circuit for another three years,” said F1 CEO and president Stefano Domenicali. “Japan holds a special place in the hearts and minds of F1 fans all over the world, and Suzuka has played host to many of the sport’s most legendary moments, with 11 drivers’ titles being decided there. “The Japanese Grand Prix has always showcased gripping, edge-of-your-seat drama, and I am thrilled we can continue to bring the action and excitement that is Formula 1 to the passionate motorsport fans of Japan.” Concerns had been raised about the future of F1 in Japan given the planned exit of Honda at the end of 2021, but the rise of AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda means there is likely to still be Japanese interest on the grid in the coming years. Domenicali said the contract extension with Suzuka was “part of our long-term commitment to growing the sport in Asia”. F1 also has races in Singapore and China, while the cancelled race in Vietnam remains an avenue the series is keen to explore in the future. “As a result of repeated negotiations with Formula 1, we have been able to conclude a contract on hosting the event from the year 2022 and onward,” said president representative director of Mobilityland, Kaoru Tanaka. “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Formula 1 members, including first of all Mr Stefano Domenicali, for the great understanding that was shown during the negotiations. “We are determined to continue to our efforts together with local residents of Mie Prefecture and Suzuka City so that Suzuka Circuit will continue to be loved by fans all over the world and contribute to the prosperity of the motorsports culture.” Suzuka will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2022, with Tanaka saying the track will mark the milestone by taking on “new challenges for the future while also cherishing the history and traditions of the sport so that we may provide fans with surprises, joys and emotional experiences.”

Kevin Magnussen will team up with his father, Jan, for the 2021 Le Mans 24 Hours, with the two driving an LMP2 car. After being dropped by Haas, K-Mag joined the IMSA Sportscar Championship for 2021, signing with Chip Ganassi Racing. One of the things he has spoken of being keenest to do going forward is to compete in the iconic race at Le Mans, and he stated back in December that his dream was to be able to do so alongside his dad, who has entered it every year since 1999 and was part of Corvette’s line-up from 2004 to 2019. However, with Jan having left the American team at that point, Kevin doubted it would be possible. “We’ve always wanted to do it, but I think it’s become more difficult now that my dad isn’t a factory driver,” Magnussen told Autosport. “When he was a Corvette driver, there were some opportunities to do it because Corvette could place me in the car for Le Mans. “But it became impossible with just logistics and time because you need to prepare. Also, it’s difficult for Corvette to put one driver in the car for Le Mans and not the same driver for the other big races that year. “Now that he’s not a factory driver, we would have to do it in like an LMP2 or a GTE-Am, which is difficult because we are both platinum drivers. It can be difficult with driver status, whatever the system is. It’s a bit complicated in terms of that. “It could get tricky with my dad. But we will always keep an eye open for it.” The pair have done just that, and have now found the opportunity that they were looking for. They’ll drive in the LMP2 class for Danish team High Class Racing, sharing a car with team regular Anders Fjordbach. The younger Magnussen announced it on social media, stating that it’s a dream come true for both him and his father. “Here we go!” he said. “My dad and I are going to be racing in the same team at Le Mans this year in LMP2. “It’s something we’ve tried to do for years and truly a dream come true.” Jan had driven the Le Mans 24 hours a total of 22 times and has won it four times in the GT class. This will his first time entering in the LMP2 category.

Red Bull have recruited a senior figure from rivals Mercedes to lead their new Formula 1 engine programme. Ben Hodgkinson, head of mechanical engineering at Mercedes High Performance Powertrains, will become technical director at Red Bull’s equivalent department. It is being set up close to the chassis factory in Milton Keynes to take over the running of Honda’s engines. Honda will quit F1 at the end of the current season. They have sold their engines and intellectual property to Red Bull. Red Bull said Hodgkinson would take over his new position “once the terms of his current contract with HPP are fulfilled”. He is currently tied to Mercedes until the end of 2022, although typically in these situations the two parties tend to negotiate terms for an early release. A statement added: “[This is] a key leadership role heading up all technical aspects with a key focus on developing Red Bull’s inaugural power unit, to comply with the new Formula 1 regulations currently planned for 2025.” The sport is working on defining a new engine formula that will increase the proportion of power provided by electrical energy and also use fully sustainable carbon-neutral fuels. Hodgkinson has been working at Mercedes’ engine base at Brixworth in Northamptonshire for two decades and before that developed engines in both the World Rally Championship and for Le Mans. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said: “Ben comes to this hugely exciting project as a proven race-winner and as an innovator capable of leading a like-minded team of highly skilled engineers. “When Red Bull announced the creation of Red Bull Powertrains, it was also announcing a new phase of the company’s ambition in F1 – to bring every aspect of car design in-house and to put our destiny in our own hands. “The ultimate expression of that is the development of a Red Bull power unit to meet the next generation of F1 engine regulations. “Ben’s appointment signals our long-term intent and we will support him and his team with every available resource required in order to succeed.” Hodgkinson said: “It was not easy to make the decision to leave HPP after almost 20 years but the opportunity to take on such a far-reaching and important project is a great honour. “Red Bull are a serious player in F1 and have been our biggest rival in the hybrid era, so I’m looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together in this new phase of the company’s journey.”

It will be “a few more race weekends” before Daniel Ricciardo will be challenging for podiums with his new teammate, McLaren boss Andreas Seidl has warned.So far, while not obviously struggling in the car, Ricciardo has been outperformed by Lando Norris in both of the opening two races, with the young Brit finishing fourth and third to Ricciardo’s seventh and sixth. Ricciardo even had to suffer the indignity of being told to allow his teammate, who is 10 years his junior, to overtake him in Sunday’s race at Imola. But he’s not the only driver struggling in new surroundings, with every driver who switched teams ahead of the new season being outperformed by their teammate who didn’t. Ricciardo has been honest about not having fully adapted to the car yet, having only had three days of pre-season testing split between himself and Norris before the Bahrain Grand Prix, and his new boss agrees. “We know it is not just straightforward to jump from one car into another one, and only have one and half days of testing,” Seidl said. “And we have seen from other drivers, all these drivers are very talented and have a lot of experience, and they adapt very quickly and straightaway. “But these cars are complex, and to find these last two, three, four, tenths, but also make the difference when how comfortable they are to push these cars to the limit, that is not straightforward to find and get out of these cars. “That takes time. It is not a surprise. “It is part of the process of integrating a new driver, and with the experience Daniel has, in the experience we have within the team, it is just a matter of a few more race weekends before Daniel is fully comfortable in our car.”

Haas rookie Mick Schumacher admits that driving at the back of the field in F1 without much competition to deal with is “kind of a torture”. Schumacher is enduring his first year in the sport with a team that arguably has limited ambitions given its finite resources and a car stranded among the backmarkers since last season. Schumacher’s main task this season is to learn, but fulfilling an education while making up the rear means that motivation can understandably be in short supply on race day. But the young German has come up with a stratagem to keep himself focused and charging on race day. “I don’t enjoy it when I’m not first so it’s kind of a torture driving at the back with no real competition,” he told Britain’s Channel 4. “Therefore I have to make myself a Grand Prix, so let’s say if I have Nicholas (Latifi) in front of me or (George) Russell, it’s just like for me they are the leaders and I have to catch them. “That’s the game that I’m playing to always stay motivated, to always keep on pushing and always be 100 per cent.” The 22-year-old is facing a two-fold challenge in F1: learning his trade in a difficult environment and showing a glimpse of evidence that he is worthy of following in the footsteps of his famous father, seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher. “I think in general you have to say that you can’t make everybody happy, and I know my worth, I know what I have accomplished to be here,” he said. “Having that surname doesn’t only give me the surname, it gives me potentially also the genes so I think I have a very good package and maybe the best teacher in the world.” Haas team boss Guenther Steiner obviously isn’t expecting miracles from his young apprentice, an assumption that also applies to Schumacher’s teammate, Nikita Mazepin, whom the German has comfortably outpaced so far. For Steiner, results are almost unimportant for Schumacher, but progress is paramount. “Mick did well to recover from the earlier part of his race,” said the Haas team principal. “As much as it’s not the result that makes you happy, what makes you happy is that we made progress. “That was our plan, and if we can continue to work like this with less mistakes and more performance, that’s what we’re here for this year.”

Nikita Mazepin has been under fire since before the start of the 2021 Formula 1 season, but his first two Grand Prix weekends have not improved matters. The Russian spun often in those two weekends and is nowhere near his teammate. Even before the season started, Mazepin had come in for a lot of criticism for his actions on and off the track. When he failed to go further than three corners in the first race, after spinning too many times throughout the weekend, his nickname quickly became Mazespin. The Russian is far from worrying himself though. ”I’m sure I’ll be in this paddock for a few years at least. I’m not panicking yet,” Mazepin said according to Formel1.de. That may not be surprising, because, with Uralkali, Haas finally found a sponsor for the car and the only reason that sponsor is on the car is the fact that Mazepin is the son of the owner of that company. Still, there is work to be done for Mazepin, who has to leave a big gap on Mick Schumacher in qualifying but also in the race. ”We are in the same situation. So far, Formula 1 has been surprisingly intense for me. Of course, I knew it would be intense, but the two qualifying sessions were very hectic”, concludes Mazepin who was caught out by Antonio Giovinazzi in Imola because Mazepin passed the Italian in the final corner of qualifying, ruining his fastest lap.

Seven time World Champion Lewis Hamilton believes Red Bull’s performance at the start of the 2021 Formula 1 season shows it has produced a championship-winning car for the “first time in a long time.” The seven-time world champion was able to overturn a qualifying deficit to beat Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to a narrow victory at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix before the Dutchman hit back with a commanding win at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Hamilton, who recovered from a rare error to finish second behind Verstappen at Imola, is convinced Red Bull currently has a faster car than Mercedes and reckons this year’s title fight will go down to the wire. “I’m excited for the battle,” said Hamilton after Sunday’s race. “I think this is really the first time in a long time that Red Bull have had a championship-winning car, so I think it’s going to be close all the way through the year – and it’s just going to be, hopefully, more and more of these battles.”Lewis Hamilton believes Red Bull’s performance at the start of the 2021 F1 season shows it has produced a championship-winning car for the “first time in a long time.”Lewis Hamilton believes Red Bull’s performance at the start of the 2021 Formula 1 season shows it has produced a championship-winning car for the “first time in a long time.” The seven-time world champion was able to overturn a qualifying deficit to beat Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to a narrow victory at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix before the Dutchman hit back with a commanding win at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Hamilton, who recovered from a rare error to finish second behind Verstappen at Imola, is convinced Red Bull currently has a faster car than Mercedes and reckons this year’s title fight will go down to the wire. “I’m excited for the battle,” said Hamilton after Sunday’s race. “I think this is really the first time in a long time that Red Bull have had a championship-winning car, so I think it’s going to be close all the way through the year – and it’s just going to be, hopefully, more and more of these battles.”Hamilton’s recovery to P2 enabled him to preserve a one-point championship lead over Verstappen after the opening two rounds. But with 21 races still remaining, the Briton acknowledged just how crucial every point will be between now and the final chequered flag in Abu Dhabi. “Without doubt, getting back to second and getting these points will be very valuable through the season,” Hamilton added. “If I’d lost 25 points today, that would have been hard to recover based on the fact that Red Bull – it’s the first time that they’ve had a championship-winning car, their car is incredibly fast. “They were faster than us this weekend, definitely in qualifying trim but it looks like a little bit also in race trim. But I don’t know if they made a couple of mistakes, I think they did, Max did in qualifying for example otherwise he would have been on pole. “But we’ve got a real close battle which we love the fact that it’s a close battle. “It’s great to see McLaren back up there after such a long time, it’s great to see Ferrari looking strong so there’s going to be a lot of exciting races up ahead and challenging for all of us in so many different ways.” While Verstappen was thrilled to have beaten Hamilton at Imola and proven more than a match for Mercedes in Bahrain, he is refusing to get carried away at such an early stage of the season. “It’s a very long season,” said Verstappen. “We just have to keep on working very hard. I’m very happy with the result, of course, today but that’s today. I’m of course going to be happy about today, but tomorrow, we start again. “We have to keep on improving because there’s still a lot of work to be able to keep doing this the whole season. “It’s great to be fighting against Lewis, Mercedes who, I think, as a team, they have been so dominant and they’re very difficult to beat. So to be able to sit here now, now two races in a row, we were very, very competitive, that’s very promising but no guarantees.”