2021

Lewis Hamilton is no longer the approachable chap of yesteryear with Martin Brundle saying he is “confused” by the champ’s demeanour during interviews. Brundle has had a front row seat for Hamilton’s Formula 1 career, commentating on it from lap 1 in 2007 all the way through to the Briton’s seventh World title. However, during that time he has noticed a change in the 36-year-old who is no longer so open with the media. Brundle, however, does not hold it against Hamilton, acknowledging that after 14 years on the Formula 1 grid the Mercedes driver is probably “a little bit fatigued” by it all. He told PA Sport: “He is not as approachable as he used to be but he is a global megastar and he is a little bit fatigued by all the demands we have to make on him. “I don’t always feel good when I sit down to interview him. I sometimes feel like saying ‘hey, Lewis, it’s me, we have made a lot of TV together over the years and we have known each other for a long time’. “I get confused by his initial demeanour. Then I find that he settles down and off we go. “But who have I had the most enjoyment commentating on? Lewis. Watching him from the first corner of his first lap in Melbourne to winning seven World Championships last year in Turkey has been extraordinary.” Brundle recently stated he also felt Hamilton was “grumpy” after his Mercedes negotiations only led to a new one-year deal.

Claire Williams’ husband Mark Harris has called Williams Racing’s omission from Season 3 of ‘Drive to Survive’ a “disgrace” and “a total lack of respect” to F1 legend Sir Frank Williams. Netflix premiered the third season of its popular docu-series dedicated to F1 on March 18, and the ten-episode saga covering the eventful 2020 campaign is already hitting new viewing records. ‘Drive to Survive’ producers covered a lot of ground in the series’ latest installment, with compelling and behind-the-scenes stories involving every team on the grid, except for Williams. Yet the British outfit was at the forefront of headlines last summer when Sir Frank bowed out of the sport after an over 50-year presence following Williams’ sale to Dorilton Capital. Also, George Russell’s sensational interim with Mercedes at Sakhir went undocumented by the ‘DtS’ crews, an omission that wasn’t lost on the British driver who tweeted a photo of himself and an unequivocal caption: “Getting to episode 10 and realising you’re not in Drive to Survive”. But an angry Harris went a step further on Instagram, taking issue with the inexcusable oversight. “It is impossible to hide the level of frustration and upset I feel around the latest season of Netflix’s Drive to Survive,” wrote the husband of former team boss Claire Williams. “It is hard to believe that there was a more important story (other than covid-19) than the sale of one of the most historic, successful and treasured teams the sport has ever seen. “Over 50 years in the sport, 16 world championships and the legendary team principal Sir Frank Williams and the family leaving a sport that they helped make what it is today, and barely a mention. What a disgrace,” added Harris. “It feels like a total lack of respect to SFW, Claire and the team itself.” While COVID-19 restrictions last year clearly complicated the task of production and filming crews who had to work within a team’s bubble, Harris says the stringent sanitary measures are no excuse to justify Williams’ absence from a single episode of ‘Drive to Survive’. “It’s easy to say there wasn’t access granted,” he said. “No, access wasn’t granted to any film crew other than Williams’ own to the very private moments when Claire had to tell the team that the family were having to sell and leave the sport they love and breathe for. “But an abundance of footage was made available by the team and all crews had access at all other times. What a shame it wasn’t used.”

Sixty British parliamentarians joined campaigners on Wednesday in urging Formula One to commission an independent inquiry into the human rights impact of the Bahrain Grand Prix.Rights groups said in an open letter to chief executive Stefano Domenicali that they also wanted him to seek “redress for those victims of abuses directly linked to your activities in Bahrain.”Signatories included Human Rights Watch and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD). The Gulf kingdom is hosting the season-opening race, Bahrain’s biggest and most-watched sporting event of the year, on Sunday.Bahrain’s 2011 race was called off due to civil unrest and the grand prix regularly draws criticism from rights campaigners who accuse the government of using the positive publicity to ‘sportswash’ the situation.Seven times Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton said last December, after Bahrain hosted two races, that he had been moved by a letter from the son of a man facing the death penalty.The Briton assured activists he would not let human rights issues go unnoticed.A Formula One spokesman said it and the governing FIA believed the sport could be “a force for good” in bringing different cultures together.“We have always been clear with all race promoters and governments with which we deal worldwide that we take violence, abuse of human rights and repression very seriously,” he added.“Our human rights policy is very clear and states that the Formula One companies are committed to respecting internationally recognised human rights in its operations globally.“Where possible we monitor and audit activities in host countries that relate directly to the staging of an event and behind the scenes we have meaningful discussions with all hosts about our values and the standards that we expect.”A Bahrain government spokesperson told the Guardian newspaper the kingdom had “put in place internationally recognised human rights safeguards.”

Romain Grosjean will maintain a link to Haas in 2021 after agreeing to manage its Formula 1 Esports team through his own R8G Esports outfit. Grosjean made his final grand prix start for Haas at last year’s Bahrain Grand Prix, where injuries sustained in a fiery accident forced him out of the remaining two rounds. The Frenchman had been set to leave Haas at the end of last year prior to his accident, but has since made his on-track comeback in IndyCar testing ahead of his first season in the series this year with Dale Coyne Racing. But Grosjean will retain ties with Haas in 2021 after the F1 team announced on Wednesday that its F1 Esports team would be operated by R8G Esports. Grosjean stepped into the Esports sphere last year by forming his own team that now has 17 professional sim racers on its books, competing across a number of competitions and platforms. “I’m very happy to be managing Haas’s entry this year in the F1 Esports Pro Series through R8G Esports,” said Grosjean. “I’ve been involved in Esports for a year now and I believe our team is doing very well. For me, being able to help Haas F1 in this field, and going racing together – well, it’s a great story. “Obviously, it’s a cool continuation of what we built together. So, I’m very much looking forward to the first race and to see what we can build together in esports competition.” “I’m delighted that we get to utilise Romain’s enthusiasm for esports and R8G Esports’ expertise to oversee our continued participation in the F1 Esports Pro Series,” said Haas team principal Gunther Steiner. “It’s an important step up for us in terms of our involvement from previous seasons. We know we’re partnering with a group that truly understands the demands of the esports environment and can help take our program to the next level. “We’ve had some memorable points-earning finishes in past F1 Esports Pro Series and won this season’s Virtual Grand Prix Series. It would be fantastic to maintain that form under the guidance of R8G Esports in the F1 Esports Pro Series this season.”

Max Verstappen says he was “amazed” by the amount of close racing that took place in F1 in 2016 when revisiting footage from that season in contrast to today’s on-track action. Verstappen has often voiced his frustration with the current generation of cars whose aerodynamics hinder a driver’s ability to closely follow a rival and limit overtaking opportunities. But the Red Bull charger also points to the sheer size and width of today’s cars as a factor that impacts wheel-to-wheel racing. “The cars are just too wide now,” Verstappen said in an interview with De Telegraaf. “As a result, you cannot drive many different lines, if you are behind someone else. “You cannot get close at all and the car has no balance.” The 23-year-old says he recently reviewed footage from F1’s 2016 season – his second year in the sport marked by his maiden win with Red Bull at Barcelona – and was surprised by the amount of action that took place back then up and down the field with cars that were narrower than today’s machines “I recently came across a video from 2016 on YouTube,” he explained. “I was amazed by the amount of racing that was going on that year. “I couldn’t remember that at all. Back then the cars were also a lot narrower.” The on-track statistics from 2016 support Verstappen’s comments. That season, there was an average of 46.7 overtakes per race, while last year in F1, the average was just 31.4. “Making the cars wider has not been good for the racing,” he contended. “For the pure driving feeling, we now have a lot more grip. “What is more important? For me as a driver it’s what it feels like, but for the fans of course it’s the racing aspect.” Verstappen says the generation of cars fielded by teams over a decade ago are his favourite. “I really liked the cars from 2004 to 2008,” he said. “My favorites are those from 2006 and 2007. Not a team in particular, but in general those cars looked really good. “They were a lot smaller, narrower and lighter than now. That helps enormously, because there was a lot more action on the track.”

Red Bull Racing impressed everyone during the winter test in Bahrain. Martin Brundle sees opportunities for Max Verstappen, but also states that a flawless year is needed to beat Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton. Formula 1 has been dominated by Mercedes for the past seven years, but after the winter test in Bahrain there finally seems to be hope for an exciting season again. Red Bull Racing seems to be in it after coming very close to Mercedes at the end of 2020. The question is, will Mercedes pull their weight or will it be a fun season? ”They have obviously found something with their car, they had a great test. Max looks as lean and as mean as I have seen him, Sergio looks relaxed and comfortable, they had a wonderful test. Unless Mercedes were carrying heavy fuel with the engine on a very low mode and they were having a laugh with us all, it does appear to be game on with Red Bull”, Brundle said opposite The Guardian. Red Bull’s last title dates back to 2013, but the former Formula One driver has no doubts about the organisation’s ability. ”They can match Mercedes operationally because they are a mighty team. If they have reliability, particularly from the power unit, I have no doubt that Red Bull know how to deliver a championship campaign.” Yet Brundle also points to the danger of Mercedes. ”If Lewis is happy and focused and with the might of Mercedes that is still the combo to beat. Max would have to make sure he makes no mistakes because Lewis very rarely makes a mistake. Red Bull will have to hook everything up to beat them,” the Sky Sports reporter concludes.

As a result of worldwide demonstrations against racism, Formula 1 also decided to make a statement in 2020. All drivers appeared on the grid prior to each Grand Prix wearing an ‘End Racism’ T-shirt to draw attention to this problem. Formula 1 also started to focus more on diversity, something they will continue to do in 2021. However, the wearing of the now familiar T-shirts that we saw frequently in 2020 is off the table this year. Last season the wearing of the shirt was often accompanied by a moment of kneeling on the asphalt. Every driver was free to do so and also in 2021 Formula 1 will use the moment before the Grand Prix to ask for attention for social issues. This year the approach will be different. This year all drivers will gather just before the race on the ‘WeRaceAsOne’-banner. This is to draw attention to diversity, inclusiveness and sustainability. As this is broader than just diversity and inclusiveness, the rainbow colours will no longer be shown. During this moment it is free to the drivers to make a gesture if they see fit. They will stand there in their own overalls this year, without specific clothing or anything. A representative of Formula 1 says at The Telegraph: “The whole of Formula 1 is united in its support for ‘WeRaceAsOne’ and the drivers will all show their own support for the initiative ahead of the grand prix. The drivers will be free to show their commitment in their own way before the race and there will be no requirement for them to make a specific gesture. “The important thing is all of them being together in full support of our initiatives on sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and community,” a representative said.

Formula 1’s drivers will continue to be free to take a knee or show other ways of support ahead of Grands Prix in the 2021 season under the sport’s We Race As One initiative. Last year drivers gathered at the front of the grid in a show of solidarity against racism, with world champion Lewis Hamilton also joined by the majority of his fellow drivers in taking a knee. There will continue to be a moment of reflection ahead of races this year amid wider united focus on the sport’s strengthened We Race As One programme this year, which focus on initiatives in areas of sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and community. “The whole of Formula 1 is united in its support for WeRaceAsOne and the drivers will all show their own support for the initiative ahead of the Grand Prix,” said a Formula 1 spokesperson. “The drivers will be free to show their commitment in their own way before the race and there will be no requirement for them to make a specific gesture. “The important thing is all of them being together in full support of our initiatives on sustainability, diversity & inclusion and community.” Drivers met with new F1 boss Stefano Domenicali in Bahrain ahead of pre-season testing to discuss the ceremony before races, with agreement reached on the approach for this weekend’s season-opening race in the Middle East onwards. Last month F1 outlined its vision and targets for the second year of its We Race As One initiative, which focuses on three key areas in society. Among its aims for the coming year, F1 plans to create “a clear path towards sustainably fuelled hybrid engines”, ahead of the next big engine regulation change in the middle of this decade, fund scholarships for engineering students from diverse and underprivileged backgrounds, and to grow the profile of the all-female W Series which will feature at eight race weekends in 2021. Hamilton, who has led calls for improved diversity in F1 and motorsport, has said that 2021 must be a year when tangible action is taken on the issue. “What’s really important is to make sure that we are actually delivering and taking action,” he said. “I’m really proud of my team here and I’m already seeing steps that we started taking last year, particularly towards the end of the year and starting to see that progress little by little. It takes one step at a time, of course.” On the specific gesture of taking a knee, Hamilton said: “We’ll see how we can collectively work together to make sure we’re leading more in this sport and it’s not necessarily having to be taking the knee.”

Formula 1 have announced a new partnership with Global Citizen, with the international advocacy organisation becoming a charity partner for the WeRaceAsOne platform. WeRaceAsOne was launched last June ahead of F1’s return following the delay to the start of the season due to the coronavirus pandemic as the series looks to tackle major issues in the sport and society. Global Citizen is a movement using their platform to try and bring an end to poverty by 2030. They are committed to environment, equal opportunity, education and citizenship, and as a result fit well with the priorities of WeRaceAsOne. Formula 1 and Global Citizen intend to announce a series of plans over the upcoming season that fans and communities can take part in to ensure there is real change around the globe. “We are very excited at the prospect of partnering with the incredible team at Global Citizen, whose passion and delivery of lasting positive change are perfectly aligned with our focus at Formula 1 to leave a positive impact on society, the environment and our sport,” F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali stated in a press release. “We’re proud of the WeRaceAsOne platform in encouraging the community, F1 fanbase, and Global Citizen’s millions of engaged supporters to come together to support positive change against the most important issues facing our sport and the world. “While our commitment to tackling issues of sustainability and diversity in our sport is important, it is our actions that we’ll be judged on and this long-term partnership will show our commitment to deliver on our plans.

Pierre Gasly has shed some light on his brief time with Red Bull Racing and why he believes it didn’t work out, resulting in his demotion back to Toro Rosso. The Frenchman was called up to the premier team for the start of the 2019 season, however after just 12 races, he was dropped in favour of Alexander Albon for the Belgian Grand Prix. That was the same race Gasly lost his closest friend, Anthoine Hubert, who died in a crash on the second lap of the Formula 2 Sprint Race on Saturday afternoon – Gasly recalls that moment in deeply-moving detail in a column for The Players Tribune. In that same column, the 25-year-old sheds some light on why he believes his time at Red Bull was so short-lived, insisting he felt out of place, unsupported and feels his voice wasn’t listened to. “From the moment I made my first mistake in [the Red Bull] car, I felt like people there slowly began to turn on me,” he explained. “I’d had a crash in winter testing, and from that moment on the season never really got going. “Then I had a tough first two races with Red Bull and the media just ate me up. Anything I said in the press was twisted into an excuse for my form, and nobody really stuck up for me. “The car wasn’t perfect, and I was doing my best to try to improve and learn each week, but like … here’s what I’ll say about it: It was a difficult time for me at Red Bull because I didn’t feel like I was really supported and treated the same way as others there have been. And for me … that’s something that I just can’t accept. “I was working my ass off every day, trying to get results for the team, but I was not being given all the tools I needed to succeed. I would try to offer solutions, but my voice wasn’t heard, or it would take weeks to see changes. “For whatever reason, I was never going to be a fit in that seat — it was just never going to work.” Although Gasly remains a Red Bull driver with the junior outfit AlphaTauri, he said it was time for him to share some truths. “I’m not the type of person to start stuff in the media, because I am truly grateful to Red Bull for the chance, as well as for everything they’ve done for me in my career. I really am. But I’m allowed to tell my truth. So, that’s it. That’s the truth.” Despite asking for support following the Hungarian GP, in which he finished sixth, Gasly was then informed of Red Bull’s decision. “After Budapest I went on holiday. But before I left I called our team principal, Christian Horner, just to ask him what I could be doing more of on race weekends to improve, and to see if he could take a closer look at my side of the garage to see what could be done. Christian said he would do all he could. And that was that. “But Helmut Marko called me while I was on holiday in Spain and said, ‘We’re going to send you back to Toro Rosso in a switch for Alex Albon. It doesn’t mean it’s the end of the story with us. But with all the noise in the media we just feel it’s best.’ “That’s just how it goes. That’s F1.”

Mercedes is trying to “push” Red Bull into the role of title favourite for 2021. That is the view of Max Verstappen, who others think is genuinely most likely to win this season given Mercedes’ high-profile testing problems. But the Dutchman thinks Mercedes still shone. “You can see what Mercedes did from the data,” Verstappen told Ziggo Sport. “They drove their fastest lap with less power, then two laps in which they took it easy, then the next lap with half a second more power. So they are fast, there is no doubt about that.” He dismisses claims that Mercedes may have bungled the new aerodynamic rules around the floor area. “If you’ve been as dominant as they have been over the past seven years, you’re still going to be good even if you have the worst floor,” said Verstappen. He also played down Lewis Hamilton’s handling problems and spins. “The wind had turned 180 degrees so that we had a tailwind in this corner, where you always have a bit of oversteer. I think he was also on used tyres,” said Verstappen. “Something like that can happen easily, as I experienced myself in the tests so I don’t think we should worry too much about it.” “Mercedes also didn’t do a film day or shakedown before the test so maybe they were a little off with the setup. On the last day they looked much better and then they did the filming so they’ll be ready for the start of the season.” Verstappen, 23, said Mercedes “trying to push us into the role of favourites” is also a move to relieve pressure on the title-winning team.

Daniel Ricciardo had a light-hearted jab at Valtteri Bottas following Netflix’s latest season of Drive to Survive when the Formula 1 world got to see a lot more of the Mercedes driver than they were prepared for. Episode three of the series, Nobody’s Fool, focused on Bottas’ rivalry with teammate Lewis Hamilton but it was overshadowed by a strange nude scene at the start of the story. Bottas was filmed during a sauna scene with agent and mentor Ville Ahtiainen while they were in Finland which shocked many F1 fans. Ricciardo has since commented on the images that went viral.

Ralf Schumacher, former F1 driver and brother of Michael who is now a TV commentator, has expressed his opinion on the difficulties shown by Mercedes in the tests in Bahrain, in essence – the car is a handful for the drivers compared to the other teams. On German Sky Sports, the TV pundit reveals his thoughts claiming that “Mercedes is dealing with an aerodynamic problem; you can see this from the difficulties at the wheel of Hamilton because the car does not behave as expected ” “I don’t think the first race will be easy for Mercedes,” says the German, “on the contrary Red Bull can take advantage of a car that already responds perfectly to commands. of their drivers ” And yet despite this, other former drivers turned pundits believe Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton will come good once the Formula 1 season starts properly at the end of March. “First and foremost I am a fan of our sport and then I love and appreciate my ex-Formula 1 family Mercedes,” Rosberg told Sky Sports. “But first and foremost I am a lover of our sport and for our sport it would be the best thing ever if Red Bull hit the ground running and we’d have Mercedes, the powerful Mercedes, chasing them down and Lewis on his way to an eighth title. “So for the season, who’s my money on? It still has to go on Lewis because nobody can fathom someone actually beating Lewis throughout the entire season on points. So, the money would still have to go to Lewis.” “But Max Verstappen, in particular, is as close as ever before in pre-season in terms of the odds to beat Lewis to the championship. “I don’t think anyone’s been that close for many, many years.”