2021

Lando Norris said he has a “lot of respect” for Alex Albon and described F1 as a “very unfair world.” McLaren F1 driver Lando Norris has said he feels “sorry” for Alex Albon, who lost his seat at Red Bull to Sergio Perez in December. Speaking at a press conference attended by Formula1News.co.uk on Monday afternoon, ahead of McLaren’s 2021 car launch, Norris described F1 as a “very unfair world” but tipped Albon to fight his way back. “Formula 1 can be a very hard world and we’re seeing that again,” Norris said. “It’s difficult because I’m good friends with Alex. We get along well and have always had good conversations, although we haven’t actually talked much about Red Bull. “I’m sorry for him, he’s a very good driver. It’s hard, it just goes to show again how hard Formula 1 can be. It can even happen to an extremely good driver. “He beat everyone in all the junior categories, but once you’re in Formula 1 it’s all different, just a bit more competitive. It can be a very unfair world. “You can lose your spot just like that and it’s all over as quickly as it started.” Continuing, the British driver, now entering his third season with McLaren, said: “I don’t know what to say about it. “I like Alex and have a lot of respect for him. It’s a shame he lost his seat but I’m sure he’s going to do everything he can to fight back and get back into F1.” On 18 December, Red Bull announced that they had signed Sergio Perez to partner Max Verstappen for 2021, with Albon becoming their reserve and test driver. This came around six weeks after a Red Bull source told Formula1News.co.uk that they had decided to drop Albon and he would only be on the grid in 2021 if Yuki Tsunoda failed to get a Super Licence. In addition to his reserve and test driver duties at Red Bull, Albon will compete in DTM races this year which don’t clash with his other commitments.

Daniel Ricciardo felt his maiden Formula 1 outing with McLaren went “really smooth” after sampling the MCL35M car for the first time at Silverstone on Tuesday. Following his winter switch from Renault, seven-time grand prix winner Ricciardo helped unveil McLaren’s new F1 car for the 2021 season on Monday at its factory in Woking. McLaren opted to give the MCL35M a maiden run-out at Silverstone on Tuesday, using its filming day allocation for a shakedown to ensure all systems were running as expected. After seeing team-mate Lando Norris complete a run in the morning, Ricciardo turned his first laps in a McLaren F1 car in the afternoon on a greasy and damp Silverstone track. Although the test was limited to just 17 laps due to the filming day restrictions, Ricciardo was glad for the opportunity to get back up to speed after the winter. “It feels longer than two months actually!” Ricciardo said. “It always takes a little bit to get the confidence up. I think as well in these conditions, it’s greasy, they don’t fill you with a lot of confidence after it being a while since being in a car. “But no, it’s nice. Everything’s run really smooth, we completed what we had to. Really, that’s all you can ask for. I know the more laps I turn, the more confidence and comfortable I’ll feel with this team.” The initial shakedown in the MCL35M was all the more important for Ricciardo given the limited amount of pre-season testing in 2021, which has been cut to just three days ahead of the new season. Ricciardo is set to get one-and-a-half days behind the wheel in Bahrain next month, but is confident the team can get everything ready for the opening race of the season. “Every little bit helps, getting up to speed with the team, going through all the procedures,” Ricciardo said. “Really the plan is and the target is to get to Bahrain, Sunday afternoon, be on the grid and for there to be no inch of panic. It’s really just about feeling comfortable and familiar with all the crew. “We’re going through that, trying to go through scenarios that we would face on a race weekend, and yes, we don’t have the atmosphere around us now, but we can certainly try to replicate it and put a little bit of pressure on ourselves. “McLaren started on the right foot with the fire-up, that was a day early, and first day of running on-track, everything has been smooth. “You can’t ask for too much more in this part of the season. So everything is firing on the right cylinders now, and we’re all good.”

Sebastian Vettel has put eight cars up for sale ahead of the 2021 F1 season getting underway. Vettel is selling eight cars ahead of his debut with the Aston Martin F1 Team in just a few weeks’ time. As reported by Motoring Research on Wednesday, Vettel is selling five Ferrari supercars, in addition to three German exotic vehicles, via supercar dealer Tom Hartley Jnr. Specifically, the Ferraris that Vettel is selling are a 2004 Ferrari Enzo, a 2016 Ferrari LaFerrari, a 2016 Ferrari F12tdf, a 1996 Ferrari F50, and a 2015 Ferrari 458 Speciale. The four-time World Champion is also selling his 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series, 2002 BMW Z8 Roadster, and 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. The LaFerrari and the F50 have already been sold for an undisclosed amount, while the Enzo’s price is only available upon the request of a serious buyer. The remaining five cars have a combined asking price of £1.7 million.

McLaren is the first team to unveil its F1 contender for the 2021 season which is now powered by Mercedes and led by the Norris-Ricciardo duo. Mclaren was third in the constructors’ championship back in 2020. Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo had seen the new Mclaren MCL35M with papaya orange and blue livery colors on Sunday evening. “It’s always special to join a new team, but seeing the car for the first time, with its name, is all the more special, ” Ricciardo said. The Australian driver was chosen for his impressive performances at Renault and Red Bull Racing, but also to advance Lando Norris, a young driver 10 years his junior. Something Norris appears to be taking quite seriously, in defiance of his reputation over the last 2 years as a ‘bit of a joker’, particularly when associated with former teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. In fact, Lando Norris says the pressure is on big-name signing Daniel Ricciardo to deliver at McLaren this season and according to an interview with the Press Association, claims that the Australian isn’t really a ‘big step up’ when compared to Sainz. A surprising statement of intent. “I don’t think the arrival of Daniel will make it any harder for me, I worked with Carlos who is an extremely good driver and there are things Carlos is going to be better at than Daniel and vice-versa.” “I don’t believe Daniel is a big step above anything that Carlos has achieved, and there is more pressure on him because he has been in Formula One for longer and he has to come in and perform very well.” Although Norris clearly is saying that it’s in relation to his challenge against his teammates, it’s a surprising claim for the normally less serious British driver. Perhaps this marks a step-change in Norris’ attitude in Formula 1? Renowned for his funny memes and silly behaviour off track, especially on social media, the youngster makes clear now that he’s serious these days and says that as of last year he opting against making light of on-track struggles as he may have done in the past. “On the whole, I would say there have been a lot less times and a lot less things, I guess mainly I post in social media, which are jokey,” Norris told Motorsport.com. “A lot of that is where it comes from, just what I decide to post post-race. When it’s a difficult day [in 2019], I always took it as a bit of a joke, or portrayed it as a joke with some of my comments on social media and things. “Sometimes [last] year all I’ve done is [write], ‘tough day in the office, head down onto the next one’. And it’s as simple as that.

Daniel Ricciardo believes a repeat of his Renault tattoo bet will be off-limits at McLaren, but has set his sights on a wager surrounding Zak Brown’s classic car collection. Seven-time grand prix winner Ricciardo has joined McLaren on a three-year contract ahead of the 2021 season following a two-year stint at Renault. When Ricciardo signed for Renault, he agreed with team principal Cyril Abiteboul to get matching tattoos when he scored his first podium, which was achieved at last year’s Eifel Grand Prix. Ricciardo had hoped to meet up with Abiteboul before the end of last year to get the tattoos, but revealed on Monday that they are still yet to do so. “You will definitely know when I get done with Cyril,” Ricciardo said. “Unfortunately, it hasn’t happened yet. But it will, it will. And we certainly left on the terms that there was still some unfinished business, that business being the tattoo. “I hope it does happen. Obviously sooner rather than later, but it definitely will.” “Actually, we were only a couple of hours ago having some lunch with Zak and he mentioned something about him hating needles, so I can’t see the tattoo thing happening with Zak but we’ll think of something else. “I know he has got a pretty good car collection so maybe we can just bet one of those cars or something.” Ricciardo is now part of the fifth Formula One team of his career and his third in four years as he continues his so far elusive hunt for a world championship. McLaren are not expected to mount a serious challenge this season despite switching to Mercedes power units, but when the new rule changes arrive in 12 months Ricciardo believes they will be in the best position to take advantage of them at the front of the field. “We don’t have a crystal ball, leaving Red Bull and leaving Renault, it’s what I feel is right. Do I know 100 per cent how it is going to turn out? No, I don’t,” Ricciardo said. “But I certainly feel like McLaren have done the right things, particularly the last few years to set themselves up for these rules changes coming up in 2022. “The next era of F1 has the ability to turn the field around a little bit and everything I have seen … up until now really excites me about where McLaren is heading. “They are doing what it takes to now be a real contender in the championship. “I see (Ayrton) Senna’s car downstairs and it’s wild, it’s wild to see it and be a part of it.”

The 2021 Formula 1 season suddenly felt much more real as Lando Norris put McLaren’s new challenger, the MCL35M, through its paces. The British driver is entering his third year with the team and is joined this year by Daniel Ricciardo, the Australian moving from Renault on a three-year deal. While changes aesthetically are hard to come by on the MCL35M compared to its predecessor, McLaren will be hoping that the combination of a return to Mercedes power and regulation changes around the floor to reduce downforce, will allow for them to build further on their P3 finish in the 2020 Constructors Championship. The MCL35M is McLaren’s first car since renewing its partnership with power unit supplier Mercedes after six-years apart and Norris was the first to sample new machinery. The MCL35M was presented by McLaren on Monday night in front of a live virtual audience, and on the following morning it was over to Norris to put the first laps on McLaren’s new challenger around a damp Silverstone. Ricciardo will sample the MCL35M for the first time later today as McLaren begins to step up its preparations for pre-season testing and the first race of the season, both of which will take place in Bahrain.

McLaren has become the first Formula 1 team to launch its 2021 car ahead of the new season, unveiling the new Mercedes-powered MCL35M at its base in woking. The event marks the return of the McLaren-Mercedes partnership that previously ran from 1995-2014, winning three drivers’ championships and one constructors’ crown. Having endured a three-year spell with Renault following its acrimonious split with Honda in 2017, McLaren has switched to Mercedes power as it bids to continue its recent resurgence. In order to accommodate the Mercedes power unit, McLaren has been forced to spend its two permitted development tokens, resulting in a new rear-end on the this year’s car. The 2021 challenger retains the papaya orange livery that McLaren readopted in 2017, hailing back to the iconic colour scheme it previously ran in the 1960s and early 1970s. “All of us at McLaren are ready and determined for another season of intensely competitive Formula 1 racing,” McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl said. “The entire team has worked hard over the short winter, together with our colleagues from Mercedes-AMG, to produce the MCL35M and provide a strong car for our drivers to race this year. “This has been no small challenge, and I want to thank every member of our team, whether at the MTC or working remotely, for the massive effort they’ve put in.” McLaren is hoping to build on a strong 2020 campaign that saw it claim third place in the constructors’ standings, its highest finish since 2012. The Woking-based outfit’s last victory was with Mercedes power, when Jenson Button won the 2012 season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix. It will also run a revised driver line-up this year with the arrival of Daniel Ricciardo to replace Ferrari-bound Carlos Sainz. The Australian, winner of seven grand prix’s, partners young British ace Lando Norris, who enters his third season with McLaren. The MCL35M will make its on-track debut in a shakedown at Silverstone next week before the start of pre-season testing in Bahrain on March 12.

Fernando Alonso has been discharged from hospital after suffering a fracture of his upper jaw in a cycling accident last week. The two-time Formula 1 world champion, 39, collided with a car while on a training ride near his home in Lugano, Switzerland, on Thursday. His Alpine team said Alonso will now have “a short period of complete rest”. He will then “progressively resume training in preparation for the start of the season”. Pre-season testing takes place in Bahrain from 12-14 March, before the first race at the same track on 26-28 March. Alpine, the former Renault team, said last week that they “expect him to be fully operational to undertake preparation for the season”. Alonso said on social media last week: “I’m OK and looking forward to getting 2021 under way. Let’s go.” Alonso is returning to F1 this season after a two-year absence in which he explored other motorsport ambitions. He added a second Le Mans win, the World Endurance Championship title, competed twice in the Indianapolis 500 and once in in the Dakar Rally. He has said he is returning to F1 because he loves competing and driving, and he hopes Alpine will be competitive with the advent of new technical rules being introduced in 2022.

Red Bull has confirmed it has reached an agreement with Honda to take on its Formula 1 engine technology from the beginning of 2022. The Milton Keynes-based outfit has been without a future engine deal since Honda announced it would be quitting F1 at the end of 2021. Having endured a successful relationship with the Japanese manufacturer since joining forces in 2019, Red Bull felt its best option going forward was to inherit Honda’s IP. But in order for this to come to fruition, Red Bull pushed for a freeze on engine development to come into effect from 2022, which was initially met with opposition from rivals teams. Following a vote last week, it was universally agreed F1 would adopt an engine freeze from next year, enabling Red Bull and sister team AlphaTauri to use Honda’s power unit technology until the end of 2024. The deal will run will conclude prior to the next generation of engine regulations being enforced in 2025, when Red Bull could decide to build its own power units. To make the project a reality, Red Bull has formed a new company named Red Bull Powertrains, which will be based at the team’s base in Milton Keynes. “This agreement represents a significant step for Red Bull in its Formula One journey,” Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said. “We were understandably disappointed when Honda made the decision to leave the sport as an engine manufacturer, as our relationship yielded immediate success, but we are grateful for their support in facilitating this new agreement. “Honda has invested significantly in hybrid technology to ensure the supply of competitive power units to both teams. We now begin the work of bringing the power unit division in-house and integrating the new facilities and personnel into our Technology Campus. “In the meantime, we are fully focused on achieving the best possible results in what will be Honda’s final season as an official power unit supplier.” Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko added: “We have been discussing this topic with Honda for some time and following the FIA’s decision to freeze power unit development from 2022, we could at last reach an agreement regarding the continued use of Honda’s hybrid power units. “We are grateful for Honda’s collaboration in this regard and for helping to ensure that both Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri continue to have competitive power units. “The establishment of Red Bull Powertrains Limited is a bold move by Red Bull but it is one we have made after careful and detailed consideration. We are aware of the huge commitment required but we believe the creation of this new company is the most competitive option for both teams.”

McLaren will launch its 2021 Formula 1 car the MCL35M on Monday evening and you can follow the event live on Racetrackmasters from 7pm GMT. The first Mercedes-powered McLaren since 2014 will be unveiled alongside its new signing Daniel Ricciardo, who has moved from Renault to partner Lando Norris this season. McLaren is streaming its launch live and you can watch it right here when it begins at 7pm UK, including interviews with Ricciardo, Norris and McLaren’s senior management.

Kevin Magnussen doesn’t want to be on Haas’ contact list should they require a substitute driver in 2021. The Dane has already begun life after Formula 1, finishing a frustrating fifth at the Daytona 24 Hours having looked on course to win until a puncture struck with just seven minutes left. However, Haas chief Guenther Steiner didn’t rule out calling on his former drivers should there be a need to replace Nikita Mazepin or Mick Schumacher this season. “I think we have to take a third driver this year, as we did last year, because of Covid-19,” he told Motorsport.com. “You never know when it hits you. If you ever need a third driver on the track, it’s now. “There’s no rush to name anybody. We are talking with Pietro [Fittipaldi], obviously, but there is no big rush from our side and not from his side. “I wouldn’t mind if they [Romain Grosjean and Magnussen] were free, I think they’d love to come back. I didn’t ask them, but I don’t think they have any bad feelings.” In response, however, Magnussen was pretty clear. “Guenther is a good friend, as are many people in the Haas F1 team, but any talk about racing, like a one-off race, I don’t have much interest in that,” he said. “I like to be fully focused on what I am doing and I miss winning. I’ve done seven years of F1, [so] doing one more race, I don’t think is that interesting.” At the same time… “If Mercedes came and asked me if I wanted to drive, I think everyone would look at that very seriously,” he added. “[But] I have given F1 a very fair shot; I think I have done my best to try to be successful. “I’ve done it and feel like I’m ready to go and win some stuff again — that’s really where I’m at.” In addition to his Chip Ganassi seat in IMSA, Magnussen was also recently confirmed as part of Peugeot’s new WEC Hypercar team for 2022. K-Mag will race alongside fellow ex-F1 drivers Paul di Resta and Jean-Eric Vergne as well as Loic Duval as part of a six-man line-up across the two cars.