Mclaren gives a hint on the 2021 MCL35M

McLaren has already given a small hint on Monday afternoon about what the new livery will be. In the photo the Woking-based team shared on social media, the recognizable Papaya orange color that the team has been driving with for a few years is clearly visible. The MCL35M will also probably feature the colors black and blue again. Last year Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris drove with the same colors. That Daniel Ricciardo will start his 2021 season at McLaren with different colors thus seems out of the question. Although, the blue that can be seen in the photo is just tape and does not necessarily have to become the paint color. How the proportions of the color palette will look is not shown in the photo. It’s just a little hint. Check out the photo below.

Read More

Ex-WSBK rider Leon Camier named as Honda World Superbike team manager

Team HRC has named Leon Camier as their new team manager for the 2021 World Superbike season. The Brit has called time on his racing career after suffering from a long list of injuries over the last few years. He takes over from Jaume Colom at Honda from today. Camier has not been able to fully recover from his latest injury; a shoulder problem caused following a crash on his testing debut for Barni Racing Ducati at Aragon at the end of 2019. As a result, Camier underwent two operations and he was forced to initially withdraw from the opening two rounds of 2020. Still unable to ride in June, Barni Racing made the decision to terminate his contract. The 34-year-old joined WorldSBK in 2010 after dominating the British Superbike Championship in 2009, which led to the introduction of the Showdown format in BSB. Camier has been a mainstay in the championship and has raced several different bikes. Over the years Camier raced for Suzuki, BMW, MV Augusta, Ten Kate Racing Honda and then the HRC-supported Moriwaki Althea team. Although he failed to win a race, Camier secured a total of nine podiums during his time as a rider in WorldSBK. “I’ve been a Honda rider for several seasons during my career and I’m now very happy and proud to be back with the company for what is a major change in my professional and personal life,” Camier said. “I thank Honda for the trust they have put in me – the WorldSBK project is very important and the new CBR1000RR-R Fireblade looks absolutely great. I’m prepared to work hard to achieve our goals; I always did so as a rider and I will continue in the same way as team manager. “Having raced in SBK for many years, I know the championship and its challenges very well, although the current period further exacerbates these issues. But in working alongside two very strong riders like Alvaro and Leon, and such a professional group of people as Team HRC and the HRC engineers, I am confident we’ll be able to reach our full potential and fight for top results. “We now have two days of testing at Jerez, it will be my first opportunity to work with the team and I really look forward to starting this new and exciting adventure.” Team HRC will be present at the two-day Jerez test this week (January 20-21) with riders Leon Haslam and Alvaro Bautista looking to build on their efforts last season with the new Fireblade.

Read More

Nikita Mazepin claims he receives so much hate due to anti-Russian sentiments

You can say what you like about Nikita Mazepin, but not that he is a colourless addition to Formula 1. Because of the controversy surrounding his person, many people have strong opinions about the Russian. On the Russian Match TV, he now speaks out for the first time about the issue that got him in the news. It is now more than a month since a video of Mazepin seemingly grabbing a woman by the breasts uninvited caused a stir among F1 followers. The woman in question was quick to say it was a joke and they are good friends. However, doubts soon arose about the authenticity of that statement. Mazepin feels that he has been treated unusually harshly for this incident, among others, and therefore does not care much about it. “There are certain reasons, which have nothing to do with the racing world, why I am treated differently. I’m used to criticism and I don’t have any problem with that.” Mazepin said in an interview on Match Tv. According to him, there is another reason why people are so critical. His Russian predecessors had the same experience. “They were all top racers, professionals through and through, but some things that were said about them were not deserved. But that’s life. That the Russians are treated differently doesn’t surprise me.” But even within this anti-Russian sentiment, he feels he is being treated extra harshly. “I think there’s hardly a Russian driver who gets so much fuss and hate. Am I prepared for it? It is part of life. If you want to race, you have to face something like that.”

Read More

Valtteri Bottas finishes sixth in the Arctic Lapland Rally

Mercedes Formula 1 driver Valtteri Bottas claimed sixth place in the overall results during his latest foray into rallying in his native Finland. Bottas uses rally driving to remain sharp away from Formula 1 and has participated in the Arctic Lapland Rally since 2019. Bottas, driving a Citroen DS3 WRC, finished sixth overall in the event, 3:48 down on rally victor and former WRC podium finisher Juho Hanninen. Bottas was again co-driven by the experienced Timo Rautianen, who won 30 rallies and two world titles alongside Marcus Gronholm. He was third in the LK6 class, which featured only four entrants, with the rally taking place across seven icy and snowy stages, reduced from the planned 10 courses. He finished fifth in 2019 and ninth last year.

Read More

Marko advised Vettel to be available in the driver market for a possible Red Bull return

Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko says he encouraged Sebastian Vettel to sit out the 2021 season in order to return to F1’s drivers’ market “at the right time”. Vettel was unexpectedly given notice by Ferrari back in May of 2020 that he no longer figured in the Scuderia’s future plans. As Vettel pondered his future, and ahead of his decision to join Aston Martin for 2021, the former Red Bull driver sought advice from Marko who urged the German to enjoy a year on the sidelines. Speaking to F1-Insider, the Austrian explained why at the time he encouraged the four-time world champion to take a sabbatical. “It was clear [at the start of 2020] that Sebastian would have another difficult season with Ferrari,” Marko said. “I didn’t want him to act rashly, but to wait. “Because it was clear to me that fundamental things would change in the driver market for 2022. For example, I was sure that there would be a vacancy at Mercedes then. But not only there.” “That also included Red Bull. I just wanted him to still be on the market at the right time so he could take the best possible offer. Above all, I didn’t want a four-time world champion to say goodbye to Formula One like that. Not as a friend, and not as a Red Bull man.” Marko says that initially, he never considered a return to Red Bull for Vettel as all signs at the time were pointing to a status quo at the Milton Keynes-based outfit for 2021. “When Ferrari gave him notice, we had no place left for 2021,” added the 77-year-old. “At the time, we firmly assumed that Alexander Albon would develop positively, so that he would also be able to drive alongside Max Verstappen in 2021. That’s what I told Sebastian. “Unfortunately, we were wrong. When we had to act, Sebastian was no longer on the list because he had made a long-term commitment to Aston Martin. Therefore, Sergio Perez was the logical decision for us.” Vettel is on the eve of opening a new chapter of his career with Aston Martin. Marko says he understands his former driver’s choice, and even hopes he’ll prove to be a worthy opponent this season with Team Silverstone although he admits that’s a tall order. “Aston Martin was very tempting,” he said. “The name is cult, the close cooperation with Mercedes promised a sporting perspective. I can understand him, even if I personally would have waited. “I hope he finds his old form again. He knows that the last two years were not his best. For whatever reason. But I don’t think he can be dangerous to us. “In 2020 his new team was too far away from us for that. And that’s despite the fact that Perez was extremely strong, especially in the second half of the season. “Even if Sebastian is in top form every race, as a driver he can’t make up for the gap the team had on us. But maybe I’m wrong.”

Read More

Alpine F1 confirms Davide Brivio has joined the team as racing director

Following weeks of rumours, Alpine have confirmed that former Moto GP boss Davide Brivio has joined their Formula 1 operations. Davide Brivio, the former boss of the Suzuki Ecstar Moto GP team, has joined Formula 1 bu signing a deal to become Alpine’s Racing Director. Brivio oversaw Suzuki’s successful championship win with Joan Mir last season, having been in charge of the team for the past seven seasons. Last week, Suzuki confirmed Brivio had departed the team as rumours swirled that he was set for a shock move to Formula 1. Renault held a major event in Paris on Thursday, outlining the future plans for their marque. This included details of the new Alpine F1 outfit, but Renault CEO Luca de Meo and newly appointed Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi made no mention of Brivio joining the F1 team. However, just a few days later, Alpine have now confirmed that he will be added to the team’s senior management as their Racing Director. There is still no word on who will replace Cyril Abiteboul as Team Principal. Brivio will report directly to Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi, but his exact role and responsibilities are yet to be outlined. The launch event in Paris saw Rossi reveal an interim liveried 2021 car, which will be renamed the Alpine A521 for this season. The race livery for the year will be revealed at a launch event in February. Fernando Alonso returns to the Enstone team, replacing the McLaren-bound Daniel Ricciardo. Esteban Ocon retains his seat in the second Alpine cockpit.

Read More

Toyota admits to being behind target after test for their Le Mans Hypercar was called off due to snow

Toyota has admitted it is “behind target” with test mileage for its new Le Mans Hypercar after a planned test this week was called off due to snow.The Japanese manufacturer officially revealed the GR010 Hybrid that will contest the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship season in full livery on Friday, having released the first proper shots of the car earlier in the week. Its unveil was supposed to follow immediately after a three-day test for the new contender this week at the Aragon circuit in Spain, but this had to be abandoned due to the heavy snow that has hit the country in recent days. Toyota first ran the GR010 in a shakedown at Paul Ricard in October last year, before moving on to Portimao for the car’s second and most recent test in late December. Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe technical director Pascal Vasselon revealed that the car has completed more than 6000km so far in those two outings, but added that the cancellation of the Aragon test has put the Cologne-based outfit “behind target”. Team director Rob Leupen said that the team will conduct more running at its next planned test at Aragon in February to make up for this week’s cancellation. “We’re going to extend our next test, which will be in February also here in Aragon,” clarified Leupen. “The biggest issue is we are missing mileage. “Every test is important to get mileage on the car, and on the team in the sense of the mechanics and the engineers understanding the car better and better. That’s why we are looking for additional time. “It will get very tight to catch up everything we have missed. But this normally we should be able to do, and we are falling back on a lot of experience from the LMP1 era.”

Read More

MotoGP replaces cancelled Sepang tests by adding testing days in Qatar

MotoGP has partially replaced the Sepang tests which it cancelled with extra running at Losail. The Shakedown Test and the Official Test (all-in) which were to be held at the Malaysian Grand prix venue next month were this week called off due to a coronavirus-related local state of emergency. With MotoGP due to head to Qatar for a second all-in test on March 10-12, more days have been added to the schedule at Losail, earlier that month. After two days of set-up, a Shakedown Test for test riders and rookies will be held on March 5, before a full, Official Test on March 6-7. The second Official Test will proceed as originally planned. MotoGP rookies were first allowed to participate in the Shakedown Test last year, which is a boon this time around for Esponsorama Racing team-mates Luca Marini and Enea Bastianini, plus Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin. With Gresini Aprilia thus far having provisionally named Lorenzo Savadori as a race rider and therefore Bradley Smith as a test rider, both can also participate given the former’s total premier class grand prix experience amounts to three rounds at the end of last year.

Read More

Marquez very close to full recovery following surgery

Honda says Marc Marquez’s recovery is “satisfactory” six weeks after undergoing surgery for an infection in his arm. Marquez has been receiving treatment since he crashed and broke his right humerus in the season-opening Spanish Grand Prix last year. Following the incident, Marquez had an operation immediately afterwards to have a metal plate inserted into his arm to fix the bone. The Spaniard sought to contest the Andalusian Motorcycle Grand Prix that followed but decided not to compete due to pain. He later lamented the rushed attempt to get back riding, which he said stifled his recovery. The 27-year-old was ultimately unable to contest the remainder of the 2020 season, bringing an end to his streak of four successive championship wins. Marquez underwent an eight-hour surgery late last year and has since received a check-up six weeks later. “Today [January 14] Marc Márquez has gone to the Hospital Ruber Internacional for a medical check-up,” read a statement from the Honda Racing Corporation. “The eight-time world champion has visited six weeks after the surgery performed on December 3 for an infected pseudarthrosis of the right humerus. “A satisfactory clinical and radiographic evolution has been confirmed for the time of evaluation. “Marquez will continue with the specific antibiotic treatment and with a functional recovery programme adapted to his clinical situation.” There are concerns Marquez may be unable to contest the first half of this year’s MotoGP season amid a six-month recovery time. The 2021 season will get underway with the Qatar Grand Prix on March 28.

Read More

Suzuki was shocked by Brivio’s move to F1

Suzuki MotoGP Project Leader Shinichi Sahara has said that Davide Brivio’s departure was “shocking news” to the team. It was announced that Brivio was to leave the Moto GP the team amidst rumours that he is set to join Renault’s rebranded F1 team, Alpine F1. The news came shortly after he helped Suzuki win their first World Championship in the series, and Sahara says that it came as a surprise to the staff, but is confident they can handle his exit. “It was shocking news. I really appreciate what Davide has done since he joined Suzuki; coming in at the start with the newly-created project and growing it to become a top team,” he said as per Motorsport Week. “For sure we are affected by it, but I don’t think we are going to lose the way without him (Brivio), because we always looked at things in the same way and agreed on the direction to take. “We also have expert staff to help us manage. I fully trust the team structure we have and the rest of the people who helped build it up. “When Davide told all the team staff, everybody was shocked, of course. “But before long we turned our minds towards the next steps to overcome this situation together. We will be more united than ever because we all love this brand, this team, and we will give 150% to carry on with the new challenges in the best way.” Brivio was widely credited for the work he did in his role as team manager since joining in 2014, and many saw him as an integral part of the team’s success. As far as Sahara as concerned though, it’s business as usual for the team, and the exit doesn’t change much. “In my opinion, it should not affect anything from now on,” he added. “We will be working as we know how, and even more than before now that we’ve won the championship. “It is always necessary to fine-tune the team structure to get the maximum performance from each team member as standard procedure, even without Davide’s leaving. But I think everyone is professional enough and has the know-how to go on in the best way possible. “I think that we can manage the situation with the people inside Suzuki, and it is the best way for us. We know who we are, how we work, how we interact, and what we need. We won’t look for an external manager right now, we will try to manage by ourselves.”

Read More

Monaco, Canadian and Azerbaijan GPs to be cancelled due to Covid-19

Formula One’s 2021 calendar already suffered a number of blows earlier this month, when it was confirmed that the Australian GP would be postponed and the Chinese GP was facing cancellation. And now, it has been reported that three grand prix in May and June, including the prestigious but often lacklustre Monaco GP, will also be cancelled. Specifically, the cancellation of the street races in Monaco, Azerbaijan and Canada will be announced next month, according to reports. “Monaco (May 23), Azerbaijan (June 6) and Canada (June 13) will, insiders say, fall off the calendar just like last year. Announcement of that news is expected next month,” online Dutch magazine Formule1.nl has reported. The publication noted that Canadian authorities have closed the country’s “borders to foreigners for a while” and they have “a very strict COVID-19 policy.” Organisers need several weeks to construct street streets ahead of F1 grand prix, so it’s understandable that they don’t want to spend millions of dollars on preparations only for an event to be cancelled at the last-minute. This, in particular, is why the aforementioned grand prix – in addition to the already-delayed Australian Grand Prix – are set to be cancelled or delayed until much later in the season.

Read More

Alfa Romeo to leave F1 at the end of 2021 as Renault plans to take it over as junior team

With talks of Alfa Romeo (formerly Sauber) leaving F1 at the end of 2021, it appears that paddock rumour sees Renault taking an interest in joining the Swiss-based team as a possible ‘B’ team. Much depends on the forthcoming decisions at the board level taken by the Stellantis group. Indeed the merger of the PSA (Peugeot) and FCA (Fiat-Chrysler) groups will have a huge impact as to what to do with their Formula 1 investment. Uniting Fiat Chrysler brands including Alfa Romeo with Peugeot names like Citroen, Opel and Vauxhall, calling themselves Stellantis, thus creating the 4th largest group in the world, means that hard choices might be made when it comes to current investments in motorsport, including the title sponsorship of Sauber with the Alfa Romeo branding. “In the plans of the new global auto giant, which will arise from the merger between FCA and PSA, there will also be a redefining of the sporting activities of the group’s brands,” confirms Luigi Perna from the Italian press. “This will start with Alfa Romeo, sponsor of the Sauber team, and whether or not to maintain the historic brand in Formula 1. This will depend on the new industrial plans resulting from the merger of the two groups PSA and FCA, negotiations on which have lasted more than a year”. Alfa Romeo has had a very checkered history in Formula 1, with some incredible success in the early years, continuing on from their pre-war successes in Grand Prix racing. Alas, since several attempts to rejoin as a successful constructor and engine supplier in F1, rarely has there been anything close to what was achieved with Giuseppe Farina and Juan Manuel Fangio in 1950 and 1951.

Read More

Kris Wright to race for Sam Hunt Racing in the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity series

Already set to run in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for Young’s Motorsports, Kris Wright is now adding some Xfinity Series races to his 2021 schedule. Sam Hunt Racing confirmed Thursday that the 26-year-old Wright will race for the team this season. His schedule will focus on the seven road course events, starting with the Feb. 20 race on the road course at Daytona International Speedway. The team has already confirmed IndyCar veteran Santino Ferrucci for a part-time schedule that’s focused on 1.5-mile tracks, as well as Brandon Gdovic for a limited, oval-based schedule. “I’m really excited to be competing with (Sam Hunt Racing) in the 2021 Xfinity Series,” Wright said in a team release. “Sam has great equipment and I’m hopeful I can get the most out of it.” Last season, Wright made 10 starts across the ARCA Menards Series national and regional tours, as well as a single Truck Series start for GMS Racing on the Daytona road course. His past resume includes winning the 2018 LMP3 class championship in the IMSA Prototype Challenge series. He has also competed in open-wheel ladder series such as British Formula 3 and the Road to Indy‘s U.S. F2000 and Indy Pro 2000. “His road racing background should make our events with him an absolute blast, and hopefully, he can put together some smart, competitive runs,” team owner Sam Hunt said in the same release.” Sam Hunt Racing also announced Thursday that veteran NASCAR spotter Chris Lambert will work with the team this season. Lambert works with fellow Toyota team Joe Gibbs Racing in the Cup Series as the spotter for Denny Hamlin.

Read More

Pitbull becomes Trackhouse Racing co-owner

Rapper Pitbull is now the co-owner of a NASCAR team. The team, Trackhouse Racing, made the announcement on Friday on social media, by way of a video featuring the artist and his single “I Believe That We Will Win (World Anthem)”. Pitbull shared his own message too, stating that he has “been a fan of the NASCAR story since the movie Days of Thunder”. The 1990 sports action film stars Tom Cruise as a young driver chasing NASCAR fame. Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, and Randy Quaid also feature. Pitbull deemed the announcement of his new NASCAR co-ownership “a great way to celebrate [his] 40th birthday”, which took place on Friday. The Grammy-winning artist, also known under the nickname Mr Worldwide, isn’t the only celebrity to have entered NASCAR ownership in recent months. In September last year, it was announced that Michael Jordan had become a part owner of the 23XI Racing team with driver driver Denny Hamlin. The team has driver Bubba Wallace in its No 23 Toyota. Trackhouse, the team now co-owned by Pitbull, has hired racer Daniel Suarez to drive its No 99 Chevrolet. Pitbull, whose real name is Armando Pérez, said he will attend the Daytona 500 in Florida on 14 February. NASCAR welcomed the addition of Pitbull, telling The Associated Press in a statement: “Pitbull is an iconic talent in the music industry and has tremendous passion for NASCAR racing.”

Read More

Cognizant to be the official sponsor for the Aston Martin F1 team

Aston Martin have teamed up with American multinational IT brand Cognizant to become the title partner for the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. The team will be officially known as Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team. It came to light in late December that the team were in talks with the American IT Firm and the announcement was officially made on 7 January 2021. Chairman Lawrence Stroll is proud of this new chapter in Formula 1 and plans to make Aston Martin a great in the F1 world. Stroll said: “The return of Aston Martin to Formula One after more than 60 years away is a landmark moment in the history of the sport. Everyone knows what Aston Martin stands for, but the Formula One team will allow us to take the essence of the brand to new places, building on the strong foundations laid by the previous iterations of the team. “I’m hugely proud that we can start this new chapter with the support of Cognizant. In today’s world, as the digital revolution continues, I can’t think of a more suitable or valuable partner to work with us as we strive to make Aston Martin one of the greatest teams in the sport.” Brian Humphries, CEO of Cognizant, is excited by the ‘deep’ partnership the two will form. “We are absolutely thrilled to be the title partner of Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team. Our global brands have much in common. We are both innovative, forward-looking firms that like to move fast, stay focused, and lead from the front. We understand the incredible power of today’s advanced technologies and how to harness them to engineer unique customer experiences. We’re excited by the promise of this deep and mutually beneficial partnership.” said Humpries.

Read More

Controversial Ferrari sponsor Mission Winnow to make a comeback on the 2021 Ferrari

The sponsorship deal that got Ferrari into trouble in 2019 may make a return on the 2021 Scuderia car, a spokesman for the company in question has revealed. In 2018, the Mission Winnow logo was on several areas of the Ferrari, as well as on the outfits of its drivers. However, criticism followed, as Mission Winnow is an initiative of tobacco giant Philip Morris International, and tobacco advertising is not allowed on an F1 car. Tomasso di Giovanni, a spokesman for Philip Morris International, told Racefans.net that the Mission Winnow logo may return to the Scuderia starting in 2021. Di Giovanni states that Mission Winnow “is not meant to ‘promote’ any product or brand … [but] to encourage dialogue around positive change; our own and that of others.” In this way, di Giovanni argues that PMI and Mission Winnow should be considered as separate, thus legitimizing the sponsorship deal. Di Giovanni continued: “Through Mission Winnow, we want to let the world know how we have changed; to share our pride in the transformation that the people of PMI have achieved and continue to work for.” However, di Giovanni also confessed that the sponsorship deal between Mission Winnow and Ferrari is dependent on regulations in the countries where racing will take place. “Decisions about our approach to single events or races are based on a number of factors, including but not limited to regulations in place in the country and the environment in which the race takes place. We will announce plans for the next season and specific races in due course,” said di Giovanni.

Read More