Racetrackmasters

Two-time Formula One World Champion Fernando Alonso is re-joining the grid next year after two seasons away, taking up the Alpine F1 Team seat vacated by Daniel Ricciardo at the end of this season. The Spaniard is wasting no time getting back into the swing of things, as he has already run a slew of test sessions with the Renault team (which will be renamed Alpine next year) in their 2018 car, as well as 1,000 kilometers of “filming day” allowance in the current car. Because of this lack of experience with the current spec, the team was recently given clearance to run Fred in the young driver test at the Abu Dhabi circuit later this month on the Tuesday following the season-ending Grand Prix. Alonso left his role in the McLaren team at the end of the 2018 season and has spent that time pretty much just being a lazy bum. All he’s done since then is win the Daytona 24, win Le Mans twice, score an FIA WEC World Championship victory, participate in (and finish) his first Dakar rally, and make two efforts at the Indianapolis 500. Obviously he’s been racing a hell of a lot since leaving F1, but there’s nothing quite like an F1 car to prepare you to drive an F1 car. That’s why he and the team need as much testing time as possible to get back up to speed. When Alonso starts the 2021 season, it will mark twenty years since his first race with the Minardi team. Technically he’ll be re-joining the sport with a team that he’s raced with on three separate occasions, as the Enstone-based Renault has hired Alonso initially from 2001 as a test driver through his two World Championship seasons in 2005 and 2006. He left for one ahem tumultuous season at McLaren before returning in 2008 and 2009. After five seasons with Ferrari and three more with McLaren, plus two on sabbatical driving whatever he damn well pleases, Alonso is back with the French manufacturer. The post-Abu Dhabi test was originally planned to be a run-in with the new 18-inch wheel and tire package from Pirelli, but because that rule change has been pushed back to the 2022 season, the test was swapped out for a new young driver event. Each team is allowed up to two cars to test with their young driver academy participants. The sporting regulations specifically state that the test is “an optional one-day test, for the sole purpose of providing young drivers with the opportunity to test a current Formula 1 car ,” and goes on to say that nobody with more than two Grands Prix of experience would be allowed to participate. Clearly Alonso is not either of those things. Despite pushback from McLaren, Racing Point, and Ferrari, the FIA has decided that Alonso and Renault/Alpine would be allowed special dispensation to take part. Allegedly the decision came down from on high, as Jean Todt himself made the choice. Interestingly, Fernando will also be driving his old 2005 Renault R25 chassis during the Abu Dhabi weekend, which won the teams and drivers championship that year. Obviously this doesn’t gain him or the team anything in terms of setup data for the 2021 car, but it’s a nice warm up for the test the following week, and it’s a nice goodbye to the Renault name, and a nice bridge for the gap between Fernando’s old life and his new one in the sport.

Sebastian Vettel was furious with Charles Leclerc at the Bahrain Grand Prix, but after talking to his team-mate, says it’s no big deal. At the race restart following Romain Grosjean’s horror crash, Leclerc dived down the inside at Turn 1, taking Vettel by surprise and causing him to drop back. “Not again! He can’t just do that as if I wasn’t there. It’s the same as Austria, seriously,” he said on the team radio. “I should’ve crashed, maybe it was the better option. All morning we talk about giving room.” In the paddock immediately after the race, he remained unhappy, and said that he’d talk to his team-mate about the incident. “I lost ground at the start because I have been very considerate of Charles,” he told Sky Germany. “I don’t think that angle is normally possible unless I open the door so much to make it possible. I got a little annoyed because it was unnecessary. But okay. I lost a lot of positions after that and then you saw we had our difficulties.” “I will talk to him. In the end, it is the same as in Austria and if I don’t look, we’d crash again.” The pair did discuss what happened, and after doing so, Vettel somewhat changed his tune, feeling that the incident wasn’t that big a deal. “We don’t need to make a big deal out of it,” the German said. “It was tight. I believe if you have three cars in the first corner at times it works, but most of the time it doesn’t.” “We spoke about it, we move on, no big deal.” Leclerc meanwhile denied Vettel’s claims that it was a repeat of what happened in Austria earlier in the year when the pair came together, although he did concede the gap he left was perhaps too small. “On my side, the only thing I can say is that surely it was extremely tight,” the Monegasque stated. “But on the other hand, unlike in the Styrian Grand Prix where I didn’t put myself in a visible place, this time I tried for him to see me.” “There was a very little gap, I went for it and I made sure that he saw me. You could argue there was probably not enough gap between our cars, being in the same team.”

Mick Schumacher will get his hands on his 2021 HAAS Formula 1 machine a little early, with the American team announcing that the German will debut for them in Free Practice 1 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The outing will be Schumacher’s first official session in F1 machinery. He had previously been scheduled to drive for Alfa Romeo at the Eifel Grand Prix before the session was cancelled due to poor weather conditions. Instead, Schumacher will now take to the VF-20 in FP1 at Abu Dhabi on Friday, December 11, before participating in the end of season young driver test at Yas Marina Circuit, Tuesday 15 December. Schumacher was officially announced as a HAAS F1 driver for 2021 on Wednesday morning, signing a multi-year with the team. The Championship leader will partner his Formula 2 rival, Nikita Mazepin, at HAAS, after the Russian was announced at the team on on Tuesday.

Mick Schumacher is following in the footsteps of his father who is the seven-time Formula One world champion and signed up for a team for the 2021 season. The 21-year-old will line-up for Haas, starting with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 21, 30 years after his father made his F1 debut with Jordan. The German, who is part of the Formula Two championship in Bahrain this weekend, has signed a multi-year deal to race with the American team. “The prospect of being on the Formula One grid next year makes me incredibly happy and I’m simply speechless,” said Schumacher, who is also a member of the Ferrari young driver programme. “I also want to acknowledge and extend my love to my parents – I know that I owe them everything. I have always believed that I would realise my dream of Formula One. “A huge thank you must also go to all the great motorsport fans out there who have supported me throughout my career. I will give it my all, as I always do, and I look forward to going on this journey together with Haas F1 and them.” Schumacher will be handed his grand prix debut in opening practice for Haas at the season-concluding race in Abu Dhabi a week on Friday. His father, Michael, won 91 races and seven world championships during a glittering career. Lewis Hamilton surpassed Schumacher’s win record in Portugal before drawing level with him on seven titles at the Turkish Grand Prix last month. But little is known of the 51-year-old’s medical condition following his skiing accident in the French Alps almost seven years ago. His son was skiing alongside him at the time. Schumacher will head into this weekend’s F2 season-deciding race in Bahrain with a 14-point title advantage over his British rival Calum Ilott. The championship acts as a feeder series to Formula One. Haas team principal Guenther Steiner added: “I’m very pleased that we’re able to confirm Mick Schumacher in our driver line-up for next season and I look forward to welcoming him into the team. “The Formula Two championship has long served as a proving ground for talent to showcase their credentials and this year’s field has undoubtedly been one of the most competitive in recent seasons. Mick has won races, collected podiums and excelled against some pretty exceptional talent in 2020. “I firmly believe he’s earned the opportunity to graduate into Formula One based on his performances.”

Romain Grosjean left hospital in Bahrain on Wednesday after the French Formula One driver was treated for burns to his hands suffered when his Haas car was engulfed in fire during Sunday’s Grand Prix. Grosjean, 34, had an astonishing escape after the vehicle penetrated the metal crash barriers in the race at the Sakhir circuit, splitting in two and erupting in flames. The same circuit hosts another race this weekend but Grosjean will not take part, replaced by the team’s Brazilian reserve Pietro Fittipaldi. Haas said Grosjean will remain in Bahrain to continue private treatment. The driver said on Tuesday that he still wanted to drive in next week’s season-ending Etihad Airways Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. “Even though it is complicated for those close to me, it is a need for me to get back into a Formula One car, to see where I am, if I can continue to drive,” he said. If Grosjean recovers in time to race in Abu Dhabi, it will be the Frenchman’s final grand prix for Haas after the team this week announced an all-new driver lineup for the 2021 season. Nikita Mazepin, the 21-year-old Russian currently racing in Formula Two, was confirmed on Tuesday before the team added Mick Schumacher on Wednesday. The son of the great Michael Schumacher is also stepping up from F2, where he leads this season’s standings.

Russell will step in for Hamilton following the seven-time world champion’s positive test for COVID-19, with a deal being struck between Mercedes and Williams overnight. Russell has been part of Mercedes’ junior programme since the end of 2016, but required allowance from Williams to make the move up to his parent team and deputise for Hamilton. The agreement is in place for this weekend’s race at the Bahrain International Circuit, but could end up being extended to cover the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as well should Hamilton be unable to return. It will give Russell – who won the Autosport BRDC Award back in 2014 – the opportunity to break his F1 points duck dating back to his debut with Williams at the start of the 2019 season, sampling the fastest car in the series’ 70-year history. “First and foremost, I wish to thank our loyal partners at Williams for their collaboration and open-mindedness in making it possible for George to race for Mercedes this weekend,” said Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff. The conversations with the team at Williams were positive and pragmatic, and those were the key factors in reaching an agreement. “It will not be a straightforward task for George to make the transition from the Williams to the W11, but he is race-ready and has detailed understanding of the 2020 tyres and how they perform on this generation of cars. “We have a job to do this weekend, and the full focus of our sporting efforts will be behind Valtteri and George in order to maximise our points score as a team.” Russell has impressed throughout his F1 career to date despite the limitations of the Williams car, with Hamilton recently praising his displays and calling him a potential future world champion. Russell has long been linked with a possible move up to Mercedes, but is contracted at Williams until the end of the 2021 season. This weekend’s race will give Mercedes the opportunity to see how Russell fares against full-time driver Valtteri Bottas, although his first run in the 2020-spec W11 car will only come on Friday in practice. “Firstly, I want to say a huge thank you to everybody at Williams for giving me this opportunity,” said Russell. “I might be wearing a different race suit this weekend, but I’m a Williams driver and I’ll be cheering my team on every step of the way. “I see this as a great chance to learn from the best outfit on the grid right now and to come back as an improved driver, with even more energy and experience to help push Williams further up the grid. A big thank you also to Mercedes for putting their faith in me.” Russell’s seat at Williams has been taken by the team’s reserve driver, Jack Aitken, who was due to race in Formula 2 this weekend with Campos. Aitken has previously tested F1 machinery for both Renault and Williams, and made an appearance in practice for the Styrian Grand Prix earlier this year. Aitken holds a full F1 super licence thanks to his junior record, and will become the first driver of Korean heritage to make a grand prix start. Aitken finished fifth in last year’s F2 championship, scoring three wins, and currently lies 14th in the standings with one round remaining this season. “I’m absolutely over the moon to have the opportunity to make my debut with Williams this coming weekend and I am extremely happy for George to have his chance too,” Aitken said. “I really mean it when I say I’ve felt very much at home here since I joined Williams earlier this year, so to get my chance to help the team try to achieve that elusive points finish is an extremely satisfying occasion to say the least. “I’ll be doing all I can to prepare in the coming days, but truthfully, I feel like I have been ready since Melbourne.” It will mark the first time since the 2001 Italian Grand Prix where two drivers have made their mid-season debut at the same race.

Haas Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean recalls his escape from the crash during the Bahrain GP revealing that he felt the 28 seconds in the car that was up in flames were much longer. He also states that he told himself to get out of the wreckage for his children. The 34-year-old crashed out his Haas on the opening lap of the Bahrain GP after coming into contact with AlphaTauri’s Daniil Kvyat. The VF-20 crashed to the barrier at the exit of turn 3. The impact was at 137mph and recorded a force of more than 50g. The car tore in half and burst into flames leaving Grosjean to escape from his cockpit which had gone through the barrier. The Frenchman was able to escape quickly through the flames, only suffering burns to his hands and no fractures. He will be remaining in the hospital up to Wednesday and will miss in this weekend’s Sakhir GP but he is very hopeful that he will be making a comeback in the Formula 1 season finale in Abu Dhabi. Grosjean joked that he had ‘Mickey Mouse’s hands’ due to the bandages on his hands as he talked in his first extended interview since the Sunday incident. He had no other issues other than the burns in his hands and he has no issue moving. Grosjean recalled his immediate thoughts in the accident, conceding that it felt longer than the 28-second period from impact to him getting out of the car. “I don’t know if the word miracle exists or if it can be used, but in any case I would say it wasn’t my time [to die],” Grosjean told TF1. “It felt much longer than 28 seconds. I see my visor turning all orange, I see the flames on the left side of the car. I thought about a lot of things, including Niki Lauda, and I thought that it wasn’t possible to end up like that, not now. I couldn’t finish my story in Formula 1 like that. “And then, for my children, I told myself that I had to get out. I put my hands in the fire, so I clearly felt it burning on the chassis. I got out, then I felt someone pulling on the suit, so I knew I was out.” Grosjean revealed that his five-year-old son, Simon, believes he has “magical powers” and that he has a “magical love shield” that protected him. “These are very strong words from the children,” Grosjean said. “My eldest, Sacha, who is seven years old, is more rational, he tries to understand. “And my little one has drawn a picture, ‘for daddy’s sores on his hands’.” Grosjean acknowledged he would likely need to discuss the trauma of such a dramatic accident as he feared he would be killed. “I was more afraid for my family and friends, obviously my children who are my greatest source of pride and energy, than for myself in the end,” Grosjean said. “I think there’s going to be some psychological work to be done, because I really saw death coming. “Even in Hollywood, we’re not able to do images like that. It’s the biggest crash I’ve ever seen in my life. The car catching fire, exploding, and the battery that burst into flames too, so it added a lot of energy to the impact.” Grosjean gave thanks for the messages he had received, but said again that he was eager to be back in the car in time for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. “I would say that there is a feeling of being happy to be alive, of seeing things differently,” Grosjean said. “But also there is the need to get back in the car, if possible in Abu Dhabi, to finish my story with Formula One in a different way. “It was almost like a second birth. To come out of the flames that day is something that will mark my life forever. “I have a lot of people who have shown me love and it has touched me a lot, and at times I get a bit teary-eyed.”

Hitech Grand Prix’s Nikita Mazepin will make the step up to Formula 1 in 2021, with HAAS confirming that they have signed the Russian driver for the new season on a multi-year contract. Mazepin – who has tested F1 machinery before with Force India in 2016, 2017 and 2018, as well as world champions Mercedes in 2019 – becomes the sixth driver to graduate from Formula 2 to F1, joining Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Lando Norris, Alex Albon and Nicholas Latifi in the top tier of motorsport. The Formula 2 title contender is the American team’s first confirmed driver for the new campaign, following the announcement of Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen’S departure in October, after four years with the team. “Becoming a Formula 1 driver is a lifelong dream come true for me,” said Nikita Mazepin. “I really appreciate the trust being put in me by Gene Haas, Guenther Steiner, and the whole of the team. “They’re giving a young driver an opportunity and I thank them for that. I’m looking forward to starting our relationship together, both on and off the track, and I’m naturally keen to continue to demonstrate my abilities after a strong Formula 2 season. “The team will be looking to me for feedback and inputs in order to refine its package for 2021 and beyond. I will take that responsibility on and can’t wait to get started.” Mazepin was the 2018 GP3 vice-champion, scoring four wins and four podiums to finish second to the late Anthoine Hubert. Stepping up to F2 in 2019, he was initially slow to acclimatise, before a switch to Hitech in 2020 produced a stark turnaround of form. The 21-year-old is currently third in the Drivers’ Championship, 29 points off second placed Callum Ilott. After a slow start to the season, where he scored just once in the opening four races, Mazepin has taken two wins and four podiums, becoming one of the most consistent drivers on the grid. “I’m delighted that Nikita Mazepin will be driving for Haas F1 Team next season,” said HAAS Team Principal Guenther Steiner. “Nikita has underlined his credentials in Formula 2 this year with a brace of victories and a handful of podiums in what’s been a strong sophomore season for him. “He’s developed into a mature racer moving up through the junior ranks – notably most recently in the GP3 Series, where he finished runner-up in 2018, and obviously in Formula 2 over the past two seasons. I’m excited to see what Nikita can achieve in Formula 1 and we look forward to giving him the opportunity to compete at the highest level of world motorsport. “With a record-setting 23 race schedule set for the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, he’s going to get plenty of track action to learn all the nuances of grand prix racing.”

Lewis Hamilton is self-isolating after testing positive for COVID-19 following Bahrain Grand Prix; The Mercedes driver will miss this weekend’s Sakhir Grand Prix; His replacement driver is yet to be announced. The Mercedes driver returned three negative tests last week but began displaying mild symptoms on Monday after coming into contact with an individual who has subsequently tested positive. Mercedes say they will announce Hamilton’s temporary replacement “in due course”. Stoffel Vandoorne and Esteban Gutierrez are the team’s reserve drivers. In a statement on Tuesday, Mercedes said: “The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team regrets to announce that Lewis Hamilton has tested positive for COVID-19 and will be unable to take part in this weekend’s Sakhir GP. “Lewis was tested three times last week and returned a negative result each time, the last of which was on Sunday afternoon at the Bahrain International Circuit as part of the standard race weekend testing programme. “However, he woke up on Monday morning with mild symptoms and was informed at the same time that a contact prior to arrival in Bahrain had subsequently tested positive. Lewis therefore took a further test and returned a positive result. This has since been confirmed by a retest. “Lewis is now isolating in accordance with COVID-19 protocols and public health authority guidelines in Bahrain. Apart from mild symptoms, he is otherwise fit and well, and the entire team sends him its very best wishes for a swift recovery.”

The wife of the 34-year-old Haas driver was at home with her three children watching the harrowing drama unfold on the opening lap at Sakhir as it fortunately veered within minutes from a horrendous nightmare to profoundly relieving outcome. Marion, who met her husband when she worked as an F1 anchor for French broadcaster TF1, took to Instagram to express a heart-to-heart array of feelings after Romain Grosjean’s ordeal, a moment that also brought to her memory painful recollections of the tragic fate that befell Jules Bianchi at the Japanese GP in 2014. Here is her post from Instagram transcribed in full: “Of course, I didn’t sleep last night. To be honest, I don’t really know what to write. I just know that it’s good to do it. It always helps me.” “Anyway, this morning, I don’t want to lie, the words aren’t coming easily. That will make him laugh, he who knows how much I like to talk. He to whom I always write so much.” “And then I didn’t know what photo to post either. Which image to keep from yesterday? The flames? Him, held by the arms by his saviours? The wreckage of the car?” “I’ve chosen this one, a bit stupidly. Because we’re both wearing the same T-shirt of his GP2 title. The one I still sleep in sometimes. I would have preferred if it to have the word ‘superhero’ on it rather than ‘champion’ – but if we have to, we’ll have it custom-made. For the children, because that’s how we explained the inexplicable.” On Twitter, late [last night], I used useful words, urgent words, to protect them above all. I mentioned the ‘shield of love’ that protected him. Today, I have to find other expressions, come up with other rational phrases, to express the feelings. We will find them together. Expressions of gratitude, for the men of the Medical Car. Expressions of friendship, for Jean Todt and his unfailing humanity. Expressions of thanks for you all, who have shown your support, your affection, your kindness which is so precious to us. Thank you to the family of Jules Bianchi; to his father Philippe, who I think of constantly. To Jules himself. To Kevin Magnussen for his words. To the team at Canal+ for their sensitivity. I will forget some people, excuse me. Thank you to our children, who pushed him to pull himself out of the fire. Thank you to his courage, his determination, his strength, his love, his physical training that probably kept him alive (Kim, Dan, love you guys). It didn’t take one miracle but several yesterday. I embrace you all.