2021 F1 News and Prediction Tournament

[PeteC]

FIA confirms longest Formula 1 season for 2021

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/55344940

Formula 1's governing body the FIA has confirmed the calendar for the longest season in history next year.

There will be 23 grands prix held, starting in Australia on 21 March and ending in Abu Dhabi on 6 December.

The British Grand Prix at Silverstone will be on 18 July and the Brazilian Grand Prix has been firmed up at Sao Paulo's historic Interlagos circuit on 14 November.

The calendar is dependent on no further coronavirus pandemic disruption.

F1 has said it is confident it will be able to run a full calendar.

Plans for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne to be held in an 'F1 biosphere' are already under way.

The date previously allocated for the Vietnamese GP, 25 April, is still empty, pending a host country being found.

Hanoi's maiden grand prix has technically not yet been cancelled, but it will not take place and a replacement will come from one of the tracks that filled in this year as F1 built a primarily European-based season following disruption caused by coronavirus.

Turkey's Istanbul Park, Portugal's Portimao and Italy's Imola track are the leading candidates to replace Vietnam.

Saudi Arabia will make its debut with a street race in Jeddah as the penultimate grand prix of the year on 28 November.

Melbourne plans to hold the race with fans

Australia has been among the more successful countries in dealing with the pandemic, by imposing mask-wearing and social distancing, track-and-trace systems and enforcing a 14-day quarantine on international arrivals.

F1 personnel will be restricted to the track and their hotels and will be transported in between to avoid contact with the local population.

Vietnam's inaugural race in April was a casualty of the pandemic, as the first 10 races of the season were all postponed or cancelled.

The removal of Vietnam, which at the time was the first new event introduced by F1's owners Liberty Media, has been triggered by the arrest on corruption charges of a key official responsible for the race in Hanoi.

F1 had announced plans for the Brazilian Grand Prix to be held at a new track in Rio De Janeiro in 2021, but the project ran into trouble and a new five-year deal has been signed for the race to continue in Sao Paulo until 2025.

The calendar bears a strong resemblance to the original 2020 schedule.

The biggest change is the moving of the Dutch Grand Prix from the spring to 5 September, where it follows a week after the neighbouring Belgian event.

The race at the seaside town of Zandvoort had been due to return for the first time since 1985 this April, but was a casualty of the pandemic.

2021 Formula 1 calendar

21 March Australia (Melbourne)

28 March Bahrain (Sakhir)

11 April China (Shanghai)

25 April TBC

9 May Spain (Barcelona)

23 May Monaco

6 June Azerbaijan (Baku)

13 June Canada (Montreal)

27 June France (Le Castellet)

4 July Austria (Spielberg)

18 July Britain (Silverstone)

1 August Hungary (Hungaroring)

29 August Belgium (Spa)

5 September Netherlands (Zandvoort)

12 September Italy (Monza)

26 September Russia (Sochi)

3 October Singapore (Marina Bay)

10 October Japan (Suzuka)

24 October USA (Austin)

31 October Mexico (Mexico City)

14 November Brazil (Sao Paulo)

28 November Saudi Arabia (Jeddah)

5 December Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina)

[PeteC]

Sergio Perez: Red Bull sign Mexican to race alongside Max Verstappen for 2021

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/55367539

Mexican Sergio Perez has signed to race for Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen next year.

The 30-year-old, who took his maiden win in the Sakhir Grand Prix, replaces British-Thai Alex Albon, who will stay with the team as reserve driver.

Red Bull said Perez had signed "initially on a one-year contract".

"Alex is a valued member of the team and we thought long and hard about this decision," team boss Christian Horner said.

"Having taken our time to evaluate all the relevant data and performances we have decided that Sergio is the right driver to partner Max for 2021.

"Alex remains an important part of our team as test and reserve driver with a key focus on 2022 development and we would like to thank him for his hard work and contribution."

Red Bull decided Albon had not performed strongly enough in his 18 months with the team to justify continuing in a race seat.

And Horner said it had been "impossible to ignore Sergio's performance in Racing Point, particularly in the second half of the season".

He added that Albon was still a potential contender for a race seat in 2022.

It is Perez's first chance in a genuine front-running car in a decade-lone Formula 1 career.

Perez said he was "incredibly grateful for the opportunity".

He added: "The chance to race for a championship contending team is something I have been hoping for since I joined F1 and it will be a proud moment to step onto the grid in Red Bull colours alongside Max.

"You can be sure that I will give next season my full focus. The team has the same winning mentality as me and I know I am here to perform and help the team fight for another title."

Horner said it would have been an "injustice" if Perez had not had a seat in F1 next year after such an impressive 2020, but added that the driver was "realistic" about what to expect going up against Verstappen.

"He knows the quality of Max," Horner said. "He's a seasoned racer now. He has a huge amount of experience. He knows what he's going up against and the quality of Max, who has been in immense form the last couple of years. I don't think he underestimates that challenge in any shape or form but he's absolutely delighted to get the opportunity and prove himself."

Perez was in danger of losing his seat in the sport following Racing Point's decision to sign four-time champion Sebastian Vettel on a three-year deal from 2021 to partner Lance Stroll, son of team owner Lawrence Stroll.

The Red Bull seat offered him a lifeline which many will feel his performances this season justified.

Perez missed two races in the summer after contracting coronavirus but still finished fourth in the drivers' championship behind Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, and Verstappen.

His victory in Bahrain came after an outstanding drive in which he was last on the first lap after being crashed into by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, but fought his way back through the field before benefiting from problems that took out the Mercedes of George Russell, substituting for Hamilton, and Bottas.

He also scored a second place in the rain-hit Turkish Grand Prix in November.

Perez made his F1 debut for Sauber 2011, taking a second place for the team at the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix. His performances there earned him a place at McLaren for 2013, but the team were beginning a competitive decline and he was dropped after one year, partly as a result of a political fight between chairman Ron Dennis and managing director Martin Whitmarsh.

Perez joined what was then called Force India in 2014 and had stayed there ever since, and was instrumental in forcing the administration process that ousted former owner Vijay Mallya and allowed Stroll to buy the team.

Despite driving for midfield teams his entire career, Perez has scored a podium in six of his nine seasons in F1.

Red Bull gave Albon every opportunity to justify them keeping him in the seat, but the team were not convinced.

He was out-qualified by Verstappen at every single race in 2020, and was on average 0.523 seconds a lap slower.

In races, while Verstappen took two wins and nine other podiums finishes in 17 races, Albon's best results were two third places in the Tuscan and Bahrain Grands Prix.

He also spun when contending for strong finishes at the Emilia Romagna and Turkish races.

[PeteC]

Wolff to continue as Mercedes team principal for further three years, as Ineos become one-third equal shareholder of team

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/arti ... LXdoU.html

Mercedes have announced that Toto Wolff is set to continue in his role as Team Principal and CEO for a further three years.

The Silver Arrows add that Wolff will have the subsequent opportunity to transition to a new executive function within the organisation when he decides it is the right time to do so.

The news comes as Mercedes confirmed that that team partner Ineos is taking a one-third stake in the team, becoming equal shareholders with Daimler and Wolff himself.

To create three equal partners, Daimler will reduce its current 60% shareholding and Wolff will increase his current 30%.

The news that Wolff will continue to lead the executive operations of the company and racing team is sure to be welcomed by Lewis Hamilton, who makes no secret of his admiration for the Austrian and how much he's enjoyed working with him, as together, they've won seven straight contructors' titles.

Hamilton is, of course, yet to sign a new contract with Mercedes, though he has said he hopes to get a deal 'tied up by Christmas'.

Speaking on Friday, however, Wolff indicated it was likely to be later than that, saying: “We are not putting a special date to it because we don’t want to be put under pressure from [media] why it’s not signed yet. So sooner or later it needs to be done but the latest is before we go testing.”

[PeteC]

Ferrari: Mattia Binotto says Italian team 'cannot accept' another year as poor as 2020

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/55368940

Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto says they "cannot accept" another year as poor as 2020.

Ferrari were sixth in the constructors' championship with a best result of second place. It was their worst season since 1980, when they finished 10th.

Binotto said: "It has been a very hard season, even harder than we expected."

But he said he believed the team could improve in 2021, saying: "Third is not impossible and that should be our minimum objective for next season."

He admitted, though, that "finishing third [in the constructors' championship] will not be an easy job" and said he expected both Racing Point and McLaren to be strong.

And he said Ferrari had no hope of catching Mercedes in 2021: "The gap to the best team is very high and we will not close it next year."

Ferrari's biggest issue in 2020 was a lack of engine performance after a series of rule clarifications and a confidential settlement last winter with governing body the FIA, which believed but could not prove that the engine was not being run legally at all times in 2019. Ferrari denies any wrongdoing.

Binotto, who was talking in an end-of-season news conference, admitted Ferrari had the worst engine on the grid in 2020 but said the team had made progress with a new engine design for next season.

"The engine is running well on the dyno [test bed]," Binotto said. "In terms of performance, it has progressed well. Luckily we can have a completely new power-unit, otherwise we would be at a disadvantage.

"I think we will be back to be competitive as a power unit; we will not be the lowest in the field. That is the feeling I have got."

Development on cars is limited for 2021 because of cost-saving changes agreed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, but Binotto said he believed Ferrari could make a step forward.

However, he said that developing a new car for 2022, when a major set of rule changes that significantly change the cars will come into force, was "more important than 2021, as we are starting a new competitive era and if you start behind it will be difficult to catch up".

Binotto said he felt "fully supported" by chairman John Elkann and vice-president Piero Ferrari, but added: "I know my time [as team principal] is not infinite. I am aware that as a team we need to do well in the next seasons… [but] it will take some time."

New driver signing Carlos Sainz, a replacement for Sebastian Vettel as Charles Leclerc's team-mate, had his first day at the team's Maranello factory on Friday.

Sainz, who joins from McLaren, said: "It is a special day for me and one I will probably never forget."

Sainz has signed a two-year contract, while Leclerc is committed to Ferrari until the end of 2024 and the team have made it clear the 23-year-old from Monaco is the main hope for success.

Leclerc scored 75% of Ferrari's points in 2020 as he comfortably out-performed four-time champion Vettel in a difficult car.

Binotto said: "Charles had a great season. He is very talented and very fast. He has developed as a person and as a leader and today all the engineers see him as an important reference point in the future."

But Binotto said there would be no favouritism towards Leclerc at the start of next season.

"There is nothing in the contract of Charles [about] him being the leader. They will be free to fight on track," Binotto said.

"It is important they will not damage themselves. They will have equal opportunities at the start of the season.

"The top priority is to maximise the team points and it may be that in some races the two are accepting decisions to optimise the team's interests but by doing the team interest we are helping the driver interest.

"And later in the season if one has a clear advantage and one can achieve something the other can't, it will be an open discussion [about team orders]."

Asked what he expected of Sainz, Binotto said: "I expect him to contribute to the constructors' championship. It is important to have two drivers doing very well in the car.

"By doing well in the constructors' championship, it means the two drivers are doing well in the drivers' classification. I am hoping and pretty sure that Carlos will help us in terms of doing better in terms of constructors.

"I am expecting him to be a great team-mate and I am expecting he is a hard worker. He is a leader and I expect him to help develop the team in the future."

[dtaai-maai]

I see Lewis Hamilton has won the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year award. Having a personality is obviously not one of the main criteria...

[Dannie Boy]

I see Lewis Hamilton has won the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year award. Having a personality is obviously not one of the main criteria...

Never has been, otherwise Andy Murray wouldn’t have won either!!

[lindosfan1]

I see Lewis Hamilton has won the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year award. Having a personality is obviously not one of the main criteria...

Never has been, otherwise Andy Murray wouldn’t have won either!!

I would query sportsman, he has won more races than anyone, however when Russell stood in he would have won if mercedes had not cocked it up. It is down to the car and the ability of an individual to drive it. Is it a sport?

[pharvey]

I see Lewis Hamilton has won the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year award. Having a personality is obviously not one of the main criteria...

Never has been, otherwise Andy Murray wouldn’t have won either!!

I would query sportsman, he has won more races than anyone, however when Russell stood in he would have won if mercedes had not cocked it up. It is down to the car and the ability of an individual to drive it. Is it a sport?

All arguments regarding the ability/performance of Mercedes and Hamilton will go on and on..... But let's be brutally honest, at this stage, Mercedes are by far and away the best team with incredible engineering, innovation and forward thinking. Hamilton, despite numerous detractors in the public (those in the sport know what he is), is the best driver out there (at the moment) - these are facts proven by records broken by both team and driver, they are clear to see (. Yes, Russell had a wonderful drive in the Mercedes and has shown in the Williams he is a very talented driver. I have no doubt he will either partner Hamilton at Mercedes or replace him in the next few years, but Hamilton for now is still the man to beat. To say it is just the car he is in is an insult to both Russell and Hamilton - it certainly belittles Russell and what he did.

Hamilton may not be the most charismatic of people, or have that rogue/bad boy/diamond in the rough image which many sports (or otherwise) supporters love/get excited with. Whilst I support moves against any racism in sport or elsewhere, I am against the BLM movement (which in IMO is racist in itself) and am quite frankly bored with Hamilton's "soapbox moments". He is however an out-and-out professional who has dedicated his life to the sport - I for one am a fan of F1, have huge respect for what Mercedes and Hamilton have done and will continue to do so.

"Sports Personality of The Year"? Hmmm... Sportsman of The Year? IMHO, well Yes - I wouldn't have voted for Fury that's for sure...
To add, the reason Rashford was not nominated (although deservedly recognised), was that the award was based on "sporting achievements".

Is F1 a sport? Yes, very much so IMHO, although the affore mentioned excellence of Mercedes and Hamilton have made the titles somewhat of a procession..... To only look at the "Podium Finishers", does an injustice to other teams, drivers and the sport in general. Ferrari (and Seb) had a crap season.. (Teehee.. sorry ), but look at Renault, Racing Point, McLaren, Norris, Sainz, Perez, Stroll et al - come on, seriously - you need to question it?

Apologies for my own "Soapbox Moment"

BUT! Just to add......

Predictions... Lewis to sign for another 3 years matching Wolf's new agreement. Russell will be his teammate come 2022 (Bottas being replaced). Records galore for Lewis (and Mercedes), "Hamilton Haters" disappointed for a few more years yet.

Oh, and Lewis to finish off with a Ferrari drive in 2024 leading the team to the Constructor's title and his 10th Driver's title....

Should anyone place bets on the above and win, I expect my 20% share.

[lindosfan1]

Never has been, otherwise Andy Murray wouldn’t have won either!!

I would query sportsman, he has won more races than anyone, however when Russell stood in he would have won if mercedes had not cocked it up. It is down to the car and the ability of an individual to drive it. Is it a sport?

All arguments regarding the ability/performance of Mercedes and Hamilton will go on and on..... But let's be brutally honest, at this stage, Mercedes are by far and away the best team with incredible engineering, innovation and forward thinking. Hamilton, despite numerous detractors in the public (those in the sport know what he is), is the best driver out there (at the moment) - these are facts proven by records broken by both team and driver, they are clear to see (. Yes, Russell had a wonderful drive in the Mercedes and has shown in the Williams he is a very talented driver. I have no doubt he will either partner Hamilton at Mercedes or replace him in the next few years, but Hamilton for now is still the man to beat. To say it is just the car he is in is an insult to both Russell and Hamilton - it certainly belittles Russell and what he did.

Hamilton may not be the most charismatic of people, or have that rogue/bad boy/diamond in the rough image which many sports (or otherwise) supporters love/get excited with. Whilst I support moves against any racism in sport or elsewhere, I am against the BLM movement (which in IMO is racist in itself) and am quite frankly bored with Hamilton's "soapbox moments". He is however an out-and-out professional who has dedicated his life to the sport - I for one am a fan of F1, have huge respect for what Mercedes and Hamilton have done and will continue to do so.

"Sports Personality of The Year"? Hmmm... Sportsman of The Year? IMHO, well Yes - I wouldn't have voted for Fury that's for sure...
To add, the reason Rashford was not nominated (although deservedly recognised), was that the award was based on "sporting achievements".

Is F1 a sport? Yes, very much so IMHO, although the affore mentioned excellence of Mercedes and Hamilton have made the titles somewhat of a procession..... To only look at the "Podium Finishers", does an injustice to other teams, drivers and the sport in general. Ferrari (and Seb) had a crap season.. (Teehee.. sorry ), but look at Renault, Racing Point, McLaren, Norris, Sainz, Perez, Stroll et al - come on, seriously - you need to question it?

Apologies for my own "Soapbox Moment"

BUT! Just to add......

Predictions... Lewis to sign for another 3 years matching Wolf's new agreement. Russell will be his teammate come 2022 (Bottas being replaced). Records galore for Lewis (and Mercedes), "Hamilton Haters" disappointed for a few more years yet.

Oh, and Lewis to finish off with a Ferrari drive in 2024 leading the team to the Constructor's title and his 10th Driver's title....

Should anyone place bets on the above and win, I expect my 20% share.

I take and understand your points. I believe that sport has been ruined by money, even athletes in the olympics are not true amateurs. Rugby union no longer fully amateur as for football (for you wendyball) it is a disgrace how much money the top few are being paid, in the lower divisions lower paid I understand why. A true athlete is in my opinion is amateur, with some sponsorship is good to promote them and their sport. But any of these high paid prima donnas do not in my opinion desrve an award. Merry christmas from thr grumpy old git.

[pharvey]

I take and understand your points. I believe that sport has been ruined by money, even athletes in the olympics are not true amateurs. Rugby union no longer fully amateur as for football (for you wendyball) it is a disgrace how much money the top few are being paid, in the lower divisions lower paid I understand why. A true athlete is in my opinion is amateur, with some sponsorship is good to promote them and their sport. But any of these high paid prima donnas do not in my opinion desrve an award. Merry christmas from thr grumpy old git.

And a happy Christmas to you too!

Completely agree that the money being paid to certain individuals in some sports is ridiculous - well, bordering on criminal in some instances. Gareth Bale on 600K per week, Hamilton reportedly looking at £40 million per year (although a salary cap of a "mere" £20 million has been discussed), Hamilton's earnings however pale in comparison with those at the top of the earnings in sport for 2020: -

"Cristiano Ronaldo, with $105 million in earnings, remains in the No. 2 spot on Forbes’ highest-earning athletes list, followed by Lionel Messi (No.3), who held the No. 1 spot in 2019. Rounding out the top five highest earning athletes are Neymar (No. 4) and LeBron James (No. 5), who earned $95.5 million and $88.2 million respectively."

.... Roger Federer took top spot with earnings of USD 106.3 million https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbespr/2 ... d076c4b8f1

The likes of Rugby Union (which turned Pro in 1995) is nowhere near the pay bracket of some sports, with the top 15 salaries (reportedly) worth £500K to £1 Million per year (https://www.rugbypass.com/news/rugbys-r ... s-in-2020/). Yes, big money but far more realistic than other sports and these guys are at the very top of their profession.

Amateurism in top sports is very much long gone - but then, why shouldn't sports people earn from their abilities?



[EDIT] Sorry - getting off topic....

[pharvey]

Well, hardly unexpected after recent press, New Year Honours: Lewis Hamilton Knighted: -

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/55475887

Zero offence to those deserving of being honoured, but the the "Honours List" can certainly be a farce. Yes LH is a champion in his sport, has an incredible talent, has raised awareness of racism and done much outside the sport - I have great respect for him whilst not on his soapbox..... But sorry, a Knighthood should mean a lot more - then that's just MHO.

[dtaai-maai]

[PeteC]

Australian Grand Prix: F1 season-opener under discussion because of Covid-19 restrictions

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/55544290

The season-opening Australian Grand Prix could be postponed because of Covid-19 restrictions in Australia.

It is due to take place in Melbourne from 19-21 March.

The Australian Grand Prix Corporation, the Australian government and Formula 1 bosses are in talks over the Albert Park race.

"The government will continue to prioritise public health considerations while protecting our major events calendar," a Victoria spokesman said.

"Discussions between the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, the government and F1 management about the F1 calendar for 2021 are ongoing."

The Australian Grand Prix Corporation said it would provide "further detail upon finalisation of arrangements with all parties in the coming weeks".

An F1 spokesman said on Monday that the sport looked forward to racing again in March but did not specify where, with the Bahrain Grand Prix meeting scheduled for 26-28 March.

Australia continues to maintain strict quarantine rules on international arrivals.

Last year's Australian Grand Prix was called off, only hours before first practice was due to start, when a McLaren team member tested positive for coronavirus.

The season eventually started in Austria in July, with the calendar heavily rescheduled and reduced from an original record 22 races to 17 in Europe and the Middle East.

[PeteC]

Aero tweaks, new tyres and the cost cap: The 2021 F1 rules and regulation changes you need to know about

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/arti ... iFru3.html

Charts, graphs and photos best read at link.

[PeteC]

Lando Norris: McLaren formula one driver tests positive for Covid-19 in Dubai

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/55546167