2020

Renault’s boss Cyril Abiteboul says that they are ready to be Redbull’s engine supplier if need be, but on the other hand he is not expecting to be the team’s ‘plan A’. Both Redbull teams(Redbull Racing and AlphaTauri) are currently without an engine supplier from 2022 onwards after Honda made a shocking announcement last week that they will be leavin Formula 1 at the end of 2021. The situation currently is not very pleasant with the Redbull teams who have now to worry about finding an engine supplier that will supply power units that will help them to compete strongly as the Concorde Agreement will be seeking implementation from 2022, hence the start of a new regulation cycle. The timeframe is too narrow to opt for an external engine manufacturer, if there is even any interested to jump in and assist the team. This means that the engine supply might be done by one of the manufacturer in Formula 1, and the most probable candidate is Renault. The two entities(Renault and Redbull) had a relationship previously that broke up back in 2018, but now according to Redbull’s situation there are signs from both sides that they are willing to forget the sour period and focus into the future. Redbull’s team boss, Christian Horner said, “We already have to start thinking about the incorporation of the engine into the 2022 cars. Really, by the end of this year we need that clarity, we need that clarification so we have to consider all options, all possibilities, and ultimately it will be Mr Mateschitz’s decision what he wants to do.” “For us, it is important that we have the right power unit so that we can challenge Mercedes in the future years.” he added. Christian Horner had strongly criticised Renault during the hybrid era, but recently developed a soft spot for the team when asked about Renault as he pointed out the new leader of Renault, Luca de Meo has made changes since he took over. “Renault is different now to the Renault we left, with a new chairman, with the few changes he would bring moving forward,” Horner said. Renault team principal, Cyril Abiteboul has said that they will step out and supply Redbull with power units if needed as they are aware of the Sporting Regulation that binds them to do so. Renault do not have any customer teams from 2021, so the FIA can force them to do so and the Renault boss said they would have no problem in fulfilling that. “I can confirm there was absolutely no conversation to this point,” Abiteboul told Motorsport.com. “Being in the sport we are well aware of the regulation, and we have every intent to comply with the regulation and with our obligations.” “Obviously it’s a bit more detailed – we need to be requested, and we have not been requested yet, and secondly there are very specific circumstances, including timing, for this to happen. And we are still quite far from that window, which is not before the spring of next year. We know that in F1 lots of things can happen in a very limited amount of time, and spring 2021 is still very far. All sorts of things can happen. As I say we will comply with any obligation which may arise from this circumstance.” The Renault boss was also asked on whether their reunion with Redbull would be awkward given their shared history that did not end quite well, he said, “I think so, but we need obviously to look at the sport. And I think we are still very far away from having to possibly cross that bridge. I can’t imagine that Red Bull would not have some plan in the background.” “Clearly they must have been aware of this, and Helmut and Christian are full of moves and solutions. I don’t expect that we will be their Plan A.” Its very possible that Horner is currently working on the plan A, the reason he is rumoured to be in Austria this week is that he is securing a fund from Dietrich Mateschitz to turn Redbull to a power unit manufacturer and have its own rights, buying intellectual property from Honda to get started. The initial cost of all this would be offset in the medium term by the budget cap introduction next season. Honda’s managing director Masashi Yamamoto confirmed that Honda are amenable to helping Red Bull out with a continuation plan. “Honda is happy to talk to them if they need us in any way, not only about the power unit but about other things as well. To support AlphaTauri and Red Bull for their programme after 2021 in any way, we’re happy to cooperate.” Yamamoto said. “As Honda we had so many things from the teams, so we want to give it back somehow in a nice way for the future.” Asked specifically about whether Honda would help out with a continuation plan with their intellectual property to allow Red Bull to run rebadged engines from 2022, Yamamoto said: “If that kind of request is made from the team, I am ready to speak to Japan.” “I personally want to support [what Red Bull and AlphaTauri do] as much as possible.”

Formula 1 has agreed on a deal with FIA for organisation of the Brazilian Grand Prix which will happen in Rio, however the event faces fierce opposition from an environmental group. The agreement to hold the Brazilian GP in Rio comes at a perfect time that the F1 boss, Chase Carey can be keen to include the race in the provisional 2021 F1 calendar. Carey has been holding talks with a group in Rio for some time to alternate the race to Deodoro, at a military base that was utilised for some lowkey 2016 Olympic events including hockey, rugby sevens, shooting, BMX, mountain bikes, show jumps and modern pentathlon. The suggested circuit is located in Camboata forest and the commencement of its construction would involve felling of many trees. The circuit still remains in the planning stages and has to be approved as it faces opposition from environmental groups. Carey confirmed a deal to run the race has been signed with the promoter, in a letter sent to the acting governor of Rio Claudio Castro dated 14th September. Now the construction of the venue is only pending the grant of permission. “I am writing to update you that we have now finalised race agreements with Rio Motorsports LLC to host, stage and promote Formula 1 events in Rio de Janeiro.” Carey wrote. “These agreements are ready for execution and announcement by Formula 1 as soon as all necessary licences have been issued by the relevant authorities, INEA/CECA, in Brazil/Rio de Janeiro.” The State Institute of the Environment (INEA) is on the process of making preparations on the technical opinions in regard to the environmental impact of the circuit construction project. Once this step is complete, the opinion will be first submitted to the Attorney General’s office and later to the State Environmental Control Commission(CECA). The loss of the city’s last forested area has generated a lot of opposition in the form of petitions that the government should put in consideration. One of the environmental groups is using a hashtag #BrazilSaysNoToDeforestation which gained alot of momentum and popularity after Chase Carey’s letter became known to the public. However, Carey’s letter does not specify thst the race has to be held at Deodoro, so they may decide to move the race to yet another venue. The current deal to run the Brazilian Formula 1 race at Interlagos came to an end this year amidst a strained relationship between the Sao Paulo promoter and the current Formula 1 management. This comes after Liberty Media buys Formula 1 and later discovered that Brazil was not due to pay a fee for the last few years of the contract as a legacy of a deal agreed with former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone.

Current Mclaren driver Carlos Sainz says fans ‘can laugh as much as they want’ as they are making jokes about his Ferrari move for 2021 F1 season. He also adds that he is finding their ideas ‘pretty funny’. Carlos Sainz agreed to join Ferrari in 2021 on a two-year-deal back in May as he will be replacing four-time championship winner Sebastian Vettel. Ferrari is currently going through a very difficult season as they currently lie sixth in the constructor’s championship which is behind the leading mid-field teams. This is unlike for the team as it was the biggest rival to Mercedes back in 2019 and has always been at the top in the previous years. One of the midfield teams that have beaten Ferrari, is Mclaren which is Sainz’s current team and it seats third in the championship, 32 points ahead of Ferrari. This has lead to questions on Sainz’s transfer to Ferrari and a lot of memes have been circulating in the media ridiculing his move. But a defensive Sainz says he is laughing off the jokes that are put in his way and he always enjoys the humorous creations fans make about F1 drivers on social media. “Honestly, they can laugh as much as they want,” Sainz told Motorsport.com. “I think they are actually pretty funny, some of [the jokes]. “People have a lot of free time and they come up with these very funny ideas. And I actually laugh also. “When the jokes are about me or the jokes are about the drivers, I’m the first one to laugh and I actually enjoy them. “It doesn’t mean that they are right or wrong, it’s just they’re funny. I guess that’s what they pretend to be, so good on them.” Sainz has always expressed that he has no fear moving to Ferrari where he will be driving next to Charles Leclerc who is the two-time grand prix winner. Until the final race of the 2020 Formula 1 season, Carlos Sainz says that he is very commited to help Mclaren to win the midfield title at the third position in the constructors championship ahead of Racing Point and Renault teams. He has put his full focus on the team despite that he is yet to find a place to live in Italy when he moves to Ferrari. “My team mainly, more than me, is trying to find a place,” Sainz said. “As you know I’m still focused on my season this year. “But as soon as the season is over and I’m thinking to next year, I will move to Italy when I find it convenient.”

The Formula 1 2020 season is taking place as a global pandemic, Covid-19 is affecting the world, this means that very strict mearsures are being put in place to prevent the key players in Formula 1 from contracting the deadly disease. This includes the drivers and each team member who are tested multiple times on each race weekend. If anyone, including the drivers may turn out to be positive for Covid-19, they have to leave the race immediately and self isolate as they are getting proper medical care for quick recovery. This had happened to Racing Point driver, Sergio Perez who had to miss the two races in the Silverstone after testing positive for the disease. Helmut Marko, particularly was not impressed with the number of people who were not wearing masks during the Russian Grand Prix held at Sochi as he revealed that his two Redbull drivers were very lucky not to suffer the same fate as Sergio Perez. “There was great life there [in Sochi], good-humoured fans, great weather, just a good atmosphere in the city, [but] outside of the paddock there were very few walking around wearing masks,” he told speedweek.com. “It will not be able to continue like this with the restrictive measures. We had a driver whose girlfriend was infected and he wasn’t infected. Another was at a party where three infected people were present, and he was also negative.” Marko did not specify the names but he was obviously talking about Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon, this comes as there is a lot of speculation on how it will play out for Alexander’s seat as his struggles and unstable performance would see him off the Redbull team. Pierre Gasly, Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg have all been linked to the seat. Marko still insists that they prefer to be keeping Albon, he refused to rule anything out showing that all their options are still open. “If Alex Albon performs well, he stays. If not, there will be deliberation,” Marko added. “We would then see which drivers that are good are on the market. But that’s not an issue at the moment.” The 2021 driver options is not the only the only worry for the Redbull team, as Honda recently announced that they will be leaving Formula 1 at the end of 2021 season. They are the current engine suppliers for the Redbull team and they will have to look for another engine supplier. However Marko is not panicking as he and Dietrich Mateschitz had known long ago that Honda will be leaving even before Christian Horner, the Redbull boss. “We are working in all directions because we knew about Honda’s decision for a long time,” he said. “Mr Horner is a team principal, but not involved in strategic matters. Mr Mateschitz and I have known for a long time.” “There is an option to exit at the end of each year. This is not our priority. When we have the facts together, Mr Mateschitz will decide.”

Turkish grand prix event organisers have been forced to ditch their plans to hold their Formula 1 return this year with attendance of the fans due to rising Covid-19 fears. The race which will be held at the Istanbul park from November 13th to 15th will still progress without the fans, behind closed doors following a statement issued by the the local Istanbul government. This comes after a recommendation was made by the pandemic committee which was in the approval of the sanitation committee. “Within the scope of the efforts to combat the coronavirus epidemic, and in accordance with the recommendation of the Istanbul Provincial Pandemic Committee, it has been decided by the Provincial Hygiene Committee, the Formula 1 DHL Turkish Grand Prix 2020 will be held without spectators.” the statement read. The event organisers were previously very ambitious as they had planned to host a crowd of over 100,000 fans over the three race days, as early tickets sales were rising to over 40,000 due to the low price they had stipulated at £3 per day. The overturned decision is very understandable given the circumstances but it will be a major blow to the organisers as they are welcoming back Formula 1 in their country for the first time in nine years. “Our season has been guided by a safety-first approach and that will continue to be our priority.” “In Turkey, we had hoped to welcome fans but the situation in the country means this is no longer possible and we fully understand and respect the decision.” an F1 spokesperson said in regards to the announcement. Looking back at the fan attendance in the previous races, Mugello was able to invite a limited number of fans as they were staging the Tuscan Grand Prix, while the Russian GP organisers had a plan to host 30,000 fans per day although the final numbers failed to reach their target. In the upcoming races, like this weekend’s Eifel Grand Prix which will be held at the Nurburgring , followed by the races in Portimao and Imola will be held with a limited number of fans in attendance.

Redbull has the capacity to build their own engines for 2021 and even beyond, this is according to former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher. At Sochi, prior to Honda’s shock decision last Friday to quit Formula 1 at the end of 2021, Schumacher had declared: “I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Porsche in F1.” But amid speculation Red Bull could now buy Honda’s F1 operations, he tells Sky Deutschland that a better option for Red Bull might be to run its own engine program. “They certainly have the strength and the means for that,” Schumacher, who once worked very closely with Alpha Tauri boss Franz Tost, said. “Financially it wouldn’t be a problem. In Honda, they also have a partner who can help them during the transition phase.” “Perhaps Red Bull can take over the development department in Milton Keynes afterwards. Then they can finance it themselves,” the German added. However, Russian F1 commentator Alexey Popov thinks becoming an engine supplier would be a mammoth task for Red Bull. “It is unclear what they should do after Honda leaves,” he told Match TV. “If Mercedes stays in F1, it won’t give its engines to them. Ferrari too. That leaves Renault, who are obliged by the rules, but they parted with Red Bull so badly that it would be a very unpleasant collaboration.” “The last opportunity is to buy out what Honda leaves behind. But even then there is a problem with the production base, which is not in Europe like the other teams. So this would be very difficult too,” Popov added. Yet another major consideration for Red Bull is that Honda’s departure is sure to trigger a potential exit clause in Max Verstappen’s contract. “This could provoke an attempt for Verstappen to negotiate with Mercedes,” Popov said. “For Russia, it (Honda quitting) wouldn’t be bad because if Honda had stayed, they probably would have tried to put Tsunoda in Kvyat’s place and now this will most likely not happen. In any case, the coming days will be eventful.”

Christian Horner, the team boss Redbull, is very hopeful that the team can close the gap with Mercedes despite the stable regulations put across by the FIA in the concorde agreement. The major regulations change was put to a hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but will be taking effect in 2022 hopefully if everything goes back to normal. There’s an overview that the pecking order at the Formula 1 grid might remain the same in 2021, if much won’t have changed meaning that Mercedes will remain at the top as the quickest, with Redbull taking the second position but way off behind Mercedes. Horner has some hope that this won’t be the case, and believes that his team will develop the RB16 properly enough to close the gap with Mercedes. “There is a carryover of parts but that doesn’t mean to say if we can unlock more potential in the car and develop the car effectively then, of course, I think we can close that gap,” the team principal, Horner said. “This car is the basis of next year’s car. There is probably 60% of the car that is carried over so obviously, we are working very hard to understand and unlock further performance from the car between now and the end of the year. There are now three months left of hard development and the whole team is very focused on that.” Looking back at the pace of the F1 cars, Racing Point has been very close to Redbull this season as they often had a quicker car on the track. Sebastian Vettel will be joining the team as it will be rebranded Aston Martin in 2021, as the regulations will be allowing them to use this year’s Mercedes parts token free. This will make the outfit even stronger. Christian Horner agrees that with Vettel joining Racing Point, he could have a positive impact on the team. However, he continues to stress that the team’s main objective is ahead of them rather than behind. “I think they have a car that is very competitive,” he added. “The basis for their car for next year – the rules should have further clarifications in terms of what is and isn’t permitted, but [it is] a team with high aspirations and good budget behind them now and a potentially rejuvenated Sebastian in that car could be a factor. “We have got to focus on ourselves. The gap we measure ourselves to is Mercedes and that is what we have to work hard to reduce and ultimately get ahead of.”