2020

Today will be the last race of the season in Formula 1, but meanwhile there are already many eyes on 2021. For example, some names are missing from the F1 entry list for next season. Every year the FIA comes with an official entry list. On this list are all teams and drivers that are registered for the next season. The governing body of Formula 1 has now published the 2021 entry list, but some names are missing. This can be seen on the blog of journalist Joe Saward. For example, under the name of Max Verstappen we only see a TBA – To Be Announced – at the place where Alexander Albon’s name should be. The British Thai still doesn’t have a contract extension for next season and Red Bull Racing will decide after the GP of Abu Dhabi who will be Verstappen’s teammate in 2021. This seems to be between Albon and Sergio Perez, who will have to make way for Sebastian Vettel at Racing Point. Another name missing from the list is Daniil Kvyat. It has not yet been officially confirmed, but it is almost certain that the Russian will be replaced by Red Bull and Yuki Tsunoda. The Formula 2 driver has finished third in his debut season and has also obtained a super licence. One of the places where we are expecting a TBA is however a name registered: Lewis Hamilton. The Brit has no official contract for next year and negotiations are still ongoing between the world champion and Mercedes. This seems to confirm that Hamilton will be driving for the team again next year, as the majority of onlookers expected.

Mercedes are running a special livery on their W11 cars for the rest of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend to commemorate their continued success in Formula 1. For the seventh year in a row, the Silver Arrows have clinched both World Championships on offer. They bagged the Constructors’ title with four races to spare at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix and Lewis Hamilton added his seventh World title at the next race in Turkey to go level with Michael Schumacher on the all-time World Championship list. And, to acknowledge their remarkable achievements, Mercedes have the names of every single person who has contributed to the continued success of the team on their all-conquering W11. “The bodywork has all the names of the people who have contributed to this year’s success, be it in Kuala Lumpur, Stuttgart, Turin, Brackley or Brixworth,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. “It has been tremendously difficult at times but also rewarding for all of us with this World Championship title. “Furthermore, we will be having seven Petronas green stars on the engine cover to mark our seventh successive double World Championship.”

Max Verstappen topped the final practice session of 2020 as he went quickest in FP3 in Abu Dhabi, ahead of Alex Albon and Daniel Ricciardo. Mercedes didn’t have their best session, with Lewis Hamilton sixth and Valtteri Bottas ninth. It was an extremely slow start to the session, with the track empty for nearly 20 minutes before Nicholas Latifi broke the silence. It was Red Bull who set the best laps in the first runs, with Verstappen setting the quickest time and Albon just a few tenths slower in P2. Hamilton improved to split the pair, but Verstappen then pushed really hard, going half a second clear of the returning champion. Bottas was next to improve, briefly sitting third before Hamilton overtook him again. George Russell, moved back to Williams this weekend, seemed like he was still in the Mercedes when he momentarily went fifth on the timesheets, before falling back down again. With ten minutes to go, the midfield teams decided to turn up the heat, with Lando Norris taking P2 before Daniel Ricciardo took it away from him and then Esteban Ocon relegated the Brit to fourth. Albon had been complaining of understeer, but put in a solid lap towards the end of the session to join his teammate in the top two. Ricciardo was third ahead of teammate Ocon and Norris. Hamilton was P6, with Stroll and Sainz just behind him. Bottas could only manage P9, with last week’s race winner Sergio Perez in tenth.

Red Bull expects just 60 percent of its current Formula 1 car will be carried over into next year’s RB16B challenger. Although there is quite a strict chassis freeze heading in to next year, as part of the cost saving measures introduced in response to the coronavirus pandemic, there are some freedoms to make developments. As well as aerodynamic surfaces remaining open to change, teams are allowed to use two special development tokens to choose particular parts of the car that they want to improve. More fundamental parts of the car will use up both tokens, while smaller areas will use just one. With Max Verstappen having admitted recently that there were ‘weaknesses’ in the car that would be addressed for next year, the team has hinted at quite a big revamp. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner explained that while there was a lot of carry-over, there was also going to be some fundamental work being done. “I would say that of the RB16B…60 percent of the car is the 16,” he explained. “Like all cars, there is a large amount of carry-over of components for next year.” “We’ve got the basis of a decent car. I think we know where its weaknesses have been compared to our opponents, so that’s where we’re focusing our development over the winter. “Mercedes will have an extremely strong package next year, there’s no doubt about that. But we’ve just got to use all the information and tools and data that we have to do the best job that we can.” Although this year’s Red Bull has suffered from aerodynamic anomalies, Horner is optimistic that those difficulties can be ironed out even with the mechanical aspects of the car staying the same. “I think a lot of the chassis stays the same, the suspension elements obviously stay the same, and gearbox is all carried over,” he said. “It’s basically the clothes that it’s wearing will be different, which is obviously the aerodynamic surfaces. “And of course, we go into a budget cap world as well next year, so the ability to develop is a lot more focused. It’s going to be a new challenge, a different challenge next year, but I think we have the basis of a decent car. “I think you can see that the car generally has got closer and closer to Mercedes over the last few couple of months in particular. That’s been really encouraging.”

Toto Wolff has played down suggestions that it is Lewis Hamilton’s salary demands that are holding up a 2021 contract for the seven time world champion. It is rumoured that Mercedes is not willing to meet Hamilton’s demands amid the economic impact of coronavirus – especially with a salary cap looming in Formula 1. When asked about that, team boss Wolff admitted that the financial aspect is “always part of the discussion, and it’s never much fun on either side”. He told Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper: “But in this case, it’s not an essential parameter. It’s more about how he sees himself in this world and how his thought processes are running.” At the same time, Wolff said the important thing for Mercedes is “how we can use him as a brand ambassador – how many days is he available off the track”. He says the talks should have begun last week, but Hamilton has been holed up in a Bahrain hotel with covid-19. “I take his health into account but we are absolutely in agreement on the general conditions,” said Wolff. “Now we wait for him to get back on his feet and then we’ll talk.” Austrian Wolff played down the risk that 35-year-old Hamilton could take the opportunity to either retire or switch to another team. “I don’t think Lewis will ever want to drive anywhere else,” he insisted. “I also think he has unfinished business. “From my perspective, there is nothing that prevents him from continuing, so I assume that it is very likely. But I wouldn’t rule anything out.”

Alfa Romeo driver Kimi Raikkonen claimed there was “nothing scary” about the fire which cut short his second practice session at Yas Marina despite his radio connector jamming when he tried to escape. The lead, which plugs into a connection to the right of Raikkonen’s shoulder, failed to disconnect as the Finn repeatedly pulled on the chord whilst the fire intensified at the rear of the car. The Ferrari power unit had let go with 18 minutes remaining in the session and although the unit would have been changed overnight, the damage caused by the fire could provide difficulties elsewhere within the chassis. “Obviously, there is some damage but hopefully, it is mainly bodywork,” said Raikkonen, who turned fire marshal as he took over the handling of an extinguisher from a track marshal, steering the nozzle into key areas to ensure it did not reignite. “It is a different engine and gearbox than we run tomorrow. It is just a bit more work for the guys. Nothing scary about it. It is just a shame that it gets all messed up with trying to put the fire down. It is just one of those things.

Valtteri Bottas put Mercedes on top in FP2 at Formula 1’s 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which was disrupted by a red flag when Kimi Raikkonen’s Alfa Romeo caught fire. Lewis Hamilton finished second ahead of FP1 pacesetter Max Verstappen. But all three leading drivers failed to set their best times on the soft compound tyre as a Turn 1 off, track limits and encountering slower traffic cost the trio respectively. In the only representative practice session for the 2020 season finale, the opening 20 minutes was dedicated to running the prototype C4 compound Pirelli has develop for use next season. All the cars were quickly on track for the twilight session, with Renault’s Esteban Ocon leading the way as the pitlane exit light turned green. He therefore set the P1 benchmark at 1m40.101s, before Raikkonen quickly brought it down to 1m38.943s. Bottas moved to the top of the times with his first complete lap on the 2021 rubber, a 1m37.818s, with Hamilton slotting in less than a tenth behind. The cars returned to the pits after 20 minutes, with Bottas first in slightly earlier than the rest as he discovered a slight problem with his throttle pedal travelling too far beyond its normal limit. Hamilton was first to head back out on the medium 2020 tyres, taking P1 with a 1m36.479s. But Bottas soon moved back to the top of the times at the end of the first 30 of the session’s 90 minutes with his first flying lap on the mediums – a 1m36.276s – which ended up being the sessions fastest time. This was because, although Hamilton went quicker on his first run on the soft tyre shortly before the session’s halfway point, he lost his best time for running too wide out of the final corner. Hamilton’s 1m36.097s had not been significantly faster than the best time on the mediums, but he lost because he slid just too wide exiting Turn 21 and his time was deleted for exceeding track limits. Bottas was next up on the softs, but he had to catch a snap of oversteer at Turn 1 and he ran deep into the runoff, quickly abandoning the lap. Nearly 10 minutes later, Verstappen appeared on the softs and set the session’s fastest time in the first sector, but had already faded behind Bottas’s benchmark in the middle sector before he eased off that effort after closing up behind Sakhir GP winner Sergio Perez, who was completing a race-data-gathering run for Racing Point. Verstappen did then complete a personal best run on the softs, only a fraction faster than his best on the mediums, which he also lost for running too far wide exiting the final turn. The teams had switched to long-run data gathering when the session was stopped after Raikkonen’s Alfa dramatically caught fire as he swept towards the end of the first sector with just under 20 minutes remaining. The Finn pulled over near a fire marshals post a short way down the main straight, by which time the rear of his car was engulfed in flames. Raikkonen was able to climb out as the red flags were thrown, helping the marshals to put out the blaze – with his car continuing to smoulder for a long time after the initial flames had been extinguished. The session was suspended for over 10 minutes, but did get going for the final five minutes, which featured Hamilton having to stop in the pitlane – in front of the Haas garage – as he was unable to select a gear. The Mercedes mechanics ran down the pitlane and the world champion was able to get going again, Hamilton and Bottas having returned to the 2021 prototypes for the running before Raikkonen’s car caught fire. Alex Albon finished fourth with the fastest standing lap on the softs, after losing several laps for running too wide at the final turns earlier in the session, 0.987s slower than Bottas’s session-topping best, with Lando Norris fifth for McLaren. Ocon took sixth ahead of Perez, who also set his fastest time on the mediums, with Charles Leclerc, Daniel Ricciardo and Lance Stroll rounding out the top 10. Just before Raikkonen’s fire, George Russell had had to bring his Williams back to the pitlane with a suspected MGU-K problem, smoking emitting from the rear of the car. As he was being pushed back into the garage, his mechanics had to step away from the car as its electricity warning light was flashing red and it was subsequently isolated in his garage as the problem continued long after Russell had climbed out.

Sergio Perez will take a grid penalty for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after Racing Point elected to change his Mercedes power unit for the Formula 1 season finale. The Mexican had admitted that the engine that took him to victory in the Sakhir GP last weekend was getting towards the end of its life, and was already suffering from being down on power. But amid concerns that the power unit may not have enough mileage left to safely get through the Yas Marina weekend, Racing Point has bit the bullet and fitted brand new main elements. The switch to a new internal combustion engine, turbo chargers and MGU-H will push him to the back of the grid. However, having a fresh engine will allow Perez to run it to its maximum settings all weekend as he will not have to worry about it lasting after the weekend. The Perez situation will be good news to Racing Point’s rival McLaren that is locked in a tight fight for third place in the constructors’ championship.

Max Verstappen set the pace for Red Bull in opening practice for the Formula 1 season finale in Abu Dhabi as Lewis Hamilton returned after recovering from COVID-19. Seven-time world champion Hamilton was forced to miss last weekend’s Sakhir Grand Prix after testing positive for COVID-19 one day after his victory in Bahrain. Hamilton returned to the cockpit of his Mercedes W11 F1 car in first practice at the Yas Marina Circuit on Friday afternoon after returning two negative test results, and fulfilling the entry requirements to make his comeback. But it was Verstappen who was able to lead the daytime practice in Abu Dhabi, edging out Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate, Valtteri Bottas, at the head of the timesheets. Bottas had set the early pace for Mercedes on the soft compound tyre, only for Verstappen to make big gains when he switched tyres, taking top spot just before the one-hour mark. Verstappen’s lap of 1m37.378s was enough to give the Red Bull driver top spot by just 0.034 seconds from Bottas, who focused on hard tyre running for the majority of the session. Following his maiden F1 podium finish in Sakhir last week, Esteban Ocon continued his good recent form by finishing third for Renault, albeit 1.1 seconds off Verstappen’s time. Ocon was left to complete Renault’s programmes solo after teammate Daniel Ricciardo stopped on-track due to a fuel pressure problem on only his fourth lap of the day. Alexander Albon finished fourth -quickest for Red Bull as he again struggled to match Verstappen’s pace, as well as spinning at the Turn 12/13 chicane. Hamilton racked up 20 laps in the Mercedes en route to fifth place overall, setting his best time on the hard compound tyre. The British driver lost some track time early in the session due to a brake issue, but it was rectified to allow him to get back out swiftly. Racing Point drivers Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez finished sixth and seventh respectively ahead of the AlphaTauri pair of Daniil Kvyat and Pierre Gasly, while Kimi Raikkonen completed the top 10 for Alfa Romeo. Carlos Sainz finished 11th in his final FP1 outing for McLaren, two places clear of Lando Norris as Charles Leclerc split the teammates for Ferrari. Sebastian Vettel ended the session 14th after having his best lap time deleted for exceeding track limits. Robert Kubica stepped in for Antonio Giovinazzi at Alfa Romeo as part of his programme for the team, finishing 15th as he got in some more laps ahead of next week’s test day. George Russell made his return to Williams following his one-race stint for Mercedes in place of Hamilton, leaving him in more familiar territory on the timesheets as he finishes 16th, beating teammate Nicholas Latifi by six tenths of a second. Mick Schumacher’s grand prix weekend debut saw him finish 18th for Haas, continuing his preparations for a full-time drive with the team next year. Teammate Pietro Fittipaldi wound up P19, lapping 2.8 seconds slower than Schumacher.