February 2021

Haas Formula 1 boss Guenther Steiner hasn’t ruled out calling on Romain Grosjean or Kevin Magnussen should the team need a replacement driver during the 2021 season. However the priority will be to employ a reserve who can attend all the races and at the track in case of any late issues with regulars Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin. Both of Haas’s former drivers have found employment in the USA, with Magnussen competing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship and starring in the recent Daytona 24 Hours, while Grosjean confirmed his move to IndyCar. Neither would be available or willing to travel to F1 races regularly as a reserve but could still be called upon if they were free from other commitments and there was sufficient lead time to get them to a race venue. Grosjean made it clear this week that he would be ready to step in if he gets a call from an F1 team. “I wouldn’t mind if they are free,” Steiner told Autosport. “I think they will be happy to come back as well. I haven’t asked them, but I don’t think they have any bad feelings.” Steiner is still regularly in touch with both men and he’s pleased that they have found new jobs. “I actually texted Romain just before, because I had to ask him something, I spoke with Kevin last weekend when he was in Daytona. So I’m very happy for them,” Steiner said. “And as was always said, we parted ways, but I think in life, we still work together. There was no fallout. For sure, they weren’t happy, but they weren’t unhappy. They had a good time, we had a good time. “All good things come to an end in life, that was one of them, but we still keep our relationship. I’m very happy that they both keep on doing what they like to do.” Steiner confirmed that the team intends to have a reserve on site on race weekends, as was the case last year, and hasn’t ruled out renewing the deal with Pietro Fittipaldi, who replaced the injured Grosjean in the last two events of 2020. “I think we have to carry on this year with a third driver like we did last year, because of COVID. You never know when it hits you. If you ever need a third driver at the track, it is now,” he said. “There’s no rush to name anybody. We are talking with Pietro, obviously. But there is no big rush from our side and not from his side.”

AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly has donated the Ayrton Senna-inspired helmet that he wore at last year’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix to the Senna Foundation. Gasly wore the helmet, designed with the blessing of the Senna family, upon Formula 1’s return last year to Imola, the venue where Senna sustained fatal injuries in 1994. Gasly qualified a standout fourth for AlphaTauri but retired from the race due to a power unit issue. The helmet will now go up for auction in order to raise funds for the Senna Foundation, which supports the education of children and young people in Senna’s native Brazil. Gasly has also made 1:2 scale mini helmets available, which have been signed on the visor, and funds raised from those sales will also be donated to the Senna Foundation. Gasly, who won last year’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza, will stay on at AlphaTauri this year, alongside rookie Yuki Tsunoda. Formula 1 is due to return to Imola for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on April 18.

Russian driver Nikita Mazepin will almost certainly have to race as a ‘neutral’ driver in Formula 1 when he makes his maiden appearance for the Haas F1 Team this season. Russia is currently banned from competing at all world championship sporting events as a result of state-sponsored doping that took place at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. It means that there will be no Russian team competing in this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, or next year’s FIFA World Cup. And last month the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed that the two-year ban also extended to F1. The Russian Automobile Federation (RAF) said this week that it had received clarification from the FIA about the CAS ruling that this ban would extend to drivers racing under the Russian flag. It means that Mazepin will not be allowed to use national flags, emblems, symbols and anthems and will instead race as a ‘neutral athlete from Russia’ and be listed as ‘Russia. Neutral athlete’. Any use of the word ‘Russia’ on their clothing must be balanced by ‘Neutral Athlete’ with equal prominence. The colours of the Russian flag are permitted, and the FIA will also allow the acronym RAF to appear. The Russian national anthem at FIA events will be banned meaning it will not be played before this year’s race in Sochi. But the Grand Prix itself can still go ahead and Russian officials including President Vladimir Putin will be allowed to attend, while fans will be able to bring Russian flags to wave in the grandstands. The ban on official Russian participation also extends to other FIA world championships including Formula E, the World Rally Championship, the World Endurance Championship, and World Rallycross. But it is not expected to be imposed in Formula 2 which is not considered a world championship under the CAS ruling, meaning that Ferrari junior driver Robert Shwartzman is not expected to be affected.

Seven time world champion Lewis Hamilton is currently locked in a contract stand off with Mercedes, after his £40million-a-year deal with his Formula One team expire at the end of December and Hamilton appeared keen to distract himself from the ongoing drama on Friday, when he was spotted jewellery shopping at Beverly Hills’ XIV Karats Ltd. The racecar driver, 36, departed his spending spree in style, exiting the upscale establishment sporting a neck full of blinding bling as he drove off in his £140,000 2000 Porsche Taycan Turbo S. Sources tell MailOnline that the Hertfordshire-native spent more than three hours in the tony jewellery store, located just a stone’s throw away from the famed Rodeo Drive. He stepped out in casually cool style for the solo excursion, sporting a cream sweater emblazoned with the word ‘optimism’, which he teamed with a pair of matching jogging bottoms and box fresh white Jordans. Adhering by COVID-19 safety protocols, he wore a white face mask, while he shielded his eyes from the Southern California sunshine with a pair of stylish shades. Lewis’ spending spree comes amid reports he’s been locked in a contract stand off with Mercedes as both sides struggle to settle on a new deal. Mercedes has just a month to tie him down and the length of a new deal appears to be the sticking point with the Silver Arrows only willing to offer him a one-year deal. It would be a PR disaster to at least not have Lewis on board by March 2 to help unveil Mercedes’ new car they hope can lead them to double world championship glory for the eighth season in a row. Meanwhile, the star’s social life has been under the spotlight over the past week, after American model Grace Lindley was spotted leaving his Beverly Hills hotel cabana on Monday morning. Grace was seen emerging from the same cabana as Lewis, moments before the star sheepishly made his way towards his parked Mercedes at around 9.30am. Hamilton is relaxing in California after testing positive for COVID-19 less than 24-hours after winning the Bahrain Grand Prix on November 29th. He has since made a full recovery.

Rich Energy, the mysterious energy drink manufacturer owned by the equally mysterious William Storey, is still in business after the debacle during the 2019 F1 season. Storey is even planning a return to Formula One. But what team still wants to work with this man? Rich Energy made a name for themselves as the main sponsor of the Haas team in 2019. However, the partnership soon broke down when Rich Energy failed to meet payments, causing a row not only with the Haas team but also with their own shareholders. The affair has brought Rich Energy more publicity than a whole season of Formula 1, but with the result that few people in the paddock take Storey seriously any more. Nevertheless, he recently announced that he would like to return to the sport and we might get a decision as soon as next week. Rich Energy’s official Twitter account reports that a major announcement is imminent.

Formula 1 has confirmed it is in discussions with multiple American and African venues interested in hosting future races. At present, there is just one race in the United States, at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. F1 owners Liberty Media has long been in talks with promoters for a grand prix in Miami, with a track around the Hard Rock Stadium, however, that race has yet to come to fruition due to ongoing local opposition. New F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has confirmed Miami remains on the table, but there are a number of other US venues interested in hosting F1 events. “Miami, there are discussions in place, it is true,” said Domenicali, in a conference call with selected F1 media, including GPFans Global. “But I want to tell you that our strategy in the future is to be more present in the US with more than one grand prix. “As you know, Austin has been important in the last years of our calendar, it will also be in the future. “We are discussing with them the renewal of our agreement. Miami is a place we are looking, I cannot say more than that. For sure there is a big interest from both parties to make it work. “There are other possibilities in the US. Miami is the most advanced in terms of discussions. There are others that are in other areas of the country but they are not at the level that I can say ‘they are there’. “But for sure, I think in the next couple of months we will decide what will be possible in that country, whether it will be rotation.” The Vietnamese Grand Prix, slated for its F1 debut last season before Covid-19 struck the race from the calendar, has been removed altogether following political issues in the country. Whilst confirming the Hanoi street circuit would be considered for a spot on the calendar in the future, Domenicali also suggested there may yet be an Africa-based grand prix. “For sure, Vietnam is not on the calendar but it is still an open option,” he added. “It has been an incredible investment and therefore it is still on the table of discussions for a future event, for sure. “There are other areas that have shown interest that is basically in the north of Africa, South Africa, none that I can tell you. This is something very important, having new places and old places that have a great heritage in Formula 1. “We don’t have to forget that we have lost some European races that are now showing interest to be considered again. We need to decide what is the right balance for the number of races. “We need to see what areas we need for strategic interests, for team interests, for broadcaster interests, for media interests and decide what will be the right way to go.”

Formula 1 will meet with the 20 drivers when the season gets up and running in Bahrain, to discuss the importance of them being “positive ambassadors” for the sport. The news comes as F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali admits that the recent Nikita Mazepin groping scandal was “not acceptable” – and as the 2021 Haas rookie is now fined in a British court for running a red light last June. “I would say that it was pretty clear what Mazepin did was not acceptable,” Domenicali said on Thursday. “We need to make sure that in the discussions that we will have that they understand we cannot joke about certain things. It’s not possible. “They are too important not to understand and embrace that they are role models.” The ‘discussions’ Domenicali is referring to will follow a letter he wrote to GPDA president Alex Wurz, outlining “how important it is that the drivers understand their value in being a positive ambassador for F1”. “Not only the sport, also the values on which F1 is focussed,” said the Italian. “The ‘we race as one’ project, the diversity and sustainability projects. I invited them to a meeting – the target is to have it in Bahrain – to discuss and share this opportunity,” Domenicali added. Amid the fierce and ongoing anti-Mazepin campaign on social media, Haas boss Gunther Steiner says 21-year-old Mazepin has “understood” the seriousness of his indiscretions. “We settled it privately,” he told n-tv. “I won’t go into the details. “It wasn’t right, Nikita apologised, he knows it’s wrong and for me that is a sign that he understood.”

More and more sources, including F1 Insider, report that Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes have reached an agreement on the new contract of the seven-time world champion. It would also include a clause with veto rights over his teammate. The 37-year-old Briton has been driving for Mercedes since 2013 and has been world champion six times so far. Only in 2016 did he have to leave the title to teammate Nico Rosberg. Hamilton’s contract expired last year and negotiations have been ongoing for some time. According to insiders, Hamilton would sign a one-year contract with an option for a second season. His salary remains the same (estimated at 40 million euros per year). He will be allowed to use two advertising spaces on his helmet and overall. Much more striking however is the alleged clause in the contract which gives Hamilton a veto over his team mate. Among insiders this clause is even called the Verstappen-clause. It is an open secret that Max Verstappen is on Toto Wolff’s wish list, but many F1 experts believe that Hamilton would rather not have the young Dutchman as a teammate.

Nikita Mazepin, who will make his debut as a Formula 1 driver next month, has been fined for failing to stop his car at a red light by a court in Oxfordshire. The 21-year-old was found to have passed through a traffic light in Bracknell 1.7 seconds after it turned red. Oxford and Southern Oxfordshire Magistrates’ Court ordered Mazepin to pay a total of £274 in fines, court costs and a victim surcharge. He was also given three penalty points on his road car driving licence.The incident occurred on June 24th last year, shortly before Mazepin began his Formula 2 campaign with Hitech. He ended the year fifth in the championship, but also attracted attention for his conduct on-track during the season. Mazepin was involved in a series of incidents over the course of the year for which he received a total of 11 endorsement points on his racing licence. That left him one point shy of an automatic ban by the time the season ended in December. He will make his Formula 1 debut in Bahrain next month for Haas. The team has faced criticism over the choice of Mazepin as its driver after a video appeared on one of his social media accounts last December showing him groping a woman in a car. Mazepin apologised for the incident, which Haas described as “abhorrent”, before later confirming he will make his debut alongside team mate Mick Schumacher.

AlphaTauri becomes the fourth F1 team to announce its launch date as the wraps are set to come off the AT02 on 19 February. As it stands, McLaren is looking to be the first to launch, Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris revealing the MCL35M on Monday 15 February. AlphaTauri reveals the AT02 a few days later on the Friday, while on Monday 22nd, Alfa Romeo reveals its 2021 contender at an event in Warsaw. Tuesday 2 March sees the much anticipated reveal of the 2021 Mercedes – hopefully with the full driver line-up. Despite a significant step forward last year, AlphaTauri finished seventh in standings, one place down on where its predecessor, Toro Rosso, finished in 2019. Constantly having at least one of its cars finish in the points, there were a number of stand-out performances, not least Daniil Kvyat’s drive to fourth at Imola. However, the team’s highlight has to be its victory at Monza, Pierre Gasly giving the Faenza outfit its second ever win at the same circuit Sebastian Vettel claimed its first twelve years earlier. While Gasly is retained, he is joined by Japanese rising star, Yuki Tsunoda, and while there is no questioning the youngster’s talent it is thought his signing was partly to appease Honda.

McLaren has shared maiden images of Daniel Ricciardo in his new team colours ahead of the 2021 season, which will be Ricciardo’s first at the Woking-based squad. Having spent two years at Renault, Ricciardo has signed a deal to join McLaren from 2021 alongside Lando Norris, with its former driver Carlos Sainz departing to join Ferrari. McLaren ended the 2020 campaign third in the Constructors’ Championship, its best result since the 2012 season. Ricciardo too enjoyed a successful 2020 season, finishing the year fourth in the Drivers’ Championship, aided by scoring Renault’s first top-three finish of the turbo-hybrid era at the Nurburgring, before bagging a second podium at Imola. McLaren enters a new era in 2021 as it re-ignites its partnership with Mercedes, who will supply it with power units for the first time since 2014. The team has already announced that it will launch its car for the upcoming season, named the MCL35M, on February 15 at its Technology Centre in Woking. Despite stable technical regulations in place from 2020 to 2021 ahead of a big revamp in 2022, McLaren says that due to the switch to Mercedes from Renault engines, it is building “essentially a new car”. Ricciardo spoke about his highly anticipated move to McLaren alongside Norris, insisting that he is going to the team strictly for business, and warned not that he will not be part of a “meme power couple”. From 2014 to 2018, Ricciardo heightened his reputation after joining Red Bull’s senior outfit, scoring seven grand prix wins and 29 podiums. The upcoming year will be the Australian’s 11th in F1, having joined the grid as a Red Bull junior in 2011, competing half a season with HRT before joining Toro Rosso in 2012.

The saga surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s 2021 contract is becoming “embarrassing”. That is the view of former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, referring to the fact that the only team with an official vacancy ahead of the new season next month is Mercedes. He told Sky Deutschland that Hamilton is taking a “risk” – perhaps not only with his image, but also because Mercedes has the highly competitive youngster George Russell waiting in the wings at Williams. When asked about Hamilton’s farcically-delayed contract negotiations, Schumacher said: “One thing is clear – Formula 1 is bigger than any one individual. “It’s February now and the most important man at the moment in Formula 1 – the seven-time world champion – is still not signed. “I find that a shame and, I have to say honestly, a bit embarrassing,” he added. “Lewis also must not forget the risk of what he is doing.” 45-year-old Schumacher said he isn’t sure why Hamilton and Mercedes are still yet to agree, adding: “It’s always said that it’s just about the money, but I hope not.”