June 2021

Red Bull’s Head of Aerodynamics Dan Fallows is set to move to Aston Martin to take up the Technical Director post at the Silverstone squad. It follows much recent restructuring at Aston who are making a big push for the 2022 rules change, Luca Furbatto joining last week as Head of Engineering and Silverstone-stalwart Andy Green moving up from Technical Director to Chief Technical Officer. However, Fallows will not be able to move for at least two years, according to Red Bull boss Christian Horner, who said that he would have to see out his current contract — with the precise date not revealed. Fallows been at Red Bull since 2006, first joining the Milton Keynes outfit as team leader in the aero department, being an integral part of its success as they went on to score podiums, wins and championship title. Horner said the team intended to replace him with one of the team’s “new generation” of aerodynamicists and paid tribute to Fallows’ long and successful stretch at the team, Horner said: “It goes without saying that Dan will be missed as he has played an important role during his time at Red Bull Racing and I would like to thank him for his contribution towards the team’s successes. “We do however recognise the chance to take on the role of Technical Director within a Formula 1 team is an appealing next step in his career.” Asked about the move in a press conference ahead of this weekend’s Styrian Grand Prix, Horner added: “All credit to Dan to be selected to be their technical director. He’s a great guy and has been a valued member of our team. “Of course, we have tremendous strength and depth in the aero dept under Adrian’s tutelage. we have tremendous talent and it frees up an opportunity for the next generation. “Dan will be here for a while. He’s focused on this year’s car and will be here until the end of his contract.” Asked how long Fallows’ contract had left to run, Horber said that he would not be leaving for at least two years. Fallows has tried to take flight from Red Bull before, after being wooed by McLaren into taking a role at Woking in 2014. However, it appeared he had a change of heart, returning to Red Bull after a period of leave to take up the Head of Aero there, with Peter Prodromou then going to McLaren instead.

Max Verstappen set the early pace as the expected rain held off in Practice 1 at the Styrian Grand Prix. The Dutchman was the only man to go sub-66s in the opening hour of running at the Red Bull Ring, posting the best time of 1m05.910s on soft tyres. It was a good morning for AlphaTauri as Pierre Gasly sat second and Yuki Tsunoda fifth. The strong start for the Red Bull-backed teams was only blighted by Sergio Perez in 13th, as the Mexican failed to get a clean lap. Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas were third and fourth, four-tenths off Verstappen’s initial benchmark, with Max’s main advantage coming in the final sector. A notable story of the session was track limits with multiple lap times deleted at the final two corners. Fernando Alonso was among those to have his best laps chalked off, but the Spaniard was still a strong sixth just ahead of Alpine teammate Esteban Ocon in seventh. Lance Stroll was eighth in the Aston Martin, with Antonio Giovinazzi, who had a small incident with Valtteri Bottas on the run to Turn 3, ninth to start the weekend where Alfa Romeo celebrates their 111th birthday. Ferrari had a busy morning with Charles Leclerc the highest place in 10th, 0.001s ahead of teammate Carlos Sainz in 11th. The Spaniard was also one of three drivers to have spins, with his coming at the exit of Turn 1. Alfa Romeo reserve Robert Kubica also lost the rear at Turn 3 early on, while Perez did a pirouette in his Red Bull at Turn 4. Also making a slower than expected start was McLaren with Daniel Ricciardo 12th and Lando Norris 16th. But with most teams running a busier program due to the threat of rain, it is possible that contributed to their subdued early positions. Lap times are also typically very close given the short lap at the Red Bull Ring, and that was no different again with a second covering Verstappen in P1 to Norris in P16. George Russell was also within that group in 15th for Williams, while the usual trio of Nicholas Latifi, Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin had Kubica for company at the rear of the field in 19th.

Formula 1 will return to Istanbul Park in Turkey for the 16th round of the world championship in October, the championship as announced. The Turkish Grand Prix will take the place of Singapore’s round of the world championship on the 2021 F1 calendar. The Singapore street race was cancelled three weeks ago, for the second year running.The race will take place on October 3rd, six weeks earlier than the series’ visit to the track last season. A race in Turkey was previously announced in place of the cancelled Canadian Grand Prix earlier this month. However that was called off when the British government added the country to its “red list”, requiring anyone who returns from there to quarantine for 10 days. F1 expects it will be able to fully comply with the travel restrictions which are likely to be in place in just over three months’ time. Discussions have been held over accommodating the onward travel of teams’ staff to the next round of the world championship in Japan, which will be held the following week. Formula 1’s president and CEO Stefano Domenicali said: “We hope to see another fantastic race again in one of the best tracks in the world. “We want to thank the Intercity Istanbul Park management and Mr Vural Ak for his personal efforts to make this event to happen. We have shown that we can continue to adapt and there is huge interest in our sport and the hope from many locations to have a grand prix. We have had very good conversations with all the other promoters since the start of the year and continue to work closely with them during this period.”

In Formula 1, a race is often won or lost in the pits. A botched stop can waste precious seconds that are difficult to gain back on the track, and even a few tenths could be the difference between maintaining track position or coming out behind a bitter rival. It’s therefore unsurprising that teams will do whatever they can to gain an advantage in this area. However, RaceFans reports that teams may have to cool it just a little, with the FIA introducing new directives that are expected to slow pitstops down in coming races. The new technical directive, TD22A, will come into force from the Hungarian Grand Prix onwards, which is scheduled for August 1. The aim of the new regulations is to help clamp down on unsafe releases where cars leave the pitbox too soon or without their wheels properly attached. This hasn’t happened yet in 2021, but similar incidents have led to serious injuries in the past. TD22A refers to Article 12.8.4 of the Formula 1 Technical Regulations, which states “Devices which are used to fit or remove wheel fasteners may only be powered by compressed air or nitrogen. Any sensor systems may only act passively.” The new directive is likely in response to suspicions that some teams may be automating parts of the pit stop procedure through the use of special equipment. It also aims to stop crew members anticipating the completion of tasks before they’re actually finished. To combat this, the directive has included provision for human reaction times in the pitstop process. Per the directive, mechanics must not respond quicker than 0.15 seconds to the completion of a task during the pitstop. For example, if a wheel nut is tightened, and a mechanic presses a button to carry out a further action within 0.15 seconds of this event, the pitstop system must register that input as invalid as it happened too quickly for it to be a legitimate human response to the event occurring. This would indicate either illegal automation rather than a human response, or that the mechanic anticipated the event rather then waiting for it to be properly completed. The button must thus be pressed again to complete the action. The directive also states that there must be a 0.2 second gap between the final all-clear signal being given to the mechanic in charge of releasing the vehicle, and the driver being given the signal to exit the pitbox. The news comes just a week after outlets like PlanetF1 reported Mercedes were making complaints about Red Bull’s pit equipment, in the face of the team’s devastatingly fast pit stops this season. Red Bull have executed the top six fastest stops this year, with the shortest being 1.93 seconds for Max Verstappen’s stop at the Bahrain Grand Prix. The team also hold the all-time pit stop record, which stands at just 1.82 seconds for Verstappen’s stop at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix. It’s estimated that the new regulations will slow pitstops by around 0.2-0.3 seconds, a significant amount when it comes to holding track position against a rival chasing down the main straight. It bears noting that the new directive adds yet another thing for stewards to investigate and measure, while doing little for the viewing audience at home. The FIA must be lauded for taking safety seriously, of course. It’s just a shame that it’s been done in a way that could potentially lead to more frustrating penalties for teams and drivers—certainly the last thing modern F1 needs. Maybe just bring back the lollipop guy? Seeing them running around was always cute as heck.

Max Verstappen believes the FIA should introduce front wing checks after clamping down on Formula 1 teams running so-called flexi-wings in recent weeks. After Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton noted Red Bull was running a “bendy wing” on the rear of the car at the Spanish Grand Prix last month, the FIA moved to clamp down on the rule loophole by introducing new rigidity tests from France onwards. Red Bull regularly hit back at Mercedes throughout the debate about flexi-wings, saying that if its rear wing was facing scrutiny then the front wing of the Mercedes W12 also had to be looked at. The rule clampdown did not appear to hinder Red Bull’s performance in France as Verstappen scored his third victory of the season, allowing him to extend his lead over Hamilton at the top of the drivers’ championship to 12 points. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner questioned in France why the FIA’s rigidity tests did not also apply to the front wing, saying the team would “assume at some point they will do the same to the front of the car”. Verstappen said ahead of this weekend’s Styrian Grand Prix that the win in France “showed that everything has been dealt with correctly” by Red Bull, but agreed that the tests should be extended to the front wing as well. “I do think when you are checking the rear wing, you should also be checking the front wing,” Verstappen said. “Because I think the front wing has a bigger effect on the car. It’s up to the FIA now of course to do these checks. “Clearly, they have done the checks on the rear wing, so it’s up to them.” Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez agreed that it was “up to the FIA to do all those check-ups”, and felt that the front wing had a bigger influence on the current generation of cars than the rear wings. “As Max says, I think the front is definitely much more powerful on a Formula 1 car these days than the rear wing,” Perez said. “It’s up to them really, and they have all of the information I guess.”

Alfa Romeo are 111-years-old today and for the occasion, a special livery celebrating the milestone will be used for this weekend’s Styrian Grand Prix on the cars of Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi.The iconic brand that spawned Ferrari, has had a golden history pockmarked with success in Formula 1 as well as periods as also-rans. The Italian team has ten victories in the top flight including Formula 1 world titles with Giuseppe Farina in 1950 and in 1951 with Juan Manuel Fangio. On the occasion this is what they had to say: Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen will pay tribute to the history and motorsport heritage of Alfa Romeo with a special revisiting of its livery, with the Italian marque’s logo morphing to celebrate the 111th birthday of the manufacturer, which takes place today. Over more than a century of history, Alfa Romeo has blazed a path made of prestigious vehicles, boasting an unmistakable style recognised the world over. The marque’s history is dotted with motorsport victories and built on technological know-how and the pursuit of mechanical excellence. Mainly, however, its history is built upon the men and women who devoted their lives to growing this brand to the one it is today, one that retains an almost mythical role in the hearts of motorsport lovers all over the world. The passion of the Italian Brand is embodied in the special logo that celebrates its 111th anniversary, a logo, designed by Centro Stile Alfa Romeo, which finds its inspiration in the iconic elements making up the Alfa Romeo crest: the “Biscione”, the snake symbolising the noble Visconti family from Milan, and the cross, the symbol of the city itself. The cross is warped in a sequence of number one figures, developing in a perspective as to represent the passing of time and giving a dynamic twist to the number 111. The logo will replace the traditional Alfa Romeo crest on the engine cover of the C41 cars of Antonio Giovinazzi and Kimi Räikkönen at this weekend’s Styrian Grand Prix, while a further nod to Alfa Romeo’s history will be on the cars’ nosecones, with the marque’s logo being replaced by the brand’s iconic trilobe. The logos on the car are only an element of the whole programme of celebrations for Alfa Romeo’s 111th anniversary, with a full range of activities and initiatives taking place at the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese, near Milan, until Sunday. Parades, special exhibitions and celebrations will tinge Arese red with four days of events in the name of passion, devoted to the Clubs and to the entire Alfisti fandom. Furthermore, the weekend will also see the first deliveries of the new Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA/GTAm, the new supercar produced in a limited run of 500 exclusive units: a model that links the brand’s glorious history to its future.

Lando Norris climbed from eighth to fifth place during the French Grand Prix. The overtaking of Pierre Gasly on the twenty-eighth lap was not without controversy. The Brit even called his French colleague an idiot. During the overtake at Le Beausset, Norris was cut off by Gasly with both drivers going off track for a moment. “He forced me off. What is this idiot doing? He went off himself”, Norris complained on the board radio. In the end Norris managed to overtake successfully one lap later. Speaking at the press conference in Austria, Norris revealed that the hatchet has now been buried. “Well, after the race I wasn’t too unhappy. I finished ahead of him, so I was actually quite happy,” the Official website of Formula 1. Although, of course, during the race it wasn’t like that. “My front wing was almost off. It was just not necessary, I thought, the level of aggression he had. But I have nothing against him.” Gasly also looks back on the incident, but he too sees no further problems with Norris. “In the heat of the moment you sometimes say things on the radio. It’s part of racing, hopefully we’ll have more fights this season and I enjoyed it. There was no harm in the action and I wouldn’t mind another fight with him this weekend.” Beyond that, the Frenchman doesn’t really want to mince words. “I think it was a nice, hard race. We always complain that we don’t have any overtakes in Formula 1, so I think you should be happy when there are and that’s about it.”

Sergio Perez is expecting talks with Red Bull over a new contract to happen during some F1 “downtime” and hopes any decision will be made quickly. Perez has impressed in his debut season with Red Bull after switching from Racing Point – now Aston Martin – over the winter, taking victory in Azerbaijan and following that result up with third in France last week. Questioned as to when he would ask Red Bull about a new contract, the Mexican replied: “I think right now we are so busy with the races, three in a row. “There will be some downtime where we can speak about it and hopefully it doesn’t take too long.” While at Racing Point, Perez appeared to have been safe as a driver heading into the Aston Martin era but was eventually ousted in favour of Sebastian Vettel. Recalling that, he added: “I don’t have a good experience when you take that long. “I see it as a natural thing when you are comfortable in the team, working with them and the team working with you, it is something that should happen very smoothly and we should just take it out of the season and focus on the right stuff.”

Aston Martin plans to appoint a new Formula 1 technical director as part of its ongoing process to create what it calls “a more focussed technical management structure with greater strength in depth”. As reported last week, Alfa Romeo chief designer Luca Furbatto will join at the start of next year as engineering director, with Andrew Green promoted from technical director to chief technical officer. This leaves the space for the appointment of a technical director, who is yet to be announced but likely to have been lined up by the team already, who will be announced in due course. The new technical director will be responsible for overseeing the aerodynamics department, overall car design and what Aston Martin calls “the short to mid-term technical strategy”. This is part of the expansion of the team, which now numbers just under 550 people and could expand to as many as 800 and will move into a new purpose-built Silverstone factory next year. They will be one of three senior technical leaders who report to Green, the others being Furbatto, who is responsible for factory engineering support and projects, including structures, reliability and R&D, and Tom McCullough. McCullough, who joined Force India from Sauber ahead of the 2014 season, will continue to be responsible for trackside engineering and performance, but under the new title of performance director. Aston Martin has explained this extends to “all the performance areas within the factory”, defined as aero and vehicle performance, as well as performance simulation and software. “As Andrew Green takes on this important strategic technical role, I am pleased to outline our new structure that will add real strength in depth to our technical operations,” said team principal Otmar Szafnauer. “In Tom, we have an experienced and talented engineer, who will continue to be responsible for trackside performance as well as the many factory-based performance functions. He is a strong leader, who has contributed a huge amount to the team’s success over the last eight years. “With Luca Furbatto adding expertise to factory operations, focussed on the technical support areas, we have brought in another excellent people manager with great expertise in his areas of responsibility. Both men will report to Andrew Green, as will the soon to be appointed new technical director. “Everybody at Aston Martin Cognizant Formula 1 Team aims to win grands prix and world championships, and this new and improved structure we have created mirrors that of the most successful teams in Formula 1 today.”

Max Verstappen is hopeful that his partnership with Sergio Perez will continue, as the Mexican driver is only on a one year contract. After a slow start to his Red Bull career, Perez has found form in recent races and has provided more than adequate backup to Verstappen, and was there to take the victory in Baku when the Dutch driver had a tyre failure towards the end of the race. “Everything is going really well!” Verstappen told members of the media, including RacingNews365 ahead of the Styrian Grand Prix. “Of course, I knew Checo [Perez] before, but not as a teammate so, of course, always a little bit different. But, I think so far, it’s been great. And to be able to now work together upfront, you know, to get the best results for the team is what you want. “So, for sure, I would want that to continue. And yeah, he is a great teammate. And we can have a lot of fun as well. You know, we don’t need to always talk about cars and setups and stuff.” Sitting beside his teammate at the press conference, a smiling Perez replied to Verstappen saying, “It’s probably the wrong question when I’m sitting next to you. Maybe you ask the question when I’m not here!” Perez has recently publicly praised Verstappen for his abilities on-track, as well as his off-track openness, and the mutual respect between the pair appears to be growing. With Red Bull being something of a ‘one car team’ ever since the departure of Daniel Ricciardo at the end of 2018, due to the struggles of Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, Verstappen said it’s important to be firing on all cylinders. “Before we didn’t have the car to fight them, so you could do what you want,” Verstappen said of Mercedes. “I mean, make a three stop, put the rear tyres on the front, nothing is really gonna change. “So now, we have the car to really fight them. And, of course, then it’s super important to be up there with two cars. And that’s exactly what we have been doing now in Baku and Paul Ricard. So it’s going to be crucial for the constructors as well to keep this up until the end of the year.”