Racetrackmasters

Mercedes engine boss admits to having ‘some issues’ with the 2021 power unit. This comes as the German outfit is set to supply three customer teams with power unit not forgetting its works team. Other than its own (multi) championship winning team, and customers Aston Martin and Williams, this season sees Mercedes re-partner with McLaren. While most believe the German team is heading for its eight successive brace of titles, many want to see it face a serious, consistent challenge. Whether it is the German outfit reverting to its customary underdog stance or whether there really is glimmer of hope for its rivals remains to be seen, but as the launch season gets underway, engine boss, Hywel Thomas admits that the 2021 engine has encountered some early issues. “In terms of readiness, we’ve got plenty of engines in build at the moment getting ready for the new season,” says Thomas in a pre-season video by Mercedes. “We have already got some of them together and we have also got engines running on the dynos right now, doing their durability runs. “There are also engines for our customers too,” he adds, “which are already with them and either in the back of their chassis and fired up, or in the process of doing so. “We have got some issues with the power units,” he admits, “we know we have issues but we have plenty of plans in place to fix all of those issues. I’m sure it will all be ready for the first race.” In addition to those unspecified issues, Mercedes, like its rival manufacturers, has to contend with the fact that only upgrade allowed over the course of the season – not to mention the subsequent freeze – has had to alter its approach. “It’s the first winter where we have prepared for only one single upgrade for the whole season,” he said. “So, we have to get all of our performance into the first power unit that goes to the first race, whereas in previous seasons we have been able to split that up into different packages for each power unit that gets introduced. “So, with that challenge, we have to get absolutely everything there for the first race and make sure it’s completely reliable. “Also, there are more races this season and the same number of power units, which means that each individual power unit needs to run across more races. We just have to make sure that we are ready for that and focus even more on reliability. “We also have the challenge of a pretty short winter, as we didn’t finish racing until the middle of December and now, we’re straight back into it. So, if anything, we’ve had more to do and less time to do it in.” Of course, having won 103 (74%) of the 138 Grands Prix held since the introduction of the hybrid formula in 2014, whatever the issues or reliability concerns, Mercedes remains the hot favourite.

Max Verstappen’s performance clause means the youngest race winner in the sport’s history is free to leave Red Bull if he cannot compete at the front, Helmut Marko has confirmed. With Mercedes dominating the sport in recent years, Max Verstappen must be wondering if Red Bull is the right team to help him achieve his ambition of winning a world championship. The Dutchman does have certain performances related clauses inserted into his contract which means he could potentially leave Red Bull if they fail to provide him a car capable of running at the front of the field. “Yes, there is a performance clause,” Marko told F1-insider.com. “I don’t want to go into details, but it more or less says that Max can compete for race wins and the world championship on his own merits. If he can do that, his contract is extended. If not, he would be free.” Marko however believes that clause won’t need to be activated because the Milton Keynes-based outfit themselves are pushing flat to return to winning ways. “That’s our goal and I believe in it, not only because of Max, but because it’s in our DNA that we want to win,” Marko stated. It will be interesting to see how the upcoming 2021 Formula 1 season unfolds. Both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas are out of contract with Mercedes heading into 2022 and if Red Bull does fail to meet Verstappen’s requirements, perhaps we could potentially see the Dutchman at the German team.

On Thursday evening, some bad news broke in Switzerland. Fernando Alonso was reportedly knocked off his bicycle. He is said to have broken his jaw in the collision. The full extent of his injuries are yet to be reported/confirmed. With pre-season just four weeks away, there’s doubt as to whether the Spaniard will be fit to compete. If Alonso can’t start the season, the question is who can Alpine use to replace him? There is, of course, strong hope that Alonso will recover in time for the start of the Formula 1 season and the winter tests in Bahrain. He was conscious and, according to previous reports, has not suffered any further fractures or injuries. Yet this immediately puts Alpine in a difficult situation, because the team does not have a real replacement. Alpine may opt to give the drive to the reserve driver, interestingly enough, Sergey Sirotkin is Renault’s reserve driver. At least, he was in 2020, but nothing further has been announced since last season. So chances are that Sirotkin is the man first thought of. He has one year of experience in F1 and also the necessary license points. Yet Sirotkin does not seem like the man you want to have in the car as an Alpine. In the past year, many experienced drivers have been pushed aside by their teams. The next option is experienced F1 drivers without a 2021 seat. The first name that comes up is, of course, that of Nico Hulkenberg. The German drove for Renault in the past. However, he showed that he is capable of joining last minute for Racing Point in 2020. In addition, he is not under contract with any team, which makes it attractive to bring him in for one time. Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean each have their past at Renault and their F1 experience, but Magnussen does not have overly fond memories of the team and both are on their way to America as well. They have already managed to get a seat there and will not want to fly over for one race. Daniil Kvyat and Alexander Albon also lost their seat in 2021. Albon, however, is under contract with Red Bull Racing. Kvyat may be an option for Alpine, but one that is far-fetched. It is hoped that Alpine can simply have Alonso at their disposal.

Fernando Alonso may be heading into surgery on Friday to repair a potentially broken jaw and teeth. Alpine has confirmed alarming reports that the 39-year-old Spaniard was struck by a car on Thursday whilst road cycling near his home in Switzerland. With the season opening Bahrain GP looming in March, the Enstone based team said Alonso is “conscious and well in himself” and will undergo further tests on Friday morning. Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport says the two-time world champion never lost consciousness but may need surgery for a jaw fracture and tooth damage. He will reportedly be transferred to a specialist hospital in Bern for the operation. The Spanish sports daily Marca said doctors are optimistic that Alonso, whose injuries are reportedly “not serious”, will be well enough for the start of official testing mid next month. “If there is a mandibular fracture, the tests will be because they want to see if there is a displacement and whether to put a plate on it,” a medical specialist, Dr Jose Gonzalez, is quoted by Spain’s AS newspaper. “If it really is a clean fracture, there should be no need for further testing. Either way, whatever it is, it is not a major injury. “It can be said, with almost complete certainty, that he will be at the pre-season tests in Bahrain without any problems,” Dr Gonzalez added.

Spanish Formula One driver Fernando Alonso is conscious and awaiting medical tests after being involved in a road accident while cycling in Switzerland, his Alpine team said in a statement on Thursday – after a media report suggested he may have suffered fractures. The 39-year-old double world champion is due to make his Formula One comeback this season after two years out of the sport. The team issued a statement on Twitter, which read: “Alpine F1 team can confirm that Fernando Alonso has been involved in a road accident while cycling in Switzerland. “Fernando is conscious and well in himself and is awaiting medical examinations tomorrow morning.” Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper reported earlier that the Spaniard had been hit by a car while training on his bike near Lugano and was taken to hospital. Alpine, formerly known as Renault and renamed after the French manufacturer’s sportscar brand, said there would be no further updates on Thursday. Gazzetta reported that initial X-rays suggested possible fractures and questioned whether Alonso would be able to start the season. The Formula One championship is due to begin in Bahrain on March 28.

Red Bull will move forward with Honda engines past the 2021 season with word that an engine freeze will be introduced. Although not yet official, Racetrackmasters.com has learned that the motion will be passed after a meeting on Thursday involving the FIA, the F1 organisation and teams. The decision no doubt comes as a massive relief for the Milton Keynes outfit, as they were forced to find a solution regarding their power unit following the Japanese manufacturer’s decision to leave Formula 1 at the end of the season. Red Bull had worked out a plan that would see the F1 team continue with Honda engines while buying the intellectual property. However any deal was reliant on an engine development freeze being approved given Red Bull don’t have the money or the facilities to set up an entire engine program. Initially there was full support for the freeze, however a vote at the end of January failed to deliver a verdict. However thinks have changed since then, with Red Bull finally getting clarity on the matter. It’s no doubt a boost for the Milton Keynes outfit following word that Lewis Hamilton will driver for Mercedes in 2021. Keeping Honda engines gives the team an opportunity to take the fight to the German manufacturer, while also keeping Max Verstappen happy given he can opt out of his Red Bull deal if the car and engine package aren’t competitive.

Haas has been forced to delay the fire-up of its 2021 car until next month in Bahrain due to COVID-19 travel restrictions in the UK. The US outfit was hoping to hear its 2021 contender roar into life this month at its factory in Banbury. However, UK travel restrictions and mandatory quarantine measures mean that engine supplier Ferrari cannot send its team of technicians to handle the traditional landmark moment. In the past, Haas has typically assembled its car at chassis supplier Dallara’s base in Italy. But the sheer number of 2020 parts carried over to this year’s car, as mandated by F1’s regulations, has led to the team building up its new machine in the UK. “We have issues with Ferrari employees coming to Banbury to start up the engines because they would need to quarantine,” Steiner told F1.com. “We cannot afford that timewise, so we decided to do the fire up in Bahrain. The team will assemble the car in the UK, and then the final fire up will be in Bahrain before test.” A fire-up delay would normally prove detrimental to the team’s preparations. But Steiner says the issue is largely mitigated by the necessity to carry over last year’s chassis. “To our advantage, there is a lot of carryover so it’s not as dramatic as it would have been in any other year,” said the Haas team boss. “With the engine, there are a lot of the parts that are carried over. The gearbox is carried over, too, and parts like the wiring harnesses. “If this was not the case, it would be a very big risk to do it in Bahrain. But with this situation, the risk is manageable.”

Formula One has confirmed that it would continue its #WeRaceAsOne initiative in 2021 with the sustainability, the diversity and inclusion and the community named as key pillars of the programme. Formula One launched a fantastic initiative in 2020 which ran under the name of We Race As One. The campaign was set to support the PurposeDriven Movement launched by the FIA. The initiative was created in June last year, just a few weeks before the pandemic-delayed 2020 F1 season kicked off at July 5 in Austria. By launching this initiative, Formula One intended to show its determination to tackle the major issues that the sport and the whole society are currently facing. A statement outlining the new plan said: “On our return to racing in 2020 we wanted to recognise the two major issues dominating society’s consciousness during that time, COVID-19, and inequality. “Throughout the season we paid tribute to people around the world for the incredible strength and fortitude shown against the global pandemic. The rainbow was chosen by Formula 1 to sit alongside #WeRaceAsOne as it became a symbol used internationally to bring communities together. Equally we used our restart to show that we as a sporting community stand united against racism and are doing more to address inequality and diversity in Formula 1. The sport has confirmed in its statement that it would drop the rainbow branding from its campaign in 2021. “This was highlighted at every race with the twenty drivers uniting in their support of ending racism before the start of the race. We plan to include a moment before the start of each race this season to show our united support for important issues and will be discussing this with the drivers and the teams ahead of the start of the season. This season the rainbow will no longer feature alongside the #WeRaceAsOne platform.” “This season the rainbow will no longer feature alongside the #WeRaceAsOne platform. While the COVID-19 pandemic is still an ongoing battle, we are focussing the platform on the three core pillars of our ESG strategy: sustainability, diversity & inclusion, and community. Formula One has also confirmed that the ambitious goals set out in 2019 will also remain part of the campaign with sustainability forming a key pillar of the programme. “In 2019, Formula 1 set out its ambitious sustainability, diversity, and inclusion strategy to improve the long-term future of our sport. This included our commitment to be net zero carbon as a sport by 2030 and create a more inclusive and diverse culture across Formula 1, attracting more diverse talent across technical, commercial, corporate, and on-air roles. “Additionally, the plan, in partnership with the FIA, looks at promoting a diverse driver talent pipeline by identifying and systematically eliminating barriers to entry from grass roots karting to Formula 1. “As set out in our #WeRaceAsOne announcement last year, recent events have reinforced the importance of those issues and the need for us to accelerate and take further action to make our sport better, improve opportunity and have a positive impact on the world we live in.”

Formula One could award championship points for Saturday ‘sprint’ races this season under a proposal to be discussed by bosses on Thursday. The shorter races would set the starting grid for the main grand prix on Sunday if the Formula One commission votes in favour of the format. Qualifying for the sprint race would be on Friday instead of second practice. The commission includes the 10 teams, commercial rights holders Liberty Media and the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA). The BBC reported that the top eight drivers in the sprint race, lasting an hour and about a third of the distance of a regular race, would earn roughly half the points awarded in a grand prix. To become reality, the proposal would need the backing of eight teams. A previous plan to hold sprint races with reversed grids failed to win approval. One team source told Reuters the plan was to trial the shortened race at three grand prix weekends — Canada, Brazil and Monza in Italy — although the calendar could yet change due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Formula One’s current format is for two practice sessions on Friday, followed by a third on Saturday before qualifying for Sunday’s race. The change is aimed at creating more excitement through increased track action. New Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali said last week that the sprint format was being considered. “We are thinking if this could be tested already this year,” he told reporters. “Discussions are going on with the teams in the right forum.” Formula One’s motorsport managing director Ross Brawn last month told the racefans.net website that he would like to see some weekends follow a different format to gauge responses without committing the whole championship to change. The BBC said a sticking point to the latest plan was that the potential cost of damage to the cars in the sprint race exceeded the extra money being offered by Formula One to the teams.

The 2021 Spanish Grand Prix is set to be open to fans with the tickets having specific COVID-related guarantees. The race organisers are preparing to welcome fans to the Spanish Grand Prix, set to be Round 4 of the 2021 season with the race held on May 9. The 2020 staging of the Spanish Grand Prix was forced to take place with no fans in attendance at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, but a new deal was struck to ensure that the event remained on the calendar for 2021. Formula 1 tried to move away from the policy of closed events as the season progressed, with the Russian Grand Prix at Sochi Autodrom seeing the highest attendance of the 2020 season at around 30,000, but sadly the closing stages of the campaign saw a return to empty grandstands. But in a statement the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya revealed details around ticket sales which are set to begin “next Thursday”, coupled with a COVID guarantee and extensive safety measures. “In order to keep the safety distance on grandstands, the circuit has designed a purchase system which, every time a user chooses a seat or group of seats, the system will automatically block the seats located above, below and on either side,” read the statement. “Another implemented safety measure is that all tickets will be nominal and users will have to enter the name and surname of each person accessing the facilities during the grand prix, who will have to show their Personal ID or passport at the entrance. “The facilities will be divided into five different zones to control the capacity and optimise circulation for all attendants, creating bubbles and sub-bubbles which won’t include more than 3000 people in each sector created for each grandstand. “Fans will have access to the facilities through the nearest gate and park their car in the nearest parking space, with the aim of avoiding the mixing of groups belonging to different bubbles. “Both the capacity of the car parks and the access of each of the gates will ensure the access of the different volumes of fans corresponding to each bubble. Thus it will be possible to keep the necessary safety distance for all users. “Considering the global health situation, should the event finally not be staged or staged without spectator attendance, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will offer all purchasers two options: transferring the ticket to the next season or a 100% refund of the ticket price.”

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali says multiple venues in Africa have showing an interest in joining the World Championship schedule. Africa is the only inhabited continent not to currently host a grand prix with South Africa’s Kyalami last holding an event in 1993. Kyalami currently holds an FIA Grade 2 safety rating but the venue is awaiting a fresh inspection which could see it move to Grade 1, potentially paving the way for Formula 1 to return. Kyalami was due to host a round of the World Endurance Championship this month but it was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Formula E, meanwhile, has held events in Marrakesh, in Morocco, which was the only other African country to host a grand prix, back in 1958. World Champion Lewis Hamilton last year commented his priority would be for Formula 1 to return to Africa. “There are areas that I can tell you have shown interest; basically in North Africa and South Africa,” Domenicali is quoted by RACER. “This is something that’s very important I think in terms of having new places or old places with heritage back in Formula 1. “We don’t have to forget that we have lost some European races that now are showing interest in being considered again. “For sure if we are doing a good product you may say that if the value is high you may reach the same kind of business without being too numerous in terms of races, and that could be the approach. “If you are able to do the right choices, I think that will be the way to go. It may not be in the shortest time but that is the target, I would say.” Formula 1 has added Saudi Arabia to its 2021 calendar, as the only new venue, while Zandvoort is due to return after its planned 2020 comeback was postponed due to the pandemic.

The Portuguese Grand Prix is set to be confirmed on the 2021 Formula 1 calendar in a meeting of the Formula 1 Commission on Thursday. Racetrackmasters has learned the current vacant May 2 slot on the calendar is set to be taken by Portimao, the circuit that last year held the first Portuguese Grand Prix since 1996. It had been hoped an announcement confirming the finalised calendar could be made sooner but a rise in coronavirus cases held up the process with F1 monitoring and evaluating the ever-changing situation. Portugal was recently added to the United Kingdom’s ‘red list’ with travellers returning from the country required to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days. Unlike with previous travel restrictions, elite sportspeople are not exempt. With the Spanish Grand Prix following directly after the Portimao weekend, however, it was unlikely personnel would have planned to return home between races, although it does mean some will stay in Europe until the quarantine period has elapsed. 2021 F1 calendar28 March – Bahrain GP18 April – Emilia Romagna GP2 May – Portuguese GP9 May – Spanish GP23 May – Monaco GP6 June – Azerbaijan GP13 June – Canadian GP27 June – French GP4 July – Austrian GP18 July – British GP1 August – Hungarian GP29 August – Belgian GP5 September – Dutch GP12 September – Italian GP26 September – Russian GP3 October – Singapore GP10 October – Japanese GP24 October – United States GP31 October – Mexico City GP7 November – Sao Paulo GP21 November – Australian GP5 December – Saudi Arabia GP12 December – Abu Dhabi GP

Formula One teams will hold a vote on Thursday to determine whether sprint races should be introduced to grand prix weekends. F1 bosses have put forward the idea of a shorter race on Saturday, which would replace qualifying, and determine the grid for Sunday’s grand prix. The new format could be trialled at this season’s Canadian, Italian and Brazilian Grands Prix. Eight of the 10 teams will need to vote in favour of the idea on Thursday to turn the concept into reality. F1 chiefs are keen to shake up the format of a GP weekend which currently sees two practice sessions on Friday, followed by a third on Saturday ahead of qualifying. The second practice session on Friday would be replaced by qualifying to make up the grid for Saturday’s proposed shortened race. It is expected that the top eight drivers in the sprint race would be awarded points which will count towards the championship. Testing for the new season takes place in Bahrain in the second week of March, with Lewis Hamilton to begin his bid for an unprecedented eighth world championship in the Gulf kingdom a fortnight later.