Racetrackmasters

Frederic Vasseur says he isn’t sure why Ferrari has placed Mick Schumacher at rival Ferrari-powered team Haas for 2021 and beyond. “Beats me,” the Alfa Romeo boss told Blick newspaper. “Maybe it made more sense for Ferrari to take Mick to Haas and keep Giovanazzi with us for the stability of the team. But I don’t know,” he added. What the situation does indicate is that Ferrari and Alfa Romeo may be moving further apart – just as Haas becomes obviously closer to the Maranello team. For instance, Ferrari designer Simone Resta was at Alfa Romeo as recently as last year – but now he is following Schumacher to Haas. “Sorry, that’s another very difficult question,” said Vasseur. “Sometimes there are strange things in life.” Vasseur even admitted that it is possible Alfa Romeo will split with Ferrari completely in the near future. “We are tied to Ferrari until the end of 2021,” he clarified. “Then we have to go over the books because the next contract should be from 2022 to 2026 with the new cars.” When asked if that next deal will be with Ferrari, Vasseur answered: “You can never say that. It’s like a marriage – there is not a guarantee that you will stay with the same woman forever. “In a partnership, you always have to consider that there are ups and downs, so we have to ask ourselves – what is the best deal? “Until now, Ferrari has mainly been a solid partner.” However, Ferrari struggled massively for engine performance in 2020, and Vasseur said: “That’s your interpretation, but I cannot disagree with you very much. “Apart from reliability, we cannot be satisfied with our results, but this year must have been a total disaster for Ferrari,” he added. Finally, Vasseur revealed that reserve driver Robert Kubica and title sponsor Orlen are staying put for 2021. “They were satisfied with all of our activities in the most difficult year, which is great news,” he said. “We know that we have to improve in all areas, and if something comes from Ferrari, we can set our goals even higher.”

Formula One team Mercedes has all but confirmed that world champion Lewis Hamilton would continue to drive for them next season. A post on the team’s official Twitter page carried the hashtag “announce” accompanied by the “coming soon” and “pen” emojis along with a quote from Hamilton expressing his desire to stay with Mercedes.

Mexican Sergio Perez is set to replace Alexander Albon at the Red Bull Formula One team next season, according to media reports on Thursday. The Speedweek website, owned by Red Bull’s Media House, reported Perez had signed to replace the Thai youngster alongside Max Verstappen and the announcement would be made on Friday. It said Albon would drop to the role of reserve driver and work in the simulator. The Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, which has close ties with Verstappen, reported the same. There was no immediate comment from Red Bull. Perez, a race winner in Bahrain this month, has lost his seat at Racing Point (Aston Martin) to four-times world champion Sebastian Vettel. Albon has failed to match Verstappen’s performances this season, with the Dutch driver winning two races and finishing third overall. The 30-year-old Perez, the first Mexican to win a grand prix in 50 years, finished fourth. He had indicated he would take a sabbatical next year if he failed to find another F1 seat.

Williams has announced the arrival of Jost Capito as its new chief executive officer, while Simon Roberts will stay on his role as team principal. The Williams team underwent a changing of the guard during the 2020 season as the family-owned business was sold to Dorilton Capital to help safeguard the team’s future throughout difficult financial times. With Sir Frank Williams and daughter, Claire, moving away from the Formula 1 operation completely, Simon Roberts was installed as the acting team principal as part of the takeover by the US private investment firm. But now Roberts has the job on a full-time basis and he also has a new boss to report to in the form of Jost Capito, who was an integral figure in Volkswagen’s successful World Rally Championship programme between 2013 and 2016. Capito did have a brief spell with McLaren before returning to Volkswagen, but is now back in Formula 1 as Williams’ new CEO. “It’s a great honour for me to join Williams Racing during these exciting and demanding times for both the team and for Formula One,” Jost Capito said. “It is an honour to be a part of the future of this storied team, and one that carries such a poignant name in the sport, so I approach this challenge with great respect and with a huge amount of relish.” Matthew Savage, chairman of Dorilton Capital, added: :We are excited to welcome Jost Capito as the new CEO of Williams Racing. “He is an experienced and competitive individual, who has built winning teams and is a winner in his own right. “He understands the Williams heritage and will work well with the team in pursuit of our objective to return to the front of the grid.” Williams will be hoping that they can continue to claw back some performance as they attempt to end what is now a three-year spell at the bottom of the Formula 1 pecking order.

Former Force India chief Fernley is set to replace new F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali as the FIA’s Single-Seater Commission president

Red Bull has no plans to replace Aston Martin as its title sponsor next year, with the British sportscar manufacturer focusing efforts on its newly re-branded Formula 1 team. The two companies tied up at the start of 2018 with both a title sponsorship partnership and a technical collaboration on the Valkyrie hypercar project. As well as being part of the official team name, Aston Martin’s logos appeared in prominent positions on Red Bull’s F1 cars – including the rear wing – and on the drivers’ overalls. But following Lawrence Stroll’s takeover of the Aston Martin road car company and subsequent rebranding of Racing Point under the British company’s moniker, it was agreed that the Red Bull sponsorship would come to an end. However, while Red Bull is hoping to add fresh sponsors to its portfolio in 2021, team boss Christian Horner has made it clear that it is not expected to land a fresh title sponsor just yet. “We don’t have a title sponsor replacing Aston Martin for next year,” he said. “We will have new sponsors that we introduce into next year. “Aston Martin obviously won’t be on our car. “We’ve enjoyed four years [in total], three years as title and four years with them on the car. We’ve helped to push the brand, and we’ve obviously enjoyed a great relationship with Valkyrie. “Obviously our deals were constructed under the former CEO Andy Palmer, who was always been tremendously supportive of the team. “And with Lawrence buying the business, it obviously was natural for them to exit. We’ll look forward to seeing the Aston Martin name live on in F1 next year.” Although the sponsorship deal is ending, Red Bull will continue work on the Valkyrie project, with deliveries of the car expected in 2021. Horner added: “The car is running, and we are doing all the testing. Of course the relationship goes until all the cars are completed through Red Bull Advanced Technologies.” Red Bull has a history of linking up with major car brands for its title sponsorship. It previously had a deal with the Infiniti car company from 2013 to 2015, but that deal ended as a legacy of the Milton Keynes-based team’s split with Renault.

Formula 1’s 2021 calendar featuring a record 23 grands prix has been ratified by the FIA World Motor Sport Council. The world championship has added a new race in Saudi Arabia subject to circuit homologation and the returning Dutch Grand Prix, which had to be cancelled this year, to create what should be the longest season in its history. A planned 22-race season in 2020 was set to be the new record but the calendar ended up being heavily revised to 17-race schedule with strict protocols because of the coronavirus pandemic. The announcement regarding next year’s calendar from the World Motor Sport Council congratulated “the entire Formula 1 community for the remarkable achievement of completing 17 events in the wake of the global pandemic”. Despite ongoing struggles around the world to contain the virus, F1 is pressing on with plans to return to a full season next year. Its proposed 23-race schedule has been rubber-stamped by the FIA, although it is still not actually completely set. Vietnam’s intended April 25 slot is still presented as a ‘to be confirmed’ race. It will not take place in Hanoi following the arrest and subsequent imprisonment of a senior figure connected to the grand prix. Ex-Hanoi mayor Nguyen Duc Chung was sentenced to five years imprisonment last week. Two unexpected 2020 venues have been linked with taking that vacant place on the schedule: Portugal and Turkey. The Portuguese Algarve circuit held its first grand prix this year (above), while Turkey’s Istanbul track returned to the calendar for the first time since 2011 (below). Brazil’s F1 race will remain at Interlagos on a new long-term deal following formal confirmation of the initial five-year contract previously reported by The Race in lieu of the planned new circuit in Rio de Janeiro failing to gain the necessary environmental licence to begin construction. The Brazilian GP will officially be called the Sao Paulo Grand Prix to reflect the city funding the race rather than it being a federal project. Meanwhile, a contract for the reprieved-for-2020 Spanish Grand Prix, which will benefit from the return of Fernando Alonso, and Carlos Sainz Jr’s move to Ferrari, is yet to be signed but is expected early in the new year. Confirmed 2021 F1 calendarMarch 21: AustraliaMarch 28: BahrainApril 11: ChinaApril 25: TBC (Portugal/Turkey linked)May 9: Spain (subject to contract)May 23: MonacoJune 6: AzerbaijanJune 13: CanadaJune 27: FranceJuly 4: AustriaJuly 18: BritainAugust 1: HungaryAugust 29: BelgiumSeptember 5: NetherlandsSeptember 12: ItalySeptember 26: RussiaOctober 3: SingaporeOctober 10: JapanOctober 24: USAOctober 31: MexicoNovember 14: BrazilNovember 28: Saudi ArabiaDecember 5: Abu Dhabi The WMSC council also approved sweeping changes to Formula 2 and Formula 3, which will now race on separate weekends with three races per event.

Rio had wanted to take the race but their bid to build a new track fell foul of environmentalists who protested the loss of a tropical forest which would have been felled to accommodate a new circuit. Formula 1 chiefs on Wednesday confirmed that the storied Interlagos circuit will continue to be the Brazilian home of the sport until 2025. Rio had wanted to take the race but their bid to build a new track fell foul of environmentalists who protested the loss of a tropical forest which would have been felled to accommodate a new circuit. “We are pleased to announce the city of Sao Paulo will continue to host the Brazilian Grand Prix until 2025 and look forward to working with our new promoter in the years ahead,” said Chase Carey, the chief executive of Formula One. “Brazil is a very important market for Formula One with devoted fans and a long history in the sport. “The race in Brazil has always been a highlight for our fans, the drivers and our partners and we look forward to providing Formula One fans with an exciting race at Interlagos in 2021 and over the next five years.” Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton had been one of the voices expressing his opposition to the proposed circuit plan in Rio. Interlagos has staged the Brazilian leg of the championship since 1990. It will be called the Sao Paulo Grand Prix from 2021 under the new deal which runs until 2025.

The transformation from Racing Point to Aston Martin could include the arrival of a possible new title sponsor in the form of Cognizant. According to a report from German outlet Motorsport-Total.com, the US IT firm are in ‘advanced negotiations’ with the team soon to be rebranded as Aston Martin. BWT, an Austrian water treatment system manufacturer, has been the title sponsor of Racing Point since 2017 but, at this stage, it is unknown what this potential new deal may mean for that current partnership. Racing Point fell just short of their mission to finish P3 in the Constructors’ Championship standings, but will still be hoping their upcoming large rebrand will attract plenty of new sponsors and undergo a similar development to that of McLaren, who have added a plethora of new sponsorship deals over the course of the last couple of seasons. Even though Racing Point failed in their season’s objective, team boss Otmar Szafnauer still thinks they have achieved enough to give the Aston Martin name a strong foundation to build upon for 2021 and beyond. ”It’s been a year of missed opportunities for several reasons – including more than our fair share of bad luck that cost us valuable points,” Szafnauer said. ‍”We will take the disappointment tonight in our stride and focus on the positives of an incredibly strong season where we enjoyed some great moments. “We have shown that we have a competitive car and team, which will give us a great base to come back even stronger in 2021 under the Aston Martin name.” To mark the return of Aston Martin, it is widely expected the iconic racing green colour will also return as part of the livery. The BWT partnership had given birth to the ‘pink panther’ name of the cars since the team unveiled a radical new look in 2017.

The case brought by Dmitry Mazepin’s company Uralkali against the administrators of the Force India Formula 1 team in the High Court in London has been dismissed. However the Russian chemical company has not given up its claims, and says it will seek to appeal the judgement. Mazepin, father of future Haas F1 team racer Nikita, was one of several parties in the running to buy Force India when the team went into administration in July 2018, and he put in what he believed to be the highest bid. With the clock ticking and complications due to the claims of Indian banks against owner Dr Vijay Mallya the process eventually morphed from Plan A, a sale of the shares of the original Force India company, into Plan B, a sale of the assets of the team. The assets were eventually sold to the Racing Point consortium led by Lawrence Stroll, and in an unprecedented development a new company was formed to take over the team’s entry and run its cars under the new name, with the full agreement of the FIA and F1. Having lost out Mazepin subsequently began proceedings via Uralkali against Geoff Rowley and Jason Baker of FRP Advisory, the firm that acted as administrator. In essence Uralkali’s claim was that the administrators had “failed to conduct a fair and proper sales process.” More specifically Uralkali claimed that FRP had “negligently misrepresented that they would select the successful bidder on the basis of the most favourable offer” and “negligently misrepresented that the bidding process would be operated on a level playing field as between all bidders.” In addition Urakali said that FRP “conducted the bid process negligently” and “breached an equitable duty of confidence by disclosing confidential information to Mr Stroll relating to Uralkali’s bid.” The case was heard by Mr Justice Miles in the High Court over seven days in November, and in a lengthy judgement issued on Tuesday he dismissed all of Uralkali’s claims. Mazepin himself did not appear as a witness, and Uralkali was represented by director Paul Ostling. In his judgement Justice Miles made it clear that the key player’s failure to appear in person had not helped Uralkali’s case. In a statement issued in response to the judgement Uralkali said it will continue to pursue its claims. The company noted: “Although Uralkali is disappointed with the decision of the trial court, it is pleased that the trial confirmed a number of its prior statements, including the fact that Uralkali’s bid for the assets of Force India F1 team was higher than the winning bid. “Uralkali intends to seek permission to appeal the decision handed down today and to continue to protect its rights in accordance with applicable legal procedures.” A statement from FRP Advisory given to Motorsport.com welcomed the outcome: “Mr Justice Miles not only dismissed the Uralkali claims in their entirety he also found that Mr Rowley conducted the sales process ‘fairly and properly.’ “The judgement vindicates FRP’s position from the outset, which is that the joint administrators undertook their duties with efficiency and professionalism and engaged with all parties in an entirely even-handed manner.”

Ricciardo was the latest guest on the Australian Grand Prix’s ‘In The Fast Lane’ podcast and was asked to help construct a list of the top 10 drivers of the 2020 campaign. The Aussie found it to be a difficult process as he felt a case could made for quite a few drivers in a season that produced five different winners and 13 different drivers on the podium. But, eventually, he decided to choose himself, just ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. “I don’t think it’s that obvious,” Ricciardo said. “Because I think a lot of people stepped up this year. “I mean the Mr Consistent at the top of course is your Lewis Hamilton. So he’s going to be there, whether it’s first, second, he’s going to be there. “Then you go down to Red Bull and Max is always there. So he’s in contention. “The way Charles got that Ferrari doing things this year, but then again I feel like probably Charles made more mistakes, so I wouldn’t put him there. “Yeah, probably myself! After all that. It’s hard not picking yourself but it’s also hard picking yourself because you sound like a bit of a douche. “Put it this way, I would put myself, Max, and Lewis in the top three. But I’d sneak myself a nose in front.” Ricciardo also did make a point of mentioning just how his former team-mate Verstappen has improved over the years. “I think he definitely did a large step of his development through 2016 and then 2017,” he said. “I also felt like the new cars, when we changed to the bigger tyres and all that in 2017, having more grip actually helped him or suited him as well. “He was already doing very well and then those cars were more for him as well. “Everyone says he was one of the best go-karters ever, and on a go-kart there’s a lot of grip in that and I thought maybe he just does like a car that really sticks. “So, 2017, I think already the speed was there. And then there was still the mistakes which he needed to clean up, even through a bit of 2018. “But once you clean that up, now he’s just got that high level of consistency with few mistakes.”

AlphaTauri has officially announced that Tsunoda will partner Pierre Gasly for the 2021 season. Tsunoda is part of both the Red Bull Junior Team and the Honda’s Young Driver Programme and finished third in this year’s Formula 2 Championship driving for Carlin. That result means the 20-year-old from Kanagawa, Japan, qualifies for a Formula 1 Super License. After winning the F4 Japanese Championship in 2018, he moved to Europe the following year to compete in the newly-formed FIA Formula 3 Championship, ending the season in ninth position with three podiums and a win. He graduated to Formula 2 for 2020 and enjoyed a successful season, amazing seven podiums, two Feature Race victories and a Sprint Race win. He recently covered 300 kilometres in a 2018 Formula 1 car during a test at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari Circuit in Imola, as well as driving for us at the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi on 15 December. The last time a Japanese driver raced in Formula 1 was when Kamui Kobayashi took part in the 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The last Japanese driver to race in Formula 1 was Kamui Kobayashi, while the last Honda-supported driver in the category was Takuma Sato, who competed in F1 from 2002 to 2008. “Red Bull has been following Yuki’s career for a while now,” said Franz Tost, “and I am sure he will be a great asset to our team. “Watching him in Formula 2 this year, he has demonstrated the right mix of racing aggression and good technical understanding. During the test in Imola in November when he drove our 2018 car, his lap times were very consistent over a race simulation, he progressed throughout the day and gave our engineers useful feedback. “In addition, his integration with the Honda engineers has been seamless, which certainly helps. At the test in Abu Dhabi this week, he proved to be a fast learner and that he is ready to make the step to Formula One.” “Like most racing drivers, it has always been my goal to race in Formula 1,” added Tsunoda, “so I am very happy with this news. I want to thank Scuderia AlphaTauri, Red Bull and Dr. Marko for giving me this opportunity, and of course everyone from Honda, for all their support so far in my career, giving me great opportunities to race in Europe. “I must also thank the teams that I have raced with to get to this point, particularly Carlin, with whom I have learned so much this year. I realise that I will be carrying the hopes of a lot of Japanese F1 fans next year and I will be doing my best for them too.”

Christian Horner is feeling “positive” about Red Bull’s efforts to take over departing partner Honda’s works engine program for 2022 and beyond. Recently, the energy drink team had gained the tentative support of some rivals in pushing for a development ‘freeze’ for 2022, which would make running Honda’s engines viable after the Japanese marque’s formal F1 exit. There are even rumours that Red Bull could keep Honda’s F1 technical boss Toyoharu Tanabe on board. “That’s very much an unexpected question for me,” the Japanese said in Abu Dhabi. “If something happens in the future, I will take time to consider carefully for my future.” Tanabe said “discussions” about 2022 are currently taking place with Red Bull. “We haven’t got any conclusion yet so we will consider every circumstance,” he said. Team boss Christian Horner confirmed that the talks between Red Bull and its rivals are highly politicised. “As you can imagine, I cannot say too much about what is being discussed,” he said. “But I would say the conversations that are going on behind the scenes are positive.” However, Horner admitted that the talks are political. “Unfortunately that’s all part of the game,” he said. “I’ve been around this business long enough to know how it works.”