F1 2021 Season

First topic message reminder :

The season opening Australian Grand Prix & the Chinese Grand Prix have been postponed.

Bahrain Grand Prix on the 28th March to be the first race of the 2021 season.

Formula 1 to revert to 2pm race start times at European races this year.

F1 practice sessions will be shortened to one hour during Fridays across the 2021 season.

Cognizant have been announced as Aston Martin’s new title sponsor. They will be called ‘Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team’.

Alex Albon will drive in DTM this season, on selected race weekends

Lando Norris has confirmed he has contracted Covid, while staying in, Dubai.

Sainz no pen

Seems fair enough really. The aids as above failed but didn't notice the other indicators

I think Verstappen got burnt as his engineer didn’t even tell him about Gasly’s car being on the straight. Reading the fia document, the team didn’t inform Verstappen. Poor showing from Red Bull.

Curious as to how sainz escaped though.

This is still Bottas Vs Max I guess overall

1. Hamilton
2. Gasly
3. Alonso
4. Norris
5. Bottas
6. Sainz
7. Verstappen
8. Tsunoda
9. Ocon
10. Vettel

Revised top 10

Jeff Navarro wrote:Poor showing from Red Bull

Unsurprisingly, Horner moaning and saying it’s an FIA balls up

GSC wrote:Curious as to how sainz escaped though.

This is still Bottas Vs Max I guess overall

Sainz telemetry showed he backed off despite not seeing the yellow flag

Then why did they need to send a summons for him and wait overnight?

GSC wrote:Then why did they need to send a summons for him and wait overnight?

The FIA steering wheel warning system wasn’t working properly. So better to be safe than sorry.
IIRC Bottas, Sainz and Verstappen where running in that order.

Wonder why Bottas' penalty gets applied first

FIA incompetence is unrelenting. Bottas listed as P5 when he’s actually P6.

GSC wrote:Wonder why Bottas' penalty gets applied first

He was ahead on the track of verstappen

If he's p6 it didn't get applied first

I’d imagine Max gets Bottas now into T1

That's weird, I thought the FIA was rigged against Mercedes...

Hamilton should sprint away and run - just whether Max can get to P2 or if Bottas can hold him off

Max up to 4th
Alonso p2

Gasly moves over

P2 Good result for Verstappen if it stays the same

Soft tyres not the right tyres at this stage

Verstappen up to second so the penalty nullified

Everyone else is so slow. Relatively boring race.

Yeah this is really quite boring after Max’s good start

Bottas puncture

Dominant win for Lewis. Damage limitation for Max. Good drive from Alonso.

Highly forgettable race though.

Hamilton wins
Verstappen +fl
Alonso
Perez
Ocon
Stroll
Sainz
LeClerc
Norris
Vettel

Verstappen lead down to 8pts
Mercedes lead down to 5pts

Pretty dull race. Hamilton never in any trouble at all. Good recoveries from Verstappen and Perez, albeit made easier by Bottas's shocking start. Nice podium for Alonso.

Can’t be racing here again. Magnificent MotoGP track. Not much in it for F1 cars.

Don't hold out much more hope for Jeddah being more entertaining looking at the layout of that (albeit I guess more chance of a safety car with the barriers being so close).

Damage limitation for Verstappen, but unless Red Bull finds some pace from somewhere, it's tough to see Lewis not winning these final two races providing he/Mercedes make no mistakes

Great results for Alonso/Alpine today, a superb drive from him! Good race for Lance Stroll too.
Obviously another total disaster for Bottas

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Don't hold out much more hope for Jeddah being more entertaining looking at the layout of that (albeit I guess more chance of a safety car with the barriers being so close)

Looks a horrific track. Definitely suits Mercedes, but safety cars will be an inevitability with those barriers.

I think if the current form guide continues, I can only imagine Max resorting to one thing…..

...a repeat of Silverstone or Hungary?

GSC wrote:...a repeat of Silverstone or Hungary?

Maybe, Monza

Max was pretty helpless today. I just can’t envisage he is just going to accept his fate, without some kind of intervention. He’s ruthless, and this season has been toxic, both on & off the track. It wouldn’t surprise me, that’s all I’m saying.

Horner received an official warning from the FIA for the needless outburst against that poor marshal waving the yellow flag.

I didn't understand why Red Bull pitted Perez so early (mediums to hard) after he made it to P3 and other drivers were still managing on the softs - that dropped Perez well back in the pack.  Then Bottas who had a terrible start recovered well to get to P4 - then P3 after Perez pitted - was just left out there until his tyres (medium) failed.  I thought maybe they were going to put him on softs but they put him on the hards.  Bottas was the last to pit by some distance.

Hamilton and Verstappen were the class of the field.   Alpine did brilliantly and got a podium plus 25 points overall to put them well ahead of the AlphaTauris in the Constructor's championship (fight for fifth place).

For my money the championship battle is essentially over, Hamilton’s been insanely quick these last two races - this was the old engine as well.
The only hope for Red Bull that Qatar was raced on the three hardest compounds C1, C2, and C3.
Mercedes are pretty much unbeatable on the C1 tyre during the hybrid era.
Saudi Arabia will revert back to the C2, C3 and C4. And a potentially unknown surface.
That said Mercedes, barring errors, are running away with it.

Jeff Navarro wrote:For my money the championship battle is essentially over

That said Mercedes, barring errors, are running away with it.

Can’t really agree. Yes, Mercedes have the best package right now, but points on board at this stage, is still a good place to be in. Historically, many championships have u-turned in the blink of an eye. One mistake, one mechanical, or one unfortunately timed SC, can pretty much dictate where this title goes now. The constructors title looked like being a tough ask for RB after qualifying, and by Sunday night, it’s been cut to five points.

It’s all up in the air, and all outcomes still possible, in both championships.

I understand where you’re coming from. And I’d hazard a guess that Newey will be working like mad on that rear wing in these next 7 days or so - both Verstappen and Perez had to use Mexico rear wing in Qatar.
But I can’t see where Red Bull can make up 0.4 just with their skinny wing.
They might sneak the WCC but I’ve got Hamilton as having 6 fingers on the WDC.

Terrible news about the death of Sir Frank Williams - I guess not wholly unexpected, but still very sad to read. A true giant of the F1 world

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Terrible news about the death of Sir Frank Williams - I guess not wholly unexpected, but still very sad to read. A true giant of the F1 world

Indeed. He built the team from scratch, taking some ridiculous risks, both financial and personal. But for all the trials and tribulations he created the most successful privateer team in the sport and one of the most successful, full stop.

I would love to see them get somewhere near their former glories once again.

Finally got round to having a look at the Jeddah circuit.

Just wondering why they're calling it a street circuit, seeing as its clearly been purpose built. Is it because there are walls round much of the track, as you get with true street circuits?

Looking at the layout it seems designed for fast, flowing driving. Not many slow corners, so hopefully it will favour Mercedes.








You can also see the Safety Car do a lap of the track at night here:

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.first-look-ride-onboard-with-the-safety-car-for-a-lap-of-the-jeddah-corniche.3uGwOdNdpklEcGM8Hw2Jvr.html

Looks like it will be a total procession unless anyone bins it into the walls - straights don't seem as long as they look on the map outline, and on that safety car video the walls are so close it looks like a Formula E circuit.

Oh and the track was also only just finished this week - already pictures of the paddock breaking up. Not exactly inspiring confidence...

Looks very tight. Not a fan of the second and third sectors, they look to easy. Q1 will be quite interesting. Be amazed if there’s not multiple SC’s during the race, or a red flag.

Hope the championship goes to Abu Dhabi, but this Jeddah track could  probably throw up a completely unexpected outcome this weekend.

Just Gareth wrote:Looks very tight. Not a fan of the second and third sectors, they look to easy. Q1 will be quite interesting. Be amazed if there’s not multiple SC’s during the race, or a red flag.

Hope the championship goes to Abu Dhabi, but this Jeddah track could  probably throw up a completely unexpected outcome this weekend.

Red flags already in F2 session and now for LeClerc in FP2. Hard to see how there won’t be a red flag during quali or the race, track is just too tight (also traffic is going to be a huge issue in Q1 tomorrow)

Yep - it does look very tight, so it certainly has some of the characteristics of a street circuit. Not much in the way of run-off areas, so if you mess up its likely game over.

Doesn't help being a new circuit and everyone learning how to drive it.

Like Gareth, I'm expecting quite a few Safety Cars, or at least VSCs and for some teams' mechanics to be working overtime. Disruptions / delays during quali and probably a few DNFs on Sunday too.

Seems like all the teams are really struggling to switch the softs on which may make quali a lottery.

Lewis summoned to the stewards over double yellows...

Drive to Survive season 3 - stewards special

Also summoned over impeding mazepin because this isn't farcical enough

Gonna be a tense race with the stewards waiting until the last lap to announce penalties

Seems odd why the Mazepin incident is being brought up. Masi originally said that was touch and go but it was all good.
Where’s this yellow flag situation come from?

Nothing comes of the yellows anyway so not entirely sure

Reprimand for Hamilton & Mercedes fined £25k

Bottas’ engine misfiring

Latifi, Mazepin, Schumacher, Vettel & Stroll out in Q1

Bottas luck is really sh!t