FORMULA ONE SET FOR FUN IN 2021
by Paul Marinelli
The world’s premier motor racing championship, the FIA Formula One World Championship, takes a different shape in 2021 with the addition of new drivers, a completely revamped team and some outstanding driver movements. The new season got underway under lights in the Kingdom of Bahrain on March 28. This event replaced Melbourne’s traditional season-opening Australian Grand Prix. Forced to postpone due to closure of international flights and the worsening European pandemic situation, the Australian Grand Prix is now provisionally included for November 18-21. The opening event did not disappoint with wheel-to-wheel fights for the win, podium and minor placings taking place throughout the hectic 56-lap race. The winner was Mercedes AMG superstar and defending seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who only barely survived a race-long attack from Red Bull Honda rival Max Verstappen by just 7/10ths of a second at the chequered 1 2 C A P R I C O R N I G N I T I O N M AY 2 0 2 1
flag. Third place went to Hamilton’s Mercedes AMG wingman and teammate, Valtteri Bottas. The most famous name of the new drivers to make their Formula One debut in 2021 is Mick Schumacher, the son of legendary seven-time world champion Michael. Piloting with the only American Formula One team, HAAS F1, Schumacher had a solid run despite an early race spin to finish sixteenth in his maiden Grand Prix. Daniel Ricciardo has made the move to the once almighty McLaren Formula One team, this season with Mercedes-Benz engines and alongside super-fast British youngster Lando Norris. The Western Australian racer also had an early race skirmish in the season opener, but gathered it all up to finish within the points at seventh. The concern here is that Ricciardo is now in his tenth season of Formula One and his far more inexperienced teammate matched him in qualifying by 4/100ths of a second and out-raced him in Bahrain, finishing an impressive fourth.
