Formula One in 2021

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 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.

Many F1 pundits’ eyes were on Sebastian Vettel, the four-time world champion who was not offered a contract extension by his former team, Ferrari, last season. This enabled Aston Martin Racing to sign him to their newly revamped team, formerly known as Racing Point. The stunning Aston green liveried machines piloted by Vettel and Canadian Lance Stroll finished tenth (Stroll) and fifteenth (Vettel) but showed strong promise with their pace. This team has the almost unlimited financial resources of one of the world’s richest businessmen, Lawrence Stroll, who made his fortune from world famous high-end designer clothing.

Japanese sensation Yuki Tsnoda is another new addition to the 2021 Formula One field, partnering with 2020 Italian Grand Prix winner Pierre Gasly in the Alpha Tauri team. At 20 years of age and in his Formula One debut at Bahrain, Tsnoda qualified thirteenth and finished ninth, earning valuable championship points in his inaugural race.

This racer is definitely one to watch this season as he displayed race craft skills that mirrored those of the most experienced racers in the field in Bahrain. With their team powered by Honda and outperforming several of the larger teams in 2020, both Tsnoda and Frenchman Gasly are sure to generate some strong results this season.

Another Formula One debutant is Russian racer Nikita Mazepin, who partners with Mick Schumacher at HAAS F1. While his debut race ended with a spin and a crash about 300 metres from the race start, Mazepin has been strong in the lower categories of the sport and should improve as the season progresses.

Should the Australian Grand Prix go ahead on the proposed November date, it will align itself to the timing of the original world championship Australian Grand Prix held in Adelaide across 11 years. This will most likely be a pivotal time in the drivers’ and teams’ world championships, possibly even becoming the event that decides the new world champion driver and team, as Adelaide was on a number of occasions.

At this stage there are 23 races in the provisional 2021 Formula One calendar, but of course whether all of these events will actually take place will depend on the pandemic situation across Europe, the USA and South America.

April 18 Imola, Italy May 2 Portimao, Portugal May 9 Barcelona, Spain May 23 Monaco June 6 Baku, Azerbaijan June 13 Montreal, Canada June 27 De Castellet, France July 4 Spielberg, Austria July 18 Silverstone, England Aug 1 Budapest, Hungary Aug 29 Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium Sept 5 Zandvoort, Holland Sept 12 Monza, Italy Sept 26 Sochi, Russia Oct 3 Singapore Oct 10 Suzuka, Japan Oct 24 Austin, TX, USA Oct 31 Mexico City, Mexico Nov 7 Sao Paolo, Brazil Nov 21 Melbourne, Australia Dec 5 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Dec 12 Marina Bay, Abu Dhabi

Pictured: Mick Schumacher makes his F1 debut in 2021