Formula 1 returns to Europe this weekend after the opening round in Bahrain last month, a departure from the usual season-opening venue in Australia. Tightened entry procedures forced the organisers to switch to the Middle East and the Australian round will be run towards the end of the year when, hopefully, the pandemic will have eased.
For the second round of the 2021 Formula 1 championship, the race is at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, more popularly referred to as the Imola Circuit as it is near the city of Imola in Italy. It was used for Round 13 last year, the first time in 14 years. The event is again called the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Last year, when the race was run at Imola, the teams had no recent data since the last race was run in 2006 when the cars and tyres were different and so were the conditions at the 68-year old track. The Imola circuit is a highly technical one, with a wide range of corners and it’s narrow and bumpy, as the older tracks tend to be. But at least there is now data from the race last year, which will help in setting up the cars.
“We all enjoyed returning to Imola in 2020, after a 14-year gap, and it was made more special by the fact we secured our seventh Constructors’ championship on that weekend. It’s quite a narrow track, which makes overtaking more difficult, but this puts more focus on strategy and makes qualifying even more crucial,” said Toto Wolff, the head of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Team.
As for the tyres, Pirelli is bringing the same C2-C3-C4 compounds from the middle of their range as last year. However, the warmer temperatures [compared to last year] and changes in tyre construction and downforce levels also create new conditions this weekend.
The performance gaps between all three compounds are different to initial estimates. The gap between hard and medium is smaller than expected because the hard, although requiring a longer warm-up time, is then able to work well and provide a good level of grip. Between the soft and the medium, the gap is instead bigger.
The drivers therefore face a different challenge from Bahrain, and securing good positions as far in front on the grid as possible have been vital. While the results of the first round have Mercedes-AMG at the top, it’s still early in the championship and how the season will run will be clearer after this weekend’s race.
Sebastian Vettel (with Aston Martin this year) had a bad start to the first race of the season as he was hit with a grid penalty for not giving attention to yellow flags during the qualifying session. As a result, he was demoted to start from the last position on the grid, after Nikita Mazepin (Haas F1).
For Sergio Perez, with Red Bull Racing this year, it was even worse as his car developed a problem on the formation lap, almost resulting in another formation lap being run. But he managed to restart the car and rushed back to the pits from where he started.
As the light went green for the first race of the season, Max Verstappen had a good start but Russian driver Mazepin, who had spun during qualifying, went into a spin and ended his race. The Safety Car (and Aston Martin Vantage) was deployed right away to lead the cars around for 3 laps while the Haas racing car was cleared.
When the Safety Car exited, Verstappen made a quick start to start extending his lead. Behind hi, Pierre Gasle and Mick Schumacher had some drama on Turn 6, while Vettel managed to move up 5 places but had some contact with Yuki Tsunoda. Debris on the track activated the Virtual Safety Car, which slowed things down for one lap.
At the 10th lap, Verstappen was being pursued by Lewis Hamilton who was about 1.5 seconds behind, with Valtteri Bottas 5 seconds further back.The Red Bull driver was having problems with his car, but he held a consistent pace and Hamilton just kept him in sight… waiting. The general order of the field was roughly what it had been on the grid at that point.
Just before the 20th lap, Verstappen came into the pits for a tyre change and Hamilton surged into the lead. When Verstappen rejoined, he was quite far down and had to work hard to get back up front again.
And what of Fernando Alonso, back in F1 again with the Alpine team? He was somewhere midfield, constantly dicing with his old rival, Vettel and also Carlos Sainz. SDergio Perex and even Kimi Raikkonen.
Two laps after the halfway point, Hamilton returned to the pits for another set of tyres, allowing Verstappen to take the lead. When he rejoined, he was in third. Bottas was then asked to come in, but his stop was delayed up to 10 seconds as the tyre removal was funbled.
Alonso’s race came to an end on lap 35 as brake issues forced him back to the pits where the car stayed. A rather disappointing return for the Spaniard who was twice World Champion.
On lap 40, Verstappen rushed into the pits to have tyres changed to hards and when he got back out, Hamilton was trying his best to stretch the lead, But calculations shows that the Dutchman could close in on the British driver within 10 laps.
As lap 45 started, Vettel locked his brakes at Turn 1 and bumped into Esteban Ocon, and both cars came to a stop for a short while. But then they managed to restart and continue, so the Safety Car was not called out.
With 10 laps remaining, Hamilton had a lead of just under 3 seconds from Verstappen, while Bottas was 16 second behind the Red Bull car. Tsunoda was in 10th place and if he could maintain his pace, he would get his first F1 point in his first ever race.
As the remaining laps counted down, all eyes were on Hamilton and Verstappen closing the gap. Hamilton had older tyres but as he had shown before, he could make sure that he would make it to the end – in the lead.
4 laps from the end, Verstappen finally got past into the lead as Hamilton went wide, partly due to his rear tyres starting to lose grip. However, the Red Bull driver slowed down inexplicably and Hamilton grabbed back the lead with 3 laps to go. By the time the 56th lap ended, the separation was under a second and it was Hamilton who took the first victory of the season. A fantastic duel to the end which hopefully will be seen in coming races.
In past years, the season-closing rounds of the Formula 1 World Championship have been held at venues in the Middle East but this year, due to the Australian GP – the traditional opening round – having to be postponed till later in 2021, the Bahrain Grand Prix has been selected to be the first round of the 2021 championship. It is not, however, the first time that Bahrain has had the opening round as it had the honour in 2006 and 2010.
The first round comes just 16 weeks after the 2020 race and 2 weeks after a 3-day pre-season test session at the same track in the desert. Memories of the last race would still be strong in the minds of everyone, especially the shocking fiery crash that Romain Grosjean survived. The Frenchman had already planned to retire from the sport in October, before the accident, and had hoped to participate in the final round but the doctors advised him not to do so and he sadly did not have a chance to close his F1 career with one last race.
The Schumacher name appears in F1 again, with the legendary driver’s son, Mick, driving for the Haas F1 team.
Newcomers to F1
Grosjean’s place in the American Haas F1 team is taken by Mick Schumacher – yes, the son of the legendary F1 driver – and Nikita Mazepin. Both the 22-year old drivers are newcomers to F1, having moved up from F2 with Schumacher being the reigning F2 champion.
Yuki Tsunodo, 20, drives for the Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda team this year, the first Japanese driver in F1 since Kamui Kobayashi drove for the Caterham team in the 2014 season.
Yuki Tsunoda is another newcomer, the first Japanese driver in 6 years of the F1 Championship. A member of the Honda’s Junior Driver program and Red Bull Junior Team, the 20-year old has been given a drive with Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda.
The last time Fernando Alonso was in a F1 race was at the 2018 Abu Dhabi GP. The 2-time world champion has been brought back by the newly formed Alpine F1 Team (which is the Renault F1 Team rebranded). He is no stranger to the French team, having raced for them for 6 seasons, besides having been with Minardi, Ferrari and McLaren. The Spaniard began racing in F1 in 2001 and is among the popular older drivers.
Many fans will remember Fernando Alonso’s time with the Mild Seven Renault team and now he’s back again with the French team.
The performance of the cars remains intriguing after the test session. Defending Constructors Champions Mercedes-AMG have suffered a difficult test spell, posting a lower lap count than other teams. Last year’s challengers to the champions’ dominance was Red Bull Racing and set the pace on two of the 3 days. McLaren, AlphaTauri and Alpine also look to be in good form.
Aston Martin is back in Formula 1 after some 60 years with Sebastian Vettel as one of its drivers. The company is also supplying the Vantage (below) for use as the official F1 Safety Car in some of the rounds.
“From the moment the third day of testing finished, we got our heads down and started to figure out how we can return to Bahrain in stronger form for the race,” said Mercedes-AMG boss, Toto Wolff. “While these cars share some parts from their predecessors, there have also been significant rule changes to interpret and overcome. We have also had to change the way we work in response to the cost cap. But as we have found before, it’s from the difficult moments that we learn the most.”
Past winners
Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel have the most wins at Bahrain – four each. Vettel’s wins were with Red Bull Racing and Ferrari while Hamilton collected all his victories as a Mercedes-AMG driver. Ferrari has had the most wins at this event with a total of six since Michael Schumacher won in 2004.
Pirelli’s 400th GP
Pirelli, the official F1 tyre supplier, will celebrate its 400th Formula 1 Grand Prix at this weekend’s race. The brand’s first GP was the inaugural F1 race at Silverstone in 1950, won by an Alfa Romeo. Since then, there have been 240 wins, 243 pole positions, 247 fastest laps, and 727 podium places in Formula 1 for the Italian tyre firm.
Giuseppe Farina in an Alfa Romeo with Pirelli tyres at the 1950 British Grand Prix.
The 2021 Formula 1 World Championship starts off this weekend in Bahrain, instead of Australia where the first round has traditionally been. So instead of preparing for the circuit in Melbourne, tyre-suppliers Pirelli have had to change plans and select tyres for the circuit in the desert which has some of the most abrasive asphalt of the season.
At the 3-day pre-season test on the circuit, the teams had the entire P Zero range at their disposal, but many chose to concentrate on the three compounds nominated by Pirelli engineers. With the track having been used just 4 months ago, little about it will have changed since the teams were last there: giving them a stable basis to work from.
Windy testing conditions
The testing was influenced by the local conditions and the first day was consistently windy with gusts that reached 47 km/h, affecting the aerodynamics on the cars. As a result of the wind, there was plenty of sand on the track that compromised grip. Temperatures were also particularly high, so the combination of these factors led to some surface overheating and increased tyre degradation.
On the second day, the wind still remained but temperatures were lower, which reduced the overheating. As a result, the teams had a better balance with their cars, with plenty of set-up work carried out over generally short runs, as was the case on the opening day.
The third and final day was run in better track conditions with moderate winds and a cool breeze but track temperatures similar to the first day. Many teams carried out long runs using the compound tyres nominated.
The three compounds
The three compounds are C2 as the P Zero White hard, C3 as the P Zero Yellow medium, and C4 as the P Zero Red soft. This is the same nomination as last year’s Bahrain GP but there is a new tyre construction this year for the latest cars. The 2021 cars, in fact, have reduced downforce compared to last year, under the most recent technical rules.
The new tyres for 2021 have been designed to improve strength and durability, allowing them to run at lower pressures, while the actual compounds are the same as last year. During testing of the 2021 tyres last November in Bahrain, rear tyre pressure was reduced by 0.5 psi and front tyre pressure by 1.5 psi. Then, following telemetry analysis and the reduction of rear downforce in particular, rear tyre pressure was further reduced by 1.5 psi at recent test in Bahrain. This is now confirmed for the race.
The number of sets allowed per weekend is the same as last year (13) despite the there being an hour less of running, with Friday’s free practice sessions now cut to one hour each. As was the case last year, there’s a standard allocation for every car in 2021.
Racing after sunset
The Bahrain race is run at night and gets underway in the evening at 6 pm. After sunset, track temperatures that can fall quite rapidly once the race gets underway and this in turn affects tyre behaviour and therefore strategy.
The asphalt (with high granite content) in Bahrain is well-known for being abrasive, increasing tyre wear and degradation. Last year’s race – which featured a red flag and multiple safety car periods – was won by Mercedes-AMG driver Lewis Hamilton with a 2-stop strategy. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who finished second, was one of just two drivers to change tyres 4 times.
Condensed testing session
Commenting on the tyres, Mario Isola, Head of F1 and Car Racing at Pirelli, said: ”Just 4 months after having two races in Bahrain, and two weeks after 3 days of pre-season testing, we’re back there for the first race of the 2021 season. During the test, we saw many teams concentrated on the compounds nominated for the race, but the conditions we experienced in testing might not be entirely representative of the race.”
“The teams also ran a very wide variety of different programmes during just the one condensed session, whereas in the past, with two test sessions, the second session was usually more focussed on tyres. So it’s hard to draw many firm conclusions. With new specifications of cars and tyres, as well as the shortest pre-season in recent memory, the competition is wide open: especially given that the track characteristics of Bahrain have often resulted in interesting strategic battles, with a number of different tactics used,” he added.
The third 2022 18-inch tyre test of the year (the second one with slicks) will take place for 3 days in Bahrain after the race. Ferrari will run on the first day, with Alpine running on the final two days.
Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow’s SF21 racing car for this season of the Formula 1 World Championship has been revealed. It is the 67th to be built in Maranello to compete in the championship. An evolution of last year’s SF1000, as dictated by the regulations which require the use of the same chassis as in 2020, opportunities for change in many areas have been limited.
Some of the permitted areas where change has been made include the engine, which is completely new, and aerodynamic features as well as at the rear end, which is where the two development tokens allowed in the regulations have been used.
The new car features a subtle livery that is said to ‘look to the challenges of the future without forgetting the team’s roots and history’. “The rear end is reminiscent of the burgundy red of the very first Ferrari, the 125 S,” explained Team Principal Mattia Binotto. “But as it moves gradually towards the cockpit area, it transforms into the modern red that we have used in most recent years. This season presents us with many challenges and through this livery, visually, we reboot from our past and head into the future.”
Joint effort by all departments
Development of the new 065/6 power unit for the 2021 season saw a systematic approach adopted by all departments, which worked together to find every opportunity for improvement. “Along with our colleagues on the chassis side, we worked a lot on the layout of the power unit, to make the overall design of the car as efficient as possible. With the internal combustion engine, we focused on increasing its level of thermal efficiency, in conjunction with our partner Shell and this has produced an improvement in lap time that we estimate at over one tenth of a second,” said Enrico Gualtieri Head of the Power Unit department.
“We are also carrying out further development on the hybrid system and the electronics, in order to revise and optimise all components. All this in a season in which power unit test bench time has been reduced still further,” he added.
Head of the Chassis department, Enrico Cardile, said that when the SF21 project began, their first task was really to identify which area of the car to focus on in order to achieve a radical change. “We opted for the rear end, designing a new gearbox and new suspension system. This, in addition to the efforts of our power unit colleagues has led to a much tighter rear end,” he explained.
The Ferrari team readying the SF1000 at a race in 2020.
Pursuit of better aerodynamics
The engineers also looked at the cooling system, increasing the effectiveness of the central radiator and designed the body with more ‘downwashing’. Aerodynamics was one of the areas affected by the regulation changes aimed at reducing the ability to generate vertical load, in order not to put too great a strain on the tyres. “That’s why, as we began developing the car’s aerodynamics, we set ourselves two goals: recovering more aerodynamic downforce than was lost through the regulations and reducing drag,” Cardile revealed.
“Because of the regulations, less drastic changes were possible at the front end of the car. So, we developed a new front wing which works in conjunction with a new concept nose, but the chassis itself and the suspension is off last year’s SF1000,” he added.
The team will have its youngest driver line-up since 1968 with Charles Leclerc (below right) and Carlos Sainz, Jr. When the first race of the season takes place on March 28 in Bahrain, the pair’s average age will be 25 years and 3 days.
The drivers
Commenting on the drivers, Laurent Mekies, Racing Director, said: “There’s plenty of positive energy coming from our two drivers. Carlos has spent a lot of time in the factory and has integrated with the team very quickly. As for Charles, he is already perfectly at home with the team: he knows what he wants and is also very aware of the role he has in the team, both in and out of the car. Over the winter, we have witnessed the two guys getting on very well together and this can only be a good thing for the whole team.”
At official events, drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr., along with Scuderia management, will wear a range of Giorgio Armani navy blue garments and accessories as the team has signed a multi-year partnership with Giorgio Armani S.p.A.
Casio is releasing three new EDIFICE high-performance metal chronographs – the EQB-1000AT, ECB-10AT and EFS-S590 – which are made with 6K carbon . The new watches were designed with the Scuderia AlphaTauri F1 team which has had Casio as a partner since 2016 (when the team was known as Scuderia Toro Rosso).
6K carbon is a material woven from bundles of 6,000 carbonfibres, the same sort of lightweight but strong material used in Formula 1 cars. Carbonfibre is 5 times stronger than steel and one-third its weight, making it ideal for applications where weight needs to be kept low without compromising strength. Areas on the racing cars include the wings and floors.
The new EQB-1000AT, ECB-10AT and EFS-S590 mark the second collaboration with the team. The dial and bezel of the EQB-1000AT, the dial of the ECB-10AT, and the inner ring around the dial of the EFS-S590AT are made of 6K carbonfibre. The team’s navy-blue colour sets the overall tone, and their logo is engraved on the dials, case backs, and band loops.
For the Malaysian market, the model versions available are the EQB-1100AT and ECB-20AT, priced at RM2,799 and RM1,699, respectively. They are available at the G-Shock Kiosk at Isetan The Japan Store and authorized dealer stores around the country.
All three models feature robust sapphire crystals, so there should be no worries about breakage. The EQB-1000AT and ECB-10AT automatically calibrate the time when paired with a smartphone using the dedicated app, delivering the precision busy team members need.
Casio EQB-1100AT
There is also an app which allows users to set world time quickly from a preset selection of about 300 cities. This is certainly something useful to the Scuderia AlphaTauri F1 team which will travel to different cities around the planet during the Formula 1 World Championship.
Based on the original slim-profile EQB-1000 chronograph with Tough Solar power system, the watch also allows users to set the time on the main display and inset-dial display to any two cities via the app. The durable Cordura fabric band withstands the toughest conditions. The sporty rotating inner ring that shows the time remaining before the user’s next scheduled event.
The Schedule Timer function which syncs with a smartphone’s calendar app to display scheduled start and end times on the LCD and provide audible alerts. The app can draw data from Android and iOS devices.
The Scuderia AlphaTauri F1 car in action during the 2020 championship.
Aston Martin returns to Formula 1 this year with its own team and racing car – the AMR21. The new contender will be the first works Formula 1 car to carry the famous wings since Maurice Trintignant’s DBR5 crossed the finish line at Silverstone in 1960.
Officially known as the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team, the team’s two drivers will be 4-time F1 World Champion, Sebastian Vettel, and rising star Lance Stroll (who happens to be the son of Aston Martin’s Executive Chairman).
Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll will drive for the team in 2021.
Not a fresh new team
The team also boasts a strong bloodline, building on the foundations of Team Silverstone which, in its various guises has won 5 GPs, and is coming off the back of a race-winning campaign as the Racing Point Formula One Team, having been revitalized under the leadership of Lawrence Stroll and Team Principal and CEO Otmar Szafnauer.
“I’ve dreamed about this day for a very long time. I’ve always been a car guy and I’ve always loved racing, too. My first dream was to own a Formula One team. My second dream was to acquire a significant shareholding in Aston Martin Lagonda. Today is about the merging of those two dreams. So, as I say, today is all about dreams, and it shows that dreams really can come true, in the shape of our new AMR21,” Aston Martin’s Executive Chairman said.
Mercedes-AMG engine
The new AMR21, powered by a turbocharged Mercedes-AMG F1 M12 E Performance engine with hybrid energy recovery, ran for the first time at Silverstone in England during a promotional event today. Next week, the team will begin a full test programme at Bahrain, where the opening round will also be held on March 28.
The AMR21 carries a striking Aston Martin Racing Green livery in recognition of Aston Martin’s traditional racing colours and glorious sporting legacy. It is also bedecked by a host of global partners, led by American IT giant Cognizant, while the chassis features a magenta stripe down the side in reference to the team’s longstanding partner BWT.
Showcase for the brand
The spotlight is also on an energizing shift within Aston Martin as the team is set to become the global showcase for the brand’s engineering and performance capabilities. A new 200,000 square-foot facility will complement the existing Aston Martin F1 factory at Silverstone when completed in the second half of 2022, and the team is well positioned to become an innovation lab to drive forward the brand’s future road car technologies. These will include the suite of mid-engined sportscars, inspired by the Aston Martin Valkyrie, which will become central to the product portfolio through the next decade.
“Today is a truly historic moment for Aston Martin, as we return to the pinnacle of motorsport for the first time in more than 60 years. The Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team will have far-reaching positive effects on the Aston Martin brand, our culture, and the design and technology of Aston Martin road cars. Our return to Formula One will positively and profoundly affect every employee and foremost our customer journey all over the world; and will help us bring a focused, agile Formula One way of thinking to the whole Aston Martin business,” said the CEO of Aston Martin Lagonda, Tobias Moers.
“Every year, we reset our focus and define the right objectives,” said Toto Wolff, CEO of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Racing Team. “That may sound simple but it’s damn hard and is probably why there are no sports teams out there with seven consecutive titles. So many things can happen and it’s very natural to get used to success, and therefore not fight as hard for it.”
“But this team has not shown any of that. I see the same fire, hunger and passion now as I did the first time I walked through the doors in 2013. Every season presents a new challenge and therefore, a new goal for us to achieve. 2021 brings changes to the regulations, which could impact our competitiveness, plus the cost cap and working on the major rule changes of 2022. These challenges excite us,” he said when introducing the latest racing machine of the team for the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship.
E PERFORMANCE label added
The car is designated ‘W12 E Performance’ and is the team’s first car to use the ‘E PERFORMANCE’ designation. ‘E PERFORMANCE’ is the new technology label that will be used in product names and badges on all forthcoming Mercedes-AMG performance hybrid cars – which feature direct cascade technology from F1 and, in particular, the work of Mercedes AMG High Performance. The designation for the new F1 car therefore signifies closer alignment to the performance division of Mercedes-Benz.
The team’s closer cooperation with AMG is also reflected in the new 2021 livery, with AMG branding replacing the star pattern on the engine cover which now fades to Mercedes’ traditional racing silver from the black base livery introduced in 2020.
The new livery on the racing car (last year’s livery shown below).
The most prominent colour remains the iconic green of Title Partner PETRONAS on the front and rear wings, nose, mirrors and halo, with the parallel green and silver stripes on the flanks of the car symbolising more than a decade of partnership between Mercedes and Malaysia’s petroleum corporation. The visual identity is completed by the burgundy of team shareholder and Principal Partner INEOS, which features on the airbox and the inside of the front wing endplates.
Significant aero changes
The biggest technical challenge on the 2021 F1 cars has been adapting to the new aerodynamic regulations, with the introduction of several significant changes to key performance areas on the car.
“If you’re looking to slow a car down, which is effectively what the regulation changes were intended to do, modifying the floor is by far the easiest and cheapest way of achieving your objective,” said James Allison. “The floor is such an important aerodynamic component that small geometrical changes bring large reductions in performance. Once the rules had been established, our task was to figure out how to recover the losses brought by the changes.”
That has been a significant challenge for our designers, trying to claw back performance from these regulation changes. The aerodynamic changes have been a key focus in the development of the W12 although some of the parts on our new car are identical to the previous car, owing to the new carryover rules. In some ways, this has lessened the peak of work required for the new car, but it’s also produced its own new challenges and difficulties.
Carrying over parts
“What’s carried over will look different from team to team, because the rules didn’t require you to carry over the same things,” explained Allison. “The rules freeze a large chunk of the car but then give each team two tokens to spend on changing their car. Along with the tokens comes a shopping list showing how many tokens are required for each change. How teams decided what to use their tokens on was entirely up to them.”
In addition, there are some parts of the car that you can change token-free, eg the Power Unit, the cooling systems, the suspension and all of the aerodynamic surfaces. Once the racing gets underway, pretty much everything under the skin of the car must then be frozen for the entire year. With the specific permission of the FIA, changes for reliability or cost saving can be made, but if part of the car isn’t performing well, that won’t be an acceptable reason.
There are also new Aerodynamic Testing Restrictions coming into force this year, with the general amount of time allocated for wind tunnel testing and CFD testing being reduced. On top of that is a form of handicapping, granting teams less or more access to these aerodynamic tools depending on their championship position. Because of the team’s Championship victory in 2020, they will have 22% less access in 2021 compared to the last-placed team.
Pirelli is introducing a new, more durable tyre this season, which teams trialled last year in Portimao, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi. None of the teams have had a lot of experience with it and with only 3 days of pre-season testing this year, every lap on track will count to get up to speed with these new tyres.
Finding the edge with the Power Unit
Developing the new M12 Power Unit, Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains have been chasing every possible improvement to deliver a step forward when it hits the track in all eight of the cars it will power this season.
“We are going into the eighth season of pretty stable regulations, so we have a good understanding of the current hybrid engines,” said Hywel Thomas. “Our new product is a characteristic Mercedes-AMG Power Unit, but we’ve worked hard to take the next development step. Stable regulations mean that it’s getting increasingly challenging to unlock additional performance, so you need a focused approach.
“We identified three main areas to work on: the development of the technology in the Power Unit; reliability; and some design issues identified last year. And we’ve also got some completely new innovations that will be in the racing PU for the first time,” he said.
The hunt for every ounce of performance possible in the Power Unit has been emphasised even further by the regulation changes for 2021, which allow only a single performance specification of hardware rather than introducing upgrades at different points throughout the season.
“Starting in 2022, F1 engines will be powered using E10 fuels – so fuels that contain 10% ethanol,” said Hywel. “This might not sound like a radical change, but it changes the combustion process significantly, so there’s a lot of development work to be done.“
“Obviously, the biggest changes in 2022 are on the chassis side, which are enormous. That also impacts all of us because putting the PU into a completely new chassis means there will be some changes where the PU is mounted. As the chassis engineers become more knowledgeable on what they need for the car to go quickly, and how they need to position all the systems within the chassis, the impact on the PU will become clearer as well,” he said.
Working under the cost cap
Perhaps the biggest challenge for the team this season will be working under the new cost cap regulations. The budgets of all F1 teams are capped at US$145 million (about RM587.25 million) for the entire 2021 season and this has required significant work behind the scenes to adapt to this new constraint. It’s also prompted the team to adapt its organisation, including the creation of Applied Science – the high-technology engineering arm of the business.
Toto Wolff flanked by Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas,
The same duo in the cockpits
With Lewis Hamilton finally signing on the dotted line for another year, and Valtteri Bottas already confirmed earlier, the team will have both drivers from the 2020 season driving for them again. “I think the consistency we’ve had within this team over the years has been a real strength and advantage of ours,” said Wolff. “As we’ve seen in past seasons, it’s a line-up that works well for us, with two incredibly strong drivers who also have a very professional working relationship together. Both are hungry and fired-up to get back racing again soon and we’re all looking forward to seeing them drive our new car in anger for the first time in a few weeks.”
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The Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN Team, partnered with Sauber, has unveiled their new racing cars for the 2021 Formula 1 championship. The event, broadcast live around the world, was held at the Grand Theatre in Warsaw, Poland. It was done without an audience in accordance with measure necessary to combat COVID-19.
Presenting the C41 racing cars were drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi along with substitute driver Robert Kubica. The cars are a further development of the C39 which the team used in the 2020 season.
Many components from C39
The distinctive colouring of the C41 was created in the Alfa Romeo Centro Stile. The design is dominated by red and white, which are the traditional colours of the brand. Due to the restrictions imposed by the Formula 1 regulations, the C41 retains many of the components of its predecessor. However, there are improvements in some areas, such as the optimized nose section and the engine provided by Ferrari is also a new development.
Testing still crucial
“ The C41 is the result of a very unusual situation in Formula 1. The regulations didn’t allow us to develop a completely new car for 2021. That means we know the 2021 car a lot better than usual when we get to the first test. Even so, it will be crucial to make the most of the three days of testing ahead. We have to check that the reality corresponds to the simulations and also get to know the new tyres,” said Jan Monchaux, Technical Director of Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN.
On the body of the C41, the Alfa Romeo logo is flanked by two traditional symbols: the Quadrifoglio, the 4-leaf clover that has accompanied Alfa Romeo’s racing activities since 1924, and the symbol of Autodelta, the brand’s legendary racing team.
Transfer of technology
The partnership between Alfa Romeo and the Sauber Group goes beyond racing. Applicable technologies developed by the partnership will be transferred to production Alfa Romeo models. An example which has already taken place is the Giulia GTA project. This uses the know-how from the engineering and aerodynamics departments of Sauber AG. For the Giulia GTA and Giulia GTAm, Sauber Engineering produces a number of the carbonfibre components for the body.
The C39 racing car in last year’s Formula 1 championship.
“The presentation of a new car is always an emotional moment, the culmination of months of efforts by everyone in the factory and the beginning of a new adventure. I think the team’s philosophy remains the same: we have to do a better job tomorrow than we do today,” said Frederic Vasseur, Team Director of Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN and CEO of Sauber Motorsport AG.
The suspense is over: Lewis Hamilton has signed on the dotted line (too bad, George) to establish a new contract with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team which he has been with since 2013. Until now, there has been a lot of speculation about Hamilton’s demands and salary expectations (though none were officially confirmed to the media) and the possibility the George Russell – who drove in his place for one race last year – might instead be taken on.
Greater diversity and inclusion
A significant part of the new agreement builds upon the joint commitment to greater diversity and inclusion in motorsport that was made last year by Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes-AMG. This will take the form of a joint charitable foundation, which will have the mission of supporting greater diversity and inclusion in all its forms in motorsport.
The Hamilton and Wolff duo will continue to be together.
“We’re very happy to keep the most successful F1 driver of the current era in the most successful F1 team of the current era,” said Markus Schafer, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, responsible for Group Research, Mercedes-Benz Cars Chief Operating Officer and Non-Executive Chairman of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team.
“Lewis is not only an incredibly talented driver; he also works very hard for his achievements and is extremely hungry. He shares his passion for performance with the entire team which is why this collaboration has become so successful. But Lewis is also a warm-hearted personality who cares deeply about the world around him and wants to make an impact. As a company, we share this sense of responsibility and are proud to launch a new, joint foundation to improve diversity in Formula One. Opening the series to under-represented groups will be important for the sport’s development in the future and we’re determined to make an impact,” he said.
Strategic steps for future success
Retaining Hamilton in the team is an important step for the future success of the Mercedes works team. Over the past 12 months, Daimler AG and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team have established several key strategic pillars to lay the foundations for a bright future of the Mercedes F1 works team.
In March 2020, the company announced a new sustainability strategy for its motorsport teams, which includes cutting the CO2 emissions of the F1 team in half by 2022 compared to 2018 and achieving a net-zero carbon footprint from 2020 onwards. The sustainability commitment of the team goes far beyond that of the wider sport and aligns closely with Daimler’s global sustainability strategy.
In June, the team made a commitment to greater diversity and inclusion within the team and the wider sport which was symbolised by the new black base livery of the car. Later in the year, the team launched its programme ‘Accelerate 25’ to honour the commitment. Part of the programme is the objective to continuously raise the standards of entry and initially aim for at least 25% of all new starters at the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team to come from under-represented groups until the end of 2025.
In October, Daimler AG announced a new strategic course which includes a closer partnership between the Mercedes F1 works team and the Mercedes-AMG performance division. Both partners are united in their pursuit of performance and cutting-edge technology.
At the end of 2020, INEOS became a new shareholder in the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, which is now owned in three equal parts by Daimler AG, INEOS and Toto Wolff. At the same time, Wolff’s contract as Team Principal & CEO of the team was extended and ensures his continued leadership in the coming years.
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In addition to these important strategic pillars, the new financial regulations in Formula 1, which came into effect on 1 January 2021, will help F1 teams on their journey to financial sustainability in the years ahead.
“2020 was a difficult year for Formula One, but we’re happy the series was able to go racing and produce a thrilling season,” said Schafer. “Despite the challenges, we were able to not only defend both championship titles, but also make some very important strategic decisions for the future of the team. We’ve aligned the sustainability efforts of our Mercedes works team more closely with those of Daimler, both in terms of the environmental impact and the economic value for the team’s shareholders.”
Technology transfer to the next level
He added that the closer collaboration between the F1 team and AMG ‘creates an exciting opportunity for both sides and will take our technology transfer from the racetrack to the road to the next level’. “Formula One is one of our biggest global marketing platforms and the steps we’ve taken in the last 12 months ensure that this platform stays highly attractive for us. We remain strongly committed to the sport and are excited to see what the future holds for our Mercedes works team,” he said.
Hamilton will again be partnered by Valtteri Bottas (above) who announced that he will continue racing together with the team until at least the end of 2021. It will be his fifth year with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team after joining in 2017.
