Formula 1 - Season 2021

[pwuser160235073062]

Fantastic season so far.

[asharab.butt]

What's up with ticktum losing the seat. I believe I read somewhere that it had something to do with his attitude. Can anyone shed some light on it?

[genius83]

Raghunathan’s private F1 test debut for Alfa Romeo a “great day”
Former Formula 2 driver Mahaveer Raghunathan joined Alfa Romeo’s testing programme at the Hungaroring this week.

Aston Martin formally requests review of Vettel’s disqualification
Aston Martin will press ahead with its efforts to overturn Sebastian Vettel’s disqualification from the Hungarian Grand Prix, the team has confirmed.

Vettel disqualification hearing to take place on Monday
A hearing to decide whether Sebastian Vettel’s disqualification from the Hungarian Grand Prix will be reviewed is to take place on Monday, the FIA confirmed.

@asharab.butt
Here is the history of Dan Ticktum's attitude thanks to Autosport Forum member @Myrvold:

2015: Overtaking 10 cars, ignoring 13 yellow flags, 4 double-waved yellows and 15 SC-boards to intentionally take out another driver.
2018: Had his meltdown accusing Prema for cheating, and that he was fighting a losing battle as his name wasn't Schumacher and "with Ticktum and his girlfriend Olivia Kirby going as far as accusing angry fans as having a 'micropenis' ". He later went on about how annoying the SuperLicense points were, blamed it on being unfair that he didn't have 3 years to take points from (ignoring that the reason he didn't have 3 years was what he did in 2015...).

2019: He entered the F3 Asian series, "solely for SuperLicense points", something he seemingly though would be easy. Yes, he had issues during the first weekend, but when he finished 2nd in the last race, he had another small meltdown during the interview, and "stormed off before the champagne was due to be sprayed ". He then had a combined poor/unlucky weekend again in the next event and left after.

2020: He had his radio message "The next time that BEEP pulls a move like that, I’ll crash with him, I’ll tell you that, I’ll never give him that much respect" when Deletraz overtook him, and not in a particular bad way either. Though, this is probably more due to his history that people reacted to it. Then he had his end of 2020 interview where he talked about how he had matured, learned etc. and mentioning this:
"Ticktum is one of several high-profile drivers continiously streaming their Esports exploits. The problem? “The life of a gamer is very different. And what sponsors look for in a gamer, versus a driver, are two very different things.”

He’s gathered a growing fanbase as a result, but “I’ve got to be careful how I play it” with being himself online." That didn't age to well did it?

2021: Recording with his phone while driving the F2 car in Monaco. Calling Rosberg a cheater and Latifi poo.

Hope it clarifies everything.

Although his latest seat losing is not down to his attitude but rather not having enough money to get a seat in F1 team.

[saad2006]

[genius83]

Domenicali wants more F1 sprint events in 2022 after “overwhelmingly positive feedback”
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali says the sport’s third sprint event will be held in Brazil this year and he wants more of them in 2022.

Alpine doubt first win signals a performance breakthrough
Alpine does not believe its maiden victory in last week’s Hungarian Grand Prix came about because of a breakthrough in the team’s performance.

Aston Martin considering appeal after FIA rejects request for review of Vettel disqualification
Aston Martin have failed in their bid to have Sebastian Vettel’s disqualification from the Hungarian Grand Prix reviewed.

Ferrari to introduce power unit upgrade bringing “significant step” before end of season
Ferrari will introduce an upgrade for its power unit in the second half of the 2021 Formula 1 season as it bids to beat McLaren to third place in the constructors championship.

Ferrari face £2.1 million repair bill for crashes in first half of season
Ferrari has revealed the total cost of the car damage it has incurred over the first half of the 2021 F1 season as it continues to push for compensation for crashes.

[genius83]

Ferrari has halved its deficit to top F1 rivals in 2021, says Binotto
Following its disastrous 2020 campaign, Ferrari says it has halved its lap time deficit to the quickest teams in Formula 1.

Vettel’s disqualification stands as Aston Martin drop appeal bid
Aston Martin has abandoned its effort to overturn Sebastian Vettel’s disqualification from the Hungarian Grand Prix.

[pwuser160235073062]

Bit late but basically he's always been known for being arrogant.
He faced a 1 year ban from motorsport a few years ago after overtaking 10 cars behind safety car and purposefully crashing into his rival.
After returning he was picked up RB academy but even there he caused controversy by bad mouthing Mick Schumacher supporters because Schumacher was performing great at the time and overshadowing Dan.
Horner said about him, "He engages mouth before brain"

Was dropped by RB, Picked up by Williams academy.
This time he said live on his stream,
"Latifi is poo"

So yeah, he's gone

[genius83]

Japanese Grand Prix cancelled due to Covid-19 concerns
The 2021 Japanese Grand Prix has been cancelled by the national government due to ongoing concerns over Covid-19 infections in the country.

Honda “disappointed” to miss last chance to race in front of home crowd
Honda has reacted with disappointment to the news this year’s Japanese Grand Prix will not go ahead.

I’m still on a steep learning curve’, says Schumacher
Mick Schumacher says he is getting more comfortable with being an F1 driver by the day in his rookie season, but admits he remains on a “very, very much steep learning curve”.

Tsunoda aiming to ‘find out the best way to control myself’
Yuki Tsunoda says he will try to “settle more and control myself” over the second half of the 2021 season.

Sainz’s strong start no surprise to Ferrari after his debut season with Verstappen
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto says Carlos Sainz Jnr’s strong first half-season with them came as no surprise given his form alongside past team mates.

Is cryptocurrency sponsorship too dirty for the greener image F1 wants to cultivate?
From F1’s new Sprint Qualifying events celebration truck to teams’ own partnerships, cryptocurrency has been a major growth area for sponsorship in the series. But it presents challenging questions for a sport eager to push its environmental credentials.

F1 announces new Overtake Award for driver who makes most passes
Formula 1 has created a new award for the driver who makes the most overtaking moves during a season, which will be branded by its cryptocurrency sponsor Crypto.com.

How the double diffuser left F1 teams wary of “throwaway comments” over 2022 rules
As Formula 1 prepares to unleash the biggest shake-up of its aerodynamic regulations in decades, teams are wary of missing a trick with their 2022 car designs.

Here is the Timing Schedule for this weekend's Belgian GP:

Belgian GP
Friday
Practice Session 1   14:30 To 15:30
Practice Session 2   18:00 To 19:00

Saturday
Practice Session 3   15:00 To 16:00
Qualifying Session   18:00 To 19:00

Sunday
Race                 18:00 To 20:00

[genius83]

Rain and fog on the cards for Belgian Grand Prix weekend
This weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix looks set to run in cool and generally damp conditions, with a risk of fog and rain showers.

Alonso’s second season at Alpine confirmed by team
Alpine has put questions over Fernando Alonso’s immediate future beyond doubt by confirming he will continue to drive for the team next year.

Fourth season of Netflix’s F1 series ‘Drive to Survive” announced
A fourth instalment of Netflix’s popular Formula 1 series ‘Drive to Survive’ will air in 2022, the championship has confirmed.

Bottas and Russell unwilling to confirm if their future has been decided
The two drivers in contention to be appointed as Lewis Hamilton’s team mate next year say there is “no news” on their future ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, but refused to confirm whether a decision had been taken.

Mercedes have “definitely upped our game” in title fight – Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes have made a clear step forward after taking the lead of the world championship.

Japanese Grand Prix cancellation “very sad” for AlphaTauri pair
Honda-powered AlphaTauri drivers Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly are deeply disappointed by the cancellation of their engine manufacturer’s home race.

Hungary crash culprits say their grid penalties matter less at Spa
Valtteri Bottas and Lance Stroll said the grid penalties their received for their role in the first-lap crash in Hungary would be more compromising at other circuits.

Vettel wants rules change after “very bitter” disqualification
Sebastian Vettel accepted his disqualification from the Hungarian Grand Prix but admitted it felt “very bitter” to lose his podium finish.

Hamilton’s greater experience in title fights is no advantage – Verstappen
Max Verstappen doesn’t see himself at a disadvantage in his contest with Lewis Hamilton despite his rival’s greater experience in championship fights.

Indy 500 return “always in the list of wishes” for Alonso after F1
Fernando Alonso says his focus is on F1’s upcoming 2022 regulation changes, leaving the triple crown challenge for the future, although the Indy 500 remains on his “list of wishes.”

Mazepin gets new chassis for Belgian Grand Prix
Nikita Mazepin, who said earlier in the season his Haas chassis was heavier than team mate Mick Schumacher’s, will have a new one for this weekend’s race.

[genius83]

Verstappen at risk of penalty later in season as Honda take crashed power unit out of service
Max Verstappen will be unable to use the engine which was damaged in his heavy British Grand Prix crash, Honda have confirmed.

Leclerc expects Spa will be “quite difficult” for Ferrari
Charles Leclerc doubts the Spa-Francorchamps circuit will play to the strengths of his Ferrari in this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

Russell’s rivals talk him up as he and Bottas dance around the obvious
Mercedes have decided who will be Lewis Hamilton’s team mate next year, they just aren’t ready to tell anyone about it yet.

Le Mans “way too fast and narrow” in places for F1 – Alonso
After his rare chance to drive a Formula 1 car on the track which holds the Le Mans 24 Hours, Fernando Alonso said a race there would be “fun” but changes to the circuit would be essential.

Bottas leads Verstappen, Hamilton 18th in damp practice session at Spa
Valtteri Bottas was quickest in a damp opening hour of practice for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.

Belgian GP
Practice Session 1
Pos No Driver              Car                   Best lap  Gap    Laps
 1  77 Valtteri Bottas     Mercedes              1:45.199s  -      18
 2  33 Max Verstappen      Red Bull-Honda        1:45.363s 0.164s  14
 3  10 Pierre Gasly        AlphaTauri-Honda      1:45.699s 0.500s  20
 4  16 Charles Leclerc     Ferrari               1:45.818s 0.619s  19
 5  55 Carlos Sainz Jnr    Ferrari               1:45.935s 0.736s  20
 6  11 Sergio Perez        Red Bull-Honda        1:46.127s 0.928s  17
 7   5 Sebastian Vettel    Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:46.177s 0.978s  19
 8   4 Lando Norris        McLaren-Mercedes      1:46.336s 1.137s  17
 9  31 Esteban Ocon        Alpine-Renault        1:46.497s 1.298s  16
10  14 Fernando Alonso     Alpine-Renault        1:46.612s 1.413s  16
11  18 Lance Stroll        Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:46.649s 1.450s  19
12   3 Daniel Ricciardo    McLaren-Mercedes      1:46.683s 1.484s  20
13  99 Antonio Giovinazzi  Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:46.755s 1.556s  17
14  63 George Russell      Williams-Mercedes     1:46.772s 1.573s  19
15  22 Yuki Tsunoda        AlphaTauri-Honda      1:46.928s 1.729s  19
16   6 Nicholas Latifi     Williams-Mercedes     1:47.101s 1.902s  20
17   7 Kimi Raikkonen      Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:48.125s 2.926s  15
18  44 Lewis Hamilton      Mercedes              1:48.224s 3.025s  17
19   9 Nikita Mazepin      Haas-Ferrari          1:48.705s 3.506s  16
20  47 Mick Schumacher     Haas-Ferrari          1:49.059s 3.860s  15

Hamilton “taking the team’s view” over team mate decision – Wolff
Lewis Hamilton has ‘taken the driver’s hat off’ and accepted Mercedes’ needs in selecting his team mate for the 2022 F1 season, according to Toto Wolff.

Red Bull extend Perez’s contract into 2022
Sergio Perez has re-signed for Red Bull and will continued to race for the team in 2022.

Honda may repair Verstappen’s power unit, Perez’s “completely destroyed”
Honda believe they may be able to salvage Max Verstappen’s damaged power unit for use later in the season.

Verstappen quickest, then crashes in second practice
Max Verstappen led the way in second practice at Spa-Francorchamps but brought the session to an early end by crashing.

Belgian GP
Practice Session 2
Pos No Driver              Car                   Best lap  Gap    Laps
 1  33 Max Verstappen      Red Bull-Honda        1:44.472s  -      12
 2  77 Valtteri Bottas     Mercedes              1:44.513s 0.041s  14
 3  44 Lewis Hamilton      Mercedes              1:44.544s 0.072s  13
 4  14 Fernando Alonso     Alpine-Renault        1:44.953s 0.481s  15
 5  10 Pierre Gasly        AlphaTauri-Honda      1:44.965s 0.493s  17
 6  18 Lance Stroll        Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:45.180s 0.708s  14
 7  31 Esteban Ocon        Alpine-Renault        1:45.302s 0.830s  15
 8   5 Sebastian Vettel    Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:45.336s 0.864s  16
 9   4 Lando Norris        McLaren-Mercedes      1:45.386s 0.914s  18
10  11 Sergio Perez        Red Bull-Honda        1:45.404s 0.932s  13
11  55 Carlos Sainz Jnr    Ferrari               1:45.517s 1.045s  14
12  22 Yuki Tsunoda        AlphaTauri-Honda      1:45.758s 1.286s  17
13  99 Antonio Giovinazzi  Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:45.789s 1.317s  16
14   7 Kimi Raikkonen      Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    1:45.967s 1.495s  18
15   3 Daniel Ricciardo    McLaren-Mercedes      1:46.118s 1.646s  14
16   6 Nicholas Latifi     Williams-Mercedes     1:46.198s 1.726s  17
17  63 George Russell      Williams-Mercedes     1:46.665s 2.193s  14
18  16 Charles Leclerc     Ferrari               1:46.836s 2.364s  13
19   9 Nikita Mazepin      Haas-Ferrari          1:47.335s 2.863s  14
20  47 Mick Schumacher     Haas-Ferrari          1:47.529s 3.057s  15

[genius83]

First day at Spa “very positive” for Verstappen despite crash
Max Verstappen said he was pleased with his progress after the first day of practice at Spa despite damaging his car in a crash at the end of the second session.

Hamilton suspects mudslides caused “massive” new bump at Eau Rouge
Lewis Hamilton suspects the recent heavy rain and flooding at Spa-Francorchamps have formed a new bump in the high-speed Eau Rouge sequence.

[genius83]

Two drivers hospitalised after six-car crash at Raidillon halts W Series qualifying
Two drivers have been taken to hospital following a serious, six-car crash during today’s W Series qualifying session at Spa-Francorchamps.

Here is the video of the crash:
https://streamable.com/egq4j1

[saad2006]

That was a very nasty crash glad everyone's okay

[genius83]

Ferrari’s power unit upgrade will arrive in “two or three” races
Ferrari’s power unit upgrade will not be ready for another two or three races, team principal Mattia Binotto has admitted.

Leclerc brushes off crash as “part of free practice”
Charles Leclerc downplayed the crash which curtailed his running early in the second practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix.

Red Bull seeking F1 race seat for Albon in 2022
Red Bull are looking to place Alexander Albon at a Formula 1 team next year after confirming their driver line-up for 2022.

F1 plans to cut calendar to 22 rounds and add race in Qatar
Formula 1 is planning to reduce the number of races which will be held this year from 23 to 22 and add one new round in Qatar at the end of the season, RaceFans understands.

F1 confirms 2021 calendar shortened to 22 races
The 2021 F1 calendar has been shortened from 23 races to 22 following the cancellation of races due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the championship has announced.

Verstappen leads Red Bull one-two in wet final practice
The two Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez finished atop the timings after a wet final practice session ahead of qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix.

Belgian GP
Practice Session 3
Pos No Driver              Car                   Best lap  Gap    Laps
 1  33 Max Verstappen      Red Bull-Honda        1:56.924s  -      10
 2  11 Sergio Perez        Red Bull-Honda        1:57.871s 0.947s   7
 3  44 Lewis Hamilton      Mercedes              1:57.996s 1.072s   9
 4   4 Lando Norris        McLaren-Mercedes      1:58.509s 1.585s  11
 5  31 Esteban Ocon        Alpine-Renault        1:58.913s 1.989s  15
 6  18 Lance Stroll        Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:59.205s 2.281s  16
 7  10 Pierre Gasly        AlphaTauri-Honda      1:59.324s 2.400s  14
 8   5 Sebastian Vettel    Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:59.436s 2.512s  15
 9  63 George Russell      Williams-Mercedes     1:59.492s 2.568s   9
10  14 Fernando Alonso     Alpine-Renault        1:59.613s 2.689s  16
11  77 Valtteri Bottas     Mercedes              1:59.808s 2.884s  14
12   6 Nicholas Latifi     Williams-Mercedes     1:59.981s 3.057s  11
13   3 Daniel Ricciardo    McLaren-Mercedes      2:00.456s 3.532s  13
14  55 Carlos Sainz Jnr    Ferrari               2:00.749s 3.825s  17
15  47 Mick Schumacher     Haas-Ferrari          2:01.269s 4.345s  18
16  16 Charles Leclerc     Ferrari               2:01.370s 4.446s  14
17  22 Yuki Tsunoda        AlphaTauri-Honda      2:01.510s 4.586s  20
18  99 Antonio Giovinazzi  Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    2:01.512s 4.588s  20
19   9 Nikita Mazepin      Haas-Ferrari          2:01.792s 4.868s  19
20   7 Kimi Raikkonen      Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    2:04.382s 7.458s   3

Drivers urge changes to Eau Rouge and Raidillon after huge W Series crash
Yesterday’s huge crash which caused the stoppage of the W Series qualifying session and put two drivers in hospital has prompted further calls for changes to the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

Qualifying red-flagged after huge crash for Norris at Raidillon
Qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix has been red-flagged after Lando Norris suffered a heavy crash as rain fell during Q3.

Verstappen denies Russell his first pole position in wet Spa qualifying
Max Verstappen snatched pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix at the last moment, denying George Russell in a wet and disrupted qualifying session.

Belgian GP
Qualifying Session
Pos No Driver              Car                   Best Lap
 1  33 Max Verstappen      Red Bull-Honda        1:59.765s
 2  63 George Russell      Williams-Mercedes     2:00.086s
 3  44 Lewis Hamilton      Mercedes              2:00.099s
 4   3 Daniel Ricciardo    McLaren-Mercedes      2:00.864s
 5   5 Sebastian Vettel    Aston Martin-Mercedes 2:00.935s
 6  10 Pierre Gasly        AlphaTauri-Honda      2:01.164s
 7  11 Sergio Perez        Red Bull-Honda        2:02.112s
 8  77 Valtteri Bottas     Mercedes              2:02.502s
 9  31 Esteban Ocon        Alpine-Renault        2:03.513s
10   4 Lando Norris        McLaren-Mercedes      No Time
11  16 Charles Leclerc     Ferrari               1:57.721s
12   6 Nicholas Latifi     Williams-Mercedes     1:58.056s
13  55 Carlos Sainz Jnr    Ferrari               1:58.137s
14  14 Fernando Alonso     Alpine-Renault        1:58.205s
15  18 Lance Stroll        Aston Martin-Mercedes 1:58.231s
16  99 Antonio Giovinazzi  Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    2:02.306s
17  22 Yuki Tsunoda        AlphaTauri-Honda      2:02.413s
18  47 Mick Schumacher     Haas-Ferrari          2:03.973s
19   7 Kimi Raikkonen      Alfa Romeo-Ferrari    2:04.452s
20   9 Nikita Mazepin      Haas-Ferrari          2:04.939s

Russell “absolutely buzzing” after claiming shock front row start for Williams
George Russell said he never expected to be in contention for pole position after taking a shock second place on the grid for the Belgian Grand Prix.

Williams “put everything into one lap” for Russell to claim front-row start
Williams team principal Jost Capito said George Russell’s astonishing run to second place in qualifying was the result of them deciding to put everything into a single flying lap.

“Leave Eau Rouge as it is” says Hamilton after crashes
Lewis Hamilton says Spa’s signature Eau Rouge corner should remain as it is despite calls for changes in response to a series of crashes.

Vettel: F1 “got lucky” with huge Q3 crash for Norris
Sebastian Vettel says it was clear from the beginning of Q3 that it was too wet to start the session, and F1 was lucky Lando Norris’s subsequent crash wasn’t much worse.

[saad2006]

The FIA should take drivers comments more seriously

Glad Norris is okay

[genius83]

@saad2006
I am not sure the drivers are right all the time which means the race control cannot decide when to take seriously and when not. Just like the start of the current race, Verstappen's comment about the start of the race against Norris's and Hamilton's is what makes a real headache situation for Race Control:

18:30 "It's fine to race," Verstappen says. He doesn't have any other cars ahead of him, so he's going to say that. The mid-pack drivers say it's undriveable, however.
18:29 "Quite a bit of aquaplaning as well," Norris says. The drivers don't love it out there...
18:28 "I have to leave a little bit more space to the safety car because I can't see anything," says Verstappen.
18:27 "I already can't see anything guys," Hamilton reports.
18:25 Here we go, then. Formation lap time - behind the safety car.

Remember this is Autosport Live Commentary.

Even Verstappen is contradicting himself on just 1 lap.

So, how could Race Control could decide what is the correct decision based on drivers comments. On the other hand, they should ask the marshals that are place around the whole track for the exact situation of the track. In qualifying, the biggest problem was at the Eau Rogue/Raidillon section and that was because of the nature of that part of the track.

[genius83]

FIA's ridiculous decisions list is reaching heights no one ever thought off. It is a half points race, and Williams are the biggest beneficiary in all of this.

[saad2006]

I somehow managed to find a live stream and was extremely happy little did I know I would be waiting 4 hours for absolutely nothing

[zia1288]

Same here

[zia1288]

Hats off to Russell for holding position whole 'race' and didn't let Hamilton pass him in alot faster car. And Mazepin takes fastest lap.