Formula 1 - Season 2021

[genius83]

Hamilton-Verstappen crash was ‘a racing incident, no danger’ – Alonso
Fernando Alonso played down the race-ending collision between Formula 1’s championship contenders on Sunday, describing it as a racing incident which involved no danger.

Red Bull were advised Perez should let Leclerc past – Masi
Sergio Perez could have avoided his five-second time penalty in the Italian Grand Prix if the team had heeded the words of Formula 1 race director Michael Masi.

Aston Martin break ground on £200m new “state of the art” F1 factory
Aston Martin has begun building its new Formula 1 factory which is due to open by the beginning of 2023.

[genius83]

Sprint trial “progressing in the right direction” – Domenicali
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali remains pleased with the progress the series has made with its sprint qualifying format despite the poorly-received second running of the event at Monza.

Drivers need to be discouraged from taking out rivals – Wolff
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says Formula 1 drivers need to be discouraged from deliberately tangling with rivals to prevent them scoring points.

Kubica saw “more Polish flags than Italian” at Monza
Robert Kubica was surprised by the amount of Polish support which appeared for him in his second appearance for Alfa Romeo last weekend.

[zia1288]

What are chances of Audi or Porsche joining F1 as engine suppliers after drop of MGU?

[genius83]

Sainz pleased for McLaren despite “worst possible” result for Ferrari
Carlos Sainz Jnr congratulated his former team McLaren on ending their eight-year win-less streak at Monza, but admitted the result is a blow for Ferrari.

Vettel keeps Aston Martin seat alongside Stroll for 2022 season
Sebastian Vettel will remain at Aston Martin for the 2022 F1 season, the team has confirmed.

Drivers suggest sprint qualifying format changes after processional second race
Formula 1 drivers have suggested changes to the series’ sprint qualifying races following a processional second running of the format at Monza.

@zia1288
Very slim, because this current engine formula was designed using the inputs of Audi and yet they never committed to F1 as engine supplier or as a constructor. So if MGU is dropped from the 2025 engine formula and yet they still not agreed to become an F1 engine supplier and then it will be a big controversy.

[genius83]

Ricciardo says his Monza win “reassured everyone” at McLaren
Daniel Ricciardo believes his breakthrough victory for McLaren at Monza has given everyone added confidence in him following a difficult start to his first season with the team.

Friday qualifying needs earlier start after “nearly dark” Monza session – Ricciardo
Formula 1 shouldn’t hold qualifying as late in the day as it did at Monza last week, says Daniel Ricciardo, who was concerned by fading light towards the end of the session.

F1 teams want increase for “extremely challenging” 790kg limit in 2022
Formula 1 teams are pushing for a further increase in the minimum weight limit for next year’s cars, which are being designed to new technical regulations.

[genius83]

“So many people love him”: Raikkonen’s rivals pay tribute to retiring champion
Kimi Raikkonen announced his retirement ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix but was unable to start the race following his positive test for Covid-19.

US driver great to have but not essential, says Miami F1 race promoter
Having an American driver is not essential to Formula 1’s success in the United States, according to the promoter of the Miami Grand Prix.

Williams planning major revamp of junior driver programme
Williams CEO and team principal and Jost Capito is planning a shake-up of its young driver programme, saying it needs a “serious and proper” scheme to promote new talent.

Aston Martin hires former McLaren F1 team principal Whitmarsh
Aston Martin has recruited former McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh and tasked him with making their operation world championship contenders within five years.

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

Russian GP
Friday
Practice Session 1   13:30 To 14:30
Practice Session 2   17:00 To 18:00

Saturday
Practice Session 3   14:00 To 15:00
Qualifying Session   17:00 To 18:00

Sunday
Race                 17:00 To 19:00

[umairjamil6]

Kimi is literally one of the best. Super stoked to see how the battle pans out between max and lewis. I am supporting max though

[genius83]

Honda reveal details of Verstappen’s Spa power unit upgrade
Honda has revealed new details of the power unit upgrade Max Verstappen received at the Belgian Grand Prix.

F1’s new ‘Halo 4’ for 2022 draws on lessons from Grosjean’s crash and more
Formula 1 will introduce a new, fourth version of its Halo safety device next year designed to withstand even more serious crashes.

Leclerc will take Sochi grid penalty for Ferrari upgrade
Ferrari will fit their upgraded power unit to Charles Leclerc’a car at this weekend’s Russian Grand Prix, meaning he will receive a grid penalty.

Low temperatures and high risk of Saturday rain in Sochi
A high chance of rain on Saturday could make for a dramatic qualifying session at the Russian Grand Prix.

Haas confirm second season for Mazepin and Schumacher in 2022
Haas have announced an unchanged driver line-up for the 2022 F1 season, retaining the two rookies which joined the team this year.

Practice start rules revised for Russian Grand Prix following Hamilton penalties
Formula 1 drivers have been given new guidance on how they may perform practice starts at this weekend’s Russian Grand Prix after Lewis Hamilton was penalised during last year’s race.

Experience teaches you to “be smart” in risky moves – Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton says he has learned from experience when not to risk an overtaking move which is unlikely to succeed.

Aston Martin’s goal of winning titles in five years is realistic – Vettel
Sebastian Vettel believes Aston Martin has set a realistic target of competing for championships within five years.

Bottas prepared to “take one for the team” again in Sochi
Valtteri Bottas is prepared to follow team orders from Mercedes to help Lewis Hamilton maximise his score in this weekend’s Russian Grand Prix.

Ricciardo found confidence to “throw the car around” at Monza
Daniel Ricciardo says his breakthrough victory for McLaren at the Italian Grand Prix came after he found a new level of confidence with the car.

Verstappen rubbishes claim he’s under pressure and attacks ‘hypocrisy’ over Hamilton crash
Max Verstappen gave short shrift to questions over his reaction to his collision with Lewis Hamilton at Monza and his rival’s suggestion he is feeling the pressure of the title fight.

[genius83]

Red Bull have “high hopes” to challenge Mercedes after strong Monza form
Sergio Perez says Red Bull’s performance at Monza has given them confidence they will be able to challenge Mercedes at one of their rival’s strongest tracks.

Sainz content to wait for chance to use Ferrari’s new power unit
Carlos Sainz Jnr says he understands why team mate Charles Leclerc is the only Ferrari driver to have the team’s upgraded power unit this weekend.

Risk of rain at Sochi a factor in Verstappen’s engine penalty decision
The possibility of rain during the Russian Grand Prix may complicate Red Bull’s decision whether to replace Max Verstappen’s power unit.

Hamilton’s former team principal Dennis tips Verstappen to win title
The man who brought Lewis Hamilton into Formula 1 has tipped Max Verstappen to beat him to this year’s world championship.

Mazepin ‘definitely had pace disadvantage’ with old chassis
Nikita Mazepin is convinced his change of chassis since the summer break has improved his pace.

Hamilton’s take on Verstappen is as flawed now as it was four months ago
Almost two weeks on from the latest run-in between the two championship contenders, Lewis Hamilton yesterday offered this assessment of his rival Max Verstappen.

Saturday wash-out could delay F1 qualifying to Sunday
The threat of heavy rain throughout Saturday at Sochi Autodrom could lead Formula 1 to postpone its qualifying session to Sunday.

Bottas leads Mercedes one-two as practice begins at Sochi
Mercedes showed their usual pace around Sochi in the first practice session for the Russian Grand Prix.

Russian GP
Practice Session 1
Pos No Driver             Car                    Best lap  Gap    Laps
 1  77 Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes               1:34.427s  -      25
 2  44 Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes               1:34.638s 0.211s  23
 3  33 Max Verstappen     Red Bull-Honda         1:34.654s 0.227s  13
 4  16 Charles Leclerc    Ferrari                1:35.117s 0.690s  22
 5   5 Sebastian Vettel   Aston Martin-Mercedes  1:35.781s 1.354s  23
 6  10 Pierre Gasly       AlphaTauri-Honda       1:35.794s 1.367s  24
 7  55 Carlos Sainz Jnr   Ferrari                1:35.811s 1.384s  25
 8   4 Lando Norris       McLaren-Mercedes       1:35.959s 1.532s  24
 9  11 Sergio Perez       Red Bull-Honda         1:36.188s 1.761s  22
10  14 Fernando Alonso    Alpine-Renault         1:36.225s 1.798s  21
11  31 Esteban Ocon       Alpine-Renault         1:36.236s 1.809s  25
12  18 Lance Stroll       Aston Martin-Mercedes  1:36.522s 2.095s  21
13  99 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     1:36.795s 2.368s  23
14   3 Daniel Ricciardo   McLaren-Mercedes       1:36.877s 2.450s  23
15   7 Kimi Raikkonen     Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     1:36.952s 2.525s  20
16  22 Yuki Tsunoda       AlphaTauri-Honda       1:37.794s 3.367s  26
17  63 George Russell     Williams-Mercedes      1:38.013s 3.586s  23
18   6 Nicholas Latifi    Williams-Mercedes      1:38.155s 3.728s  21
19   9 Nikita Mazepin     Haas-Ferrari           1:38.586s 4.159s  22
20  47 Mick Schumacher    Haas-Ferrari           1:38.977s 4.550s  23

Verstappen has shown he is capable of backing out of collisions – Horner
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has insisted his driver Max Verstappen is prepared to back out of collisions when racing wheel-to-wheel with rivals.

Hamilton “decided not to bail out any more” in fights with Verstappen – Wolff
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff expects the collisions between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen will continue as the Mercedes driver has become less willing to back down.

Verstappen to change engine and start Russian Grand Prix at back of grid
Max Verstappen will have a further grid penalty for this weekend’s Russian Grand Prix as Red Bull has decided to change his power unit.

Mercedes stay on top after Giovinazzi crash disrupts second practice
Valtteri Bottas led another Mercedes one-two in the second practice session for the Russian Grand Prix.

Russian GP
Practice Session 2
Pos No Driver             Car                    Best lap  Gap    Laps
 1  77 Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes               1:33.593s  -      19
 2  44 Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes               1:33.637s 0.044s  22
 3  10 Pierre Gasly       AlphaTauri-Honda       1:33.845s 0.252s  22
 4   4 Lando Norris       McLaren-Mercedes       1:34.154s 0.561s  17
 5  31 Esteban Ocon       Alpine-Renault         1:34.402s 0.809s  23
 6  33 Max Verstappen     Red Bull-Honda         1:34.621s 1.028s  20
 7  55 Carlos Sainz Jnr   Ferrari                1:34.678s 1.085s  22
 8  14 Fernando Alonso    Alpine-Renault         1:34.762s 1.169s  21
 9   5 Sebastian Vettel   Aston Martin-Mercedes  1:34.837s 1.244s  22
10  16 Charles Leclerc    Ferrari                1:34.925s 1.332s  24
11  11 Sergio Perez       Red Bull-Honda         1:34.938s 1.345s  22
12   7 Kimi Raikkonen     Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     1:35.052s 1.459s  23
13  63 George Russell     Williams-Mercedes      1:35.094s 1.501s  19
14  99 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     1:35.178s 1.585s  14
15  18 Lance Stroll       Aston Martin-Mercedes  1:35.334s 1.741s  21
16   6 Nicholas Latifi    Williams-Mercedes      1:35.411s 1.818s  19
17   3 Daniel Ricciardo   McLaren-Mercedes       1:35.630s 2.037s  12
18  22 Yuki Tsunoda       AlphaTauri-Honda       1:35.954s 2.361s  23
19   9 Nikita Mazepin     Haas-Ferrari           1:36.099s 2.506s  19
20  47 Mick Schumacher    Haas-Ferrari           1:36.230s 2.637s  20

Verstappen expects “more difficult” recovery drive from back of grid after penalty
Max Verstappen says it will be more difficult to race from the back of the grid to the front at Sochi this weekend than it was in 2018.

Hamilton: We must capitalise on Verstappen’s back-of-grid start
Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes must make the most of the opportunity offered by Max Verstappen’s grid penalty at this weekend’s Russian Grand Prix.

[genius83]

Sainz to get upgraded Ferrari engine this year, Haas and Alfa Romeo must wait
Ferrari expect to give the second example of their upgraded power unit to Carlos Sainz Jnr within the coming races.

F1 hopeful qualifying will go ahead as rain delays morning F2 race
Heavy rain at Sochi Autodrom has forced this morning’s Formula 2 race to be postponed.

F1 cancels final practice at Sochi due to rain
Formula 1 has confirmed its final practice session for the Russian Grand Prix will not go ahead due to heavy rain at the Sochi Autodrom.

[genius83]

Norris grabs first F1 pole at Sochi after mistakes leave Hamilton fourth
Lando Norris took his maiden pole position in his Formula 1 career by making the best work out of a drying track after Lewis Hamilton spun.

Russian GP
Qualifying Session
Pos No Driver             Car                    Best lap
 1   4 Lando Norris       McLaren-Mercedes       1:41.993s
 2  55 Carlos Sainz Jnr   Ferrari                1:42.510s
 3  63 George Russell     Williams-Mercedes      1:42.983s
 4  44 Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes               1:44.050s
 5   3 Daniel Ricciardo   McLaren-Mercedes       1:44.156s
 6  14 Fernando Alonso    Alpine-Renault         1:44.204s
 7  77 Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes               1:44.710s
 8  18 Lance Stroll       Aston Martin-Mercedes  1:44.956s
 9  11 Sergio Perez       Red Bull-Honda         1:45.337s
10  31 Esteban Ocon       Alpine-Renault         1:45.865s
11   5 Sebastian Vettel   Aston Martin-Mercedes  1:46.573s
12  10 Pierre Gasly       AlphaTauri-Honda       1:46.641s
13  22 Yuki Tsunoda       AlphaTauri-Honda       1:46.751s
14  16 Charles Leclerc    Ferrari                No time
15   6 Nicholas Latifi    Williams-Mercedes      No time
16   7 Kimi Raikkonen     Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     1:49.586s
17  47 Mick Schumacher    Haas-Ferrari           1:49.830s
18  99 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     1:51.023s
19   9 Nikita Mazepin     Haas-Ferrari           1:53.764s
20  33 Max Verstappen     Red Bull-Honda         No time

Norris doubted switch to slicks would pay off before pole-winning run
Lando Norris had doubts that his switch to slick tyres would pay off before setting the time which put him on pole position for the Russian Grand Prix.

Pit lane crash “not what you expect from a champion” – Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton apologised to his team after a costly error in the pits ended his chances of taking pole position for the Russian Grand Prix.

[genius83]

Second-placed Sainz says timing of final run cost him quicker lap
Carlos Sainz Jnr was pleased to secure second on the grid for the Russian Grand Prix with a “good lap on the limit” despite being one of the first drivers to take the chequered flag.

Bottas says delay behind Hamilton cost him second dry lap attempt
Valtteri Bottas said he lost the opportunity to do a second flying lap on dry tyres in qualifying for the Russian Grand Prix because of the time he lost waiting for his team mate’s car to be repaired.

Russell’s results show Williams “isn’t as bad as people think” – Verstappen
Max Verstappen believes Williams deserve more credit for the performance of their FW43B chassis after the team took a second top-three place on the grid for this weekend’s race.

Pit lane crash “nothing to do with pressure” of championship – Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton says his collision with the pit wall during qualifying for the Russian Grand Prix was unrelated to the championship situation.

Tyre warm-up problems behind Mazepin’s four-second deficit to Schumacher
Nikita Mazepin explained how he ended up almost four seconds slower than his team mate in qualifying for the Russian Grand Prix.

AlphaTauri explain tactical error which left Gasly furious after elimination
AlphaTauri believe Pierre Gasly was quick enough to qualify in the front two rows for the Russian Grand Prix, before a tactical error ended his session in Q2.

Russell reveals misunderstanding over gamble on switch to slicks
George Russell revealed his pivotal switch to slick tyres during qualifying came about because of a miscommunication with his team.

“Watch Russell’s onboard”: How Norris kept an eye on his rival for shock Sochi pole
Lando Norris achieved his unexpected pole position for the Russian Grand Prix by gambling on a switch to slick tyres.

[genius83]

Hamilton takes dramatic Russian GP victory as Norris loses win in downpour
Lewis Hamilton has scored the 100th victory of his Formula 1 career in memorable fashion when a downpour hit the Sochi Autodrom in the dying laps of the Russian Grand Prix.

Russian GP
Race Results
Pos No Driver             Team                   Race Time    Gap
 1  44 Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes               1:30:41.001s  -
 2  33 Max Verstappen     Red Bull-Honda         1:31:34.272s   53.271s
 3  55 Carlos Sainz Jr.   Ferrari                1:31:43.476s 1:02.475s
 4   3 Daniel Ricciardo   McLaren-Mercedes       1:31:46.608s 1:05.607s
 5  77 Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes               1:31:48.534s 1:07.533s
 6  14 Fernando Alonso    Alpine-Renault         1:32:02.322s 1:21.321s
 7   4 Lando Norris       McLaren-Mercedes       1:32:08.225s 1:27.224s
 8   7 Kimi Raikkonen     Alfa Romeo             1:32:09.956s 1:28.955s
 9  11 Sergio Perez       Red Bull-Honda         1:32:11.077s 1:30.076s
10  63 George Russell     Williams-Mercedes      1:32:21.552s 1:40.551s
11  18 Lance Stroll       Aston Martin-Mercedes  1:32:27.199s 1:46.198s
12   5 Sebastian Vettel   Aston Martin-Mercedes   1 Lap
13  10 Pierre Gasly       AlphaTauri-Honda        1 Lap
14  31 Esteban Ocon       Alpine-Renault          1 Lap
15  16 Charles Leclerc    Ferrari                 1 Lap
16  99 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo-Ferrari      1 Lap
17  22 Yuki Tsunoda       AlphaTauri-Honda        1 Lap
18   9 Nikita Mazepin     Haas-Ferrari            2 Laps
Ret  6 Nicholas Latifi    Williams-Mercedes       6 Laps
Ret 47 Mick Schumacher    Haas-Ferrari           21 Laps
Fastest Lap: Lando Norris 1:37.423s

Here is the World Standings after Russian GP:

World Championships Standings
Driver Standings
Pos Driver              Total
 1  Lewis Hamilton      246.5
 2  Max Verstappen      244.5
 3  Valtteri Bottas     151
 4  Lando Norris        139
 5  Sergio Perez        120
 6  Carlos Sainz Jnr    112.5
 7  Charles Leclerc     104
 8  Daniel Ricciardo     95
 9  Pierre Gasly         66
10  Fernando Alonso      58
11  Esteban Ocon         45
12  Sebastian Vettel     35
13  Lance Stroll         24
14  Yuki Tsunoda         18
15  George Russell       16
16  Nicholas Latifi       7
17  Kimi Raikkonen        6
18  Antonio Giovinazzi    1
19  Mick Schumacher       0
19  Robert Kubica         0
19  Nikita Mazepin        0
Constructor Standings
Pos Team            Total
 1  Mercedes        397.5
 2  Red Bull        364.5
 3  McLaren         234
 4  Ferrari         216.5
 5  Alpine          103
 6  AlphaTauri       84
 7  Aston Martin     59
 8  Williams         23
 9  Alfa Romeo        7
10  Haas              0

Hamilton hails “amazing job” by Norris after near-win
Lewis Hamilton praised Lando Norris after the McLaren driver came within three laps of winning the Russian Grand Prix.

Verstappen relieved to salvage second after “crucial” call for intermediates
After climbing from 20th to second in the Russian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen said the timing of his pit stop for intermediate tyres was “crucial” to his result.

Staying on slicks “was no gamble” with information I had – Norris
Lando Norris defended his decision not to pit for intermediate tyres as rain fell in the final laps of the Russian Grand Prix.

Bottas to start at the back again after another change of power unit
Mercedes has changed several power unit parts in Valtteri Bottas’ car for the second race weekend in a row, meaning he will take a penalty and start towards the rear of the field.

Alonso expects to slip from sixth to his car’s “natural position” in race
Fernando Alonso predicts it will be challenging to finish as high as he has qualified for today’s Russian Grand Prix.

Stroll reaches eight penalty points after Gasly clash
Lance Stroll has collected two penalty points on his licence for a collision with Pierre Gasly during the Russian Grand Prix.

Hamilton “can’t take credit” for race-winning switch to intermediates
Lewis Hamilton says his Mercedes team deserve the credit for the decision to switch to intermediate tyres at the end of the Russian Grand Prix, which secured his victory in the race.

[genius83]

Norris keeps seventh after reprimand for pit entry error
Lando Norris has kept his seventh place in the Russian Grand Prix after the stewards gave him a reprimand for crossing the pit lane entry line.

McLaren will review “wrong decision” not to overrule Norris on tyre call
McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl admitted the team made a mistake by not ordering Lando Norris to pit when the rain intensified in the final laps of the Russian Grand Prix.

Verstappen made “great call” on tyres to claim second place – Horner
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner praised Max Verstappen’s decision to pit for intermediate tyres which helped him take second place.

“We never get lucky” rues Alonso after losing podium finish
Fernando Alonso said his Alpine team deserved a podium finish in the Russian Grand Prix after running third in the closing stages of the race.

Bottas “could have been on the podium” with earlier pit stop
Valtteri Bottas said he could have finished on the podium had Mercedes brought him into the pits for intermediate tyres when they first discussed it.

Russell pleased with “really strong performance” despite drop from third to tenth
George Russell was satisfied with his race at Sochi Autodrom despite falling from third on the grid to finish tenth.

Leclerc suspects Norris will feel “very guilty” over lost win
Charles Leclerc empathised with Lando Norris over his lost victory in Sochi but said he expects the McLaren driver will win a race soon.

Hamilton at risk of penalties as Mercedes admit “question marks” over power units
Lewis Hamilton may have to emulate his team mate by taking grid penalties for power unit changes as Mercedes admitted uncertainties over their hardware.

The grey area Alonso exploited with his first-lap corner-cut at Sochi
Fernando Alonso’s determination not to let his rivals get the better of him by exploiting the grey areas of Formula 1’s rule book was on display at the start of the Russian Grand Prix.

[zia1288]

Leclerc suspects Norris will feel “very guilty” over lost win
Charles Leclerc empathised with Lando Norris over his lost victory in Sochi but said he expects the McLaren driver will win a race soon.

It must've reminded Leclerc of his Bahrain outing in 2019 where he led most of the race and ended up P2 due to power unit problem.

[genius83]

The signs Mercedes didn’t sacrifice Bottas to help Hamilton through “tactical” engine change
When Mercedes confirmed they were replacing the power unit in Valtteri Bottas’ car for the second race in a row at Sochi, a hue and cry went up on social media.

Sainz calls Sochi “definitely my best weekend for Ferrari” after podium
Carlos Sainz Jnr said his third podium finish as a Ferrari driver at Sochi was the product of his best weekend so far with the team.

We made too many mistakes and didn’t deserve points – Gasly
A disappointed Pierre Gasly said AlphaTauri deserved their second point-less result in a row at the Russian Grand Prix.

@zia1288
It was McLaren's mistake of not forcing Norris for the stop and also on the same lap as Hamilton pitted otherwise a lap later and the result would be the same.

[zia1288]

@genius83 which of the remaining tracks suit Mercedes and RedBull?

[genius83]

Mercedes have left too many points on the table, admits Wolff
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff admits the team has missed clear points-scoring opportunities in recent races, despite its improved position in both championships.

New technology in Ferrari’s power unit update vital for 2022 – Binotto
Ferrari say the new power unit introduced on Charles Leclerc’s car last weekend offered modest performance gains but was a significant step forward in terms of technology.

F1 race start times could be brought forward to avoid Spa-style wash-outs
Formula 1 will discuss allowing race start times to be brought forward to avoid a repeat of the wash-out which ruined the Belgian Grand Prix in August.

F1 confirms long-term Qatar race deal as it finalises 22-round 2021 calendar
Formula 1 has confirmed it will hold it first race in Qatar as one of the concluding rounds of its 2021 season.

@zia1288
Apart from the 2 new tracks in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, each team have 3 tracks that suits their strong points in car philosophy. Next race Turkey, Mercedes will have a strong car then United States is also a Mercedes track. In Brazil and Mexico, RedBull will be strong. Abu Dhabi previously was a Mercedes track but with track changes this season it could be favouring RedBull too.

[zia1288]

I guess the role of McLaren and Ferraris will be vital in case one from Max or Ham slips down. The points deficit will be of utmost importance.

[genius83]

Losail venue may prove temporary as F1 inks long-term deal to race in Qatar
Formula 1 announced today it will race in Qatar for the first time this November.

Istanbul used same treatment as Singapore to improve track surface
The track surface at Istanbul Park has been treated to improve grip levels ahead of the next round of the Formula 1 championship following the problems drivers encountered last year.

Sochi disappointment will make Norris and McLaren stronger, says Seidl
McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl says the team and its driver Lando Norris will bounce back from the disappointment of losing victory in last weekend’s Russian Grand Prix.

Softer tyres chosen for F1’s Istanbul return, hardest rubber for Losail
The final details of Pirelli’s tyre allocations for the 2021 F1 season have been confirmed following the addition of the Qatar Grand Prix to the calendar yesterday.

@zia1288
Do you remember 2008 season, because I am getting the same vibe from this season for the last 7 races. Just like in 2008 where Spa onwards all the races were as ridiculous as one could think.