Formula 1 - Season 2021

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W Series champion Chadwick gets third year as Williams development driver
Jamie Chadwick will spend a third year as a development driver at Williams, the team has announced.

Pirelli confirms all teams bar Williams will participate in 18-inch tyre tests
Pirelli has confirmed details of its testing schedule for the new 18-inch tyres which are being introduced for the 2022 F1 season.

Mercedes won’t reveal where it spent development tokens on 2021 car
Mercedes says it has taken full advantage of the limited opportunity to make changes to its new car for the 2021 F1 season.

Hamilton: 2021 is not just about winning the title, it’s time for action on equality
Lewis Hamilton says winning the world championship is not his only goal for the 2021 F1 season.

First pictures:
Mercedes reveals its new F1 car for 2021
Mercedes has revealed the W12, its new car for the 2021 F1 season, which the team hope will continue its record-breaking run of championship success.

W12

No “flirting” with other drivers before talks with Hamilton on 2022 – Wolff
Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff says he will begin talks with Lewis Hamilton on his next contract “much earlier” than he did last year.

Mercedes tackles MGU-K problems and adds “completely new innovations” on 2021 power unit
Mercedes has made further changes to the design of its MGU-K after experiencing problems with its kinetic energy recovery system last year.

Hamilton: Eighth title won’t be “deciding factor” whether I keep racing in 2022
Lewis Hamilton says he isn’t planning to retire from Formula 1 if he wins a record-breaking eighth world championship this year.

First pictures:
Alpine reveals its new F1 car for 2021
Alpine has revealed the first images of its A521, the car it will use to contest the 2021 F1 season.

A521

[zia1288]

Alpine looks refreshing. At least something new. Let's hope we find closer racing.

[genius83]

Kvyat joins Alpine as reserve driver for 2021 season
Alpine has announced former AlphaTauri racer Daniil Kvyat will be the team’s reserve driver for the 2021 F1 season.

“Lucky” Alonso will be fit enough to test for Alpine in Bahrain
Fernando Alonso will be ready to test for Alpine in pre-season testing at Bahrain International Circuit next week despite the injuries he suffered in a cycling accident last month.

Hamilton: Recovery wasn’t quick after “really unlucky” Covid infection
Lewis Hamilton says it took him a while to return to full fitness after he contracted Covid-19 last year.

“Super-qualifying” revealed as potential name for F1’s Saturday sprint races
The Saturday sprint races which have been proposed for three rounds of this year’s Formula 1 championship could be given the name “super-qualifying”.

DTM’s audience boost shows why F1 needs to try sprint races – Wolff
Formula 1 needs to experiment with Saturday sprint races as other series which introduced similar formats attracted significantly larger audiences, says Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff.

Hamilton limits his simulator running to ‘about 30 laps’ ahead of new season
Lewis Hamilton says he’s only done around 30 laps in Mercedes’ simulator ahead of the new season.

First pictures:
Aston Martin reveals its first F1 car for over 60 years
Aston Martin has presented the car which will return the brand to Formula 1 for the first time in more than 60 years.

AMR21

Vettel has “very, very high expectations” for Aston Martin move
Sebastian Vettel says he’s put his troubled final season at Ferrari behind him and is excited by his new opportunity at Aston Martin.

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F1’s sprint race proposal “makes no sense” – Vettel
Sebastian Vettel has strongly criticised F1’s latest proposal to introduce sprint races at three rounds this year.

Aston Martin correct 2020 “mistakes” as they follow Mercedes’ design philosophy again
Aston Martin made a significant step forward in performance last year, when they competed as Racing Point.

Aston Martin find Vettel’s driving style “a lot less extreme” than Perez’s
Aston Martin technical director Andrew Green is certain the team can get the best out of Sebastian Vettel, who has joined them following a difficult 2020 season at Ferrari.

Renault evaluating move to Mercedes-style layout in new power unit design for 2022
Renault is considering whether to follow Mercedes’ lead in engine layout when it introduces a new power unit design for the 2022 F1 season.

Ocon gives new Alpine A521 its debut on track
Esteban Ocon has driven Alpine’s new Formula 1 car its first run in a filming day at Silverstone.

Haas reveals Mazepin’s father’s company as new title sponsor for 2021
Haas has presented the livery its VF-21 will race in during the 2021 F1 season.

HAAS Livery

Aitken to continue as Williams reserve driver
Jack Aitken will remain with Williams as the team’s reserve driver for the 2021 F1 season.

No pressure in bringing famous surname back to F1, says Mick Schumacher
Mick Schumacher says he doesn’t feel any pressure bringing his father’s famous surname back to Formula 1 when he makes his debut this year.

Stroll targets top-five finish in 2021 drivers championship
Lance Stroll is targeting a top-five finish in the drivers championship this season, as he predicts Aston Martin can compete for third place overall.

Haas’s Russian-coloured F1 car skirts ban on country’s flag in sport
The hot livery trend for the 2021 F1 season appears to be national racing colours.

Mazepin will not say whether he apologised to woman in grope video
Haas driver Nikita Mazepin refused to say whether he has apologised to Andrea D’lval, the woman he was seen groping in a video he posted on social media in December.

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Haas livery was designed before Russian flag ban was announced – Steiner
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has denied its new livery was designed to circumvent restrictions on its driver Nikita Mazepin using the Russian flag.

Haas make fuel hatch changes following Grosjean’s fireball crash
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner confirmed the team has made changes to the design of its fuel hatch as a result of the fire which occurred when Romain Grosjean crashed in last year’s Bahrain Grand Prix.

Adapting cars for sprint race format “quite a challenge” – Green
Aston Martin technical director Andrew Green says Formula 1 teams may have to make changes to how they run their cars if a sprint race format is introduced for some races this year.

Bahrain Grand Prix open to “vaccinated or Covid-recovered” fans only
The Bahrain Grand Prix promoter has announced the event will be open to spectators who are not at risk of transmitting Covid-19.

New Aston Martin AMR21 runs at Silverstone
Aston Martin’s new AMR21 has run for the first time in a filming day at Silverstone.

Mazepin will face “serious consequences” if he transgresses again – Todt
FIA president Jean Todt has warned Nikita Mazepin he will face “serious consequences” if his behaviour lapses again, following outrage over a video he posted on social media.

Mercedes haven’t had reliability problems with 2021 power unit – Wolff
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff downplayed reports their new power unit for the 2021 F1 season has suffered reliability problems.

Formula 1 completes 2021 calendar by confirming return to Portugal
Formula 1 has confirmed it will return to the Autodromo do Algarve in Portugal for third round of this year’s world championship.

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Williams cancel plans for augmented reality launch after app is “hacked”
Williams has cancelled plans to launch its FW43B using an augmented reality app today, claiming it had been “hacked prior to launch”.

First pictures:
Williams presents a new look for the 2021 F1 season
Williams has overhauled its livery for the 2021 F1 season, presenting a new look which reverts to its heritage blue colour scheme.

FW43B

Russell expects to make “a very interesting decision” on his future this year
George Russell admits he could have “a very interesting decision” to make this year even if he doesn’t get the chance to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.

Williams “at the dawn of a new era” under Dorilton – Capito
New Williams CEO Jost Capito praised the investment Dorilton has made since taking over the team seven months ago

Grosjean crash investigation yields 22 areas of improvement for driver safety
The FIA has announced the findings from its investigation into Romain Grosjean’s fireball crash during last year’s Bahrain Grand Prix, and identified over 20 areas where driver safety can be improved.

FIA extends Pirelli’s F1 tyre contract by one year
The FIA has agreed to extend Pirelli’s contract as the official sole supplier of tyres to Formula 1 by one year.

“Tough opponent” Alonso will be ready for his return – Ocon
Esteban Ocon has no doubt new team mate Fernando Alonso will be ready for the season-opener in Bahrain later this month despite his two year absence from F1 recent and cycling accident.

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Mazepin expects penalty points worries to end after promotion to F1
New Formula 1 driver Nikita Mazepin is confident he will not encounter as much trouble with the stewards on his debut in the championship as he did in Formula 2 last year.

F1 weighing “pros and cons” of awarding points for sprint races
Formula 1 teams are considering whether championship points should be awarded for the three sprint races which could take place this year.

Formula 1 upgrades official streaming service F1 TV Pro
F1 TV, Formula 1’s official streaming service, has been upgraded in time for the 2021 season, the fourth year it has been available to fans.

Vettel: I still have “a long time in me” and I can win a fifth title
Sebastian Vettel says he could compete in Formula 1 for many more years to come in pursuit of a fifth world championship title.

Mazepin will ‘grow some hairs on his chest and deal with’ criticism – Steiner
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner says Nikita Mazepin has to accept some people will continue to criticise him for his behaviour in the social media video he attained notoriety for last year.

Russell: F1 “could just be patient” and wait for 2022 instead of adding sprint races
New technical regulations for the 2022 F1 season will deliver better racing and potentially eliminate the need for changes to the weekend format, says George Russell.

[genius83]

Haas targets return to 2018 performance peak next year
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner sees the 2022 F1 season as the team’s opportunity to return to its competitive peak.

Copying rival F1 teams’ innovations ‘takes just two days’
Formula 1 teams are being especially secretive about their new designs for 2021 because the opportunities for innovation are so limited this year.

First pictures:
Ferrari presents its new SF21 F1 car for 2021
Ferrari has revealed the SF21, its new car for the 2021 Formula 1 season, to be driven by Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jnr.

SF21

[saad2006]

Ferrari communications personnel went to Aston Martin to speak to Vettel. And in the background, you can see his personal assistant since the days of Red Bull, Brita Roeske, now in green

[genius83]

Bottas admits he “put too much pressure on myself” at times
Valtteri Bottas says he’s focused on improving his mental approach to racing after being beaten to the world championship by his team mate for the fourth season in a row last year.

New Ferrari SF21 makes its debut on track
Ferrari’s new car for the 2021 F1 season has run for the first time in a filming day at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Schumacher promises to “work my ass off” on F1 debut
Mick Schumacher says he already feels comfortable at Haas, who he will make his Formula 1 debut with this year.

Alfa Romeo team principal Vasseur to miss pre-season testing after positive Covid-19 test
lfa Romeo has confirmed its team principal Frederic Vasseur has tested positive for Covid-19 and as a result will not be present at the sole pre-season test at Bahrain International Circuit this week.

Full 21 driver line-up confirmed for pre-season testing
Williams is the only team which has confirmed it will run a test driver during the single pre-season test which will begin at Bahrain International Circuit tomorrow.

Ferrari sponsor explains surprise change to bright green logo
Ferrari’s title sponsor has explained its change to a bright green logo which caused surprise when it appeared on the team’s car yesterday.

First pictures:
Haas presents its new VF-21 for 2021
Haas has presented its new VF-21 for the 2021 F1 season ahead of the start of testing at the Bahrain International Circuit today.

VF21

Red Bull’s RB16B revealed for the first time in Bahrain
Red Bull’s new RB16B has been seen in action for the first time in pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Mercedes’ hidden new floor revealed as gearbox glitch delays early running
The car Mercedes hope will extend their run of seven consecutive world championships has run for the first time in pre-season testing.

Better stability promised for new “version two” of F1 TV
The latest update to F1 TV will make it more stable than the original version of the service which launched three years ago, says the series’ director of media rights.

Ricciardo tops morning times for McLaren as gearbox trouble delays Mercedes
Daniel Ricciardo set the fastest time on the morning of the first day of testing for the new season.

Pre Season Testing
Day 1
Morning Session
Pos CarNo. Driver           Team         Model   Best time Gap    Laps
 1   3     Daniel Ricciardo McLaren      MCL35M  1:32.203s  -      45
 2  10     Pierre Gasly     AlphaTauri   AT02    1:32.231s 0.028s  74
 3  33     Max Verstappen   Red Bull     RB16B   1:32.245s 0.042s  60
 4  31     Esteban Ocon     Alpine       A521    1:32.959s 0.756s  55
 5  16     Charles Leclerc  Ferrari      SF21    1:33.242s 1.039s  59
 6   7     Kimi Raikkonen   Alfa Romeo   C41     1:33.320s 1.117s  63
 7   5     Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin AMR21   1:33.742s 1.539s  51
 8  45     Roy Nissany      Williams     FW43B   1:34.789s 2.586s  39
 9  47     Mick Schumacher  Haas         VF-21   1:36.127s 3.924s  15
10  77     Valtteri Bottas  Mercedes     W12     1:36.850s 4.647s   6

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Drivers expect new sprint race plan will go ahead after meeting Domenicali
Formula 1 drivers and team principals have indicated the sport will proceed with a plan to introduce sprint races this year.

Alonso to race with titanium plates in his jaw throughout 2021
Fernando Alonso says he is ready to return to action in testing tomorrow following his cycling crash last month.

Mercedes wary of further “stumbling blocks” after disrupted first day of testing
Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff said the team must avoid further “stumbling blocks” in its testing programme after losing most of this morning’s running due to a gearbox problem.

Sainz and Perez had Covid-19 vaccinations in Bahrain
Carlos Sainz Jnr and Sergio Perez revealed they have taken advantage of the Bahrain government’s offer to provide Covid-19 vaccinations to F1 personnel visiting the country for testing and the season-opening race.

Verstappen quickest for Red Bull as sandstorm hits Bahrain test
Max Verstappen set the fastest time on the first day of pre-season testing, covering more than two race distances at Bahrain International Circuit.

Pre Season Testing
Day 1
Afternoon Session
Pos CarNo. Driver             Team          Model   Best time Gap    Laps  Tyres
 1   33    Max Verstappen     Red Bull      RB16B   1:30.674s   -     139   C3
 2    4    Lando Norris       McLaren       MCL35M  1:30.889s 0.215s   46   C3
 3   31    Esteban Ocon       Alpine        A521    1:31.146s 0.472s  129   C4
 4   18    Lance Stroll       Aston Martin  AMR21   1:31.782s 1.108s   46    P
 5   55    Carlos Sainz Jnr   Ferrari       SF21    1:31.919s 1.245s   57   C3
 6   99    Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo    C41     1:31.945s 1.271s   68   C3
 7    3    Daniel Ricciardo   McLaren       MCL35M  1:32.203s 1.529s   45   C2
 8   10    Pierre Gasly       AlphaTauri    AT02    1:32.231s 1.557s   74   C3
 9   22    Yuki Tsunoda       AlphaTauri    AT02    1:32.727s 2.053s   37   C2
10   44    Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes      W12     1:32.912s 2.238s   42   C2
11   16    Charles Leclerc    Ferrari       SF21    1:33.242s 2.568s   59   C3
12    7    Kimi Raikkonen     Alfa Romeo    C41     1:33.320s 2.646s   63   C3
13    5    Sebastian Vettel   Aston Martin  AMR21   1:33.742s 3.068s   51    P
14   45    Roy Nissany        Williams      FW43B   1:34.789s 4.115s   83   C3
15    9    Nikita Mazepin     Haas          VF-21   1:34.798s 4.124s   70   C3
16   47    Mick Schumacher    Haas          VF-21   1:36.127s 5.453s   15   C2
17   77    Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes      W12     1:36.850s 6.176s    6   C2

Sainz hopes wind eases after “very difficult” conditions in first Ferrari test
Carlos Sainz Jnr is hoping for calmer conditions over the remaining days of testing in Bahrain after a sandstorm disrupted his first run for Ferrari.

First day of testing was “a poor start to the season”, Mercedes admits
Mercedes made “a poor start to the season” on the first day of testing, trackside operations director Andrew Shovlin admitted.

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Ricciardo quickest as Hamilton loses more time with spin
Daniel Ricciardo topped the morning test session at the Bahrain International Circuit for the second day in a row.

Pre Season Testing
Day 2
Morning Session
Pos Driver            Car / Engine          Time     Gap   Laps
 1  Daniel Ricciardo  McLaren/Mercedes      1:32.215  -     52
 2  Fernando Alonso   Alpine/Renault        1:32.339 0.124  60
 3  Sergio Pérez      Red Bull/Honda        1:32.478 0.263  39
 4  Nicholas Latifi   Williams/Mercedes     1:32.541 0.326  47
 5  Yuki Tsunoda      AlphaTauri/Honda      1:32.684 0.469  57
 6  Carlos Sainz      Ferrari               1:33.072 0.857  56
 7  Nikita Mazepin    Haas/Ferrari          1:33.101 0.886  76
 8  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes              1:33.399 1.184  58
 9  A.Giovinazzi      Alfa Romeo/Ferrari    1:36.018 3.803  73
10  Sebastian Vettel  Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:38.849 6.634  10

Leclerc encouraged to discover new Ferrari is behaving as expected
Charles Leclerc said he was pleased to discover Ferrari’s new car is behaving on track the way the team predicted it would in the simulator.

Sainz’s experience of other teams giving Ferrari “new roads to explore”
Carlos Sainz Jnr’s experience of driving for other teams is already proving beneficial for Ferrari, according to his team mate.

Alpine insists “spectacularly bulky” new engine cover “works for us”
Alpine executive director Marcin Budkowski has explained the thinking behind the unusually large engine cover on the team’s new A521.

Vettel eager to “make up lost ground” after gearbox fault on Saturday
Sebastian Vettel is eager for more running in his Aston Martin to adapt to his new car after completing just 10 laps on Saturday morning.

Tost confirms AlphaTauri team received Covid-19 vaccine in Bahrain
AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost has confirmed every member of his team has received a Covid-19 vaccination in Bahrain.

Brawn says it’s “critical” Sprint Qualifying does not diminish the grand prix
Formula 1’s new Sprint Qualifying format must not diminish the significance of the grand prix during a race weekend, says the sport’s motorsport director Ross Brawn.

Mazepin “almost crashed” experimenting with Giovinazzi’s slipstream
Nikita Mazepin admitted he nearly crashed his Haas while trying to discover how strong the turbulent air was behind another Formula 1 car.

‘Sprint Qualifying’ name and further details of F1’s new sprint races revealed
Formula 1’s new sprint races are expected to be referred to as ‘Sprint Qualifying’ sessions when they are introduced this year.

[saad2006]

[genius83]

Bottas quickest on day two of test as Mercedes make up for lost time
Mercedes bounced back from a poor start to testing by setting the quickest lap time so far on the second day in Bahrain.

Pre Season Testing
Day 2
Afternoon Session
Pos CarNo. Driver             Team         Model    Best time Gap    Laps
 1   77    Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes      W12     1:30.289s  -       56
 2   10    Pierre Gasly       AlphaTauri    AT02    1:30.413s 0.124s   86
 3   18    Lance Stroll       Aston Martin  AMR21   1:30.460s 0.171s   70
 4    4    Lando Norris       McLaren       MCL35M  1:30.586s 0.297s   52
 5   99    Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo    C41     1:30.760s 0.471s  125
 6   16    Charles Leclerc    Ferrari       SF21    1:30.886s 0.597s   73
 7    6    Nicholas Latifi    Williams      FW43B   1:31.672s 1.383s  132
 8   11    Sergio Perez       Red Bull      RB16B   1:31.682s 1.393s  117
 9    3    Daniel Ricciardo   McLaren       MCL35M  1:32.215s 1.926s   52
10   14    Fernando Alonso    Alpine        A521    1:32.339s 2.050s  128
11   22    Yuki Tsunoda       AlphaTauri    AT02    1:32.684s 2.395s   57
12   47    Mick Schumacher    Haas          VF-21   1:32.883s 2.594s   86
13   55    Carlos Sainz Jnr   Ferrari       SF21    1:33.072s 2.783s   56
14    9    Nikita Mazepin     Haas          VF-21   1:33.101s 2.812s   76
15   44    Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes      W12     1:33.399s 3.110s   58
16    5    Sebastian Vettel   Aston Martin  AMR21   1:38.849s 8.560s   10

Hamilton says rear grip ‘doesn’t feel too great with these new regulations’ after spin
Lewis Hamilton says the handling of his Mercedes has deteriorated as a result of new regulations introduced for the 2021 F1 season.

New Ferrari power unit an improvement over 2020 – Raikkonen
Kimi Raikkonen says Ferrari’s new power unit for 2021 already feels “better” than last year’s after the first two days of testing for Alfa Romeo.

McLaren’s test could not have gone better so far – Ricciardo
Daniel Ricciardo says McLaren’s start to testing could not have gone better, but is waiting for a run under the lights on Sunday to help gauge the team’s pre-season performance.

Mick Schumacher wanted ‘MSC’ as his timing screen abbreviation: “It’s an emotional bond”
Mick Schumacher has revealed he wanted his timing screen name abbreviation to be ‘MSC’, the same as his father Michael Schumacher used.

Bottas echoes Hamilton’s concerns about “snappy, unforgiving” Mercedes
Both Mercedes drivers said the team need to improve the balance of their latest car. Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas indicated the rear end of the W12 felt unstable during their runs yesterday.

Verstappen: Red Bull made “very positive” start to testing compared to past seasons
Max Verstappen was encouraged by Red Bull’s start to testing but avoided drawing any conclusions about their performance based on the first two days of testing.

Perez sets quickest time of test so far in last pre-season run for Red Bull
Sergio Perez completed his pre-season testing for Red Bull by setting the best time on the morning of the final day.

Pre Season Testing
Day 3
Morning Session
Pos CarNo. Driver             Team         Model  Best time Gap	   Laps
 1   11    Sergio Perez       Red Bull     RB16B  1:30.187s  -      47
 2   16    Charles Leclerc    Ferrari      SF21   1:30.486s 0.299s  80
 3    4    Lando Norris       McLaren      MCL35M 1:30.661s 0.474s  56
 4   10    Pierre Gasly       AlphaTauri   AT02   1:30.828s 0.641s  74
 5   31    Esteban Ocon       Alpine       A521   1:31.310s 1.123s  61
 6   47    Mick Schumacher    Haas         VF-21  1:32.053s 1.866s  76
 7   77    Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes     W12    1:32.406s 2.219s  84
 8   63    George Russell     Williams     FW43B  1:32.731s 2.544s  77
 9    7    Kimi Raikkonen     Alfa Romeo   C41    1:35.274s 5.087s  91
10   18    Lance Stroll       Aston Martin AMR21  1:36.100s 5.913s  80

Hamilton excited by “quite impressive” pace of three rival teams in testing
Lewis Hamilton was pleased to see several of Mercedes’ rivals setting strong lap times during pre-season testing.

Improved rear stability puts Leclerc “at ease” with new Ferrari
Charles Leclerc says Ferrari’s new SF21 offers improved rear stability over its predecessor and he already feels “at ease” with Marenello’s new car.

Mercedes have made a “decent recovery” from day one setback – Bottas
Valtteri Bottas says Mercedes have recovered well from their poor start to pre-season testing, after concluding his running ahead of the first race weekend of the year.

Ferrari ‘no longer at a disadvantage’ on the straights – Binotto
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto says Ferrari has improved its straight-line speed, a key weakness of its 2020 car.

Perez: It’ll take me five races to get the best out of Red Bull
Sergio Perez believes Red Bull’s RB16B has “very good potential” but says it will take a few race weekends for him to get fully up to speed with the car.

Verstappen had Covid-19 vaccination before heading to Bahrain
Max Verstappen has become the latest driver to confirm he has been vaccinated against Covid-19.

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Verstappen pips Tsunoda in Honda-powered one-two as testing ends
Red Bull ended pre-season testing with a show of strength, topping the morning and afternoon sessions at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Pre Season Testing
Day 3
Afternoon Session
Pos CarNo. Driver             Team         Model  Best time Gap    Laps
 1   33    Max Verstappen     Red Bull     RB16B  1:28.960s  -      64
 2   22    Yuki Tsunoda       AlphaTauri   AT02   1:29.053s 0.093s  91
 3   55    Carlos Sainz Jnr   Ferrari      SF21   1:29.611s 0.651s  79
 4    7    Kimi Raikkonen     Alfa Romeo   C41    1:29.766s 0.806s 166
 5   44    Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes     W12    1:30.025s 1.065s  54
 6   63    George Russell     Williams     FW43B  1:30.117s 1.157s 158
 7    3    Daniel Ricciardo   McLaren      MCL35M 1:30.144s 1.184s  76
 8   11    Sergio Perez       Red Bull     RB16B  1:30.187s 1.227s  49
 9   14    Fernando Alonso    Alpine       A521   1:30.318s 1.358s  78
10   16    Charles Leclerc    Ferrari      SF21   1:30.486s 1.526s  80
11    4    Lando Norris       McLaren      MCL35M 1:30.661s 1.701s  56
12   10    Pierre Gasly       AlphaTauri   AT02   1:30.828s 1.868s  76
13   31    Esteban Ocon       Alpine       A521   1:31.310s 2.350s  61
14    9    Nikita Mazepin     Haas         VF-21  1:31.531s 2.571s  67
15   47    Mick Schumacher    Haas         VF-21  1:32.053s 3.093s  78
16   77    Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes     W12    1:32.406s 3.446s  86
17    5    Sebastian Vettel   Aston Martin AMR21  1:35.041s 6.081s  56
18   18    Lance Stroll       Aston Martin AMR21  1:36.100s 7.140s  80

Vettel sees “steep learning curve” ahead after covering fewest laps of any driver
Sebastian Vettel said he needed 100 more laps in his car after covering the lowest mileage of all 20 race drivers in pre-season testing.

Mercedes: “Far too many cars were ahead of us on pace today”
Mercedes have moved to downplay expectations of their performance in the first race of the 2021 F1 season, saying they aren’t a match for rivals Red Bull on race pace.

Second-fastest Tsunoda stunned by F1 grip levels
Yuki Tsunoda says he has never experienced anything like the levels of grip offered by F1’s softer tyre compound after recording the second-fastest time of testing.

“It’s not a midfield any more, it’s a field” – Alpine
The Formula 1 field has closed up during the off-season, Alpine’s executive director Marcin Budkowski believes.

Williams’s 2021 performance at the mercy of the wind – Russell
George Russell says Williams’s success in 2021 could come down to which way the wind is blowing after his single day of pre-season testing.

Mercedes look less comfortable than last season – Norris
Lando Norris says Mercedes appeared to have a more difficult start to the season than usual in last week’s pre-season test.

McLaren surprised rival teams haven’t adopted unique diffuser design
McLaren technical director James Key admitted he is surprised no other team has adopted their solution to the new diffuser regulations.

Unresolved questions over Sprint Qualifying won’t stop format’s introduction – Binotto
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto is confident Formula 1 will introduce its new Sprint Qualifying format this year, despite key details of the format remaining undecided.

Raikkonen: New Alfa Romeo already quicker than last year’s car, despite rules changes
Kimi Raikkonen was encouraged by Alfa Romeo’s performance following a busy final day at the wheel of his Ferrari-powered C41 yesterday.

[zia1288]

I think Mercedes is sandbagging as usual

[genius83]

I would not say that Mercedes is sandbagging, there may be some problem for them in adopting the new floor rules resulting in loss of downforce. Which is most probably hurting in heating up the tyres, and also the mechanical problems were not part of their sandbagging package.

[zia1288]

Maybe. Anyways, McLaren looks set for some upsets as well.

[genius83]

Alonso and Ocon can benefit from each other at Alpine – Brivio
Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon will make a “great combination” as team mates at Alpine this year, racing director Davide Brivio believes.

Ricciardo: Braking is main difference between McLaren, Renault and Red Bull cars
Daniel Ricciardo says getting comfortable with the brakes in his McLaren is one of the biggest adjustments he has to make since joining the team.

Schumacher “ready to go racing tomorrow” despite limited F1 testing
Mick Schumacher says he is ready to make his Formula 1 debut despite the limited pre-season testing mileage he has covered.

F1 exploring live race streaming options with Amazon and other online broadcasters
Formula 1 is looking into new ways of bringing its live race broadcasts to internet streaming platforms.

I don’t see why joining Red Bull is not going to work – Perez
Sergio Perez believes he is more likely to succeed in his second chance to drive for one of Formula 1’s big teams.

Mazepin not concerned Schumacher’s FDA experience may give him an advantage
Nikita Mazepin dismissed concerns he could start the season at a disadvantage to his fellow rookie team mate.

F1 should stay a “pure sport”, fans don’t want artificial racing – Capito
Formula 1 risks devaluing itself if it introduces gimmicks which artificially enhance the competition, Williams’ new CEO Jost Capito has warned.

F1 reveals “fastest ever street track” for Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Formula 1 has revealed the layout of the new track which will hold the first Saudi Arabian Grand Prix later this year.

Ex-Mercedes power unit mastermind Cowell “not an option” for Red Bull
Hiring the engineer who led the development of Mercedes’ world championship-dominating V6 hybrid turbo power units is not an option for Red Bull’s new F1 engine division, says Helmut Marko.

Mercedes believe rivals’ cars have superior rear-end balance
Mercedes say improving the rear-end balance of the W12 is a key area they are working on to close the gap to their rivals after testing.

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Lack of customer team makes it “more difficult” to place Alpine junior drivers in F1 – Brivio
Alpine’s racing director Davide Brivio has admitted it will be hard to promote its junior drivers into F1 as long as it doesn’t have any customer teams.

McLaren in a five-way fight for third place in 2021 – Seidl
McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl says the team faces a tougher fight to hold onto the third place they scored in the championship last year.