Welcome to The Official Formula 1 2021 Season Thread!

This is the last year before the significant rule changes (that got moved to 2022 due to Covid) so we can expect some continuity in the car design.

There are however, some notable aero rule changes. The section of the floor in front of the rear tyres has been cut away. Interestingly in pre-season testing this had the most impact on the low-rake cars of Mercedes / Aston Martin (Racing Point, Force India). The high-rake cars fared better.

Some changes to rear brake duct winglets and diffuser fencing (underfloor winglets) are also noted.

There is also a cost cap for this year but we haven't heard much about the impact.

Driver Lineup Changes:
- As of 12/18/20 Albon moved to reserve driver status as Sergio Perez is announced at Red Bull. Alex Albon's drive is in doubt going into winter break.
- Vettel moves to Jordan / Force India / tRacing Point / The Pink Car alongside Lance Stroll. Perez knocked out of F1 after winning the penultimate race.
- Sainz moves to Ferrari.
- Ricciardo moves to Mclaren.
- Ricciardo is replaced by Fernando Alonso (yes the same Alonso that drove for Minardi in 2001) at Renault.
- Haas picks up two n00bs: F2 champ Mick Schumacher (yes, it's Michael's boy) and Nikita Mazepin (Already despised based on off-track behavior and on-track as well). Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen get the boot.
- Kvyat is dropped to make room for F2 runner-up Yuki Tsunoda
- Latifi stays at Williams despite appearing to be completely adrift in an F1 car. Money talks, talent walks. I have no idea what's going to happen to Latifi at Williams.


Team Summaries:

Mercedes walked it in 2020. HAM beat MSC's race wins and pole positions and matched his 7 world titles.

Honda's second-year partnership with Red Bull netted only one win after scoring three in 2020 (but they got a second win with another team too).

Alpha Tauri won in Monza so Christian Horner spent most of the season trying to explain why he dropped GAS for ALB.

Ferrari finished a lowly sixth in the Constructors Championship after getting their fuel sensor cheat banned.

Minardi / Toro Rosso / Alpha Tauri scored a shock win in Monza after HAM accidentally pitted while the pit lane was closed.

tRacing Point scored at win at the Sahkir GP after Mercedes had a rare brainfart and fitted BOT's tyres on RUS's car during a double-stack pitstop under the VSC.

Mclaren did better.

Renault did not.

Williams did something. Oh yeah Russel filled in for HAM when HAM got Covid and nearly won the bloody race.

Haas looked like a joke. GRO proved he still has issues on lap 1 and fireballed his car. That should go well in Indy.



2021 Formula 1 calendar
-----------------------------

• 8 March – Bahrain (Sakhir)
• 18 April - Italy (Imola*)
• 2 May - TBC
• 9 May – Spain (Barcelona)
• 23 May – Monaco (Monaco)
• 6 June – Azerbaijan (Baku)
• 13 June – Canada (Montreal)
• 27 June – France (Le Castellet)
• 4 July – Austria (Spielberg)
• 18 July – United Kingdom (Silverstone)
• 1 August – Hungary (Budapest)
• 29 August – Belgium (Spa)
• 5 September – Netherlands (Zandvoort)
• 12 September – Italy (Monza)
• 26 September – Russia (Sochi)
• 3 October – Singapore (Singapore)
• 10 October – Japan (Suzuka)
• 24 October – USA (Austin)
• 31 October – Mexico (Mexico City)
• 7 November – Brazil (Sao Paulo)
• 21 November - Australia (Melbourne*)
• 5 December - Saudi Arabia (Jeddah**)
• 12 December - Abu Dhabi (Yas Island)

 

 

Just missed the podium




Latifi isn't going anywhere. His dad is a billionaire and owns Sofina (as well as a ~$300m stake in McLaren).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Latifi

 

can they buy him some pace?

 

No. Joe Saward in one of the missed apex podcasts said that he believed that Latifi was really the only bloke of the 20 who didn't deserve to be in F1. Apparently he was miles off the pace in Istanbul when it was raining.

 

Wow, numbers are down

 

turkey ghosted us

 

Damn i didn't even make top 10

 

there's always next year

 

first

 

Man i miss the good old days when i login to the forum and this thread and i had to read a few pages of new post.

We all know its a money game in F1, with daddy's money i wonder why some teams like Williams cant improve much. Just hire better people and more to run simulations day in day out.

 

How do you guys feel about HAM talmbout he felt physically challenged (paraphrasing) in the car during the last race?

 

To me he is just sandbagging.
If you really still feel unwell, just sit out the last race. Job done already for 2020 what more do you want. Donuts at the end of the race maybe? LOL

 

he had nothing to race for tbh. He's still recovering from Covid, so I'd imagine the race was tough for him.

I used my garmin HRM in my last chumpcar race and was surprised to see that I was in zone 4 for 2 hours - and that was just a chumpcar race.

 

Perez to RBR on a 1 yr deal confirmed. Albon will stay on as reserve driver

 

• Toto signs 3 yr extension. Increases stake in team by 3.3% to 33.3%
• Ineos purchases 33.3% stake in team
• Daimler goes to 33.3%, down from 60%

 

congrats Checo
congrats Toto

 

Checo is the first driver since MAAAK WEBBA in 2007 to drive for Red Bull and not come from the RB Driver academy.

 

What's that supposed to mean, Tim?

 

I'm no IMSA driver, but I think those F1 cars are pulling a few more Gs than your average chumpcar. Then again, I don't see those F1 cars three-wheeling too many corners.

 

Didn't even make it to the 2nd page before pic of jalopy.

 

 

Forza Charlos

 

 

wonder what he'll be pulling up in next year since no more Honda....