Tag: 2020

The 2020 Mostly F1 Awards

Posted on by James Mackenzie

2020 is a year many will be looking to put behind them, but let’s quickly focus on it once more and dish out a few awards – some orthodox, some less so – for a season that nobody will ever forget.

Driver of the Year

Lewis Hamilton admiring Michael Schumacher's helmet, which he was presented for matching the German's record.
Image credit: LAT Images

There were a few contenders for this award. Max Verstappen was excellent all year and took the battle to the superior Mercedes cars more often than he had any right to. Pierre Gasly topped off a fantastic redemption arc with an unlikely victory in Monza and there were also stellar performances from Sergio Pérez and Daniel Ricciardo.

Ultimately, though, it has to go to that man again – Lewis Hamilton. At the end of a season where he broke record after record and matched Michael Schumacher‘s high-tide mark of seven world titles, it would be wrong to give it to anybody else. Car number 44 won 11 of its 16 races and, whether or not that car is the class of the field, that takes some doing. Plus, who am I to argue with Her Majesty?

Honorable Mentions: Max Verstappen, Pierre Gasly, Sergio Pérez.

Team of the Year

McLaren celebrate third place in the Constructors' Championship.
Image credit: McLaren F1

Now for a more controversial choice. Yes – as previously mentioned – Mercedes were once again the class of the field. By a long shot. But there were also mistakes, such as the radio calls to Hamilton in both Monza and Sochi, and controversies, such as the ‘Tracing Point’ saga and DAS.

McLaren clinching third in the Constructors’ Championship is a huge achievement and took a real team effort. Both drivers were excellent and very consistent throughout the season, the pit crews were error-free and management topped things off with a crucial investment and the signing of Ricciardo for 2021.

Third place is huge for the Woking team and shows that they continue to head in the right direction. After all, what would the odds of McLaren finishing ahead of Ferrari have been just a couple of years ago?

Honourable Mentions: Mercedes

Race of the Year

Lewis Hamilton is overcome with emotion as he seals his seventh title.
Image credit: LAT Images

The German Grand Prix was a fairly clear winner for the 2019 ‘Race of the Year’ but this time round it isn’t quite so clear cut. Eventful races in Italy and Sakhir produced shock winners and the cold weather in Portugal produced plenty of intrigue.

The Turkish Grand Prix takes the gong, though. Starting off with a shock maiden pole position for Lance Stroll, it was action-packed as drivers struggled with the slippery, wet tarmac after a recent resurfacing and a downpour on Sunday morning. And it proved to be just as momentous as it was chaotic, with Hamilton producing a victory thoroughly worthy of wrapping up a historic seventh world title.

Honourable Mentions: Italian Grand Prix, Sakhir Grand Prix, Portuguese Grand Prix

Drive of the Year

George Russell in the Mercedes at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix.
Image credit: LAT Images

When Hamilton contracted Covid-19, George Russell was unexpectedly thrust into the limelight with a chance in the dominant Mercedes at the Sakhir Grand Prix. The young Briton already had a strong reputation, having never been outqualified by a teammate after nearly two seasons in the sport.

But surely this was too big of an ask? Russell only had the three practice sessions to grow accustomed to his new machinery and barely fit into the car. On Saturday, though, he would finish qualifying just two hundredths behind Valtteri Bottas and then topped that by beating his vastly more experienced teammate off the line to lead on Sunday.

Sadly, the fairytale was not to be, thanks to some horrendous luck and a Mercedes blunder – which the next award shall expand on – but Russell nonetheless grabbed the sport’s attention and is now surely one season at most away from a seat much nearer the front of the field.

Honourable Mentions: Sergio Pérez in Sakhir, Lewis Hamilton in Turkey, Pierre Gasly at Monza

Blunder of the Year

So, yes, that blunder…

Mercedes are totally infallible and unflappable…99% of the time. But that 1% tends to be pretty disastrous. Hamilton’s pit stop at Germany in 2019 was comedic and embarrassing – especially due to the team wearing effective fancy dress in honour of 125 years in motorsport – but perhaps more understandable as Hamilton had crashed and immediately driven into the pits on a wet but drying track.

The disastrous pit stop in Sakhir was perhaps more costly and equally embarrassing. Mercedes called both drivers in for a ‘safety stop’ and had to double-stack, but a radio issue led to a miscommunication and confusion as Russell drove off with some of Bottas’s tyres and the Finn then sat there for 30 seconds as that realisation dawned upon the mechanics.

Russell had to pit again for the correct tyres the following lap and, to add salt to the wound, would pick up a puncture as he raced back through the field.

Honourable Mentions: Mercedes at Monza, Racing Point at Imola

Crash of the Year

The multi-car pile-up at Mugello would have taken ‘Crash of the Year’ comfortably in recent years. But 2020 had another surprise in store for the F1 world, in the shape of the most horrifying crash in decades.

When Romain Grosjean speared into the barriers at the start of the Bahrain Grand Prix and produced an instantaneous fireball, many at home and in the garages feared the worst. But, after two agonising minutes of no replays and no information, it was confirmed Grosjean had miraculously escaped and was safely sitting in the medical car.

The impact measured 53G but the Haas driver somehow remained conscious. He then found a way to escape the mangled wreckage – minus one shoe – and leapt over the barrier, aided by the heroic medical team, to safety. It is not the way Grosjean would have imagined he would enter retirement, but he is now surely just pleased to have reached it at all.

Honourable Mentions: Multi-car pile-up at Mugello, Lance Stroll in Bahrain

Overtake of the Year

Any overtake through Eau Rouge – yes, I know…it’s Raidillon actually – looks great, but the manner in which Pierre Gasly kept his foot in as Pérez squeezed him into the wall on the run up makes this one extra special.

The bravery was particularly poignant as Gasly remembered his close friend, Anthoine Hubert, who had sadly died in a crash at the same corner a year earlier.

Honourable Mentions: George Russell in Sakhir, Kevin Magnussen in Spain

Opening Lap of the Year

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ChdaNDFI30

Whilst it was the other Alfa Romeo driver, Antonio Giovinazzi, who relentlessly made up positions at the start in 2020 – obviously helped by qualifying towards the back each time – Kimi Räikkönen surely had the best opening lap of the year.

As the pack slithered round in the freezing conditions in Portugal, ‘The Iceman’ lived up to his name, climbing from 16th to 6th in one tour of the 4.692 km circuit. There’s life in the old dog yet.

Honourable Mentions: Sebastian Vettel in Turkey, Antonio Giovinazzi at Monza

Best Day of Silly Season

Carlos Sainz and Daniel Ricciardo in their new team overalls.

‘Silly season’ got underway before a wheel had been turned in anger in 2020. With Covid-19 halting matters in Melbourne and then ultimately causing a four-month delay, there was at least some action to discuss in the driver market.

Especially so when, in the space of 24 hours, Sebastian Vettel was confirmed to be leaving Ferrari at the end of the season, Carlos Sainz was named as his replacement and then Ricciardo filled the vacant seat at McLaren.

Honourable Mentions: Vettel replacing Pérez, Pérez replacing Albon

Best Vocal Performance

Vettel’s surprise farewell song to his Ferrari team was very touching, but the performance maybe left a little to be desired. Lando Norris, however, belted out a radio check in Mugello with the confidence of a drunk man in a karaoke bar.

Honourable Mentions: Sebastian Vettel in Abu Dhabi

2020 drivers’ report cards

Posted on by James Mackenzie

Lewis Hamilton

1st | Pts: 347 | Wins: 11 | Podiums: 14 | Poles: 10 | FL: 6 | Ret: 0

Lewis Hamilton somehow matched many of his statistics from 2019 despite a truncated season of just 17 races, one of which he missed after contracting Coronavirus (and was then clearly still suffering the effects upon his return for the finale). Before his absence at the Sakhir Grand Prix, the World Champion was looking likely to break Jim Clark‘s record for the highest percentage of laps led in a season.

Either way, winning 11 of his 16 races shows the level of dominance from Hamilton this year, which he puts down to the Black Lives Matter movement giving him extra drive. He may be turning 36 in January – and still not technically confirmed at Mercedes for 2021 – but he shows no signs of slowing down just yet. Which is bad news for his competitors.

Highlight: Matching Michael Schumacher‘s record of seven world championship titles.

Lowlight: His week with Covid-19. It would appear that it hit him hard.

GRADE: A+

Valtteri Bottas

2nd | Pts: 223 | Wins: 2 | Podiums: 11 | Poles: 5 | FL: 2 | Ret: 1

2020 proved to be another false dawn for Valtteri Bottas. After winning the belated season opener, the Finn gradually fell away from Hamilton in the standings and, by the time Hamilton had wrapped up the title in Turkey, was barely hanging onto second place in the championship.

It must be said that Bottas suffered more than his fair share of bad luck again; a tyre blow-out at Silverstone and engine failure at the Nürburgring were both costly. Ultimately, though, he just wasn’t good enough. Taking on Lewis Hamilton for the title in the same machinery is one of the biggest challenges in the sport and Bottas is left with another winter of reflection, trying to figure out a way to beat one of the greatest of all time.

Highlight: A perfect start in Austria.

Lowlight: An embarrassing day of spins in the wet as Hamilton clinched the title in Turkey.

Grade: B-

Max Verstappen

3rd | PTS: 214 | WINS: 2 | PODIUMS: 11 | POLES: 1 | FL: 3 | RET: 5

Max Verstappen has competed with Hamilton for ‘driver of the year’ rights throughout the season and there is precious little to separate them. He has frequently outperformed his Red Bull machinery and taken the fight to the Mercedes cars on his own, whilst his teammate was fighting in the midfield.

The flying Dutchman appears to have reached a new level of maturity whilst holding onto his raw speed and, given the right machinery, could surely mount a serious title challenge. Verstappen has not had much of a threat from the other side of the garage since Daniel Ricciardo left in 2018. Perhaps the experience of Sergio Pérez can help develop the car and push him on further next season.

Highlight: A dominant win in Abu Dhabi was a nice way to way to enter the winter break.

Lowlight: Throwing away a chance at victory in Turkey after a moment of impatience.

Grade: A

Alexander Albon

7th | PTS: 105 | WINS: 0 (BEST: 3rd) | PODIUMS: 2 | POLES: 0 | FL: 0 | RET: 2

It has been a tough year for Alexander Albon. After showing promise in his short spell at Red Bull last year, team bosses had hoped the affable Anglo-Thai driver could push on with time to fully prepare and a complete season. But, sadly, they have been disappointed.

Albon may well have won the first race of the year, if not for the collision with Hamilton, but things unravelled thereafter. He looked increasingly jaded as the season wore on and he remained the wrong side of half a second per lap slower than Verstappen. At least he was allowed to see out the season and given every chance to impress, which has not always been a courtesy granted to those at Red Bull.

In the end, his demotion to reserve driver looks the correct choice; hopefully he can take some time to clear his head and return stronger.

Highlight: A long-overdue maiden podium at Mugello after overtaking Ricciardo.

Lowlight: Being widely mocked for a radio message where he complained about being ‘raced so hard’ as he struggled to pass the AlphaTauris.

Grade: D

Carlos Sainz

6TH | PTS: 105 | WINS: 0 (BEST: 2nd) | PODIUMS: 1 | POLES: 0 | FL: 1 | RET: 2

After some poor luck earlier in the season, Carlos Sainz recovered to claim sixth in the drivers’ standings for the second year running, which is a good representation of his consistency during his time at McLaren. The Spaniard also very nearly claimed a maiden victory at the madcap Italian Grand Prix and overtook the Mercedes to lead early on in Portugal.

His performances in orange have earned him a move to the famous red of Ferrari. Oddly, it could currently be viewed as a move backwards considering the Scuderia’s struggles in 2020. Wherever they prove to be in the pecking order over the next two years, Charles Leclerc will be a very challenging teammate and should prove definitively whether Sainz is a driver in the top echelon or a solid support act for a superstar.

Highlight: Mixed emotions when so close to victory, but second in Monza still tastes pretty sweet ahead of a move to Ferrari.

Lowlight: A cruel late puncture at Silverstone costing him fourth place.

Grade: B+

Lando Norris

9TH | PTS: 97 | WINS: 0 (BEST: 3rd) | PODIUMS: 1 | POLES: 0 | FL: 2 | RET: 1

Lando Norris started the season with two spectacular races in Austria. A first ever podium snatched on the line at the first was followed up with another dramatic finish a week later and the new nickname of ‘Last Lap Lando’.

Things generally didn’t fall the young Briton’s way in the second half of the season, however, and he wasn’t in the right place to capitalise during the crazy races in Italy and Bahrain. It was another consistent season, though, and Norris just about edged his more-experienced teammate in the qualifying and race head-to-heads over their two years together. It may be the end of the ‘Carlando’ bromance but Ricciardo will likely prove just as fun and at least as fast.

Highlight: Getting to demonstrate his signature champagne-spraying technique at the first race.

Lowlight: An engine failure when competing for a podium at the Nürburgring left him sat in a deckchair.

Grade: B

Sergio Pérez

4TH | PTS: 125 | WINS: 1 | PODIUMS: 2 | POLES: 0 | FL: 0 | RET: 2

It took the prospect of Sergio Pérez leaving the sport for some people to truly appreciate him. Once the news broke that he would be replaced by Sebastian Vettel next year, pundits and drivers alike came out and said it would be a travesty if the Mexican didn’t find a seat for 2021. Pérez justified their remarks with a series of stellar performances, culminating in an emotional maiden win at the Sakhir Grand Prix and fourth in the standings despite missing two races with Covid-19.

The poisoned chalice of the second seat at Red Bull is his reward. It’s not an easy job, but Pérez is a wise, old head these days and knows his strengths and weaknesses. He’s unlikely to best Verstappen on a Saturday too often but his ability to preserve his tyres may well bring him back into the running on race day.

Highlight: A very well-deserved win in Sakhir, even after finishing the opening lap in last place.

Lowlight: An engine failure a week earlier in Bahrain costing him a podium.

Grade: A-

Lance Stroll

11TH | PTS: 75 | WINS: 0 (BEST: 3rd) | PODIUMS: 2 | POLES: 1 | FL: 0 | RET: 5

A strong start to the year – including a podium at Monza – saw Lance Stroll temporarily holding fourth in the standings. But then came a horrible run of bad luck. A tyre failure when chasing another podium in Mugello was followed by being spun out on the first lap in Russia and then a very messy episode at the Nürburgring. Stroll withdrew due to a ‘stomach bug’ but was then confirmed as having Covid-19 a week later.

He took a surprise pole position in Turkey and led for much of the race, but an ill-advised pit stop saw him fall back to ninth. Being flipped upside-down in Bahrain, followed by another podium a week later and then a frustrating race in Abu Dhabi completed a rollercoaster season for the Canadian. He has certainly shown more flashes of speed this season, though, and can compare himself against a four-time world champion next year in the rebranded Aston Martin.

Highlight: That surprise maiden pole – the first by a Canadian not named Villeneuve.

Lowlight: A costly, heavy crash in Mugello.

Grade: B-

Daniel Ricciardo

5TH | PTS: 119 | WINS: 0 (BEST: 3rd) | PODIUMS: 2 | POLES: 0 | FL: 2 | RET: 1

It took the best part of two years, but Daniel Ricciardo did eventually succeed in his goal of a podium at Renault – their first in over a decade – and thus earned a tattoo for team boss Cyril Abiteboul. Ricciardo was already confirmed to leave the team, though, as he moves to McLaren for 2021.

Whilst the Renault project that persuaded the Honey Badger to leave Red Bull appears to be making more progress than it was last year, McLaren is still arguably a step up in team – third in the standings this year and with Mercedes engines for 2021. Ricciardo also crushed another well-respected teammate in Esteban Ocon and now has Norris in his sights for next year.

Highlight: Finally claiming that podium after numerous near misses.

Lowlight: A safety car costing him third place two races earlier in Mugello.

Grade: A-

Esteban Ocon

12TH | PTs: 62 | WINS: 0 (BEST: 2nd) | PODIUMS: 1 | POLES: 0 | FL: 0 | RET: 4

It has been a challenging year for Esteban Ocon. His reputation as a potential star of the future has taken a hit after something of a mauling by his older teammate. 15-2 in qualifying and 13-4 on race day doesn’t make for pretty reading, but there were some mitigating factors.

He certainly had the worst of the reliability issues and was returning the sport after a year as a reserve driver to a brand new car. Nonetheless, he will likely need to do better next season to retain his seat and the replacement for Ricciardo is none other than double world champion Fernando Alonso. Who, whilst turning 40 next year, is unlikely to be a pushover…

Highlight: Another driver with a maiden podium – this time in Sakhir.

Lowlight: Yet another mechanical failure when running strongly at the Eifel Grand Prix.

Grade: C

Sebastian Vettel

13th | Pts: 33 | Wins: 0 | Podiums: 1 | Poles: 0 | FL: 0 | Ret: 2

Back in January, the odds of Sebastian Vettel finishing the season in 13th would have been pretty huge. And yet, what once would have been headline-worthy, is now mundane.

It has been a rough year for the former champion. After being informed back in May that his services would no longer be required come the end of the season, Vettel has often looked disinterested and off the pace. Perhaps understandably so, considering the appalling car that Ferrari produced for 2020 and his lack of an incentive to work towards improving it for next year.

There was, at least, a surprise podium in Turkey and it was fitting that he shared that podium with Hamilton as he matched the record of Vettel’s idol. A new project in Aston Martin green suits Vettel well and will surely see him producing the performances which we know he can deliver.

Highlight: Using his experience to claim one final podium for Ferrari amid the madness of Istanbul.

Lowlight: Spending most of the season half a second off the pace of his teammate.

Grade: C-

Charles Leclerc

8TH | PTS: 98 | WINS: 0 | PODIUMS: 2 | POLES: 0 | FL: 0 | RET: 4

Ferrari may have had a shocking year, but it has at least allowed the raw talent of Charles Leclerc to shine. He has consistently overdelivered and earned himself two unlikely podiums early in the year, whilst building on his momentum from last year and, frankly, crushing Vettel. The German’s farewell message even described Leclerc as “the most talented driver he has come across in 15 years of F1”.

There have been mistakes, however. Leclerc clumsily took both Ferraris out at the first corner in Styria and caused another early incident in Sakhir. He also threw away podium at the final few corners in Turkey. It is easy to forget, though, that this is only his third season in the sport and, if he irons out those errors, he could well deliver on Vettel’s big words over the next few years.

Highlight: A stunning drive to third place at Silverstone.

Lowlight: Judging by his radio message, that error in Turkey cut him deep.

Grade: B+

Daniil Kvyat

14TH | PTS: 32 | WINS: 0 (BEST: 4th) | PODIUMS: 0 | POLES: 0 | FL: 0 | RET: 2

Daniil Kvyat came on strong towards the end of the year, with an impressive fourth place at Imola and some great qualifying performances. But it was a case of too little, too late as he was dropped by AlphaTauri for the latest Red Bull prodigy in the shape of Yuki Tsunoda and is left without a seat for 2021.

The Russian’s Red Bull rollercoaster has finally come to an end but he appears determined to find a route back into the sport. He has certainly shown some talent over the years but has rarely been consistent. Will any team decide to give him a chance in 2022? Time will tell.

Highlight: Nearly snatching a podium at Imola.

Lowlight: The agonising minutes waiting to hear about Romain Grosjean after his (innocent) involvement in the accident.

Grade: C

Pierre Gasly

10th | PTS: 75 | WINS: 1 | PODIUMS: 1 | POLES: 0 | FL: 0 | RET: 3

What a difference a year can make and what a difference it has made for Pierre Gasly. Just over 12 months after being dropped by Red Bull, he took an incredible maiden victory at Monza in an AlphaTauri.

Whilst it obviously required a fair dose of luck, it was a fitting reward for what is one of F1’s great comebacks in recent years. Gasly has been excellent all year and the big question now is where he can go next. There is seemingly no place for him at Red Bull in the future and the rumours are that he has been speaking to Renault (or Alpine as they will be known) about a seat for 2022. He will need to ensure he beats Tsunoda first though.

Highlight: No competition. The biggest shock victory in years.

Lowlight: Being denied a shot at another podium in Imola by a mechanical failure.

Grade: A-

Kimi Räikkönen

16TH | PTS: 4 | WINS: 0 (BEST: 9TH) | PODIUMS: 0 | POLES: 0 | FL: 0 | RET: 1

With Alfa Romeo struggling to get into the points, many expected Kimi Räikkönen to call it a day at the end of the season. And he has certainly seemed unenthused – even by his own standards – this year. But no, he lives to race once more.

He will turn 42 during the 2021 season but generally still delivers on race day, even if he seems to have lost some outright speed during qualifying. As much as it’s hard to believe, he must truly love racing if he’s happy to continue driving round in the lower midfield for another year.

Highlight: Bwoah, who knows? It was all okay.

Lowlight: See above.

Grade: C+

Antonio Giovinazzi

17TH | PTS: 4 | WINS: 0 (BEST: 9TH) | PODIUMS: 0 | POLES: 0 | FL: 0 | RET: 3

Ninth at the opening grand prix of the year was as good as it got for Antonio Giovinazzi in 2020. There were two further points-scoring races but not much else of note.

The Italian has made some progress and edged out his teammate in qualifying, but most of the paddock expected him to make way for one of the many Ferrari academy drivers in F2 next year. As it was, Mick Schumacher went to Haas, Callum Ilott became Ferrari’s test driver and Robert Shwartzman has been given another year in F2. So, Giovinazzi gets another season. He will need to do something pretty special with it to prove his worth.

Highlight: Probably keeping his seat for next year.

Lowlight: Crashing at Spa for the second consecutive year (and receiving very little sympathy from his teammate).

Grade: C

Romain Grosjean

19TH | PTS: 2 | WINS: 0 (BEST: 9TH) | PODIUMS: 0 | POLES: 0 | FL: 0 | RET: 3

It had been a fairly understated season from Romain Grosjean up until Bahrain, with very few incidents – which made a pleasant change from last year. But then came a crash that was the equivalent of a season’s worth of incidents, and then some.

The images of Grosjean miraculously escaping the fireball that had engulfed the remnants of his Haas will leave an indelible mark on the sport. It is a shame that he did not get to sign off in the manner that he would have liked with a heroic return in Abu Dhabi, but things will have been thoroughly put into perspective by that crash. Grosjean gets to go home to his young family and that is the biggest prize.

Highlight: Surviving a horrific, 53-G crash.

Lowlight: The point at which he “accepted death” whilst stuck in the cockpit.

Grade: An Honorary A

Kevin Magnussen

20TH | PTS: 1 | WINS: 0 (BEST: 10TH) | PODIUMS: 0 | POLES: 0 | FL: 0 | RET: 7

2020 proved to be another frustrating year for Kevin Magnussen and he honestly seems happy enough to be losing his seat. Haas struggled again – particularly now that they were hampered with an underpowered Ferrari engine – and the 28-year-old managed just one single point all year. He certainly wasn’t aided by reliability, ending up with comfortably the most retirements on the grid, largely thanks to mechanical issues.

It is bizarre to think that Magnussen’s sole podium in his entire F1 career was on his debut. He has since said it was actually a poisoned chalice in that it set his expectations too high. A move to race for Chip Ganassi in the WTSCC will hopefully allow him to experience that champagne feeling for the first time in seven years.

Highlight: Briefly running third in Hungary after a strategy gamble paid off.

Lowlight: Most of the rest of the year.

Grade: C+

George Russell

18TH | PTS: 2 | WINS: 0 (BEST: 9TH) | PODIUMS: 0 | POLES: 0 | FL: 1 | RET: 4

Having spent most of the year once again excelling in a slow Williams, George Russell was suddenly propelled into the limelight as he replaced the Covid-stricken Hamilton at Mercedes. And boy, did he seize his opportunity.

Russell had earned the ‘Mr. Saturday’ nickname after never having been outqualified by a teammate and dragging the Williams into Q2 on numerous occasions. And he very nearly kept his perfect record despite his lack of experience – and barely fitting into the car – qualifying just two hundredths behind Bottas. He then topped that on Sunday by passing Bottas off the line and controlling the race. Only for a botched Mercedes pit stop and a puncture to cruelly deny him an extraordinary result.

Nonetheless, he enhanced his already burgeoning reputation and is now metaphorically – if not quite literally – hammering on Toto Wolff’s door for a seat at Mercedes in 2022.

Highlight: Passing Bottas to lead into the first corner for the first time.

Lowlight: Either the poor luck in Sakhir or spinning under the safety car when on for his first points with Williams.

Grade: A-

Nicholas Latifi

21st | PTS: 0 | WINS: 0 (BEST: 11TH) | PODIUMS: 0 | POLES: 0 | FL: 0 | RET: 3

Nicholas Latifi came into the sport with a reputation as nothing more than a pay driver but, whilst not exactly setting the world alight, he has been closer to Russell than Robert Kubica was last year. And few have criticised the decision to retain him for next season.

He is another, though, who will likely have to find another level to prove remain in the sport for 2022. Especially with Williams under new management and less desperate for funds.

Highlight: Very nearly an unlikely point in 11th on his debut.

Lowlight: Russell’s appearance in a Mercedes meaning Latifi dropped below him in the standings.

Grade: C-

So, where were we?

Posted on by James Mackenzie

Well, we were in Melbourne, about to start another Formula 1 season…and then the world changed.

It has, in fact, changed beyond all recognition in the space of a few short months. Social distancing is the new normal – masks, gloves, two metre gaps, elbow bumps – and the Black Lives Matter campaign has swept around the globe after the death of George Floyd.

These have been truly unprecedented times, but, as curves have been flattened and lockdowns lifted, the world of sport is slowly, cautiously peering out from the rubble.

Empty stands in a COVID world.
Image credit: AP

With cases reducing in most countries and both testing kits and protective equipment now far more readily available, many sporting bodies have decided that, with the correct safety measures in place, it is safe to resume.

Premier League football has now restarted, with players and staff being tested twice a week, a maximum of 300 key people allowed inside the stadium and regular disinfection of equipment.

So, how will F1 look upon its return?

Formula 1’s ‘New Normal’

As sports go, the core elements of F1 are already fairly socially distanced; drivers are in their own cars, in the most advanced protective equipment and, if they get within two metres of their rivals, then they’ve probably crashed into one another…

This means that most of the changes will be aesthetic and/or behind the scenes.

The new regulations have been produced in conjunction with the WHO and feature all the measures with which we have become accustomed recently – two metre distancing wherever possible, PPE throughout and the expectation that “all attendees show responsible measures are being taken”.

There will be a daily questionnaire regarding potential symptoms to be completed by every member of the paddock, in addition to a contract tracing system, daily COVID briefings and an isolation hut on the premises.

What does it mean in terms of the show? Not a huge amount, really.

Media scrums will certainly not be seen at any point this year.
Image credit: Speedpix

The grid process is to be shortened significantly. Media scrums are obviously a thing of the past; the media’s entry will be limited to mostly video or ‘pool’ interviews – where all outlets’ questions will be asked together. The weighbridge will be disinfected after each car’s visit and the podium celebrations will be moved to the grid, in order to enable two metre spacings between the steps.

There has been no word on the champagne as yet; maybe they’ll spray disinfectant instead.

What Could the Calendar End up Looking Like This Year?

It seems astonishing, in hindsight, that the opening Grand Prix of the year very nearly went ahead. It may well have done, too, but for a member of the McLaren crew testing positive for the virus on the Thursday night.

In the aftermath, grands prix were gradually postponed, with Monaco being the first to fully cancel its 2020 event. The difficulty of assembling the infrastructure necessary for a street race made the event impossible, even with restrictions beginning to relax.

The same obviously applies to the street races in Singapore and Baku, who duly followed suit, and the Australian, Dutch, French and Japanese Grands Prix weren’t far behind, cancelling for a variety of reasons.

The requirement for a season to qualify as a World Championship is a minimum of eight races. The talk of a three continent requirement can be put to bed after Managing Director Ross Brawn confirmed that, in the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 crisis, this “recommendation” will not have to be met.

The FIA released a rescheduled calendar in early June, with the first eight races confirmed. They include – for the first time in F1’s history – a second race in both Austria and Great Britain; which have been named the Steiermark GP and the 70th Anniversary GP, respectively. The aim is to hold between 15 and 18 races overall, with the season potentially stretching into early 2021.

The latest calendar update.
Image credit: Formula 1

Beyond this, things remain largely up in the air. The races in Canada and Vietnam continue to be a possibility and there may even be another double-header in China, ironically. Bahrain and Abu Dhabi look fairly solid bets to host at least one race.

The United States is far from over its Coronavirus struggles, whilst Mexico and Brazil appear to be going in the wrong direction, so the prospect of races there seems problematic. However, with Liberty Media waiving race fees and, in fact, paying to rent the facilities, there are some old faces throwing their hats into the ring.

From the more recent past, Hockenheim is looking likely to host a race, having dropped off the calendar for 2020. But blasts from the past such as Imola have been mentioned; both Estoril and Algarve in Portugal (and even Mugello in Italy) are being considered.

It’s hard to say currently how many races we’ll end up with and where they’ll be, but let’s just be glad that we have a championship at all.

Since You’ve Been Gone

So, if you’ve been out of the F1 loop during lockdown, what have you missed? Here are the main headlines…

Silly Season Before the Season Even Began

Carlos Sainz and Daniel Ricciardo in their new team overalls.
Image credit: Sky Sports F1

In the space of a couple of days, the F1 merry-go-round suddenly kicked into gear, sparked by Sebastian Vettel‘s announcement that he would be leaving Ferrari at the end of 2020. Within a few hours, Carlos Sainz was confirmed as his replacement and, not long after that, Daniel Ricciardo announced he was swapping the yellow of Renault for the papaya orange of McLaren in 2021.

Vettel stated that “the team and I have realised that there is no longer a common desire to stay together beyond the end of this season”. Was he just burnt out after years of near misses and disappointment with the Scuderia? Or was it the team that have decided they want some fresh blood?

Either way, it can’t have been easy to give up on his dream of emulating his idol, Michael Schumacher, with a championship at Ferrari and his options for 2021 now look limited.

There were initial rumours of a Mercedes seat, but Toto Wolff has all but ruled that out, leaving his best chance at Renault. Will Vettel take a chance on what is currently a midfield team, with former teammate Ricciardo clearly having jumped ship? Or will he retire?

It would be a great shame for the sport to lose a four-time world champion, but you sense recently that his love for F1 has been dwindling a little.

An unhappy Sebastian Vettel.
Image credit: The Canadian Press

It is an incredible chance for Sainz, however. Many have seen him as a future de facto number two to Charles Leclerc, but let’s not write him off so soon. It is worth remembering that he largely matched Max Verstappen whilst the pair were at Toro Rosso and a stellar 2019 season refreshed memories of his considerable potential, after an uninspiring spell at Renault.

Ricciardo will be hoping that McLaren can continue their current upward trend and take advantage of the new regulations, which have now been delayed by a year to 2022. Unless he miraculously challenges for the title this year, it will have to be said that his Renault experiment was a failure.

It surely won’t wipe that perpetual smile off his face, though, and a pairing of the Australian and Lando Norris will certainly make 2021 an entertaining season for McLaren, in every sense.

Hamilton Leads the Fight

For once, that headline has nothing to do with Lewis Hamilton‘s dominance on the track.

The world champion has launched ‘The Hamilton Commission’ with the aim of increasing diversity within motorsport. “The time for platitudes and token gestures is over”, wrote Hamilton in a column for The Sunday Times. “Despite my success in the sport, the institutional barriers that have kept F1 highly exclusive persist.”

The 35-year-old has campaigned passionately during the enforced break, with a series of powerful statements on social media and participation in the peaceful BLM protest in Hyde Park.

And F1 has now followed his lead by launching the ‘We Race As One’ initiative, which has the aim to “impact long-lasting change, particularly regarding diversity and inclusion”. All cars will display a rainbow, comprising the colours of the 10 teams, throughout the 2020 season and the sport will also show support for key workers and families amid the fight against COVID-19.

As stated at the top of this article, the world has changed.

But maybe it was time for a change.

20/20 vision for 2020

Posted on by James Mackenzie

It’s nearly time! So, here is everything you could want to know about the 2020 season…

The Drivers

Lewis Hamilton

AGE: 35 | GPs: 250 | Championships: 6 | Wins: 84 | Poles: 88 | Podiums: 151

Valtteri Bottas

AGE: 30 | GPS: 140 | CHAMP. BEST: 2ND | WINS: 7 | POLES: 11 | PODIUMS: 45

Sebastian Vettel

AGE: 32 | GPS: 241 | CHAMPIONSHIPS: 4 | WINS: 53 | POLES: 57 | PODIUMS: 120

Charles Leclerc

AGE: 22 | GPS: 42 | CHAMP. BEST: 4th | WINS: 2 | POLES: 7 | PODIUMS: 10

Max Verstappen

AGE: 22 | GPS: 102 | CHAMP. BEST: 3RD | WINS: 8 | POLES: 2 | PODIUMS: 31

Alexander Albon

AGE: 23 | GPs: 21 | CHAMP. BEST: 8TH | RACE BEST: 4TH | QUAL. BEST: 5TH

Carlos Sainz

AGE: 25 | GPs: 102 | CHAMP. BEST: 6TH | RACE BEST: 3RD | QUAL. BEST: 5TH | PODIUMS: 1

Lando Norris

AGE: 20 | GPS: 21 | CHAMP. BEST: 11TH | RACE BEST: 6TH | QUAL. BEST: 5TH

Daniel Ricciardo

AGE: 30 | GPS: 171 | CHAMP. BEST: 3RD | WINS: 7 | POLES: 3 | PODIUMS: 29

Esteban Ocon

AGE: 23 | GPS: 50 | CHAMP. BEST: 8TH | RACE BEST: 5TH | QUAL. BEST: 3RD

Pierre Gasly

AGE: 24 | GPS: 47 | CHAMP. BEST: 7TH | RACE BEST: 2ND | QUAL. BEST: 4TH | PODIUMS: 1

Daniil Kvyat

AGE: 25 | GPS: 170 | CHAMP. BEST: 7TH | RACE BEST: 2ND | QUAL. BEST: 4TH | PODIUMS: 3

Sergio Pérez

AGE: 30 | GPS: 178 | CHAMP. BEST: 7TH | RACE BEST: 2ND | QUAL. BEST: 4TH | PODIUMS: 8

Lance Stroll

AGE: 21 | GPS: 62 | CHAMP. BEST: 12TH | RACE BEST: 3RD | QUAL. BEST: 2ND | PODIUMS: 1

Kimi Räikkönen

AGE: 40 | GPS: 315 | CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1 | WINS: 21 | POLES: 18 | PODIUMS: 103

Antonio Giovinazzi

AGE: 26 | GPS: 23 | CHAMP. BEST: 17TH | RACE BEST: 5TH | QUAL. BEST: 7TH

Romain Grosjean

AGE: 33 | GPS: 166 | CHAMP. BEST: 7TH | RACE BEST: 2ND | QUAL. BEST: 2ND | PODIUMS: 10

Kevin Magnussen

AGE: 27 | GPS: 103 | CHAMP. BEST: 9TH | RACE BEST: 2ND | QUAL. BEST: 4TH | PODIUMS: 1

George Russell

AGE: 22 | GPS: 21 | CHAMP. BEST: 20TH | RACE BEST: 11TH | QUAL. BEST: 14TH

Nicholas Latifi

AGE: 24 | GPS: 0 | CHAMP. BEST: N/A | RACE BEST: N/A | QUAL. BEST: N/A

The Teams

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team

FIRST GP: 1954 | GPS: 210 | CHAMPIONSHIPS: 6 | WINS: 102 | POLES: 111 | PODIUMS: 211

Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow

FIRST GP: 1950 | GPS: 993 | CHAMPIONSHIPS: 16 | WINS: 237 | POLES: 228 | PODIUMS: 765

Aston Martin Red Bull Racing

FIRST GP: 2005 | GPS: 287 | CHAMPIONSHIPS: 4 | WINS: 62 | POLES: 62 | PODIUMS: 170

McLaren F1 Team

FIRST GP: 1966 | GPS: 867 | CHAMPIONSHIPS: 8 | WINS: 182 | POLES: 155 | PODIUMS: 486

Renault DP World F1 Team

FIRST GP: 1977 | GPS: 386 | CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2 | WINS: 35 | POLES: 51 | PODIUMS: 100

Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda

FIRST GP: 2020 | GPS: 0 | CHAMP. BEST: N/A | RACE BEST: N/A | QUAL. BEST: N/A

BWT Racing Point F1 Team

FIRST GP: 2019 | GPS: 21 | CHAMP. BEST: 7TH | RACE BEST: 6TH | QUAL. BEST: 5TH

Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen

FIRST GP: 1950 | GPS: 131 | CHAMP. BEST: 6TH | WINS: 10 | POLES: 12 | PODIUMS: 26

Haas F1 Team

FIRST GP: 2016 | GPS: 83 | CHAMP. BEST: 5TH | RACE BEST: 4TH | QUAL. BEST: 5TH

ROKiT Williams Racing

FIRST GP: 1978 | GPS: 720 | CHAMPIONSHIPS: 9 | WINS: 114 | POLES: 128 | PODIUMS: 312

The Grands Prix

Australia

Melbourne | 13-15 Mar | Laps: 58 | Length: 5.303 km | Lap Record: 1:24.125

Bahrain

SAKHIR | 20-22 MAR | LAPS: 57 | LENGTH: 5.412 KM | LAP RECORD: 1:31.447

Vietnam

HANOI | 03-05 APR | LAPS: 55 | LENGTH: 5.607 KM | LAP RECORD: N/A

CHINA

SHANGHAI | POSTPONED | LAPS: 56 | LENGTH: 5.451 KM | LAP RECORD: 1:32.238

NETHERLANDS

ZANDVOORT | 01-03 MAY | LAPS: 72 | LENGTH: 4.252 KM | LAP RECORD: N/A

SPAIN

BARCELONA | 08-10 MAY | LAPS: 66 | LENGTH: 4.655 KM | LAP RECORD: 1:18.441

Monaco

MONACO | 21-24 MAY | LAPS: 78 | LENGTH: 3.337 KM | LAP RECORD: 1:14.260

AZERBAIJAN

BAKU | 05-07 MAY | LAPS: 51 | LENGTH: 6.003 KM | LAP RECORD: 1:43.009

CANADA

MONTRéAL | 12-14 JUN | LAPS: 70 | LENGTH: 4.361 KM | LAP RECORD: 1:13.078

FRANCE

LE CASTELLET | 26-28 JUN | LAPS: 53 | LENGTH: 5.842 KM | LAP RECORD: 1:32.740

AUSTRIA

SPIELBERG | 03-05 JUL | LAPS: 71 | LENGTH: 4.318 KM | LAP RECORD: 1:06.957

GREAT BRITAIN

SILVERSTONE | 17-19 JUL | LAPS: 52 | LENGTH: 5.891 KM | LAP RECORD: 1:27.369

HUNGARY

Mogyoród | 31 JUL-02 AUG | LAPS: 70 | LENGTH: 4.381 KM | LAP RECORD: 1:17.103

BELGIUM

Stavelot | 28-30 AUG | LAPS: 44 | LENGTH: 7.004 KM | LAP RECORD: 1:46.286

ITALY

MONZA | 04-06 SEP | LAPS: 53 | LENGTH: 5.793 KM | LAP RECORD: 1:21.046

SINGAPORE

SINGAPORE | 18-20 SEP | LAPS: 61 | LENGTH: 5.063 KM | LAP RECORD: 1:41.905

RUSSIA

SOCHI | 25-27 SEP | LAPS: 53 | LENGTH: 5.848 KM | LAP RECORD: 1:35.761

JAPAN

SUZUKA | 09-11 OCT | LAPS: 53 | LENGTH: 5.807 KM | LAP RECORD: 1:30.983

UNITED STATES

AUSTIN | 23-25 OCT | LAPS: 56 | LENGTH: 5.513 KM | LAP RECORD: 1:36.169

MEXICO CITY

MEXICO CITY | 30 OCT-01 NOV | LAPS: 71 | LENGTH: 4.304 KM | LAP RECORD: 1:18.741

BRAZIL

São Paulo | 13-15 NOV | LAPS: 71 | LENGTH: 4.309 KM | LAP RECORD: 1:10.540

ABU DHABI

ABU DHABI | 27-29 NOV | LAPS: 55 | LENGTH: 5.554 KM | LAP RECORD: 1:39.283

The Changes

Drivers

Esteban Ocon replaces Nico Hülkenberg at Renault

Nicholas Latifi replaces Robert Kubica at Williams

Teams

Toro Rosso are renamed as AlphaTauri

Grands Prix

The Vietnamese and Dutch Grands Prix are added

The German Grand Prix is removed

The Mexican Grand Prix is renamed as the Mexico City Grand Prix

The Chinese Grand Prix is currently postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak

Regulations

Teams will be allowed to use one more MGU-K compared to 2019

The rules surrounding jump starts and the weighbridge have been relaxed with the race stewards now able to hand out less severe punishments

In order to reduce the risk of punctures, the last 50 mm of the front wing can no longer contain any metal

Brake ducts can no longer be outsourced and must be made and designed by the team

The amount of fuel that can be outside of the fuel tank has been reduced from 2 litres to 250 millilitres

The level of driver aids at the start have been decreased

The Burning Questions

Can Lewis Hamilton match Michael Schumacher’s record of seven world championships? And how many of his other records can he break during the season?

Will anyone be able to challenge him? Can Red Bull or Ferrari produce a car capable of doing so? Can Bottas upgrade again to 3.0?

Who will come out on top in the teammate battle at Ferrari? And can they keep it clean?

Is the “Pink Mercedes” of Racing Point actually the class of the midfield?

Will the Mercedes DAS system have a noticeable effect?

Have Williams clawed their way back to respectability?

How badly will the COVID-19 outbreak affect the calendar?

What will the repercussions of the controversial Ferrari/FIA settlement be?

How long until the first Kimi bwoah?

Let’s act like we know what’s going on in testing: 2020 edition

Posted on by James Mackenzie

It’s that time of year again.

The teams have packed up in Barcelona and now prepare for the long haul to Melbourne for the season-opener. Meanwhile, the rest of us try to figure out who was ‘sandbagging’, who was doing ‘glory runs’, who’s worried about their reliability and who’s quietly confident.

Let me pose some questions.

A Few Worries for Mercedes?

Image credit: Getty Images

Mercedes continued their fine form from the first week of testing for the most part, but it wasn’t all plain sailing. Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton missed most of the penultimate day after an oil pressure anomaly caused a precautionary shutdown of the power unit. There had been a couple of other more minor engine-related issues prior to that and Williams, who are an engine customer of Mercedes, had similar problems.

Could this be an Achilles heel for the six-time world champions? We’ve seen the impact having to run on reduced power has had on the team in the past; at high altitude and with high temperatures in Austria last year, they suffered with engine overheating and were not on the level of Ferrari or Red Bull. Have they pushed their new engine too far in trying to catch up to the possibly illegal (more on that later) power achieved by Ferrari last year? Time will tell. But at least they have discovered the issues now. Better in testing than in qualifying or the race in Melbourne.

You can be sure that they will leave no stone unturned back at Mercedes HQ and the Silver Arrows certainly still head into the season as the team to beat. But maybe this development will have given some hope to those in the two garages next door. Speaking of which…

Can Red Bull and/or Ferrari Really Challenge This Year?

Having kept their heads down for the first week of testing, the other two members of the ‘big three’ started to show their hand a little more as they entered the final couple of days.

Ferrari spent the first week insisting that they were in trouble, that they were not sandbagging and that they may well even be battling with the midfield this year. But there was always a hint of the-Italian-lady-doth-protest-too-much about it. And it could be seen from an impressively fast and consistent long run by Charles Leclerc on the final day that they have been keeping their true pace under wraps.

The car was still very slow on the straights, however. How much of that is down to conservative power modes and how much is due to their focus on increasing downforce levels in slower corners will probably only become apparent during Q3 in Australia.

After last year’s pre-season testing promised far more than the season ended up delivering for the Scuderia, they have been maybe too self-deprecating this time round.

Red Bull have taken a similarly reserved approach, with even the notoriously outspoken Dr Helmut Marko not producing anything especially headline worthy. They have been producing solid lap times throughout the test, however, and look like they could pose a real threat to Mercedes. Max Verstappen did suffer a surprisingly high number of spins which raised suspicions about whether the new car has issues with stability on corner entry. The Dutchman dismissed these rumours with talk of the weather conditions and “finding the car’s limits”.

If there is nothing substantial to those rumours then Red Bull are looking in pretty good shape to take the fight to the world champions. Verstappen’s fastest time was only half a second down on that of Valtteri Bottas – who achieved the best lap for Mercedes during the first week – and was completed on a harder tyre. Watch this space.

Who Will Be Best of the Rest?

Image credit: XPB Images

Assuming that Ferrari’s talk of being comparable with those in the midfield is simply a case of tempering expectations, the fight for fourth place and ‘best of the rest’ is looking mighty tight.

Racing Point have caused many a raised eyebrow with their new car thanks to its striking resemblance to last year’s Mercedes; particularly once it had gone nearly as fast as the championship-winning car. Their two drivers – Sergio Pérez and Lance Stroll – spent large periods of testing in the top three and Pérez struggled to hide his glee during every interview, describing this year’s challenger as “the best car I’ve had in pre-season“.

The more established heads of the midfield – McLaren and Renault – pride themselves on making all their own parts and will be very bitter if they are beaten by a “Pink Mercedes“. But it all seems quite logical when technical director Andrew Green says they simply “copied the quickest car from last year”. He also pointed out that they had not had the budget to do so in the past but, with Lawrence Stroll’s investment, they can now achieve great things. And, in fairness, this is a team that has perennially punched above its weight.

McLaren and Renault aren’t looking too bad themselves though.

Image credit: XPB Images

Last year’s ‘Formula 1.5‘ champions have produced another handsome papaya and blue machine which, whilst they don’t appear to have been doing glory runs, looks like it will be there or thereabouts come Melbourne. It has produced some impressive long runs and the team seem very content with their work so far.

Renault, after a very disappointing 2019, have seemingly ripped up their former blueprints and started from scratch. A visibly different car, with a far thinner (and uniquely rounded) nose and reprofiled sidepods and airbox, looks like it could propel them back to the front of the midfield. Daniel Ricciardo’s lap, which left him top of the timings on the penultimate day, looked fast and a lot of their last car’s issues seem to have been solved.

Whilst those three are the favourites to fight for fourth, the others are not far behind. AlphaTauri, Alfa Romeo, Haas and even Williams have looked to be in the mix at varying points throughout the two weeks and the general consensus is that the midfield, as a whole, has closed the gap to the top three.

Image credit: James Moy

All this makes for the prospect of some great racing in the final year of these regulations. And, whilst we all agree that the new regulations were necessary for the health of the sport, it is ironic that the best racing always seems to happen at the end of a set of regulations, once all the teams have figured out what works best, copied each other a fair bit, and the pack has levelled out.

A Couple of Other Points of Order

The two other pressing issues in the sport right now are the FIA ruling regarding Ferrari’s engine last year and, as with most of the world, the Coronavirus.

The FIA revealed on Friday – conveniently just as pre-season testing was concluding – that they had “reached a settlement” with Ferrari after a “thorough technical investigation” into last year’s engine but would be keeping the specifics of said settlement between the two parties.

The opacity and underhandedness of this decision has shocked and infuriated the other teams. The term “settlement” certainly appears to imply wrongdoing on Ferrari’s part but, if that is the case, then why such leniency? Especially considering that would mean the team were using an illegal engine for most of the season.

The announcement was clearly timed to avoid lots of talk in the paddock through testing but you can be sure that the teams will not have forgotten by Melbourne. The drama here is far from over as Ferrari’s competitors “consider their next steps”.

Barring some kind of mass protest by those teams, the Australian Grand Prix does, at least, look likely to go ahead…

Some of the others remain very much in the balance. The Chinese Grand Prix has inevitably been postponed – and it will be a challenge for them to find a spot in the calendar for it later in the year – whilst Bahrain and Vietnam especially are looking pretty iffy. Both Grands Prix are instigating special measures, including a 14-day quarantine on travellers from countries where outbreaks are the most severe. That includes Italy.

Obviously, Italy is the home of Ferrari, but also AlphaTauri, some members of Haas and tyre supplier Pirelli. Whilst authorities in Bahrain are planning an expedited process for F1 personnel, Vietnam’s arrangements are less concrete at this point. There would always likely have been teething problems for a country hosting its ever first Grand Prix and the Coronavirus outbreak will have made thing considerably harder for them.

Ross Brawn has said that a race would not be held in a country that denies access to any team to ensure that the competition remains fair. The irony there, considering the controversial FIA/Ferrari settlement, will likely not have been lost on the teams.

The 2020 season starts here

Posted on by James Mackenzie

The first week of this year’s truncated pre-season testing is done. So, what – if anything – have we learnt?

We can certainly analyse the livery changes and then do our best to figure out the new design ideas, innovations and philosophies that the teams have produced and how they have been performing on track thus far.

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team
Image credit: LAT Images

The Livery: A slightly different iteration of the Mercedes theme for 2020. The ‘Petronas green’ element has become a solid stripe rather than their previously more textured lines and there is a distinctive flash of deep red courtesy of new sponsor INEOS. Personally, I prefer last year’s livery but it’s hardly a drastic change and if it remains the class of the field then does it really matter?

The Car: Mercedes have been the talk of testing thanks to their innovative and somewhat controversial ‘DAS’ system, which affects the toe of the car whilst on a straight via the driver pushing and pulling the steering wheel. When you see all the members of other teams crowding around a replay of your car trying to figure out what’s going on, you know you’ve created something novel. It has already been banned for 2021 but appears to be cleared for this season. How much difference it really makes remains to be seen and it could even be that it’s just a smokescreen to deflect people away from their other developments towards the rear of the car. Namely, moving the wishbone backwards to open up the car’s floor. That could have a far larger effect on their performance than the one everyone is paying attention to. And that performance is looking pretty ominous so far…

Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow
Image credit: XPB Images

The Livery: Yep. Still red.

The Car: It’s definitely evolution rather than revolution for the Scuderia. Whilst many have gone more towards the Mercedes philosophy – particularly the thinner noses – Ferrari have kept most of last year’s design and apparently tried to add some more downforce, which had been the car’s biggest issue in 2019. But there is a rather worrying feeling emanating from those in Red; everyone just seems a bit…jaded. Like they’ve maybe written off this year, already resigned themselves to defeat and are focussing on the new regulations in 2021. The lap times have certainly been conservative. But then again, that is the opposite of the headline-grabbing times that Ferrari have produced in past pre-season tests, only to ultimately fall short, so who knows what they’ll do come Melbourne?

Aston Martin Red Bull Racing
Image credit: Honda Racing F1

The Livery: Another Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V job. Still nice though.

The Car: Red Bull are one of those teams to have changed to a far narrower nose this year and have also generally cleaned up the aero at the front of the car with a previously unseen double bulkhead design. The entire machine is as elegant as you’d expect from Red Bull and Adrian Newey, full of smooth, sweeping lines. A pretty car is often a fast car and, whilst not having gone for headline times, the team have looked pretty confident with how things have been going this week.

McLaren F1 Team
Image credit: Sutton

The Livery: Another papaya orange and blue number from the boys in Woking; this one with a more horizontal, striped feel than last year’s triangular, diagonal affair. They’ve also followed Red Bull and Ferrari into the matte-paint world. None of these changes are especially dramatic, anyway, and the car still looks great.

The Car: McLaren seem quietly confident with their progress, team principal Andreas Seidl saying it had been their “best winter test in years”. There is a continued, subtle evolution from last year’s car and they have been steadily working through their programme, introducing a new front wing on day three of the test. Everything seems to be going to plan and if they can keep their position at the head of the midfield this year, they’d probably be happy enough heading into 2021.

Renault F1 Team
Image credit: Getty Images

The Livery: It’s currently a solely black (apart from white sponsors and a yellow number) testing livery. But it actually looks pretty awesome like that to be honest.

The Car: Renault have not only changed to the thinner style of nose but have made it rounded for good measure. It is the first of that kind in a long time and quite reminiscent of a Ferrari from the early 90s. Renault have gone with revolution over evolution and produced a dramatically different car to their disappointing 2019 model. The airbox and sidepods are also significantly changed as they try to prove to both Daniel Ricciardo and the big bosses at Renault HQ that they can follow through on their promises of moving up the grid.

Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda
Image credit: Getty Images

The Livery: With the rebranding of Toro Rosso to AlphaTauri – Red Bull’s fashion brand – comes a brand new livery too. Whilst the former STR blue and red was a favourite amongst many, they’ve arguably surpassed it with this striking white and navy blue design.

The Car: Interestingly, AlphaTauri (it will take a while to get used to that) have not followed the design path of sister team Red Bull and kept faith in their wider, flatter nose. And sister team is now officially what they are, according to Helmut Marko; the Austrian putting out a statement stating that they had been upgraded from junior team. We will find out whether that actually amounts to anything as the season progresses.

BWT Racing Point F1 Team
Image credit: Getty Images

The Livery: Even pinker than last year, having lost the blue SportPesa branding.

The Car: Racing Point have found themselves the other main talking point of this first week of testing, due to their car’s similarity to the 2019 Mercedes. The team from Silverstone have often bordered on being a Mercedes B-team but this year’s car is nearly identical to last year’s Silver Arrow and the paddock is somewhere between suspicious and angry, christening the new car the ‘pink Mercedes’. This hasn’t been helped by its seemingly excellent form, with the Racing Point drivers consistently running in the top three or four throughout the test. The team insist that they simply based their car on the class of the field, which seems logical…but then if it were that easy…

Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen
Image credit: Alfa Romeo

The Livery: Pretty similar to last year’s stylish design but the stripes down the edge of the nose being changed from navy blue to red are a slight improvement.

The Car: Along with the livery, the car’s design appears to have remained consistent also. Last year’s Alfa was seen as something of a trailblazer initially but it has all been rather subdued this time round, barring a ‘glory run’ on soft tyres on day two that saw Kimi Räikkönen top the timings, before promptly grinding to a halt…

Haas F1 Team
Image credit: Getty Images

The Livery: With last year’s Rich Energy sponsorship debacle a distant memory, Haas have reverted to their traditional grey, white and red theme. And produced a pretty nice livery in the process.

The Car: The fundamental issue for Haas last year was their inability to keep their tyres in a good operating window and team principal Guenther Steiner has said that they are “taking a different approach” this year to address that. If they can get that issue under control, they can likely move back into the midfield fight. Of course, Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean managed one obligatory crash each during the test. (In fairness, the Dane’s was caused by a puncture.)

ROKiT Williams Racing
Image credit: Williams Racing

The Livery: A fresh, new livery for what Williams are hoping can be a fresh, new start this year. No ‘fresh’ puns intended there as some have pointed out the car’s resemblance to a specific brand of toothpaste… But, for me, it’s certainly an improvement on last year’s design and looks pretty clean. Again, no pun intended.

The Car: It has been an infinitely better start to the year than Williams endured in 2019, when they missed the first two days of the test altogether. They made the point of being the very first car out on track at this test as a means of catharsis and, once out there, ran very reliably and at a far more respectable pace than last year. They may well still end up as the slowest car on average this year but it’s looking like they should at least be able to compete with the others as things stand. It is reassuring to see that the slide of this once great time has hopefully halted.