Perez might just be keeping the seat warm for Tsunoda. I don't know all that much about him, but apparently he is viewed as a potential superstar within Red Bull
F1 2021 Season
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
Probably.
Honestly not sure if the Vietnam GP will ever become a thing. The Vietnamese official backing it was recently jailed and I don't think anyone would want to back his project for fear of offending the leaders.
Well that knocks that on the head them, shame really the virtual track I had seen looked OK
Well done Hammy on winning SPOTY award..
Sao Paulo's Interlagos circuit has signed a five-year deal to host the Brazilian Grand Prix until 2025.
The official name of the race will be the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, reflecting the city's investment in the event.
It signals the end of plans backed by Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro to move the country's grand prix to a new circuit in Rio de Janeiro.
A new promoter for the race has been established after problems between the previous promoter in Sao Paulo and F1.
The promoter, Brasil Motorsport, is a company "owned by investment entities controlled by Mubadala, a global investment company from Abu Dhabi," F1 said in a statement.
The deal safeguards the future of one of F1's most historic and charismatic circuits.
Interlagos first held the Brazilian GP in 1972. The event moved to Jacarepagua in Rio from 1981-89, after a one-off in 1978, before switching back to Interlagos on a shorter version of the track from 1990.
The official name of the race will be the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, reflecting the city's investment in the event.
It signals the end of plans backed by Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro to move the country's grand prix to a new circuit in Rio de Janeiro.
A new promoter for the race has been established after problems between the previous promoter in Sao Paulo and F1.
The promoter, Brasil Motorsport, is a company "owned by investment entities controlled by Mubadala, a global investment company from Abu Dhabi," F1 said in a statement.
The deal safeguards the future of one of F1's most historic and charismatic circuits.
Interlagos first held the Brazilian GP in 1972. The event moved to Jacarepagua in Rio from 1981-89, after a one-off in 1978, before switching back to Interlagos on a shorter version of the track from 1990.
Hamilton is still the best driver in F1, but you’d expect Verstappen to take that crown in the next year or two.
Verstappen probably has the most raw pace. It's tough to judge Hamilton right now as Bottas is a joke. He probably has the best tyre management in F1 though.
Hes also relentlessly consistent and rarely makes a mistake. To do that for so many years is outstanding.
If you are referring to HAM it's easier to be consistent and not make mistakes when you don't have to push at 100%. He's absolutely brilliant - don't get me wrong. I almost wish he got a crap car as he's so good charging through the field too
Yeah when Hamilton retires Hamilton won't be the best driver in f1 anymore
Perez for me. Which could really make a difference next year, whilst he doesn’t have Max’s pace, his tyre preservation should keep him a lot closer than Albon
Well deserved.
Fully deserved.
Pleased for him, fully deserved
The GOAT is now Sir GOAT.
Well deserved.
Not sure how true this is.
Lewis Hamilton remains the only F1 driver left to confirm his contract for the next season. It looks like things are not going so smoothly between the seven-time world champion and the team’s part-owners, Daimler.
Earlier in November 2020, when F1 was in Turkey, Lewis won his seventh title. Subsequently, the Briton allegedly put forward his demand on the table and kick-started his negotiations with Mercedes for 2021.
Daimler’s reaction to Lewis’s 2021 contract demands
According to Marca, as reported by Corriere, the deal suggested that Lewis wanted a four-year deal, with a salary of a whopping $50M a year. Well, turns out, Daimler weren’t really satisfied with Lewis’s massive demands, as they eventually rejected his offer.
“In November, when Formula 1 went to Turkey, a contract that meets Hamilton’s requirements was ready. A four-year contract with a salary of 50 million a year. However, Daimler put an end to that,” the Italian paper said, according to Marca.
As of now, the talks are still going on, and the two parties are yet to arrive on middle ground.
Daimler’s demands are a bit far off from Lewis’, as the automotive manufacturers are monitoring Lewis’ age, who will turn 36 this month. Hence, Daimler are reportedly looking to provide the British racer with a two-year deal, with an extension of up to three years.
As a result, the Mercedes’ part owners are probably looking to give up on Lewis by as early as 2022, and move on to a younger driver. A much cheaper George Russell is waiting outside the door leading into the team. Hence, Mercedes have a decent back-up if the talks fail.
As of now, Daimler are the only owners opposing Lewis’ demands; it is still unknown if Toto Wolff and INEOS are against them as well.
Hence, it looks like the three owners will negotiate together and provide Lewis with an offer. The Italian media also mentioned that the deadline regarding Lewis’s contract extension has been moved to the end of February.
“It remains to be seen what the results of the talks will be. Now, however, a third party has a stake in the matter: Ineos.
“The new deadline for the contract extension is now at the end of February, just before the start of the tests. Winter in Barcelona (March 2-4),” the media said.
Looking at how things are going at Mercedes, the final decision could go either way; however, Lewis Hamilton will definitely remain the probable candidate for the number 1 seat.
Any dissatisfaction in the negotiation will definitely lead the seven-time world champion into the wild.
If no contract can be agreed, could Lewis be with NO drive next season !!
Russell to Mercedes , could that happen ? He has a contract with Williams.
I know a few on here would welcome 2021 with no Lewis, but in reality its not going to happen?
I dont think it will , they will find some happy medium
Lewis Hamilton remains the only F1 driver left to confirm his contract for the next season. It looks like things are not going so smoothly between the seven-time world champion and the team’s part-owners, Daimler.
Earlier in November 2020, when F1 was in Turkey, Lewis won his seventh title. Subsequently, the Briton allegedly put forward his demand on the table and kick-started his negotiations with Mercedes for 2021.
Daimler’s reaction to Lewis’s 2021 contract demands
According to Marca, as reported by Corriere, the deal suggested that Lewis wanted a four-year deal, with a salary of a whopping $50M a year. Well, turns out, Daimler weren’t really satisfied with Lewis’s massive demands, as they eventually rejected his offer.
“In November, when Formula 1 went to Turkey, a contract that meets Hamilton’s requirements was ready. A four-year contract with a salary of 50 million a year. However, Daimler put an end to that,” the Italian paper said, according to Marca.
As of now, the talks are still going on, and the two parties are yet to arrive on middle ground.
Daimler’s demands are a bit far off from Lewis’, as the automotive manufacturers are monitoring Lewis’ age, who will turn 36 this month. Hence, Daimler are reportedly looking to provide the British racer with a two-year deal, with an extension of up to three years.
As a result, the Mercedes’ part owners are probably looking to give up on Lewis by as early as 2022, and move on to a younger driver. A much cheaper George Russell is waiting outside the door leading into the team. Hence, Mercedes have a decent back-up if the talks fail.
As of now, Daimler are the only owners opposing Lewis’ demands; it is still unknown if Toto Wolff and INEOS are against them as well.
Hence, it looks like the three owners will negotiate together and provide Lewis with an offer. The Italian media also mentioned that the deadline regarding Lewis’s contract extension has been moved to the end of February.
“It remains to be seen what the results of the talks will be. Now, however, a third party has a stake in the matter: Ineos.
“The new deadline for the contract extension is now at the end of February, just before the start of the tests. Winter in Barcelona (March 2-4),” the media said.
Looking at how things are going at Mercedes, the final decision could go either way; however, Lewis Hamilton will definitely remain the probable candidate for the number 1 seat.
Any dissatisfaction in the negotiation will definitely lead the seven-time world champion into the wild.
If no contract can be agreed, could Lewis be with NO drive next season !!
Russell to Mercedes , could that happen ? He has a contract with Williams.
I know a few on here would welcome 2021 with no Lewis, but in reality its not going to happen?
I dont think it will , they will find some happy medium
No way they don't find a way out of this. Mercedes with Hamilton is a shoe-in for another title. Surely Hamilton will agree that a four-year contract for a 36-year old driver is a little much. They will add some money or whatever else Hamilton would like to have on top of the two-year-plus-one offer, and presto.
I personally wouldn't mind if it doesn't work out though. I have nothing against Hamilton, but he's won plenty of titles and has clearly established himself in the GOAT category. Nothing left to see there, so to speak. So I'd rather have him out of F1 and get a competitive season, rather than another one where the only thing that can make most races competitive is bad luck for Hamilton or a Mercedes screw-up.
I personally wouldn't mind if it doesn't work out though. I have nothing against Hamilton, but he's won plenty of titles and has clearly established himself in the GOAT category. Nothing left to see there, so to speak. So I'd rather have him out of F1 and get a competitive season, rather than another one where the only thing that can make most races competitive is bad luck for Hamilton or a Mercedes screw-up.
The issue for Hamilton is that Mercedes with anybody would be a shoe in for the title. Russel would be the favorite if he deputised for him. Bottas would be the favorite if Mercedes had only 1 car etc.
Verstappen is the best and fastest driver on the grid but it’s very hard to see him win anymore than 2-3 races against the Mercedes superteam.
Reminds me of when Alonso (the best driver in the world from 2010-2013) couldn’t do anything about Red Bull’s dominance.
The only difference between then and now is that Mercedes is far more dominant than Red Bull ever was.
Reminds me of when Alonso (the best driver in the world from 2010-2013) couldn’t do anything about Red Bull’s dominance.
The only difference between then and now is that Mercedes is far more dominant than Red Bull ever was.
I find it surprising that Lewis would want a 4 year deal at this point. I haven't checked this but I feel like all his recent contracts were much shorter. Plus he's always kind of been non-committal to how long he'd stay in the sport which kind of made it sound he may step away to pursue other interests at some point. He probably only needs this upcoming season to be the standalone record holder of world championships.
I mean.. he’s not.
I’m not a “hamilton4eva” type, and I really like Max.
But there’s no evidence that Max is better than Hamilton. Max is more exciting, sure.
I have never rated Hamilton as highly as the British media do. He’s an excellent driver but this media worshipping is nauseating.
I’m fairly confident that Verstappen would beat him in equal cars. Leclerc is also quicker than Hamilton, but perhaps he makes too many mistakes to win out over an entire season.
There’s no evidence to prove or disprove what I’m saying. They all drive different cars, so who we perceive as the best driver depends largely on opinion.
To an extent, I agree. But the best drivers tend to end up in the best cars. I get you don't like Hamilton though, so you're not going to change your mind on anything.
It's probably his last contract, just get as much money in the bag as possible.
He can always decide to retire early if his standards drops, he can't negotiate for more years and money when that happens.
Hamilton is one of the greats. I am just bitter that my current favourite driver (Max) does not have an opportunity to compete on a level playing field, so let me vent in peace.
I don't see what the issue is, they brought on INEOS so they could share the investment/budget and an older Hamilton will still be better than most on the grid - certainly better than Bottas on race day. Mercedes are in a perfect position, get Russell in next year and he will eventually replace Hamilton. Who else are they going to bring in within 2 years, Ocon? Sounds like usual negotiating though it is getting a bit late.
Season opener set to be postponed.
Melbourne is preparing to host its first major international event in almost a year in February with the Australian Open tennis tournament, and the Victorian government has made a 14-day quarantine mandatory for all personnel.
It is believed F1 would be subject to the same rules - and a Grand Prix would be unviable in those circumstances.
A two-week quarantine for F1 personnel would likely require them to travel three weeks prior to the race date, and F1's sole three-day pre-season test is currently set for March 2-4.
An official postponement appears inevitable, meaning the Bahrain GP is likely to open the campaign. Bahrain's Sakhir circuit hosted two of the last three races of 2020 without issue.
Melbourne is preparing to host its first major international event in almost a year in February with the Australian Open tennis tournament, and the Victorian government has made a 14-day quarantine mandatory for all personnel.
It is believed F1 would be subject to the same rules - and a Grand Prix would be unviable in those circumstances.
A two-week quarantine for F1 personnel would likely require them to travel three weeks prior to the race date, and F1's sole three-day pre-season test is currently set for March 2-4.
An official postponement appears inevitable, meaning the Bahrain GP is likely to open the campaign. Bahrain's Sakhir circuit hosted two of the last three races of 2020 without issue.
Lots of speculation around has to why Lewis has not signed a new contract.
It said that Hamilton wanted a share of the team’s prize money and wanted to bag an AMG Hypercar.
A Mercedes spokesperson reportedly came ahead and dismissed all these claims. The team needs to stand up for its pilots and that is exactly what they did. The Mercedes man stated that these were ‘pure fiction.’
He will sign a new contract soon enough.
It said that Hamilton wanted a share of the team’s prize money and wanted to bag an AMG Hypercar.
A Mercedes spokesperson reportedly came ahead and dismissed all these claims. The team needs to stand up for its pilots and that is exactly what they did. The Mercedes man stated that these were ‘pure fiction.’
He will sign a new contract soon enough.
Renault announced on Monday that F1 team boss Cyril Abiteboul will depart the French manufacturer with immediate effect.
Abiteboul who guided Renault's return to F1 as a works outfit in 2016, had been expected to step up to a management role within the company following a restructuring.
However, the Frenchman will Renault altogether while Laurent Rossi, Renault's director of strategy and business development, has been appointed as CEO of Alpine F1.
Rossi will therefore overlook Renault's F1 team and the whole of the company's motorsport activities, answering directly to Renault chief executive officer Luca de Meo.
It's uncertain who will inherit the role as team principal for Alpine F1 outfit, but company director Marcin Budkowski is cited as a most likely replacement.
Abiteboul who guided Renault's return to F1 as a works outfit in 2016, had been expected to step up to a management role within the company following a restructuring.
However, the Frenchman will Renault altogether while Laurent Rossi, Renault's director of strategy and business development, has been appointed as CEO of Alpine F1.
Rossi will therefore overlook Renault's F1 team and the whole of the company's motorsport activities, answering directly to Renault chief executive officer Luca de Meo.
It's uncertain who will inherit the role as team principal for Alpine F1 outfit, but company director Marcin Budkowski is cited as a most likely replacement.
The Formula 1 2021 calendar has been reshuffled with two of the planned first three races no longer taking place on their original dates, as Bahrain gets set to host the season-opener at the end of March followed by the return of Imola.
The record 23-race schedule published in November had Australia opening on March 21, followed a week later by Bahrain and then China on April 11.
But due to the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions, the Australian GP has now been postponed back to the November 21 for the 21st round, while the Chinese GP will also not take place on its scheduled date - with no new slot confirmed.
The Bahrain GP will now become the opener on March 28, while F1 is set to return to Imola - which was one of the European races drafted in last year - on April 18 for the second race, effectively as a China replacement.
F1 still hopes to run a 23-race calendar, and Portimao, another 2020 stand-out, in Portugal is expected to hold a race in the current 'TBC' slot - which was previously held for Vietnam - on May 2.
The record 23-race schedule published in November had Australia opening on March 21, followed a week later by Bahrain and then China on April 11.
But due to the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions, the Australian GP has now been postponed back to the November 21 for the 21st round, while the Chinese GP will also not take place on its scheduled date - with no new slot confirmed.
The Bahrain GP will now become the opener on March 28, while F1 is set to return to Imola - which was one of the European races drafted in last year - on April 18 for the second race, effectively as a China replacement.
F1 still hopes to run a 23-race calendar, and Portimao, another 2020 stand-out, in Portugal is expected to hold a race in the current 'TBC' slot - which was previously held for Vietnam - on May 2.
Updated 2021 Season Calendar
Late Australian GP will be weird.
I don't really care where, I just want to see some racing again.
2022 is going to be massive for the sport, a proper reset button.
2022 is going to be massive for the sport, a proper reset button.
Yeah 2022 is going to be a game changer I think.
Australian GP used to be one of the last on the calendar in the 80's/90's
Hopefully the covid situation will be cleared up by Nov as I'm planning to go to Melbourne during that period.
I genuinely enjoyed the season last year, had some great racing and moments. Shame no one challenged Merc/Hamilton but the rest of the field was pretty good.
Next year could be better. Perez should wingman Verstappen more ably, McLaren have Merc engines & Ricciardo and Aston Martin with a new sexy livery & hopefully a rejuvenated Seb.
Hoping for another entertaining year and then mayhem from 2022!
No mention of Alonso being back?
