#F1 News Round-Up: @SChecoPerez joins @RedBullRacing and more.
Sergio Perez, #11, BWT Racing Point F1 Team, RP20, celebrating his maiden-career victory at the Formula 1 Rolex Sakhir Grand Prix 2020, Bahrain International Circuit "Outer Loop" layout, Sakhir, Bahrain. Image credit to Sutton Images. Perez Sakhir GP victory. Abu Dhabi GP Preview, Abu Dhabi GP 2020.
F1 News Round-up is here! Let’s take a look at the latest from the world of Formula 1 over the past week right here on TermiOnTrack.com:
Perez joins Red Bull Racing
Red Bull Racing have confirmed that Sergio Perez will race alongside regular Max Verstappen in the 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship season.
Alexander Albon will take on the role as Reserve and Test driver for the Milton Keynes-outfit with the main focus on 2022 development, simulator work and tyre testing.
Perez made his Formula One debut in 2011 and has ever-since been one of the sport’s most consistent and tenacious drivers.
The Mexican’s recent run of form including his maiden victory at the Sakhir Grand Prix made him the preferred choice to join Red Bull Racing, on a one-year deal.
Perez stated:
“I am incredibly grateful to Red Bull for giving me the opportunity to race for Red Bull Racing in 2021. The chance to race for a championship contending team is something I have been hoping for since I joined Formula One and it will be a proud moment to step onto the grid in Red Bull colours alongside Max.“You can be sure that I will give next season my full focus. The Team has the same winning mentality as me and I know I am here to perform and help the Team fight for another title.” Credit to Red Bull for the quote.”
Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner added:
“Having taken our time to evaluate all the relevant data and performances we have decided that Sergio is the right driver to partner Max for 2021.” Credit to Red Bull for the quote.
Mercedes announces INEOS as one-third shareholder of team
Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team announced INEOS will become a one-third shareholder in the team, which will be owned in three parts by Daimler AG, INEOS and Toto Wolff.
INEOS one-third stake in the team will be an addition to existing position as Principal Partner. Daimler AG will reduce it’s 60% shareholding and Toto Wolff will increase his to 30% in order to make three equal parts in the company.
Since the Mercedes-Benz works outfit returned to Formula One in 2010, it’s commercial growth, continuous strategic investment and sporting commitment have built the organisation into a world sport’s powerhouse with seven successive Driver’s and Constructors Championships in the 1.6L V6 Turbocharged Hybrid era began in 2014.
With it’s iconic partnership since 2010 with Petronas, the team has built a strong portfolio of prestigious partners, solid commercial revenue and generates a lead share of audience and exposure in the sport of Formula One.
From 2021, the business landscape of Formula One will change by new Financial Rules and Regulations to ensure teams to achieve financial sustainability for the years ahead. The Brackley-based squad will be strengthened by it’s closer ties to Mercedes AMG, it’s performance division of Mercedes-Benz, and has already begun to increase through it’s new business division Applied Science, which influences high-performance capability for innovative projects beyond the motorsports industry.
The Brackley/Bricksworth outfit will remain the works team of Mercedes-Benz and will continue to race in Formula One with Mercedes chassis and power-trains in the coming years.
Under it’s shareholding structure, Wolff retains his role as Team Principal for another three seasons, leading the executive operations of the organisation and racing team. He will have the chance to transition to a new executive function within the company when he opts to.
Wolff stated:
“I am pleased to begin this new chapter for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team. This team is like a family for me. We have been through so many highs and lows together that I cannot imagine working with a better group of people in this sport – and I am very happy to continue together into this new era. This new investment from INEOS confirms that the business case for Formula One teams is robust and sends an important signal of confidence in the sport after a challenging year. I am excited to welcome Jim, Andy and John to the team as co-owners: they have built one of the most profitable companies in the world, they embody the true spirit of entrepreneurship and their expertise will strengthen our board in the years ahead. In parallel, it is a privilege to continue my partnership with Ola, Markus Schäfer and Mercedes-Benz for the coming years. We are proud to have added to the brand’s prestigious motorsport heritage since 2010 and we share the ambition to grow the organisation further in the years to come.” Wolff concluded.
Ferrari reveals SF21 name and unveils launch plan
Scuderia Ferrari have released their plans to unveil their 2021 Formula One car the SF21, just ahead of pre-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain next year.
Although the chassis is frozen for all ten competing teams, which means they can only run their current cars again, aerodynamic changes are allowed and teams can use two development tokens to modify other parts of the car.
The Scuderia is aiming to launch it’s team in the early part of the year, introducing it’s team management and driver line-up of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, but will not reveal it’s contender until just before it hits the track for the first time.
Speaking to selected media in Maranello, Team Principal Mattia Binotto went through the Prancing Horse’s plans for 2021.
“We already decided the name of the car next year,” Binotto explained. “The car will be called SF21.”
“It’s a very simple name, because we believe that next year is a transition to 2022. So let’s keep SF21 the name of the car. It will be certainly partially a frozen car, same chassis as 2020.”
“We will organize differently the unveiling of the car next year. We will organize first an event where we will present the team and our drivers to our fans, to our partners and to the journalists. But we may organize a second event, and that could be directly at Barcelona winter testing, where we will unveil the car. And that will be somehow done in a different [way].”
Ferrari’s main hope of progress for 2021 is an all new power-train and will recover it’s power disadvantage that it lost and suffered during the current campaign.
Binotto stated that it’s gains from dyno-testing at the facilities in Maranello were promising, as he had faith Ferrari will not be the manufacturer with the worst engine on the grid next season.
“I can confirm the engine is running well on the dyno,” Binotto continued. “I think that in terms of performance, it progressed well. Significantly I think compared to what has been 2020.”
“I think that we will be back to being competitive as a power unit. I think we will not be the worst in the field, and that is the feeling I got from the figures I’ve seen on the dyno. But I cannot know what the others are certainly doing, or how much they have progressed.”
Binotto also confirmed that the SF21 would fix one of it’s key weaknesses of it’s predecessor, the SF1000 being very draggy, with improved aerodynamic efficiency being one of the main modifications in it’s changes.
“We try to do our best in order to address at least the weaknesses of the 2020 car for next year,” Binotto said.
“In addressing the weaknesses, I mentioned the power unit more than once. But the drag of the car was very, very high in 2020. And I think that looking at the 2021 car, the drag has been somehow certainly addressed.” Binotto concluded.
Tsunoda to race for AlphaTauri in 2021
On Wednesday, Scuderia AlphaTauri announced Yuki Tsunoda to partner Pierre Gasly for the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season.
Tsunoda is part of the Red Bull junior team, Honda’s young driver programme and finished third in this year’s FIA Formula 2 Championship racing for Carlin Motorsport. This result means the 20-year-old Japanese driver qualifies for the FIA Super License required to drive in Formula 1.
After winning the 2018 Japanese Formula 4 World Championship, Tsunoda moved to Europe to compete in the newly-formed FIA Formula 3 World Championship, finishing the campaign in ninth place with three podiums and a win.
He was promoted to Formula 2 in 2020, and enjoyed a successful season, taking seven podiums, two Feature Race victories and a maiden Sprint Race win.
The Japanese youngster recently covered 300 kilometres piloting a 2018 AlphaTauri-liveried Toro Rosso STR13 in a test at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, along with driving at the post-Abu Dhabi GP test on December 15. The last time a Japanese driver competed in a Grand Prix was Kamui Kobayashi who took part in the 2014 Abu Dhabi GP.
Yuki Tsunoda explained:
“Like most racing drivers, it has always been my goal to race in Formula 1, so I am very happy with this news. I want to thank Scuderia AlphaTauri, Red Bull and Dr. Marko for giving me this opportunity, and of course everyone from Honda, for all their support so far in my career, giving me great opportunities to race in Europe. I must also thank the teams that I have raced with to get to this point, particularly Carlin, with whom I have learned so much this year. I realise that I will be carrying the hopes of a lot of Japanese F1 fans next year and I will be doing my best for them too.” Credit to AlphaTauri for the quote.
FIA delivers first barrels of sustainable fuel to F1 power-unit manufacturers
Motorsport Governing Body, the FIA delivered it’s first barrels of new sustainable fuel to Formula 1’s power-train manufacturers and have committed to going carbon neutral from next season, and reaching net-zero by 2030.
On Thursday, the FIA approved it’s ambitious environmental strategy plan, which aims at reducing the environmental impact of motorsport and mobility by setting goals to chase in it’s progress.
The 1.6L V6 Turbocharged Hybrid engines introduced in 2014 were part of the push towards sustainability, but now the FIA is taking a much bigger step on this front.
One of the major steps to reducing it’s carbon emissions is the research and development and production department by the FIA’s Technical Department of 100% sustainable fuel, developed to stringent F1 specification, and able to power it’s Formula 1 cars.
A second generation bio-fuel variety, meaning it has been refined by using bio-waste, not fit for animal or human consumption – the first barrels have now been given to Formula 1’s four power-train manufacturers Ferrari, Honda, Mercedes and Renault for testing and validation.
It’s main objective is to demonstrate that the technology works and to lead F1 suppliers to develop their own fuels, with it’s mandatory target of 100% sustainable fuels in the sport with the introduction of new power-train architecture. From next season, other FIA motorsport categories will be able to use sustainable fuel.
FIA President Jean Todt explained:
“FIA takes its responsibility in leading motor sport and mobility into a low carbon future to reduce the environmental impacts of our activities and contribute to a greener planet.”
“By developing fuel made from bio waste that can power Formula 1, we are taking a new step forward. With the support of the world’s leading energy companies, we can combine the best technological and environmental performance.” Todt concluded.
Williams appoint Capito as CEO
Yesterday, Williams Racing announced the appointment of Jost Capito as it’s new Chief Executive Officer with him set to join the Grove-based squad on February 1 2021.
Capito has enjoyed a wide and varied sporting career over four decades in both the automotive and motorsport industries and will now help strengthen the team at it embarks on an exciting new era. Reporting to Williams Chairman Matthew Savage, he will take responsibility for the day-to-day running of the company. Along with this, Simon Roberts becomes the Team Principal of the team, reporting to Capito.
Capito’s motorsport career began in the mid-1970’s, racing motorbikes and won the truck category of the Paris Dakar-Rally in 1985 with his father driving a Mercedes Unimog.
After spending five years at BMW M GmbH, in 1989 he joined Porsche to manage it’s racing programs before moving to Sauber Petronas Engineering in 1996 as part of it’s executive committee. Capito then joined Ford in 2001, where he spent a significant amount of time as Ford Europe’s Motorsport Director working in various categories from Formula Ford right up to Formula 1 with Jordan Grand Prix and the World Rally Championship with the American manufacturer.
Capito enjoyed great success winning the WRC manufacturers title’s in 2006 and 07.
In 2012, Capito joined Volkswagen as Motorsport Director and lead the German marque to a period of dominance achieving four consecutive Driver’s and Constructor’s World Rally Championship in four years. After a brief stint with McLaren, in 2016 Capito was chosen to lead Volkswagen R GmbH, the department in charge of it’s company’s performance cars, but now returns to Formula One with Williams Racing.
Capito explained:
“It’s a great honour for me to join Williams Racing during these exciting and demanding times for both the team and for Formula One. It is an honour to be a part of the future of this storied team, and one that carries such a poignant name in the sport, so I approach this challenge with great respect and with a huge amount of relish.” Capito concluded. Credit to Williams for the quote.
FIA Confirms F1 2021 Calendar
On Wednesday, at the FIA Annual General Assembly week in Geneva, the World Motor Sport Council met for the fourth and final meeting of 2020 hosted by FIA President Jean Todt and FIA Deputy President for Sport Graham Stoker with WMSC members joining in a via video conference from locations around the world, which confirmed the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship calendar.
The World Council congratulated the entire Formula 1 community for the incredible achievement of running 17 Grands Prix in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, and FIA President Todt thanked Formula 1 Chairman and CEO Chase Carey for his significant contributions to the sport since taking over in 2017 as he moves onto a Non-Executive Chairman role at the end of this year and is replaced by Stefano Domenicali as new CEO.
The 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship Calendar:
| 21 March | Australian Grand Prix | Melbourne |
| 28 March | Bahrain Grand Prix | Sakhir |
| 11 April | Chinese Grand Prix | Shanghai |
| 25 April | TBC | TBC |
| 9 May | Spanish Grand Prix | Barcelona** |
| 23 May | Monaco Grand Prix | Monaco |
| 6 June | Azerbaijan Grand Prix | Baku |
| 13 June | Canadian Grand Prix | Montreal |
| 27 June | French Grand Prix | Le Castellet |
| 4 July | Austrian Grand Prix | Spielberg |
| 18 July | British Grand Prix | Silverstone |
| 1 August | Hungarian Grand Prix | Budapest |
| 29 August | Belgian Grand Prix | Spa-Francorchamps |
| 5 September | Dutch Grand Prix | Zandvoort |
| 12 September | Italian Grand Prix | Monza |
| 26 September | Russian Grand Prix | Sochi |
| 3 October | Singapore Grand Prix | Singapore |
| 10 October | Japanese Grand Prix | Suzuka |
| 24 October | United States Grand Prix | Austin |
| 31 October | Mexican Grand Prix | Mexico City |
| 14 November | Brazilian Grand Prix | São Paulo |
| 28 November | Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Jeddah* |
| 5 December | Abu Dhabi Grand Prix | Yas Marina |
*Subject to circuit homologation
**Subject to promoter agreement
McLaren sell significant minority stake in Formula 1 operation in $185 million deal
McLaren Racing have sold a “significant minority” stake in it’s Formula 1 operation to a United States sports-based investment group in the Woking-based outfit’s bid to strengthen it’s long term future in the sport.
MSP Sports Capital will invest $185 million into McLaren Racing (Formula One and IndyCar) acquiring a 15% stake. which will increase to 33% by the end of 2022, in a deal that would value the team at $560 million.
McLaren Racing Chief Executive Officer Zak Brown has committed his long-term future to the Woking team and is leadership will remain in-place with Andreas Seidl continuing as Team Principal.
“This investment represents a key moment in the progress of McLaren Racing,” explained Brown. “MSP Sports Capital is first and foremost a sports investor. They know the market and their team has considerable experience and proven success in global sports properties. They are a partner as much as a shareholder, with the ability to leverage their network and knowledge for the long-term benefit of McLaren Racing.”
“This new investment bolsters our plan to return McLaren to contention for race wins and championships in Formula 1 and IndyCar, and will strengthen our positive momentum as we continue to focus relentlessly on our mission to return to the top of the podium.” Brown concluded. Credit to McLaren for the quote. https://www.mclaren.com/racing/team/mclaren-group-announces-new-investment-mclaren-racing/
