#F1 Newsbites – #EmiliaRomagnaGP Edition. #Formula1

F1 Newsbites is back, here is the Emilia Romagna GP Edition featuring the latest news from the Formula 1 Paddock. Let’s dive into the news.

 

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F1 Newsbites – Gasly to remain with AlphaTauri for 2021

 

 

We start F1 Newsbites with some driver market news, Scuderia AlphaTauri announced on Wednesday that Pierre Gasly will continue with the team for the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season.

 

The 24-year-old Frenchman first joined the Faenza-based squad in 2017 at the Malaysian Grand Prix, before moving to Aston Martin Red Bull Racing in 2019.

 

After returning to Scuderia AlphaTauri at the mid-way point of the 2019 campaign, Gasly has gone on to claim his maiden victory at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix, scoring his first podium with a second-place at last season’s Brazilian Grand Prix, and consistently finishing in the top ten.

 

Gasly commented:

 

“I’m extremely happy to continue with Scuderia AlphaTauri for another season! This year is going very well, and we are on track to have our most successful season in the team’s history. I feel we have a very strong relationship, we have managed to take every opportunity that’s come our way, the best one at the Italian Grand Prix. Winning my first Formula 1 race in Monza was a very special moment for me, and it was made extra sweet to deliver a second win in the team’s history, so I’m very proud of that. I’ll do my maximum to push the team and take all my responsibility to bring it as far forward as I can. I’m looking forward to next year’s challenge and continuing with AlphaTauri both as a premium fashion brand and a racing team, to keep performing as much as I can to achieve even more success in the future.” Credit to Scuderia AlphaTauri for the quote.

 

Scuderia AlphaTauri Team Principal Franz Tost added:

“I’m delighted that Pierre will remain with us for the 2021 season. He has been part of the Red Bull driver pool for many years and I hope he will remain in the Red Bull family for many seasons ahead. Since he came back to the team last year, he consistently showed extremely good performances achieving two podiums, with a second place in Brazil in 2019 and a win at the team’s home race at this year’s Italian Grand Prix. Pierre has proven to be highly competitive also thanks to his great race craft, extracting the car’s potential at every race and giving valuable feedback to his engineers. He is mentally very strong, he is always motivated and when he sets a goal he gives it his all to achieve it. I’m looking forward to extending this cooperation and having a successful 2021 season together.” Credit to Scuderia AlphaTauri for the quote. https://www.scuderiaalphatauri.com/en/pierre-gasly-2021/

 

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Alfa Romeo and Sauber Group extend naming rights deal until end of current era regulations

 

 

Next on F1 Newsbites, one of Formula 1’s most historic manufacturers Alfa Romeo will remain in the championship next season to continue their partnership with Sauber that gives the Italian icon naming rights of the outfit.

 

The relationship began in 2018 when Alfa Romeo signed a multi-year technical and commercial alliance with Sauber bringing the famous marque’s name back to the sport for the first time in 30 years before re-branding the team as Alfa Romeo Racing last season.

 

Yesterday ahead of the Emilia Romagna GP at Imola, Sauber and Alfa Romeo confirmed they will continue their deal. The Hinwil-based squad will run a special one-off livery with the Italian flag on top of the roll hoop and the rear wing end-plates – as a tribute to Italy and to Alfa Romeo’s racing heritage in the year of it’s 110th birthday.

 

The partnership between Alfa Romeo and Sauber extended well beyond the Grand Prix circuit with the branch of the Sauber Group  involved in the design, development and manufacturing of Alfa Romeo’s new GTA and GTAm models.

 

Team drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi, test drove the cars at Alfa Romeo’s development track in Balocco, Italy and provided the marque technical feedback to fine-tune the automobiles.

 

The renewal of the partnership between Alfa Romeo and Sauber reinforces the team’s stability and future commitment to the sport of Formula 1 and highlighting it’s ambition for future success.

 

Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN Team Principal Frederic Vasseur explained:

 

 “The extension of our relationship with Alfa Romeo is a true statement of intent from both parties. In Sauber, Alfa Romeo found a committed, performance-driven partner to which they could entrust their brand: we are honoured to carry the heritage and past success of Alfa Romeo in our name. Both parties always intended for this relationship to bear fruit in the long term: we have laid some solid foundations in the last three season and we aim to reap the rewards of this work in 2021 and beyond.” Credit to Sauber Group for the quote. https://www.sauber-group.com/motorsport/f1-news/alfa-romeo-and-sauber-motorsport-continue-partnership-to-compete-in-formula-one/

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F1 2021 draft calendar features 23 races

 

 

On Monday, a draft calendar of the 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship was presented to the teams featuring 23 races.

 

The Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix on the streets of Albert Park is set to be the season-opener on March 21 before following the same calendar as originally planned for the current campaign.

 

The only major change is the Dutch Grand Prix, which is understood to be on back-to-back-to-back successive weekends following the Belgian and Italian Grands Prix.

 

Added to the calendar is the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah, while Vietnam is scheduled to make it’s debut in 2021 after being cancelled this year due to COVID-19.

 

Spain is set to kick off the European part of the season on May 9, following the fly-away rounds of Australia, Bahrain, China and Vietnam.

 

A second triple-header is expected to be later in the year with Singapore, Japan and Russia scheduled on consecutive weekends.

 

The Brazilian Grand Prix remains a surprise slot on the predicted calendar despite it’s current contract expiring this year.

 

Sport organisers have been endorsing the newly-proposed circuit in Rio De Janeiro, though it is not expected to be ready in time for next season’s event.

 

The 2021 calendar is set to be made public in the coming weeks.

 

F1 Newsbites – Predicted 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship Calendar

 

Round	Event	Date
1	Australian Grand Prix	21 March, 2021
2	Bahrain Grand Prix	4 April, 2021
3	Chinese Grand Prix	18 April, 2021
4	Vietnamese Grand Prix	25 April, 2021
5	Spanish Grand Prix	9 May, 2021
6	Monaco Grand Prix	23 May, 2021
7	Azerbaijan Grand Prix	6 June, 2021
8	Canadian Grand Prix	13 June, 2021
9	French Grand Prix	27 June, 2021
10	Austrian Grand Prix	4 July, 2021
11	British Grand Prix	18 July, 2021
12	Hungarian Grand Prix	1 August, 2021
13	Saudi Arabia Grand Prix	15 August, 2021
14	Dutch Grand Prix	29 August, 2021
15	Belgian Grand Prix	5 September, 2021
16	Italian Grand Prix	12 September, 2021
17	Singapore Grand Prix	26 September, 2021
18	Japanese Grand Prix	3 October, 2021
19	Russian Grand Prix	10 October, 2021
20	United States Grand Prix	24 October, 2021
21	Mexico City Grand Prix	31 October, 2021
22	Brazilian Grand Prix	14 November, 2021
23	Abu Dhabi Grand Prix	28 November, 2021

* dates have not been confirmed

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Formula 1 set to introduce driver salary cap in 2023

 

 

All ten Formula 1 teams have agreed in principle for an introduced driver salary cap from 2023 onwards.

 

A post-Portuguese Grand Prix team bosses meeting on Monday saw a range of topics discussed, with one the introduction of a 30 million USD cap for drivers.

 

The idea was agreed in principle by the teams and is set to be rubber stamped for approval by the FIA World Motorsport Council in December.

 

Should an outfit not spend 30 million on drivers, that money cannot be used as part of the 145 million USD racing cost-cap.

 

Formula 1 for the first time in it’s history will introduce a cost-cap in the sport from next season onwards.

 

A path that will be it reduced to 130 million in the coming campaigns, a figure less than half of what is currently splashed by leading outfits such as Mercedes.

 

However, there are exceptions with hospitality and marketing not covered under the cost-cap.

 

Drivers and key staff also not do not fall into the cap, meaning the spend by the teams could be much higher.

 

There could be a provision that will exist for teams to spend able to spend above the salary cap however, though its difference would be for it to come out of their racing budget.

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F1 Newsbites – Ferrari preview the Emilia Romagna GP

 

 

14 years on from the 2006 San Marino Grand Prix, when the Formula 1 circus last visited the famous Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, the event was won by Michael Schumacher in his Scuderia Ferrari 248 F1 machine. This weekend the sport returns to Imola for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

 

It is 40 years since the FIA Formula One World Championship first raced at the historic track, when it hosted the Italian Grand Prix instead of Monza, which was being refurbished. The following year, the Italian GP returned to the Autodromo Nazionale Monza and for 26 years, the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari hosted the San Marino Grand Prix.

 

Ferrari has triumphed at Imola eight times, with the first in 1982 when friendship turned bitter with Didier Pironi snatching the victory from team-mate Gilles Villeneuve. The following campaign saw Patrick Tambay score victory for the Scuderia and then came six victories by Schumacher (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006).

 

Sebastian Vettel looked ahead to this weekend’s race:

 

“I have never raced at Imola, but everybody knows the circuit as it used to be a permanent feature on the calendar for so many years,” explained Vettel. “I was there in 2006, and that’s the only memory I have of Imola, when I was a support driver for the BMW Sauber team. I haven’t even walked the track and so this will be my first ever race there,”

 

I think it is a great track, which doesn’t allow for mistakes. I remember the last chicane before the start finish line also looked interesting and challenging but it isn’t there anymore. I’m very much looking forward to finally driving here this weekend.” Vettel concluded.

 

Team-mate Charles Leclerc added:

 

“I’ve already raced at Imola twice in Formula Renault. It’s a track that I love and really enjoy driving at. The circuit is very technical, with some very tricky corners and it’s also a track where there is very little room for mistakes. I think that most of the drivers who are yet to discover it will love it there,”

 

This weekend we’ll also try the two-day track activity format for the first time, even if, to be honest, we’ve tried something similar because of the circumstances a few weeks ago at the Eifel GP, when bad weather kept us in the garages on Friday. It will be interesting to see how this compressed weekend will work.” Credit to Ferrari for the quote. https://www.ferrari.com/en-TW/articles/2020-emilia-romagna-grand-prix-preview?amp=true

 

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#Formula1 Emirates Emilia Romagna GP 2020 Preview. #EmiliaRomagnaGP #F1