#mugello 2020 sunday

[umseb]

sebastian vettel and charles leclerc in the paddock on race day, mugello, italy - september 13, 2020 📷 james moy / alamy

[russellius]

GEORGE RUSSELL  2020 Tuscan GP Sunday, September 13th, 2020; MUGELLO  © James Moy

[ummick]

mick schumacher prepares to drive his father, michael’s, f2004, mugello, italy - september 13, 2020 📷 andy hone / motorsport images

[browniesbagoftricks]

alpine say they will decide between piastri and fernando by July 3rd... its a sunday. usually these kind of stuff woud be announced during thursday right? why wait until sunday?

An emotional character with a feel for the sport’s heritage, Vettel has shown a penchant for timing his personal news to perfection in the past, having made his move to Aston Martin public on the weekend of Ferrari’s 1,000th race celebrations at Mugello in 2020 when his relationship with the Scuderia had broken beyond repair.

It would be regrettable were the decision to be taken out of Vettel’s hands or reduced to the status of F1’s worst-kept secret long before he has the chance to utter those fateful words. A driver as successful as he, in an ideal world, deserves to retire on his own terms, not be retired.

[edie-baby]

Les Fleurs du Mal Chapter 1| Pierre Gasly

Summary: Sava Dvorakova had big dreams for Formula One. An opportunity of a lifetime comes around, so she takes it and runs. She proved just about everyone wrong, and is awarded a very controversial seat on the F1 grid. There’s smiles and grins, hugs and kisses, love and laughter. There’s tears and sobs, fights and break ups. There’s evil where you least expect it, hidden in the garden of eden. The Flowers of Evil.

Warnings: a lot of swearing, shitty parents (they’re a recurring theme), sexism, i ignored a lot of actual f1 rules because i couldn’t be bothered writing it into the story tbh, yuki is fcking adorable, a lot of smut eventually, like a lot.

There were hundreds, thousands, maybe even a million girls who have dreamed of making it into Formula One. It is the pinnacle of motorsport, the highest calibre and the most competitive of its many engine-based counterparts. Many women over the years have tried to make their way into the sport, but as each season becomes more competitive, it seems as though the women of motorsport keep slipping through the cracks. Perhaps it’s a timing thing - they weren’t in the right place at the right time - or perhaps it’s a sexism thing, or maybe the female drivers just simply are not at the same level that a lot of the men are at.

Sava Dvorakova feared being one of those women. One that would try their hardest, but were still unable to make their mark on a sport they had very clear passion for. The seventeen year old had been karting since her fifth birthday, progressing through the levels the Czech Republic had to offer before she moved onto European championships. Nearly every weekend of the year, Sava was in her kart, racing against boys three years her senior and thrashing them each time. However, she didn’t get the opportunity to progress into single-seaters for many years.

It was September 2020, just like any other race weekend when it happened, Sava piled into her kart as the marshalling for her heat was called. Her uncle patted the top of her helmet for good luck, a tradition the two had kept for about twelve years at this point, and she made it out onto her starting place - pole position as usual. Sava pulled clean moves the entire race, defended her position without being reckless or desperate, and had perfect pace. As she pulled back into the pits under her team’s marquee, she spotted her uncle speaking with an older man in a button up and slacks, something quite odd for a normal karting weekend. Sava hopped out, practically ripping her helmet and balaclava off as her footsteps increased in pace to get to her uncle. He scooped her up into a hug, spinning the girl a few times and congratulating her on another victory for the season.

“Bunny, this is Doctor Helmut Marko, he’s the director of Red Bull Racing. He’d like to speak with you about a driving opportunity.” Sebastian, her uncle, stated clearly, his excitement spilling into his eyes as he stared at his seventeen year old niece. Her dyed-pink hair sat matted to her forehead, the majority of it spun into Dutch braids down her back that would be tucked into the back of her race suit before the next race, her cheeks were flushed red, and her bottom lip was cracked in places from how much the Czech nibbled on it on and off track. Sebastian almost laughed at the situation she had ended up in.

“Dr Marko, it’s lovely to meet you. I have an hour until my next heat, so if you would like to speak urgently, there is a small cafe about a hundred metres from the track. If you’d like less of a time constraint, I will be completely free after 4pm today.” Sava told the man in front of her, Czech accent so thick the Austrian could barely understand her.

“It should only take about 10 minutes, so if you’d like, I can buy you and your uncle a coffee at the cafe while we speak.” Dr Marko offered. Sava nodded calmly, her uncle much more vocal about his excitement. Sava excused herself to change into less sweaty clothes, returning in a halter-neck singlet and a pair of ripped skinny jeans. Her trusty combat boots stepped over all of the tools, debris, and shit that was scattered around the pits as she made it back to the two men.

“So, Sava, what is your goal in karting?” Dr Marko began almost immediately after the trio had sat down in the cafe.

“To make it into formula one and win multiple world championships.” Sava responded confidently, barely a second between the question and her reply as it was something she had thought about for a very long time.

“So why aren’t you already driving in single seaters?” Dr Marko questioned further, and from the corner of her eye, Sava could see her uncle tense up.

“Because no one’s willing to give me a chance in the big leagues because they know I’ll do a lot better than half the boys on the grid.” The seventeen year old replied. Helmut seemed impressed with the rapid fire, confidence laden responses he was receiving.

“Well, I’m willing to. Jehan Daruvala, a Red Bull junior currently driving for Carlin in formula two is unable to attend the last three races of the season because of health issues. I want you to take his seat for those races, and if you’re as good in a single seater as you are in that kart, I’ll make sure you have a seat for next year.” Helmut laid out, and Sebastian audibly choked. Sava smirked at her uncle’s reaction, and stared into the eyes of the man offering her a fast track to her dreams.

“I’d love to. When and where is the next race?” Sava chuckled, her uncle’s recovery from his choking fit was slow, and Helmut looked on in amusement. He had seen many similar reactions from the drivers he was propositioning, but it seemed as though this duo had reversed the normal roles.

“The weekend begins on Thursday in Italy. You’ll be racing in Mugello.” Helmut told the pair dryly. Sebastian began coughing once again, Sava simply rubbing his back soothingly while she nodded.

“I’ll need to make arrangements with my school, but I presume you’ll make travel and accommodation arrangements from Prague to Mugello?” Sava continued her calm conversation, though she could feel her natural bubbliness and excitement ready to burst through.

“Yes. There will be a Carlin race suit and boots in Mugello when you arrive, as well as a helmet and teamwear. You’ll have a personal assistant for the time you’re in Jehan’s seat, to keep up with the media and to navigate the paddock. I’ll have all of the relevant information forwarded to you tonight, and there will be a contract for you to sign upon your arrival in Italy.”

“Then I’ll see you there, sir. I best be on my way, I’ll need time to change back into my race suit before my heat is called in about half an hour. It was lovely to meet you, and I look forward to meeting and exceeding your expectations.” Sava concluded, standing up to give her new boss a handshake before she turned on her heels and practically sprinted out of the cafe. She speed walked back to the track and into the changing rooms before letting out the ear splitting squeal she had been holding in since she won her race forty five minutes ago.

It was easy enough to sort out her absence with her school, as there were no assessments due and Sava was already miles ahead of the rest of her peers, so her teachers had no qualms with letting their champion out to represent the country.

The issue however, was with her parents. Her father, a man she had been emancipated from for over a year, decided he would give her grief for throwing away her education to take someone’s spot for a few weeks before they would inevitably drop her once they realised how bad she was. Her mother wasn’t much better. As her legal guardian, she technically did have the right to stop her daughter from going into the F2 seat, but after a gruelling discussion and many threats from Sava to emancipate from her mother as well, she conceded.

So, on a very sunny, very early Thursday morning in September, Sava hopped onto a plane with an overnight bag to begin catching her dreams. Unfortunately, Sebastian had work during the week, but would be flying out to Italy on Friday night to watch his niece’s races on Saturday and Sunday. But, Sava arrived in Italy as bubbly and excitable as ever. Her pink hair was split into her iconic high pigtails, a white crop top, and pastel pink pleated skirt and trusted combat boots covered her form, black duffel bag thrown over her shoulder with some clothes for the weekend, and all of her travel documents. The PA standing with her name printed on a sign was very confused when a very small, very pink teenage girl bumbled over to her and said ‘Hi, I’m Sava. But everyone calls me Bunny’.

“I’m sorry, I expected someone a little more gritty.” The twenty-something woman spoke, her blonde hair in a high ponytail with a Carlin shirt and dark wash jeans. Sava guessed the PA expected someone who looked more like herself.

“It’s okay, I get that a lot. Most people don’t recognise me out of my race suit, so I definitely don’t expect someone who’s never seen me to anticipate my looks. What’s your name?” Sava’s Czech accent, combined with her hyperactivity meant she talked extremely fast, and often it was all nonsense, and she simply spoke for the sake of speaking. The PA took a few seconds to process the words Sava had spoken before finally replying with a simple ‘Amelia’. The two made it to the car that was waiting and travelled to the track in silence, Sava taking in the sights, and Amelia tapping away at her phone. When they got out, Amelia handed Sava a paddock pass, explaining the importance of it and demonstrating how to use it at the gates. They walked through to the Carlin garage, one half working away excitedly, while the other side seemed rather dead.

“Everyone, can I have your attention please? This is Sava Dvorakova, she’s our reserve driver for the rest of the season. Make her comfortable, and make sure she feels welcome!” Amelia yelled, very quickly causing silence to spread over the entire garage.

“Hi! I’m Sava, but most people call me Bunny, so feel free to do either! Or if you’d like, Dvorakova works just as well, but it’s a bit of a mouthful so I understand if you mispronounce it. I’ll also probably respond to ‘hey you’ so anything works. I’m really looking forward to working with you all and giving you some good results this weekend!” Sava giggled at the end, her fists clenched in front of her chest as she gave a small cheer with her hands and the entire garage remained silent for a few moments before breaking out into whispers, their eyes trailing over the teenager’s body. The anxiety in Sava’s belly bubbled, and she began playing with her hands until she was approached by a boy who was a little taller than her with a friendly smile on his face.

“Hi, I’m Yuki. I drive the other Carlin. It’s nice to meet you Bunny.” Yuki introduced with a smile and fist bump. He was unbelievably pleased to meet a driver who was smaller than him, though he supposed that her being a girl wouldn’t ease all of the teasing he got from other drivers on the grid. The two chatted about their background in racing, and Yuki gave Sava a few pointers on handling the car she was about to drive for the first time ever.

“Sava, I have all of your race gear to try on, and later on you’ll need to do a seat fitting as the mechanics are just going to modify one of Yuki’s seats since you two are similar height.” Amelia stated, breaking up the conversation between the two youngsters. Sava apologised to her new friend before practically skipping behind Amelia. She received a few weird looks from others in the paddock, including a few F1 drivers she recognised from TV and her Instagram feed. She wasn’t sure why they were in this paddock, but supposed a few of the younger guys had only recently come out of F2.

When she got into a Carlin motorhome, race overalls and her flame-retardant undersuit were thrust into her hands by Amelia, and then pointed toward a tiny bathroom within the motorhome while the PA continued scrolling through emails, updating social media, and answering calls. Sava pulled the suits on excitedly, and though it was a bit tight in the hips, thighs and chest, she thought it looked pretty damn good.

“So, I think this was definitely made for a guy with less boobs and smaller hips, but the fit is still really good.” Sava joked to Amelia when she stepped out, only to see Helmut Marko standing alongside her new assistant. She went red instantly, her shoulders tensing and sliding up toward her head.

“Yes, well, we can certainly fix that before the next race, but right now, I believe you’re needed for fittings in the garage, so throw on your helmet and get down there.” Helmut ordered. Sava quickly snatched up her balaclava and helmet, threading the two onto her arm as she began undoing the pigtails to braid them on her way back to the Carlin garage while Amelia and Helmut stayed behind to talk.

If Sava thought she was getting weird looks on her way to the motorhome, she was getting even weirder ones on the way back from it. From what she could tell, it seemed more like mechanics, engineers and other personnel from other teams and she couldn’t see any drivers she recognised before she slipped into the Carlin garage, one braid half finished, and her helmet banging against her head every time she moved her arm. Yuki laughed at her struggles, ambling over to thread the helmet and balaclava off her arm while she held the half finished braid precariously. Sava thanked him with a quick smile and continued braiding, her tongue occasionally poking out the side of her mouth in concentration. One she was finished, and the long braids were tucked into the back of her suit, she pulled on the balaclava and helmet in record speed, and then was ushered into the F2 car to begin the tedious process of trying and changing one of Yuki’s seats to suit her height and posture. 

After about an hour of fiddling, she was allowed to take the helmet off, and was beginning to doze off in the cockpit while a few of the employees debated different ways of measuring and fixing the seat nearby. Amelia came into the garage to find the new driver fully asleep in her car with everyone still talking around her. She took a photo and uploaded it to Carlin’s Instagram story, tagging the driver and writing a quick word about the reserve driver they hadn’t officially announced yet. She giggled slightly, and when two of the mechanics came back over to lift the seat out of the car, they accidentally lifted the driver out with it. Amelia took more photos of the seventeen year old comfortably in her race suit, curled in her seat while two mechanics held the entire ensemble up above the car.

Suffice to say, Carlin’s Instragram was flooded with adoring new fans, angered stans, and a few cheeky formula one drivers on private accounts. 

[formula365]

We will always have Portimão

For a moment, during the Portuguese Grand Prix first lap, Kimi Raikkonen must have thought he had jumped into the wrong car. After all, he was supposed to be driving an Alfa Romeo, one of the slowest cars on the grid; he had started P16, a regular occurrence this season, and had only finished in the top ten once in the whole season. So how was it possible that he was breezing past Ferraris, Racing Points and Renaults? He had gained 10 places in the first lap and was glued to the Red Bull of Max Verstappen and the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc down the main straight. If indeed he was wondering about what car was he really driving, he wouldn’t have been the only one. A bit further up the field, as Kimi tussled with Verstappen and Leclerc, Carlos Sainz had just taken the lead of the race. The Spaniard must have been as surprised as everyone watching, as he left Bottas and Hamilton behind him; that was a sight he had surely not expected to see in his rearview mirrors when he woke up on Sunday morning. You would have been forgiven if you thought you had time travelled to 2012: a McLaren leading, another in P4 and Kimi in P6. Alas, it wasn’t to last - of course. There had been some light spats of rain just before the start, and the difficulty of warming up the mediums had thrown the field into pandemonium. Once those tyres were up to temperature, the natural order returned, with the Mercedes on top and Kimi moving backwards (although not as much as expected, the Finn finishing an impressive P11). Nevertheless, the first handful of laps of the race were as exciting as anything we have seen in a merry long time. The history books will tell you this was another typical 2020 podium with Hamilton, Bottas and Verstappen, the seventh time it happened in 12 races. Hamilton annihilated the opposition with a blitzing pace. There were some good races from midfield drivers: Leclerc had another strong weekend to finish P4, Gasly bossed his way to P5, Sainz faded from his early lead but still managed sixth, Checo stormed through the filed to get P7, Ocon stretched the medium tyres to last more than two thirds of the race. Plenty of praise can be spread through the field, but the highlight of the race can’t be an individual performance. The chaos of the early rounds, with drivers out of position and unexpected drivers at the front, felt like what F1 should aspire to be. The reduced grip of the early stages transformed the race, levelling the playing field and allowing race craft to come to the fore. Sainz and Kimi, perhaps with some rallying mindset to help, managed to master the conditions better than most, and it was fascinating to witness the trouble an expected lack of grip in a relatively unknown track brought to the grid. Of course, F1 can’t recreate these conditions, nor should that be the aim. But what these conditions provided was an ideal: a vision of what we, as fans, would love to see this sport become. After all, this is why we love wet races: the unpredictability, seeing frontrunners struggle and back markers shine. This is not something that can happen in a constant manner, and at the end of the day some teams and drivers will be better than others. We should, however, expect to have a more balanced field, and more opportunities for teams to evolve and grow and challenge those at the front. Fans went nuts for the opening laps of the race not just because it was crazy and it was fun, but also because deep down we know we just had a peak of the F1 we want to see. Just like Vettel, I don’t have a crystal ball, so I can’t know if the new regulations can deliver something like this, but in the meantime we can go back and re-watch the early laps of the 2020 Portuguese GP, to have a taste of the F1 we dream of. We will always have Portimão.

Talking points * I dedicated the main text of the Nurburgring review to Hamilton equalling Schumacher’s record, so I decided not to repeat myself in this race, but my oh my did he mark the occasion with a brilliant performance. Hamilton didn’t set out just to win the race, he was out there to show how much better he is than anyone else. Having lost the lead early on, he let Bottas open a small gap for a few laps, but once he turned it on, there was no stopping him. He made light work of Bottas’ defence and, once in front, disappeared into the distance. There were brief complaints about his tyres, and a cramp hampered him close to the end. No matter: he set fastest lap after fastest lap, showing his true pace in a way that, due to tyre and car management, we don’t get to see every weekend. This was pure, unadulterated Hamilton, and it was devastating. At the chequered flag, he was a massive 25 (twenty-five) seconds ahead of this teammate. This wasn’t just a win, or even a record-breaking win; this was a statement. * Watching the post-qualifying and post-race interviews with Valtteri Bottas can be heartbreaking at times. The Finn is a fantastic driver, specially on Saturdays, when he is able to push Hamilton hard for pole. Yet, no matter how hard he tries, he still has no answer to Hamilton’s true pace. When he needs to, the champion-elect switches to a gear above, one that Bottas simply cannot match. Having to face that reality right after he jumps from the cockpit has to be tough: you can almost see the light in his eyes fade weekend after weekend. * After retiring with mechanical issues in the first race in Spielberg, Lance Stroll embarked on the best run of his career, with seven consecutive races in the top 10, including a podium and two P4s. But since the heights of Monza, he has failed to score. After retiring twice in a row, and then missing the Eifel Grand Prix due to catching COVID, he must have been raring to show his pace once again, but never really seemed to show up. He crashed with Verstappen in FP2, was nowhere near the pace in qualifying, had been warned about track limits by lap 12, crashed into Lando Norris in a - let’s use a euphemism - ambitious overtaking attempt, and ended up bringing up the rear of the field until his retirement. His seat is obviously not in danger, but he is now behind his team mate in the standings, who has one less race start. After Monza he was fourth in the championship; after this weekend, he is eleventh. * Renault’s rollercoaster season continued in Portugal. After a mighty impressive run of results between Spa and Nurburgring, they seemed to go backwards again, with Ocon failing to make it to Q3 and then with both drivers failing to challenge the Racing Points and McLarens, or even the AlphaTauri of Pierre Gasly. Without the crash that took Stroll and Norris out of points contention, they would have left Portugal with just one point and their hopes of clinching P3 in the championship a bit dented. * There are several drivers on the grid racing for their futures, whether that is to retain their seat, claim a better one or just grab one of the last remaining ones. Of these, Gasly and Checo enhanced their claims enormously with tremendous drives. Checo would have probably been P5 had it not been for the team’s strategic mistake of putting him on the softs for his last stint; impressive in and of itself, but even more so given that he was spun by Verstappen on the first lap and ended up at the back of the field. This result continued his streak of finishing every race in the points; Spa and Monza aside, he has known nothing but the top 7. Gasly, on the other hand, continues to make Red Bull management look ridiculous for not wanting to take him back. Another brilliant drive saw him clinch P5 and climb to P9 in the championship, only one point behind Alex Albon. He must have stepped on some mighty toes for Red Bull to refuse to give him a chance… * Albon, on the other hand, might have just lost his seat this weekend. To start P6 and finish P12 on a Red Bull, without crashes or mechanical issues, is not up to the level required, and something has to give. He looked to have turned a corner after Mugello, the relief of finally making it to the podium obvious on his body language, but he has collected only one point in the three races since. I feel for him, as it is obvious that that seat is never going to have the full support of the team, but when you are being lapped by your teammate when he finishes regularly on the podium, something is not working. Albon is a great driver and I hope his landing will be soft, whether in F1 or elsewhere; he deserves another break.

[formula-one-thoughts]

2020 Italian Grand Prix

Oh my god. I still can’t quite believe what we all witnessed last Sunday. Despite a slightly mixed up qualifying (with a bit of slip stream drama thrown in for good measure) resulting in Verstappen starting from 5th and Sainz and Perez locking out the second row of the grid, Monza was set to have another paint it by numbers podium, with the overwhelming talking point being Ferrari’s disappointing pace. Oh how wrong we were. In addition to the Scuderia’s weekend being even worse than they could ever have imagined, we were gifted one of the most unexpected podiums in the history of the sport (well, not so unexpected if you were the mystery individual who reportedly placed a 20 cent bet on the top three and got back over €33,000!)

Mercedes lost what could have been an easy 1-2 through a combination of factors, first of which was Bottas’s terrible start. Overtaken by Sainz and then Norris (who took advantage of Verstappen’s poor start), he was swiftly eaten up by Perez and Ricciardo. Such was his lack of pace he thought he might have a puncture, and whilst he did pick up a small amount of damage from contact with Norris, it wasn’t enough to explain the pace with which he moved backwards through the field. Whilst Hamilton was able to motor away undisturbed into the distance, the lack of a teammate to protect him and help with pit stop strategy didn't look to be ideal. I couldn’t help but feel it was a small serving of karma following Hamilton’s less than complimentary comments on Albon and Red Bull during the week, where he suggested Alex wasn’t a strong enough number 2 driver to help Max and the team to victory. It wasn’t however a strong weekend for the Thai driver either. After another disappointing quali he made contact with Gasly, went wide across the first chicane and dropped back to 15th, a position he occupied for the majority of the race. His cause was not helped by a 5 sec time penalty for a first lap episode with Grosjean, and the damage his car sustained. His teammate meanwhile found himself stuck in the DRS train behind Bottas in P7.

Whilst their woeful qualifying result of P13 and P17 had already put Ferrari on the back foot, it really started to go downhill on lap 6. Whilst battling to avoid being overtaken by George Russell, Seb’s brakes failed and he careered quite comically straight through the polystyrene barriers at turn one, before retiring the car. The field was spectacularly bunched up in these early stages of the race, with the DRS train extending all the way from Norris in P3 to Latifi in P19. After the action of the opening laps no one could seem to make a move, least of all Bottas. His Mercedes wasn't only one of the slower cars in a straight line on the track, but also fundamentally isn’t built to follow other cars, being accustomed to leading the field.

The cars came in to pit for the undercut from lap 16, one of them importantly being Pierre Gasly. Lap 20 then brought about the turning point of the race, albeit in a less then dramatic fashion. Who would have thought that Kevin Magnussen pulling over on the exit of the Parabolica would have such insane consequences! With the Dane’s retirement came a safety car, and with that I assumed there would be a steady flow of cars into the pits, terrible timing for those who has recently pitted. Only the race leader and Giovinazzi came in though, and it soon became clear why: the pit lane was closed as Magnussen’s car was being recovered into it. Hamilton’s race lead actually played against him, as it meant his team had the least amount of time to warn him of this. With there being just 19 seconds between the safety car deployment and him crossing the pit lane entry he was alerted to the issue 5 seconds too late. Mercedes error was thus understandable to an extent, whilst Alfa Romeo’s, who had a whopping 75 secs to warn Giovinazzi, was not. However, both teams could have avoided the penalties that soon came their way had their drivers noticed the red cross signals indicating the pit lane closure. Again though, it’s somewhat understandable that they didn’t. Being such an unprecedented occurrence, the only driver to register that the signs meant they could not pit was George Russell.

Once the signs were gone though everyone yet to pit but Stroll filed in, McLaren pulling off a flawless double stack. It turned out that pitting before the safety car was a great call, and when racing resumed Gasly and Leclerc were in 3rd and 6th, respectively. The Monegasque quickly swooped past the two Alfas but it was to be a short-lived high for Ferrari, as he lost the back end of the car at high speed and went careening off at the Parabolica. It could have been an extremely nasty accident but instead we were reminded once again of how brilliant the sport’s safety measures are. Due to the extent of the damage to the tyre barriers the race was red flagged, and Giovinazzi and Hamilton were informed of the punishments for their illegal pit stops – a ten second stop/go penalty. Whilst the combination of the first safety car and red flag cost McLaren a possible double podium, the pause in the race massively advantaged Lance Stroll, who was able to make his mandatory pit stop without, well, pitting! This loophole has kicked up a certain amount of chat and criticism across the world of F1 (especially from a certain Lando Norris), and maybe the rules will be altered to say the obligatory tyre change can’t take place under red flag conditions. As the vast majority of red flags are due to heavy rain, the cars are on wet weather tyres when they come in and hence this has never been an issue before; it will be interesting to see whether the FIA address this for future races.

Another anomaly thrown up by the non-wet weather red flag was a second standing start (as opposed to a rolling start as per usual). I liked this, as it was a more neutralised beginning to the second half of the race rather than being the race leader’s to control. With Hamilton taking his penalty at the end of the lap, which would place him in last, the re-start was Stroll’s to lose, and that's kind of what he did! Losing places to Gasly, the two Alfas, and Sainz, he was in 5th within two laps. Max Verstappen’s race came to a dismal end as he pulled into the pits with power unit issue, but he had an uncharacteristically poor race prior to this, failing to make much of an impact on the cars in front of him. As Raikonnen moved backwards through the field, Hamilton was battling up the order, overtaking with much more apparent ease than Bottas (though admittedly most of the cars in his way were of the slower variety). As the countdown to the finish began, it was Gasly, Sainz, Stroll at the top, a potential podium I found near impossible to imagine. Surely Bottas would wiggle his way up to second, Hamilton would appear in first and Verstappen would return from the dead to plonk his car in third? But the trio were secure, the only possibility of a mix-up coming from Sainz, who lap by lap was nibbling into Gasly’s lead.

It was only on the final lap though that he was able to get DRS, and as much as I love wheel to wheel racing, I was terrified of the prospect of the pair taking each other out and Bottas lucking his way onto the podium. But fortunately, it was not to be, and we were blessed with the first podium not to feature a Mercedes, Red Bull or Ferrari since Hungary 2012. In complete disbelief, I cried as Gasly crossed the line and the Alpha Tauri garage erupted with joy, the most emotional race ending for me since Abu Dhabi 2016. What it meant to both Gasly and the team was palpable. After an unimaginably difficult 18 months, that saw him relegated from Red Bull and lose one of his best friends in the most tragic of circumstances, Gasly emerged as one of the most deserving ever winners of a Grand Prix. For Alpha Tauri, it was their second ever win and first in 12 years, at their home race to boot. As the Red Bull mechanics congratulated their sister team and Leclerc, Grosjean and many more came to congratulate Gasly in Parc Ferme, the waterworks really started on my sofa. Add to that the Williams drivers’ heartfelt messages of thanks and farewell to Frank and Claire Williams and I was a sobbing mess! Gasly sitting alone on the top step of the podium, taking it all in, is an extremely poignant image I'm sure will live on for years in the minds of every F1 fan.

It was a superb weekend for McLaren, securing a 2nd and 4th on pace that gave them a brilliant boost in the constructor’s championship. Whilst it was a disappointing afternoon for Perez, Stroll continued what has been an impressive season, disproving his doubters with a second career podium. It was sad to see the Williams drivers unable to score at the family’s last race, but they do seem to be on the up and hopefully will be in good hands to return to the top of the sport. With retirements due to both mechanical and driver errors, the weekend couldn’t have gone worse for Ferrari at their home race; as Seb said it was a good thing the Tifosi weren’t there to witness it. Nonetheless, they've got two more Italian Grand Prix to try and claw back a bit of their reputation, with their 1000th race at Mugello set to be an unpredictable one that they can hopefully capitalise from. I can’t wait.  

[f1chronicle]

Why The 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix Will Be An Important Race For Antonio Giovinazzi?

When Formula 1 last featured a Portuguese Grand Prix, Alfa Romeo driver Antonio Giovinazzi was yet to celebrate his third birth anniversary.

When the Martina Franca-born enters his maiden drive at the Portimao-bound Algarve International Circuit, come Sunday, i.e., October 25, he will have two broad objectives in mind:

Which is to not just outperform his 41-year-old teammate but also record another impressive finish inside the points. For truth be told, it’s about time the Italian made up for a string of several lost chances of staking a claim in the 2021 line-up at his current employer.

To his credit, the product of the Ferrari Driver Academy has age and reflexes on his side, the latter of which actually epitomized what might be called- arguably speaking- one of the most underrated efforts at the recently held Eifel Grand Prix 2020 (where he scored a fighting P9 and hence, 2 points).

The driver at Nurburgring

George Russell (GBR) Williams Racing FW43. Eifel Grand Prix, Saturday 10th October 2020. Nurbugring, Germany.

Much was said about the desperately dangerous Nurburgring, the Green Hell returning to the roster after a gap of 7 long years.

But with attention resting with usual stars out in the front, the midfield wasn’t too far behind in lighting up a truly memorable race.

Antonio Giovinazzi, who began from fourteenth on the grid in the heart of the Eifel mountains, found himself immediately caught up in a web where the twin Alpha Tauris were not just ahead but attacking for grid positions.

To fight with the Russian Torpedo in a visibly stronger machine wasn’t his only challenge. He had to contend with beating Monza’s much-loved winner Pierre Gasly, too, the in-form driver at the Italian stable.

But Antonio Giovinazzi held his nerve. Sticking to the inside of the two faster cars out in front, he all but passed Kvyat in the run down to Turn 1. A brave move, which should’ve paid off but didn’t due to heavy braking as the trio negotiated the sharp right-hander.

Immediately after exiting turn 1 came ‘Tonio’s’ finest moment of the race, the one that warranted greater attention than given.

Despite not powered with a burst of speed, this being a barely quick and rather dreary machine, the lanky driver held to the inside, the racing line, and continued to attack, the plan ultimately paying off as lunged ahead of the two Tauris.

Now Sebastian Vettel, in the Ferrari, was next; a target Antonio Giovinazzi would hunt with utter ease, the Alfa Romeo carrying great traction in the approach to Turn 3, a right-hander. Vettel’s pace little match to Alfa’s Romeo.

Eventually, as Giovinazzi gathered Ninth, not before holding off more powerful cars, he gathered only a second finish inside points this season.

Holding On Despite Lost Chances

Antonio passed 2 Alpha Tauris and 1 Ferrari inside the opening lap at Nurburgring

To many, this was a guy trying to make do for lost chances, which isn’t hard to deny. But was that all?

You’d reckon, to the observer for whom the sport is not just about mega stars but about a consolidation of the powers that give the FORMULA 1 grid twenty of the world’s fastest men in a racing car, this was a bloke trying to indicate- I’m not done yet.

Frankly, the man whose first entry in Formula 1 was the 2017 Australian Grand Prix, a race in which he began from sixteenth, but finished twelfth (in the process of which he’s beat his then Sauber-teammate Marcus Ericsson), you’d feel Antonio Giovinazzi hasn’t had the greatest 2020.

To his critics, a man who’s the oldest on the grid has beaten him; even more so, a man whose reflexes haven’t quite deserted him despite age and et cetera.

A Reflection Of 2020 Challenges

Source: Planet F1

But then it was then it was the younger of the two Alfa Romeo drivers who scored the first points for the Swiss stable, beating Kimi Raikkonen in the opening round itself (2020 Styrian Grand Prix)

Interestingly, the Kimi versus Antonio fight- a clean tussle minus the scathing stains of a rivalry- has seen the Italian hit back at the Finn where recent races stand.

After his disappointing results at Spa-Francorchamps (DNF), Monza (P16), and FORMULA 1’s first-ever run at Tuscany (DNF, leading to P17), events where whereas Kimi finished higher up, managing to score his first points at the mayhem-making Mugello track, Antonio’s returned to form.

Just that his improvements- P11 in Russia in comparison to Raikkonen’s P14 and the valiant P10 at Eifel GP in comparison to the Finn’s P12- haven’t made the noise they should have or deserved.

But then, Antonio Giovinazzi’s life isn’t a jazz concert with soothing touches and soft melodies with many hovering around that Alfa Romeo 2021 seat. It’s a coveted target for would-be F1 drivers, the likes of which include- Mick Schumacher.

To make the road difficult, just to take stock of the Antonio Giovinazzi-predicament, if you want to call it, paddock grapevine already suggests that Kimi might stay on to ‘mentor’ the next Schumacher.

Should that come true, we could see the promising speedster who’s fighting to live another day, sidelined. Who knows what might happen; Haas are already gambling with the big ‘next,’ Grosjean and Magnussen finding other takers for their seat- the Hulk, after all, isn’t done yet.

Ditto for the vastly underappreciated Sergio Perez.

But what must find some light is the fact that Antonio Giovinazzi’s 2020 season isn’t only about the sterling effort at the season-opener at Austria.

In between losing the mojo to Raikkonen, responsible for putting the Alfa Romeo into Q2 for the first time ever, Spain, after 8 previous failed attempts by the duo- Giovinazzi’s dealt with no song, but more drama thanks to being powered by an underpowered car.

His is a machine that in 2020, is effectively, a backmarker, which, a world of a difference from the 2019 package that helped the mild-mannered bloke attain his best-ever F1 result: the P5 at Interlagos, Brazilian GP.

Blame it on the Ferrari engine or the lack of one that none could’ve imagined would come from a place as esteemed as Maranello.

The Fight Despite The 2020 Car

But the Alfa Romeo C39, at times, seems like a C-class, not in reference to one of Mercedes’ most liked sedan model but a FORMULA 1 car that actually seems as though it could be beaten by the conventional luxury sedan.

Yet, it’s also the car with which Antonio Giovinazzi is persisting with, never with an angry grunt but with customary simplicity. Remember the move on Grosjean- not exactly a mild warrior on the grid- at Sochi?

Remember those reflexes at Mugello before the red-flag, where he only just avoided running into Sebastian Vettel (toward the back of the grid) showing supreme caution, despite being contacted by Gasly in an unexpected opening lap skirmish?

The Long-Haired Dude Who Should Carry On?

The man who scored his first points in FORMULA 1 in 2019, at Austria, where a P10 saw more smiles in the Alfa paddock than any epic Kimi one-liner, has seen better days in the past.

A not so recent past where he would become the only Alfa Romeo driver to lead a Grand Prix all season in 2019 where under bright Singapore lights, he soldiered on, finishing eventually on tenth.

Sadly though, the fan can only do as much as voice opinion on social media or take sides in friendly discussions where passions and banter run high. One can’t afford the luxury to have the man hold onto a FORMULA 1 drive (2021).

For that, the powers that be shall play the judge. But before the verdict is delivered on the grey-eyed youngster, let a thing be known.

That drivers significantly experienced than Antonio are sitting below Italy’s only current F1 racer, including a troika that have driven for McLaren, Ferrari, and Lotus.

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[motogpfanpage]

DUCATI PROMOTES DANILO PETRUCCI TO THE FACTORY TEAM FOR 2019 AND 2020

After weeks of speculations on weither or not Jorge Lorenzo would quit Ducati at the end of the 2018 season, the announcement coming from Honda about their whole new dream team was perfect timing for another announcement: Ducati choosed Danilo Petrucci to partner Andrea Dovizioso on a, once again, 100% bleeding italian team for 2019 and 2020.

Danilo Petrucci:

“It goes without saying that for me, being part of the factory team is a dream come true. It’s a great honour to become an official rider for the Ducati Team, especially for someone like me who started in Ducati as a production motorcycle test rider. First of all I would like to thank Paolo Campinoti and Francesco Guidotti, who gave me the chance four years ago to race on a Ducati for the Pramac Racing Team. Without them all this would not have been possible. I also want to thank the managers of Ducati and Ducati Corse - Claudio Domenicali, Gigi Dall'Igna and Paolo Ciabatti - who appreciated me first as a person and then as a rider and I really can’t wait to start this new adventure in the factory team. Now all I want to do is to finish the year in the top five in the standings and then start the new season with the Ducati Team.” Claudio Domenicali (Ducati Motor Holding CEO):

“First of all I’d like to thank Jorge Lorenzo for all the efforts and commitment that he has made during his time as a Ducati rider and in particular for his outstanding victory last Sunday at Mugello, which will go down in history as one of our company’s legendary racing achievements. Jorge is a great champion, capable of incredible feats, and even though it is sad that he took such a long time to find the right feeling with our bike, we will continue to do everything possible to put him in a position to achieve further victories in the remaining rounds of the season and fight for the world title together with his team-mate Andrea Dovizioso. I wish to give a warm welcome to Danilo, whom we look forward to seeing in Ducati Team colours next year, together with Andrea, and who we feel sure will continue his rapid rise to success.”

[tkmedia]

Binder: KTM needed tough 2021 start to get to current MotoGP level

KTM scored just two top five results from the first five races in a difficult start to its 2021 campaign, with the marque nowhere near the form which took it to three races win in 2020. However, the introduction of a new chassis for the Italian Grand Prix suddenly propelled KTM back to the front of the field, with Miguel Oliveira finishing second at Mugello before winning in Barcelona. Oliveira challenged for victory again last Sunday in Germany but had to settle for second behind Marc Marquez, while Binder enjoyed his best result of the season in fourth having never previously raced at the Sachsenring on a MotoGP bike. Binder believes KTM may not be at the level it is now had it not been for its tough start to the season, which has complicated its title tilt – with Oliveira 57 points down and Binder 75 away in the standings. "Not at all," Binder replied when asked if KTM's current form made its start to the season hard to accept. "For me, I think sometimes it takes the difficult days to… sometimes you need to get pulled back to go forward. "I think without those tough times at the beginning of the year, maybe it was exactly what we needed to just find what we have at the moment. "I know the guys work so incredibly hard. We're always having updates and small things to try, and they don't like struggling either, so that's the great thing. "Now we can really see the bike's performing much better and we're much stronger each weekend, and also at very different circuits. "So, really happy with the progress we've made."

Read Also:

Oliveira said during the Germany weekend that the new chassis wasn't a "game changer" for KTM and says KTM's ability to understand how to extract the maximum from every detail of the RC16 has been key. "Yes, I think that in the beginning of the championship we couldn't really understand how to turn our situation around," he said. "Then we relied a lot on some parts that were coming from the test team and I think we did a very good group work. "We worked with all four riders, also with Dani on the test team. "He's been like an outsider but helping a lot, giving very valuable inputs into the whole project. "And it's giving a little bit here and there, and in this tight category and tight grid if you are able to understand where you can extract the maximum of each detail, then you can make a step forward. "I needed to finish races also because I showed some potential in a couple of races, but I couldn't manage to finish. "Since Mugello we've been able to make this little step and this step gave us the confirmation that we needed to continue like this." shares comments Read the full article

[russellius]

GEORGE RUSSELL 2020 Tuscan GP Sunday, September 13th; MUGELLO © James Moy

[ummick]

mick schumacher prepares to drive his father, michael’s, f2004, mugello, italy - september 13, 2020 📷 mark sutton / motorsport images

[meaningofmotorsport]

Grand Prix of Italy Preview

Mugello is a classic on the MotoGP schedule, with so many great races occurring in the past, and after a year out last year, the paddock cannot wait to be back!

Coming to Italy, off the back of 2 wins, Ducati will be the favourites for many people, and for good reason! Whilst the track is tight and twisty, the long straight really helps them to get to the front, and having won the last 3 races here, they could do it again. Miller, Bagnaia and Zarco are the ones to watch from this stable, currently the 2 factory riders are in the top 10 after FP2, with Zarco needing to find time to get in there! Bagnaia could be the favourite here, as may go all out just to win his home race!

The other team on form, is Yamaha, who really should have won all but 1 race so far this year if it was not for Fabio’s arm pump! Their bike is really the opposite of the Ducati, as it works well in the corners, however, it just lacks the straight line speed of other bikes. Straight out of the blocks today, both Quartararo and Vinales were quick, and sit well up the field. They may be favourites for pole, yet in the race, if other bikes can get ahead, it could be hard for them to pass them and pull away. I see them being in the top 5 at least, probably a podium. Morbidelli is doing his best on an old bike, not far off his teammates, showing he deserves better! As for Rossi, it is still looking difficult for him, despite finding some fixes in a post Jerez test, as he is nowhere near the top 10.

As this year goes on, KTM is getting better and better, mainly as they find fixes for the tyre issues they have. Binder especially has shown true pace at some tracks, with the potential to run in the top 5, however he has often made mistakes and crashed, which ruins KTM’s day, when he is the only one on pace! Olivera was able to put in a blistering lap today, well ahead of the other KTM’s, which could put him straight into Q2, given the pace we saw from everyone today. If Binder can learn from him, it could be a very good weekend for them!

It is hard to know where Suzuki will place here, as the rollercoaster turns may suit them, although much like the Yamaha’s, the pit straight could leave them exposed. The problem for the team, has been their mid to late race pace, which was their main strength last year! In 2020, they could make up for Saturday in the race, but they are finding it harder now, possibly due to the field as a whole improving year on year! Yet again, it is Rins higher up on the charts on a single lap, which is Mir’s big weakness. Can the team as a whole improve this weekend?

Honda is really settling into being a midpack team this year, as Marquez is not physically where he wants to be. The bike does not have any major strengths it seems, it is just solid in most areas. We saw some games being played between Pol and Marc in FP2, we know both drivers are not keen on the other, and want to be No.1 in the team. They need to work together if they want to bring the bike back to being a force in this series, like we saw in recent years.

The double DNF for Aprilia was very disappointing, with both bikes in the mix it could have been a great result in changeable conditions! Nevertheless, there continue to be positives to take out of each weekend for the team, as they keep reaching Q2 and getting top 10 finishes. It will be interesting to see what they can do once again here, on a track which is very tough on tyres!

Chances are this will be a pack race on Sunday, due to the strong slipstream along the front straight, as well as slower cars maybe being able to get up front and defend the lead! So, it could be chaos in the race, with so many riders having a shot at the win!

-M

[go-21newstv]

Michael Schumacher's Son Mick To Make F1 Practice Debut

Michael Schumacher’s Son Mick To Make F1 Practice Debut

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Prema driver Mick Schumacher of Germany, left, crosses the finish line to take fourth place during the F2 Sprint Race ahead of the Grand Prix of Tuscany, at the Mugello circuit in Scarperia, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Michael Schumacher’s son, Mick, will have an official Formula One drive during a race weekend for the first time next week at the Nrburgring, Alfa…

[news-chhondomela]

Ferrari celebrate 1,000th race with pride, pain and a Schumacher

Ferrari celebrate 1,000th race with pride, pain and a Schumacher

By: Reuters | September 13, 2020 8:11:52 pm

Ferrari are currently sixth overall and in danger of slipping further. (Source: Reuters)

Ferrari celebrated their 1,000th Formula One world championship race on Sunday with passion, pride and pain — and a Schumacher as Michael’s son Mick drove his father’s 2014 car around the team’s Mugello circuit.

F…

[f1chronicle]

Nikita Mazepin To Race For Haas F1 Team

Haas F1 Team has confirmed Russia’s Nikita Mazepin will drive for the American outfit in a multi-year deal starting with the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. 

Mazepin (21) currently sits third overall in the Formula 2 driver standings. The Russian, in his second season in Formula 1’s official feeder category, has two Feature Race wins to his credit at Silverstone and Mugello, with four additional podiums and two fastest race laps adding to his stellar 2020 campaign. In a hotly contested Formula 2 season, Mazepin climbed to third in the points courtesy of a second-place finish in Sunday’s Round 11 Sprint race at Bahrain International Circuit. The Hitech Grand Prix driver will compete in the Formula 2 season finale next weekend, also in Bahrain, before making the move up to Formula 1 with Haas F1 Team.

“I’m delighted that Nikita Mazepin will be driving for Haas F1 Team next season,” stated Guenther Steiner, Team Principal of Haas F1 Team. “Nikita has underlined his credentials in Formula 2 this year with a brace of victories and a handful of podiums in what’s been a strong sophomore season for him. He’s developed into a mature racer moving up through the junior ranks – notably most recently in the GP3 Series, where he finished runner-up in 2018, and obviously in Formula 2 over the past two seasons. I’m excited to see what Nikita can achieve in Formula 1 and we look forward to giving him the opportunity to compete at the highest level of world motorsport. With a record-setting 23 race schedule set for the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, he’s going to get plenty of track action to learn all the nuances of grand prix racing.”

Mazepin graduated from karting into cars in 2015 – competing in Formula Renault 2.0 NEC. Two seasons followed in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship before a move into the GP3 Series in 2018. Mazepin finished as runner-up in the title fight that season with four wins, his success leading the way to Formula 2 in 2019. Mazepin has recent Formula 1 test experience – the Moscow-born racer topping the timesheets in Barcelona’s second in-season test day in May 2019 driving for Mercedes.

“Becoming a Formula 1 driver is a lifelong dream come true for me,” commented Nikita Mazepin on joining Haas F1 Team. “I really appreciate the trust being put in me by Gene Haas, Guenther Steiner, and the whole of the team. They’re giving a young driver an opportunity and I thank them for that. I’m looking forward to starting our relationship together, both on and off the track, and I’m naturally keen to continue to demonstrate my abilities after a strong Formula 2 season. The team will be looking to me for feedback and inputs in order to refine its package for 2021 and beyond. I will take that responsibility on and can’t wait to get started.”

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