Jordan's Track Talk

Author: jordanlhaynes

  • Round 15- Sochi Race

    GET IN THERE LEWIS! Lewis wins the Russian Grand Prix and its his 100th win! He re-takes the lead of the championship once again. Joining him on the podium is Max Verstappen in P2 and Carlos Sainz in P3.

    The rest of the top 10 are: P4: Ricciardo, P5: Bottas, P6: Alonso, P7: Norris, P8: Raikkonen, P9: Perez and P10: Russell. Fastest lap went to Lando Norris.

    Absolute heartbreak for Lando and McLaren, he led the majority of the race and done so well doing it. But when it started raining in the last few laps, he insisted on staying on his hard tyres rather than going to intermediates, he the dropped down the order after having to pit to change tyres. But I have no doubt for the fact that Lando will bounce back and get his first win this year, he has 7 more races to do it!

    Finally Lewis gets his 100th win! He has kept the Mercedes reign at Sochi alive after it being under threat by McLaren. This is fully deserved in my opinion! It wasn’t an easy race with him dropping down the order at the start and having to fight his way through, and Lewis said he wouldn’t of been able to over-take Lando if it stayed dry.

    Carlos Sainz, drove wonderful today started P2 and took the lead from Lando Norris in the first lap. And he done very well to end in P3, and its good amount of points for Ferrari in the Constructors.

    The rain definitely played into the hands of Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas. Max started P20 to finish P2 is amazing, and its all because of the rain he managed so! The same with Bottas he started P16 due to taking an new power unit, but before the rain hit and before he pitted he was out of the points and then he pitted and managed to finish in P5 as they expected earlier on in the race.

    Daniel finishing P4 gives McLaren extra points as well for the Constructors, two great races for him in a row and I am honestly quite looking forward to see what he does at the next race.

    Now the next race is on 10th of October and we are returning to Istanbul Park Circuit for round 16 and its where Lewis took his 7th Championship last year…

  • F2 Sochi- Day 2 & 3

    Day 2-

    To start the second day of the F2 weekend where we normally have two sprint races, the second one was cancelled because of the weather… we had the first sprint race moved to the afternoon.

    So onto the only sprint race of the weekend… we had Dan Ticktum starting in pole and he managed to have a cool, calm and collected race and turned it into the race win!

    Joining him on the podium was Red Bull Junior, Juri Vips in P2 and in P3 was Robert Shwartzman.

    I can imagine Shwartzman is very happy about P3, it’s his home race and being on the podium must’ve meant a lot to him! Also he is closing in on Piastri and Zhou in the championship!

    The drama started before the lights even went out, when on the way to the grid Felipe Drugovich made heavy impact with the wall and could not start the race. And the other UNI-Virtuosi driven by Guanyu Zhou spun on his way to the grid but stalled his car and unable to take part in the start of the race.

    Somebody I have to mention is Jake Hughes! He has stepped in for Jack Aitken in the HWA Racelab car and he was fighting Shwartzman for his first podium in F2 and first points finish, he run in fourth for the majority of the race after Liam Lawson retired.

    Day 3-

    The championship leader, Oscar Piastri wins the Feature race, his now got back to back feature race wins and extends his championship lead even more! Joining him is Theo Pourchaire in P2 and Jehan Daruvala in P3!

    What a drive from Oscar Piastri! Well deserved in my opinion. Looking forward to seeing what he does in the last 2 rounds of the season in December.

    Dan Ticktum made his way up from 10th to 5th scoring more points for Carlin and himself as he currently sits in P4 in the championship. His team mate done very well securing Carlin with another trophy this weekend and a good amount of points!

    Definitely not Guanyu Zhou’s weekend… obviously didn’t start Sprint Race 1 and then Sprint Race 2 cancelled, and then the Feature Race, he finished in 6th… couldn’t put pressure on Dan Ticktum in 5th.

    We now have a big gap till the next race, but when we are back we’re being treated to a double header! We will see you in Saudi Arabia on the 3rd to 5th of December!

  • Round 15 – Sochi Quali

    WOW, what a day it has been for F1 today and what a qualifying it was… First up we didn’t even think we would have qualifying today because of the weather and having FP3 cancelled it was all just a waiting game…

    But now it all went in the way of Lando Norris as he is on pole position for tomorrow’s race, his first ever one in his F1 career! Joining him on the front row is his old team-mate Carlos Sainz and 3rd is Mr Saturday, George Russell, his second time getting into the top 3 this season!

    The rest of the top 10 are: P4: Hamilton, P5: Ricciardo, P6: Alonso, P7: Bottas, P8: Stroll, P9: Perez and P10: Ocon. We have Verstappen, Leclerc and Latifi all taking new power units this weekend so they will all be starting at the back of the grid…

    Honestly wow. I am in shock, I was watching with one eye open when George was the first to go onto the slicks but they honestly paid off for everyone apart from the Mercs and Red Bull.

    McLaren are on fire this season. Lando has been on top form and it’s so nice to see his finally getting rewarded for all his efforts. And Daniel qualifying in P5 after his win in Monza two weeks ago, he will definitely be one to watch tomorrow!

    The constructors leader, Mercedes didn’t get it right today, which is a shame but the points are awarded tomorrow and everyone knows how good they are at this track, and Lewis hasn’t got to worry about Max as his starting at the back…

    AlphaTauri had a really bad today, which is awful after what happened in Monza. It’s such a shame because Pierre always delivers week in and week out for the team, but I’m sure he can finish in the points tomorrow and it could go his way as he has free tyre choice.

    Predictions for tomorrow-

    My top five for tomorrow are: P1: Hamilton, P2: Norris, P3: Bottas, P4: Ricciardo and P5: Russell. I think fastest lap will go to Hamilton as-well…

    I do think that it will be very close between Norris and Hamilton, they both could win tomorrow. We all saw how difficult it is to get by the McLaren with their speed but I feel like strategy may come into play!

    Times for tomorrow-

    Race- 13:00pm (BST), 14:00pm (CEST). We also have F2 and F3 feature races tomorrow as-well!

  • F2 Sochi – Day 1

    We are back with F2 this weekend for round 6 out of 8. Can Oscar Piastri extend his championship lead? Or will Guanyu Zhou be victorious and take it all away from him?

    Free Practice-

    As usual, free practice up first and it saw UNI-Virtuosi take the lead with Felipe Drugovich finishing in P1 he led from, Ralph Boschung and Theo Pourchaire

    The session had a brief red flag as there was a spin by Alessio Deledda and his HWA had to be recovered by the marshals.

    The championship leader was all the way down in 10th, where as the other title contender, Guanyu Zhou was in 4th just in front of Juri Vips.

    Qualifying-

    Qualifying saw Oscar Piastri take his third police in a row! His joined by Johan Daruvala on the front row on Sunday! Lining up behind them on the second row is Pourchaire and Zhou.

    Reverse grid pole goes to Dan Ticktum for tomorrow’s first race, his joined by Vips next to him!

    Tomorrow is all to play for, it could be a very interesting race if it’s raining like it’s forecasted!

    Times for the rest of the weekend-

    Saturday- Sprint Race 1: 8:30am (BST), 9:30am (CEST). Sprint Race 2: 14:45pm (BST), 15:45pm (CEST).

    Sunday- Feature Race: 9:20am (BST), 10:20am (CEST)

  • Whitmarsh returns

    Former McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh is returning to Formula 1 this year, in a new role with Aston Martin.

    Whitmarsh became one of the biggest figures in Formula One, having been in the sport for 25 years with McLaren. His worked with some of the most famous drivers from Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen and 7 time world champ, Lewis Hamilton.

    He left McLaren in 2014 and has since then been working outside the sport. He will now return to F1 as Group Chief Executive Officer of Aston Martin Performance Technologies, a role which will oversee the Formula 1 team, as well as looking into way to use the brands technical know-how in different industries.

    Aston Martin, haven’t kept it a secret that they want to reach the front of the grid, to fight for wins, podiums and championships more often and this is just another step in that direction for the Silverstone based team.

    Whitmarsh said: “I have known and admired Lawrence [Stroll, Aston Martin Executive Chairman] for many years, and I have always been extremely impressed by his formidable business acumen and his seemingly inexhaustible ambition. Equally, I have always respected ‘Team Silverstone’, if I can call it that, which has often punched above its weight under its various previous incarnations, and which now has the weight with which to punch harder than ever before.”

  • Haas retain both drivers

    It has officially been announced that Haas has retained both Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher for the 2022 season!

    Both drivers joined the team last year for the 2021 season, with it being their rookie year.

    Mick won the 2020 F2 Championship with Prema and he is also part of the Ferrari Driver Academy. His first year in F1 has been consistent, with his highest finish being in 12th and that was at the Hungarian GP. We’ve seen some lovely battles from Mick on track this season, and I can’t wait to see what else he does!

    Mazepin who finished 5th in the 2020 F2 Championship, hasn’t been as consistent as his team-mate. His highest finish is 14th at Azerbaijan, it always looks like he struggles with the car a lot more than Mick does. So hopefully this gives him the experience for future years in his racing career…

    My Opinion-

    I think this is a good move from Haas, I didn’t see any new drivers coming in and taking one of the rookies spots at Hass. Obviously there was speculation that Mick could potentially move to Alfa Romeo, but obviously that was speculation.

    This now gives Haas a solid line up for 2022, where they can learn all about the new regulations with team-mates who know the team and the 2021 car too.

  • Russian GP

    We are back racing this weekend and we could be in for a treat! Sochi, isn’t one of the most liked tracks of the season by us fans, but if the weather stays the same as what its predicted we could see Sochi in a very different way on Saturday or Sunday.

    Mercedes are the only team to win at the Russian GP, so could we potentially see them be dethroned? Or will they be victorious once again…

    Who needs a good weekend?

    The two title contenders need a good weekend, I was actually looking forward to what the outcome was going to be at the Italian GP but to have both of them crash out together I don’t think anyone saw it coming including themselves! Lewis will be wanting to get ahead of Max in the championship, and I think he knows that this could be the track to get ahead at. Where as Max, knows this isn’t one of his strongest track and with a 3 place grid penalty he will be putting the work in on Sunday to make sure Lewis doesn’t get ahead in the title fight.

    Ferrari, also need a good weekend once again. They obviously didn’t do too well at Monza compared to their closest rivals but I do see they are pulling everything out of the car so it’s just luck wasn’t on their side in Monza. But hopefully there will be some luck with them this weekend.

    Pierre Gasly needs a good weekend, he obviously had a disappointing Italian GP but hopefully this time off from the triple header has refreshed him and he will be back up fighting in P4 and can get AlphaTauri more points in the Constructors!

    Predictions for Quali-

    My top five predictions are: P1: Hamilton, P2: Norris, P3: Bottas, P4: Verstappen, P5: Ricciardo. I do think both McLaren’s might bring the fight this weekend, and will just excel for the rest of the season now! With Max’s grid penalty he can’t start no further up than 4th, hence the reason his fourth in my predictions.

    If it is a wet qualifying, I think we could see Mr Saturday, George Russell in the top 10. He knows what he can do in the Williams car in the wet in qualifying now, so he will be pushing to get higher up the grid.

    Times for the weekend-

    Friday 24th- FP1: 09:30am – 10:30am (BST), 10:30am – 11.30am (CEST). FP2: 13:00pm – 14:00pm (BST), 14:00pm – 15:00pm (CEST).

    Saturday 25th- FP3: 10:00am – 11:00am (BST), 11:00am – 12:00pm (CEST). Qualifying: 13:00pm – 14:00pm (BST), 14:00pm – 15:00pm (CEST).

    Sunday 26th- Race: 13:00pm (BST), 14:00pm (CEST).

  • Tyres for Sochi

    Its race week once again, after being off for a week we are returning to Sochi, Russia this weekend for Round 15.

    Pirelli have chosen their tyres and they are the softest of the compounds, C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium), C5 (Soft), this is the first time these have been picked since Austria, it is also the same nomination which was made last season.

    This circuit, is generally all about traction and breaking, the corners are mostly slow to medium speed but the most demanding corner is turn 3, which is a multi-apex left hander.

    Sochi, isn’t used much for the rest of the season so its often seen to be slippery towards the start of the weekend, this can then sometimes cause tyres to slide rather than grip especially during the two free practice sessions on the Friday.

    Russia is normally a one-stop race, last year the top two finishers used a medium to hard strategy but there was a variation down the rest of the grid.

    This weekend, we just don’t have Formula One, we are also joint by Formula Two for round six and by Formula Three for their last round of the season and its the first time they will be in Russia since 2019.

    F2 have been nominated, the Mediums and the Purples (Ultra-soft) which was the same as last year. F3 have been nominated the Hard tyre for their final 3 races of the 2021 season.

  • Gio to stay or go?

    So the big talking point now, is who will fill the Alfa Romeo seat as its not been confirmed yet! Could Giovinazzi re-sign? Or will they have a rookie?

    Only time will tell… but looking into it theres so many ways they could go with this! As Alfa Romeo came out with something which i’m not sure if many people picked up on… When they signed Bottas I saw a comment by Frédéric Vasseur saying that the Finn will have the responsibility of leading Alfa Romeo forward as he will no longer “be in the shadow” of Lewis Hamilton.

    This tells me that Bottas has the number one role, which is fair play to him, he deserves to have a role like that due to his experience etc. BUT if Alfa Romeo was retaining Antonio Giovinazzi surely you would want someone who knows the car and team well to lead it? And as well wouldn’t Giovinazzi want be step up and bring the team forward, theres so many unanswered questions!

    Alfa Romeo Team Principal Fred Vasseur, along with his shareholders, is ultimately responsible for who will partner Bottas in 2022. But Vasseur was keeping tight-lipped on which drivers were in the running – although he did confirm that Chinese F2 racer Guanyu Zhou was “on the list”, while adding that reigning Formula E champion Nyck de Vries’ links to Mercedes complicated the Dutch driver’s case.

    So who could potentially fill the seat?

    Well first up would be their current driver Antonio Giovinazzi. Personally, I don’t see him staying and I would actually be pretty shocked if they announce him. Obviously his talented otherwise he wouldn’t of got the chance to be in F1 but I personally think that he hasn’t really grabbed this opportunity properly, I think he knows his at risk of potentially not racing in F1 next year and normally you would see drivers doing there everything to stay and yeah his got into Q3 in the last two races but that doesn’t really matter if your then not scoring points on the Sunday.

    The second option is Guanyu Zhou who is currently 2nd in the Formula Two championship and is also part of the Alpine Academy. Zhou seems like the favourite for the second seat at Alfa Romeo. Zhou has had a very good campaign in F2 this year, with 3 wins to his name, and 5 podiums.

    Next up in the long list is Championship leader Oscar Piastri, who is currently sat ahead of Zhou by 15 points… Oscar who is also with the Alpine Academy and managed by Mark Webber, is on fire… 2019 he won the Formula Renault Eurocup and then 2020 winning the F3 Championship with Prema. He is definitley F1 material and it doesn’t seem like he is in contention for the last seat which I think is a shame, but what will he do then? He can’t do another year in F2 as he has too many points on his super licence, so maybe the route of going down the test & reserve driver…

  • AM confirm ’22 line up

    Aston Martin have confirmed their line up for the ’22 season and it is unchanged, so both Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel will be in the racing green next year!

    Aston Martin came back to F1 this year, after Lawrence Stroll was fighting for it to make its return to the sport and he succeeded.

    Both Stroll and Vettel have done well this year, even more so Seb as its a new car and team for him to adapt too, so all eyes were on him to see how he would perform and he has had a bit of an up/down season, first four races he didn’t score any points then he went on to have two podiums but got disqualified so effectively got one took away from him.

    Lance Stroll said: “Next season I will be embarking on my sixth year in Formula One, alongside my team-mate Sebastian. We started this Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team campaign together and I greatly look forward to continuing the journey with him next year. We have not achieved what we set out to do this year, but that has only amplified our hunger and drive for success next season.”

    Sebastian Vettel said: “I am really looking forward to racing the new generation of Formula One cars. Their look is very different and the new technical regulations should give us cars that can race much more closely than recently. More exciting racing will be great for the drivers as well as for the fans.”

    My Opinion-

    I believe this is the right call, I didn’t see Stroll going anywhere because of his dad owning the team… And I thought it would be silly to get rid of Vettel as he has performed very well in the car and no doubt is going to give some pointers for helping with the 2022 car.

  • Round 14- Monza Race

    WOW… what didn’t happen in that race! Honestly where do I start…

    Daniel Ricciardo is a race winner again for the first time since 2018 and his first with McLaren and joining him is his team-mate, Lando Norris making it his best finish for the team and finally a 1-2 for the papaya team! Joining them on the final step of the podium goes to Bottas after starting P19!

    The rest of the top 10 are: P4: Leclerc, P5: Perez, P6: Sainz, P7: Stroll, P8: Alonso, P9: Russell and P10: Ocon.

    Max and Lewis collided which ended up with Max’s car on top off Lewis’s and Max’s rear tyre was sitting on Lewis’ helmet… So all i’ve got to say is thank god for the halo, because I wouldn’t of liked to seen what happened without it.. I’m very happy both drivers got away safely, it is set to go to the stewards after the race. This collision will be a big talking point for the next few weeks just like it was at Silverstone. *UPDATE* Max Verstappen has been given a 3 grid place penalty for the next race and two penalty points. In my opinion I think this is the right decision, Lewis gave enough space and everyone knows the sausage curbs make you go up in the air. Now Max has got to suffer the consequences which I can imagine he isn’t very happy about it.

    Daniel Ricciardo was on fire today, he took the lead from as soon as the lights went out and honestly he deserves this win so much, he also got the fastest lap too.

    George Russell turned into Mr Sunday today as he finished P9 and score some points! For the third time this season, if people didn’t realise before they do now that George is a very talented driver and serves his Mercedes seat next year!

    Perez, surprised me today, he was running in third position but he got a 5 second penalty due to passing Charles Leclerc off track. He then ended up fifth once the penalty was added on.

    I feel gutted for the AlphaTauri’s, I felt like they both could of been very strong today, Yuki didn’t even start the race due to a mechanical issue which was fount on the way to the grid and wasn’t able to be fixed, and Pierre had to retire due to a problem which is unknown at this time.

    That is the end of our triple header! But I think this break is needed for everyone (including us fans) after the drama of the past 3 race weekends. We will be back racing again in two weekends time and we will be in Sochi, Russia, where we will be joined by F2 and F3! See you all then.

  • F2 Monza- Day 2 & 3

    Day 2-

    Sprint Race 1-

    Theo Pourchaire took his second win of the season, he started in fourth and was on the charge from the get go. He was joined in P2 by title contender Guanyu Zhou who made up six places to finish on the podium and third goes to my driver of the sprint race 1, Christian Lundgaard. He started 19th to finish on the final podium spot.

    Juri Vips stole the lead from from reverse pole sitter, David Beckmann. However they struggled with tyre degradation and they both finished in eight and tenth.

    There was a lot of drama for the first race back after a two month break. Dan Ticktum locked up and missed his braking point. Then he was tagged by Felipe Drugovich and spun round which was meant he was the first one out of the race. Then the VSC made an appearance due to Drugovich he lost his Virtuosi car at Ascari and skidded into the gravel.

    Then Roy Nissany, spun to a stop on track which brought out the second safety car which then brings our tally off 3 out of the race. Zendeli’s race finished with three laps to go as he pulled his car over to a stop at the side of the road.

    Sprint Race 2-

    Carlin’s, Jehan Daruvala took the second sprint race win and his first victory of the season. He was joined by Bent Viscaal and Robert Shwartzman who took his fourth podium of the year.

    This race was quite quiet compared to the mornings race. A VSC was needed when HWA Racelab team-mates collided which left Jake Hughes’ car in the wall. Guilherme Samia also had to pull his car to a stop at the pit entry.

    Day 2-

    Feature Race-

    The feature race was quite chaotic, it saw Oscar Piastri win, with his title rival Guanyu Zhou coming in second and a late charge by Dan Ticktum saw him finished 3rd.

    We had a total of 7 drivers not finish the race… First up was Guilherme Samaia, who lost it our of Lesmo 2 which at first brought out a VSC then a full safety car. Once the racing resumed it was all going on with a slow stop for Boschung who dropped to the back off the pack.

    Then a full safety car was deployed due to contact between Ticktum and Vips at the second chicane, Vips was pulling over with a problem when Ticktum made contact with his left rear but somehow managed to escape without damage. This then led to most of the grid to pit.

    Sato was running in P2, when he was forced to retire on lap ten as their was a loss of electrical power. Deledda then suffered damage on lap 13 after banging wheels with Enzo Fittipaldi.

    The Safety car was then needed for Liam Lawson on lap 222 as he suffered a fault with his fire extinguisher and had to ground to a halt, which was a shame for him as he was looking very strong in the race.

    And finally the last safety car came on the final lap as there was contact between Beckmann and Viscaal at the first chicane which saw one car in the wall and the other stranded on track…

    What does this mean for the championship?

    So going into this weekend, Oscar Piastri was leading the championship and luckily for him, coming out of this weekend he will still be leading it. Guanyu Zhou will follow him closely behind not giving up on the title fight.

    Our next race is in two weeks and we are in Sochi, Russia from the 24th to the 26th of September, where the title fight will continue!

  • Round 14- Monza Sprint

    That was our second sprint of this year done, and honestly i’m quite surprised in what happened!

    Bottas got a lovely start away and honestly I don’t think he looked back, where as his team-mate who started second went all the way back to 5th after a slow start.

    The top 10 results are- P1: Bottas, P2: Verstappen, P3: Ricciardo, P4: Norris, P5: Hamilton, P6: Leclerc, P7: Sainz, P8: Giovinazzi, P9: Perez and P10: Stroll.

    So you would think Bottas gets pole as his finished first etc, but he does not as he is actually starting at the back of the grid because of a new engine, so he will be on a charge tomorrow to get in the points. So that means, all the drivers move up a place, we now have Max and Daniel on the front row, with Norris and Hamilton just behind and then both Ferrari’s making the third row.

    Pierre Gasly, crashed in the sprint as he made contact with a McLaren at Turn 1 his front wing went underneath his front wheels which saw him speed into the gravel and hitting the wall, this now will see him start P19 tomorrow. But I wouldn’t say Gasly’s out of contention for some points tomorrow, as last year he started P10 and then went on to win the race so anything could be possible…

    Who needs a good day tomorrow-

    I’d definitely say Gasly and Bottas, they both will want to be on the charge and make sure they get in the points, which is possible as anything can happen at Monza. If they both have good strategies I can’t see them not scoring…

    Hamilton, he has a bit of work to do tomorrow which I know people think his only in fourth, but if Max gets a good lead from the start he could be in a bit of trouble. Lewis knows Red Bull have a good car so I think his main objective tomorrow is to beat Verstappen.

    I’d also say Perez, he finished the Sprint in the same place he started, which isn’t ideal at all. I thought he would of done some risk overtakes to get higher up so he can be closer to his team-mate but obviously he didn’t want to risk starting at the back of the grid.

    Predictions-

    My top 5 predictions for tomorrow are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Hamilton, P3: Ricciardo, P4: Norris and P5: Sainz. I think fastest lap will go to Hamilton.

    I’d like to see both Aston Martins finish in the top 10, Stroll is already starting from P9 and Vettel P11. So again if they get their strategy right then hopefully we could see them finish in a good position.

    Times for tomorrow-

    The times for the race are: 14:00pm (BST) and 15:00pm (CEST). We also have F2 in the morning and that will be starting at 9:25am (BST) and 10:25am (CEST).

  • Round 14- Monza Quali

    We now have our grid set for the Sprint Qualifying for tomorrow and the tension is building on the grid…

    We have a Mercedes 1-2!! Bottas leads from Hamilton locking out the front row to get those all important points tomorrow. We then have Verstappen starting P3 just behind both of the Mercedes.

    The rest of the top 10 are- P4: Norris, P5: Ricciardo, P6: Gasly, P7: Sainz, P8: Leclerc, P9: Perez and P10: Giovinazzi.

    Bottas done an absolutely beautiful lap, all purple sectors and it’s fully deserved! I do feel like its a bit of a strategy for tomorrow as he is starting at the back of the grid on Sunday so he will want to grab some points tomorrow.

    The two McLarens are on fire! They both look so comfy and confident in their cars and they could potentially grab a couple of points tomorrow only if they stay out of trouble though!

    I’m quite shocked by Perez, starting P9 isnt the best and the middle of field is always the scrappiest when starting on the grid so I could potentially see him not doing so well tomorrow.

    Both Aston Martins and Alpines out of the top 10 which I didn’t expect at all, but with Monza everyone is trying to get a tow and it doesn’t always play out in peoples favour.

    Predictions for tomorrow-

    I think Lewis will get P1, P2: Bottas and P3: Norris. Honestly I could see tomorrow just go mad, we could see a very different order for Sunday and maybe some surprises for the result too.

    Times-

    Free Practice 2- 11:00am – 12:00pm (BST), 12:00pm – 13:00pm (CEST). Sprint- 15:30pm – 16:00pm (BST), 16:30pm – 17:00pm (CEST).

  • F2 Monza- Day 1

    We are back racing once more with Formula Two as they have just had their first day in Monza done! We have had a couple of changes to the grid this week, we saw Jake Hughes returning to HWA Racelab following an injury to Jack Aitken, while David Beckmann had swapped Charouz Racing System for Campos Racing with Enzo Fittipaldi stepping up from Formula 3 to take his place.

    Free Practice-

    Ticktum topped the charts in the free practice session this morning and for the second round in a row, he done a lap of 1:33.042 ahead of Pourchaire and Daruvala. It was then Beckmann and championship leader Piastri who closed off the top 5.

    A Virtual Safety Car was needed with only 11 minutes on the clock as Roy Nissany had to pull onto the grass as he had smoke coming from the back of his DAMs, running however did resume with only five minutes left.

    Qualifying-

    Qualifying showed us Piastri is on fire and wants to keep his championship lead! He grabs pole for the Feature Race on Sunday with a 1:32.199 ahead of Jehan Daruvala and Guanyu Zhou.

    Somebody who shocked me was Ralph Boschung, he done an amazing lap in quali and he was near the top but with drivers doing more fast laps the order soon changed which pushed him down to P6.

    Another one who shocked me is Lundgaard his starting in P19, I thought he would off been closer to the top 10, but as this is a track where there are opportunities to over take he could easily claw some points in hopefully!

    As we have the results we now have our reverse grid for tomorrows first sprint race it see’s Beckmann on pole with Red Bull junior Juri Vips joining him on the front row.

    Times for tomorrow-

    Sprint Race 1- 7:50am (BST), 8:50am (CEST).

    Sprint Race 2- 13:45pm (BST), 14:45pm (CEST).

  • Italian GP

    This weekend, we will be in Monza for the Italian Grand Prix. Last year it saw Pierre Gasly take his first ever win in F1 and he was joined on the podium with Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz.

    Could we see a very different outcome this year? Well who knows… We have the second sprint qualifying this weekend so we could possibly see a very different grid for Sundays race.

    Does Max have the edge over Lewis? Will Ferrari be successful? Or could McLaren beat Ferrari on home turf? It’s going to be an exciting one thats for sure!

    Who needs a good weekend?

    I’d love for Ferrari to do well this weekend, as its their home grand prix and we all know how much Charles Leclerc likes this track and the same for Carlos Sainz, he will be wanting to do well as its his first team home race at Monza.

    I also think Nicholas Latifi, he really needs to show Williams he can come back after a set back, even more so now his contract has been renewed. He needs to show the team he can take charge etc, if he wants to stay at Williams long term.

    I’d like to see the two McLaren’s do better as-well, they’ve been on a bit of a downward slope since Hungary, so i’m hoping they can pull something special out of the bag!

    I would also say Lewis, if he wants to take the championship lead this weekend, he will need to be on his A game. He has a chance to score some extra points on Saturday and the highest amount may only be 3 but with the championship being so close this year, they really do mean everything, even more so since thats what is only separating him and Max coming into this weekend…

    Predictions for Quali-

    My top five predictions for qualifying are- P1: Hamilton, P2: Verstappen, P3: Bottas, P4: Gasly and P5: Norris. I’d love to see Ricciardo up their with Norris especially with sprint qualifying on the Saturday, they may want to take the risk in getting further up the grid for the Sunday as-well. I want to see Williams up there in the top 10, if they keep pushing their car then they could hopefully make it a regular thing!

    Times for the weekend-

    Friday 10th- FP1: 13:30pm – 14:30pm (BST), 14:30pm – 15:30pm (CEST). Qualifying: 17:00pm – 18:00pm (BST), 18:00pm – 19:00pm (CEST).

    Saturday 11th- FP2: 11:00am – 12:00pm (BST), 12:00pm – 13:00pm (CEST). Sprint: 15:30pm – 16:30pm (BST), 16:30 – 17:30pm (CEST).

    Sunday 12th- Race: 14:00pm (BST), 15:00pm (CEST).

  • Tyres for Monza

    Well, we are on our final race week out of our triple header and we are back at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix! Pirelli have also chosen their tyres for the weekend…

    We have the middle of the range this time around which are: C2 (Hard), C3 (Medium) and C4 (Soft). These are the same compounds which were selected for the last two years at Monza which offer a good balance for the demands on the track.

    Monza is the second race this year which will host the sprint qualifying format. The usual tyre format has changed, rather than 13 sets for a weekend their will only be 12. During Friday qualifying, only the soft tyre can be used, where as in sprint qualifying you can use any tyres and their is no mandatory pit stop.

    Monza is known for its flat out straights, followed by heavy braking areas, but with some slower than others and then some technical sections adding into it. The long straights as well makes the tyres cool down which then can affect the position of turning.

    We also have Formula Two with us this weekend in Monza, returning for round 5! The tyres selected for them are the mediums and the softs. This is the first and only time that this selection will be made this year.

  • Alex Albon is back…

    The seats keep on going… I’m happy to say that Alex Albon is joining Williams Racing for 2022!

    This comes as George Russell announced he was driving for Mercedes next year, so it was only a matter of time till Williams announced their line up.

    Alex joint F1 in 2019 and made his debut with Toro Rosso, he then replaced Pierre Gasly at Red Bull Racing halfway through the season and then stayed at Red Bull for the 2020 season too. However it was over too quickly, as Red Bull announced they won’t retain him for the 2021 season and instead go for Sergio Perez. It then got announced the other week Perez will be staying at RB for the 22 season aswell.

    Alex got put into the test & reserve driver role for this year, whilst also competing in DTM.

    A Red Bull spokesperson told F1.com: “We have released Alex to become a Williams Racing driver in 2022 but retain a relationship with him that includes future options.”

    Albon said: “I am really excited and looking forward to returning to a Formula 1 race seat in 2022. When you take a year out of F1 it’s never certain you will make a return so I’m extremely thankful to Red Bull and Williams for believing in me and helping me on my journey back to the grid. It’s also been great to see all the progress Williams have been making as a team this year and I look forward to helping them continue that journey in 2022.”

    Nicholas Latifi’s contract was also up this year and it got announced at the same time as Alex’s that they will be team-mates for the 22 season. The pair use to be team-mates back in F2 where they drover for DAMs.

    Latifi said: “I’m excited to be continuing with Williams for another year; partly because of F1’s new technical regulations, but also because the team is moving in a more competitive direction with new owners, management and people on the technical side.

    My Opinion-

    I think this is great! I didn’t see Williams having two new drivers to the team, so I can understand why they wanted to retain Nicholas. For Alex its amazing to see him back, I felt like he wasn’t given a proper opportunity to show his talent before but now he is in a Williams and with a team who want to work their way back up the grid and Alex seems like the perfect driver to help them with that.

  • Ilott to debut IndyCar

    Some news which recently got announced is that Callum Ilott, is set to make his debut in IndyCar this weekend.

    Ilott, was the runner up to Mick Schumacher in the Formula Two 2020 world championship, he unfortunately didn’t get a seat in F1, however his kept himself busy…

    Callum, who is part of the Ferrari driver academy is also one of Alfa Romeo’s reserve drivers, he is also a test driver for Ferrari. Callum also takes part in competing in sports car races including the 24 hours of Le Mans where he finished 3rd.

    However he has now been given the opportunity to race in IndyCar this weekend. He will be driving for Juncos Hollinger Racing.

    “I am pleased and excited to be announcing I will be racing with Juncos Hollinger Racing at Portland,” Ilott said. “This will be my first time in the NTT IndyCar Series and running in the United States, which will be a bit of a change from running on the European side. I am looking forward to working with the team during this first phase of their development. I would like to thank the Ferrari Driver Academy for allowing me to take this opportunity and for Ricardo Juncos and Brad Hollinger for bringing me on board the team.”

    My Opinion-

    I think this is good for Callum, it could be a full time thing if he doesn’t get an F1 seat this year. It seems he just excels in everything he does, which isn’t a bad thing at all and he should count himself very lucky to get opportunities like this and i’m sure he does!

    However, I would like to see him in F1 and we all know there are seats up for grabs this year…

  • Russell to Mercedes 2022

    And finally, the announcement we have all been waiting for! George Russell has officially signed a contract with Mercedes and will be Lewis Hamiltons team-mate for the 2022 season.

    Russell has been a Mercedes junior since early 2017 but has been on loan to Williams Racing for the past three years when he got promoted to F1 in 2019.

    The Brit has had a very good racing career, with him winning GP3 in 2017, the Formula Two championship in 2018. Then since moving to F1 its been tough as we’ve all seen however, things are starting to change. Last year at the Sakhir Grand Prix we saw George step in for Lewis Hamilton due to Covid and well, let me tell you it showed how talented George is. He topped the charts in FP1 and FP2, he then qualified P2 in a car which didn’t fit him and didn’t have much time to prepare at all. He was set to get on the podium this race but due to a mix up in tyres and a puncture he was only able to grab a few points but they were his first in F1!

    Now fast forward to this year and all I can say on George’s performance is wow! His getting the Williams car into Q2 and Q3 and pulling everything out of it! He claimed his first points for him in the Williams in Hungary which everyone was very happy about. And now onto rainy Spa, he qualified P2, he beat two Mercedes (one of is his new team-mate) and a Red Bull. Due to the circumstances at Spa the race got cancelled after over 3 hours of delaying it, which meant George got half points and got on the podium for the first time in his F1 career.

    “It’s a special day for me personally and professionally, but also a day of mixed emotions,” said Russell. “I’m excited and humbled to be joining Mercedes next year, which is a huge career step, but it also means I’ll be saying goodbye to my team mates and friends at Williams. It has been an honour working alongside every member of the team, and an honour to represent the Williams name in F1. “Looking ahead to next season, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t absolutely buzzing. It’s a huge opportunity and one I want to grab with both hands. But I’m under no illusions as to the scale of the challenge; it’s going to be a steep learning curve.”

    “We are very happy to confirm that George will have the opportunity to take the next step in his career and join Mercedes,” said Wolff. “He has been a winner in every racing category – and the past three seasons with Williams have given us a taste of what the future could hold for him in F1.” “Now, it is our challenge together to help him continue learning within our environment and alongside Lewis, the greatest F1 driver of all time. I am confident that as their relationship grows, they will form a strong team and deliver for Mercedes on and off the track in the years ahead.”

    My Opinion-

    I think this is fully deserved, his shown what he can do and it’s time for him to take that next step and be fighting for podiums/wins. I also think that Russell and Hamilton would actually work really well as team-mates, I think George would push Lewis and be consistent in scoring points together.

  • Gasly & Tsunoda retained by AlphaTauri

    Well it seems like a week of driver announcements this week! Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly have been retained by AlphaTauri for 2022.

    Pierre has been with AlphaTauri since being demoted by Red Bull back in 2019 and it saw him get his first win in F1 with AT. His constantly dragging everything out of the car to perform well and it seems to be paying off, and his hoping for some podium finishes this year! His currently sat in 8th in the drivers championship.

    Yuki is new to AlphaTauri, with it being his rookie season in F1, he hasn’t done too bad… He scored points in his first race, which put peoples expectations high but as he is only a rookie you can’t expect him to finish in the points consistently. You can expect mistakes in the first year as they are still learning the car and where the limits are. Yuki is currently sat in 13th in the drivers championship.

    I think for AlphaTauri next year, they will be looking to get more up the front, with both drivers being consistent in the points they would want to be battling for P3, P4 in the championship alongside McLaren and Ferrari

    Looking into the new aerodynamic era of Formula 1, Gasly assessed “there are great things to achieve”. “I’m very excited to see what we can accomplish in the new era of F1 and to keep working with the team as best as I can to bring us forward in the team standings. This year has been very successful so far and I really believe we can work well together to do even better in 2022.”

    “I’m really excited to be staying with Scuderia AlphaTauri for a second season,” said Tsunoda. “It’s an incredible opportunity and I’m so thankful to the team for letting me continue to grow my experience in Formula 1 with them.”

    My Opinion-

    I think this is a good move, both drivers get on well on and off the track. I didn’t see them changing it to be honest, this line-up provides stability into the new season and I think thats good especially with the changes coming in next season.

    I do think Pierre should be in a top car, he deserves to show what his capable off and I feel like his shown what he can do in an AlphaTauri, put him in an Ferrari and he will do brilliant things. However that won’t happen as he is still under contract with Red Bull as a junior driver until 2023, so if he wants to break out of it then the 2023 season is where it happens.

  • Bottas to Alfa Romeo

    After a lot of speculating, it has FINALLY been confirmed, that Valtteri Bottas will be leaving Mercedes and will be joining Alfa Romeo from 2022 onwards on a multi year deal.

    The Finn, has been partnered with Lewis Hamilton since 2017 and has played a key role in winning four constructors with the Brackley team. Bottas secured nine wins and 53 podiums in his time with Mercedes. However his future at the team has been speculated for quite some time.

    “A new chapter in my racing career is opening: I’m excited to join Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN for 2022 and beyond for what is going to be a new challenge with an iconic manufacturer,” said Bottas. “Alfa Romeo is a brand that needs no introduction, they have written some great pages of Formula 1 history and it’s going to be an honour to represent this marque. The potential of the setup in Hinwil is clear and I am relishing the opportunity to help lead the team forward up the grid, especially with the new regulations in 2022 giving the team a chance to make a leap in performance”

    Vasseur added: “It is a pleasure to welcome Valtteri to the team and we are looking forward to our journey together. With him, we bring to Hinwil a strong team player with experience at the sharp end of the grid. “Valtteri has been an integral part of a team that rewrote the history books and he has four constructors’ world titles to his name: he is the right driver to help Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN make a step forward towards the front of the grid.

    My Opinion-

    I think this is the best move for Bottas and Alfa Romeo. I actually believe this will be good for him, it’s a new challenge for him and he will want to help the team move forward and further up the grid. I look forward to seeing what he can do with the Swiss team!

    We now await on who will be his team-mate for 2022…

  • Round 13- Zandvoort Race

    Well… Max Verstappen wins on his home turf and now leads the championship again, he drove a superb race!

    Hamilton finished in P2 with fastest lap as-well which we all know is major in the championship this year as its so close and then Bottas in P3 which now makes Mercedes have a 12 point advantage over Red Bull in the championship!

    The rest of the top 10 are- P4: Gasly, P5: Leclerc, P6: Alonso, P7: Sainz, P8: Perez, P9: Ocon and P10: Norris. We knew the order wouldn’t of changed too much so I honestly am not surprised by this order at all!

    It does make some changes to the Championship though, which is what we like to see and makes the future races more exciting! Norris is down to P4 as Bottas’ podium means he move us to P3, but I can imagine they will keep swapping round.

    Alonso done very well today, from starting in P9 and finishing in P6 which is a good points haul for the Alpine and Alonso! Gasly, done absolutley mega today, kept his P4 which went un-noticed yesterday but he made it count today and this is where it counts.

    Ferrari had a very good day today, which means a good lot of points for the Italian team, and they will want to excel on their performance this week going into the Italian Grand Prix next weekend!

    We had 3 DNF’s and they were Mazepin, Tsunoda and Russell. All cars retired to pit lane, the reasons are unknown at this time but will be updated later on.

    Now onto the second Red Bull, I don’t think Perez has had the best weekend, he obviously qualified P16 and then Red Bull done a very clever move and changed his power unit which meant he starts from the pit-lane but even then it didn’t exactly go the way they wanted it to. He started on hard tyres and then had to pit on the 10th lap to change to mediums as there was flat-spots. They did however manage to claw some points for Perez. It did make me think imagine if he was on the mediums to start what would of happened? Could we off seen him top 5?

    Now all eyes onto next weekend as we have our second sprint race of the season and we are back at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix!

  • Round 13- Zandvoort Quali

    Well, well, well what a quali that was, at one point I didn’t know who would be where at one point!

    But Max Verstappen manages to get his first pole position of his home grand prix, with Lewis joining him on the front row and it was only 0.38s between the pair. Valtteri takes P3, which makes Max under pressure from both of the Mercedes, especially because of the strategy, Mercedes have both drivers in top 3, where as Max is on his own and his team-mate is no where to be seen…

    The rest of the grid are as follows- P4: Gasly, P5: Leclerc, P6: Sainz, P7: Giovinazzi, P8: Ocon, P9: Alonso, P10: Ricciardo, P11: Russell, P12: Stroll, P13: Norris, P14: Latifi, P15: Tsunoda, P16: Perez, P17: Vettel, P18: Kubica, P19: Schumacher and finally P20: Mazepin.

    I feel like the grid is a bit of a mix match this weekend, there some good results for some teams where as other teams its been quite disappointing…

    I said both Ferrari drivers need a good weekend and they’ve started it of good, but tomorrow is where it counts as thats where the points are dished out.

    Not a good day for Lando, his been a bit of the pace today, whether thats due to having under-estimated the track or just simply being caught out by the red flags in Q2. We all know what he can do, so i’m sure we will see him doing some brave over takes tomorrow to get some points!

    Not the best qualifying for Williams either, having both cars bring out two red flags isn’t the best but lucky for them they have free tyre choice with both cars and hopefully they can play a good strategy to get some points!

    Now onto Perez, who actually quite shocked me. Starting P16, on a track which isn’t known for over-taking but if you want to take risks which we saw some Formula Three drivers do earlier on in the day, they do pay off.

    Now onto the one who impressed me the most… It’s Antonio Giovinazzi starting P7, where did that pace come from in the Alfa Romeo!! You always want to do well on race weekends but even more so when a reserve driver stands in for your team-mate, but he has just excelled today! Could he possibly have a point to prove that maybe he deserves to stay in F1? All I know is that one performance like this isn’t going to cut it, but if he has now fount a good way with the car and use it tomorrow he could be in contention for some points!

    Predictions-

    My top five predictions for tomorrow are: P1- Hamilton, P2: Bottas, P3: Verstappen, P4: Gasly and P5: Alonso. Fastest lap I think will go to Bottas.

    I’d like to see the likes of Norris, Russell, Latifi in the top 10 and get some points but it’s all about the risk in overtaking here, are they willing to do it? I think tomorrow will be a very good race, no-one knows how these 72 laps are going to go but I am very excited!

    Times for tomorrow-

    The race starts at §4:00pm (BST), and 15:00pm (CEST). As well as Formula Three in the morning at 9:45am (BST) and 10:45am (CEST)

  • Kimi out of Dutch GP

    Kimi Raikkonen won’t take part in the rest of the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend due to having a positive covid-19 test!

    Alfa Romeo took to social media telling their followers that Kimi has tested positive with Covid and that “Kimi is displaying no symptoms and is in good spirits. He has immediately entered isolation in his hotel.’’

    However, Robert Kubica is back! As one of Alfa Romeos reserve drivers his stepped in place for Kimi. It will Kubica’s first Grand Prix start since 2019 and his first for the Alfa Romeo team.

    Raikkonen will need a negative test before being allowed into the paddock and it remains unclear if he will be able to race next weekends Italian Grand Prix at Monza

    Wishing Kimi a speedy recovery and hopefully see him back on track soon!❤️

  • Dutch GP

    After 36 years we are back for the Dutch Grand Prix, and its set to be a special one! It’s the home Grand Prix of Max Verstappen and i’m sure he will be wanting to come out on top to give the fans a real show. But could we see Hamilton wanting to give something back on his home turf?

    The fight for P3 in the constructors is still very much on, even more so with the gap down to only 3.5 points… but who will come out on top this weekend? McLaren or Ferrari? It’s all too play for and I can’t wait!

    Who needs a good weekend?

    I think both Ferrari drivers do, they got it wrong last weekend which is a shame but hopefully we see both of them in the top 10 throughout the weekend…

    I’d possibly say Stroll as well, his currently sitting 14th in the championship. His not had the best season compared to his team-mate. His had two DNFs and four other races where his been out of the top 10 so six races in total with no points. I’m not entirely sure why he isn’t performing as well as Seb, as you’d think Stroll’s been in the car and the team a lot longer than Seb so he should be comfortable in it and know roughly what he needs to work on, but were now onto the second half of the season and it doesn’t seem to be improving, so hopefully a good weekend for him.

    Predictions for Quali-

    My top five predictions for this weekend are- Pole: Hamilton, P2: Verstappen, P3: Norris, P4: Bottas and P5: Ocon. I’m hoping Russell will qualifying top 10 again, but obviously after coming from qualifying P2 last weekend his confidence is high but we need to be realistic with the predictions for him this weekend as theres no rain forecasted yet…

    This track is so hard to do predictions on as we haven’t got no previous data on it, so we don’t know whether it suits a certain team more or less!

    Times for the weekend-

    Saturday 4th- FP3: 11:00am – 12:00pm(BST), 12:00pm – 13:00pm (CEST). Qualifying: 14:00pm – 15:00pm (BST), 15:00pm – 16:00pm (CEST).

    Sunday 5th- Race: 14:00pm (BST), 15:00pm (CEST).

  • Tyres for Zandvoort

    We are back racing this weekend and we are at Zandvoort and Pirelli have announced their tyres for this weekend.

    We’ve got the hardest of the compounds which is the fourth time they’ve been chosen this season. C1 (Hard), C2 (Medium) and C3 (Soft). With no previous relevant data the hardest tyres are the most suitable choice.

    The track looks quite different than when it did at its last Grand Prix in 1985. In particular, turns 3 and 14 they are both now banked at 19 degrees. As well turn 14 is taken flat-out which generates forces in excess of 4g, while there are two corners which have heavy breaking of around 5g: the entries into Turn 1 and 11.

    As expected from an old circuit, Zandvoort has a distinctly old-school feel to it, with fast and narrows turns with a number of different elevation changes. Zandvoort is located in an area of sand dunes near the beach, with the wind sometimes blowing sand onto the track which can affect grip; which is normally an issue in places like Bahrain. So we could possibly expect some drivers being caught out by the lick of grip.

    We have Formula Three with us again this weekend, and they will also be using the hard tyre. Zandvoort has big demands and banked corners which will take a lot of energy out of the tyres.

  • Enzo Fittipaldi joins F2

    Charouz Racing System have announced today that Enzo Fittipaldi is set to replace David Beckmann from Monza onwards. This comes as David Beckmann announced on his social media today that due to financial reasons he can’t carry on with F2 this season.

    Beckmann departs with two podiums with Charouz, these were scored in the opening two round of this season. “I’m sorry to leave Charouz Racing System for the end of the FIA Formula 2 season,” said Beckmann. “It’s not an easy choice, but I had to do it because it’s the right thing. The financial situation has dramatically changed compared to the start of this project, but this doesn’t change the great work we did together.

    Enzo was with Charouz Racing in F3 until last weekend at Spa as it got announced he was being replaced, and now we know why he was replaced.

    He has a very good career so far in single seaters, which includes the 2018 Italian Formula 4 Champion, third place in the 2018 ADAC F4 championship and second in the 2019 Formula Regional European campaign.

    “I am extremely happy to be making my debut in the FIA Formula 2 championship,” said Fittipaldi. “I really want to thank Charouz Racing System and all my sponsors for this opportunity. We had a very solid first part of the F3 season together and I am looking forward to the next chapter.”

    Charouz are currently sat ninth in the teams championship with 25 points. The team manager Bob Vavrik added “We’re all very happy to welcome Enzo to the F2 squad. The plan was racing together for the 2022 season, with a winter training and testing program.”

    My Opinion-

    It’s not nice to see someone leave Formula Two because of money and it isn’t the first time its happened this season either, so it is a massive shame to see Beckmann leave but everything costs money nowadays.

    However i’m happy to see that its Fittipaldi, I did have a feeling he would be joining F2 next year, so this gives him this extra added experience for next year if he is to stay.

  • Kimi to retire end of 2021

    So, it’s a sad day for Kimi Raikkonen fans as he has announced that he will be retiring at the end of the 2021 season.

    Kimi who currently drives for Alfa Romeo, took to his social media and announced after being in F1 for 19 years that he will be retiring from F1. With a championship to his name, 103 podiums, 1865 points and 21 wins Kimi has most definitely had a good career in Formula One.

    Looking back on his career his been with many good teams, Sauber-Petronans, McLaren-Mercedes, Ferrari, Lotus and Alfa Romeo. Currently Raikkonen is sitting 17th in the championship with only two points, but i’m sure he will be wanting to get a few more before the end of the season!

    It had been going round the rumour mill that he was set to announce it at Monza but I guess you can never always believe rumours! It’ll be interesting to see the coming announcements in the next few weeks!

    My Opinion-

    It’s a shame to see him leave, but you can’t be in the sport forever. At least he can say he has been in F1 for almost 20 years, which many drivers can’t. He should be incredibly proud of all his achievements within the sport and he will be known for his radio messages for years to come!

    Even if your not a Kimi fan, deep down you are truly a Kimi fan… You’ll be missed ❤️

  • Perez retained for 2022

    The seats for 2022 are starting to fill up quick, as Red Bull announced on Thursday 26th that they will keep Sergio Perez for the 2022 season.

    Red Bull have been looking for a driver who will keep up with Max Verstappen and bring the fight to Lewis and Mercedes, they had been unsuccessful until this season…

    Perez has made a strong start for his first season with the team, he took four top five finishes in the first five races and then clenched his first win with the team in his sixth in Baku. Perez is currently sitting in 5th in the driver standings with 104 points, which is just four points away from Bottas.

    “Checo is a highly respected Team member and his experience and race-craft are invaluable as we fight for the Constructors’ Championship,” said Red Bull boss Christian Horner. “His integration into the wider Team has been seamless and we have been impressed by his performances during the first half of the season which demonstrate what he’s capable of in our car.”

    What does it mean for Gasly & Albon?

    It looks like Gasly will be leading Alpha Tauri forwards, his had a very good season so far having grabbed points in all but three races this year, the team intend to secure fifth place in the constructors. AlphaTauri are yet to confirm their driver plans for the 2022 season but they are very much likely to keep it the same as the 2021 season.

    Now onto Albon, after not getting his seat renewed this season he went into the reserve driver role and to drive in DTM. Red Bull are impressed with the job Alex has been doing as the reserve, with clocking up miles in the simulator which has made Red Bull stronger this year, it seems they would want to keep him on.

    However, they realise he wants to race and they have said they are supportive of a move to a different team if he can make one work. There are two opportunities either at Williams or Alfa Romeo, both outside the Red Bull family.

    My Opinion-

    I think its a good move that Perez is staying for another year he seems to have done a lot of work within the team to help the championship fight. What shocked me the most, was the fact they announced it quite early, I thought they would of waited till the end of the season.

    It’s obviously a shame for Gasly and Albon as everyone wants to be in the best car, fighting for wins and podiums. But if they keep working on what their doing and being consistent I can see them both being back in a top car in the future!