FOR THE ROOKIES
A lot has changed since the 2020 season, with a reshuffling of drivers and a handful of new faces. Jade gives us the run down of who we'll see lining up on the 2021 grid.
MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS FORMULA 1 TEAM
2020 position: 1st
Drivers: Lewis Hamilton & Valterri Bottas
Mercedes, previously known as Brawn GP, has the
nickname the ‘Silver Arrows’. It has been involved in F1 since 1954. The team has had an unbroken streak winning the Constructor’s Championships since 2014. Will they be going for an 8th this year?
Lewis Hamilton is recognised as one of the greatest F1 drivers of our time. The 2020 season saw him breaking record after record and now he holds the joint record for most Championships won along with Michael Schumacher. He is the only black driver to ever hold a seat in F1and is at the forefront of many causes, including advocacy for diversity and antiracism. The official F1 site quotes Hamilton as an “invariably a fierce but fair fighter."
Bottas is another great driver. However, it is hard to look amazing or have a piece of the limelight when Hamilton is your teammate. He's undoubtedly the best wingman you could have in F1.
RED BULL RACING - HONDA
2020 Position: 2nd
Drivers: Max Verstappen & Sergio 'Checo' Perez
Red Bull have revealed themselves as serious contenders to Mercedes over the past few years. They are the teams closest rivals, having won 4 championships of their own with Sebastian Vettel prior to 2014. They will be chasing Mercedes down this season and it could be an incredibly close call. Red Bull also own Scuderia AlphaTauri, where many of their drivers come from. It is seen as their junior 'B' team.
Son of former F1 driver Joe Verstappen, Max was just 17 when he completed his first grand prix, which at the time, made him the youngest ever driver to race in F1. He is probably seen as the best driver on the grid currently, outside of Mercedes, and he isn’t afraid to fight his ground. Throughout 2020, it was no shock for him to appear up on the podium alongside Bottas and Hamilton. Verstappen is know as a driver of many firsts: the youngest driver to compete; the youngest to lead a lap; the youngest to set fastest lap; and the first ever Dutch driver to take pole position.
Perez won his first and only Grand Prix in 2020 at Sakhir, whilst racing for Racing Point, putting him in the records as having completed the most F1 races before securing a win. This was enough to convince Red Bull to sign him on for 2021. Does this make him a late bloomer, or has he not had the chance to show what he can do in a top cars on the grid? We will find out this season!
ASTON MARTIN COGNIZANT (formerly Racing Point)
2020 Position: N/A
Drivers: Sebastian Vettel & Lance Stroll
Aston Martin had previously appeared in F1 for only 2 years in 1959 and 1960. Racing Points rebrand at the end of 2020 has led to the return of the famous green chassis, creating quite a buzz in the motorsport world. Everyone is eagerly watching to see what this team can do!
During his time at Red Bull, Sebastian Vettel became the youngest world champion and by the time he moved to Ferrari in 2014 there were big hopes for him. However, it was never meant to be and although he was fairly successful during his early years with Ferrari, he has left without securing a championship. The question is - who is to blame for that? Had Seb already reached his peak when joined or were Ferrari already beginning their decline on the F1 track? Whatever the reality, Vettel is still considered one of the greatest F1 drivers, having been compared to Schumacher in the past due to their similar background and racing style.
If Lance wasn't the son of team chairman, Lawrence Stroll, a lot of people say that he wouldn’t have a place in if it wasn’t for his dads money. However, Stroll has proved people wrong time and time again by earning a few podium finishes throughout his career so far, most recently earning pole position in the 2020 Turkish GP. He is still such a young driver so most likely hasn’t peaked yet. With hopefully a powerful car to back him this year it will be interesting to see how he gets on!
MCLAREN
2020 Position: 3rd
Drivers: Daniel Ricciardo & Lando Norris
McLaren is the second oldest team and second most successful team in F1. Currently it is most well known for its famous papaya livery and banter all over social media. If you’re going to follow any team on socials - make sure its McLaren! They were incredibly successful in the 70s, 80s and 90s but then seemed to hit a bit of a brick wall and moved from one of the top teams to the middle of the grid. However, it has been crawling its way back up over the past few years and after finishing 3rd in the Constructors Championships in 2020, it looks like they’ll be fighting with the other top teams this year!
Lando Norris is often seen as the baby of F1, due to his young age and still being a fairly recent newcomer. Yet, he has shown great potential, most notably scoring a third place finish and multiple fastest laps in the opening races of 2020. His team and supporters will be looking at him to gain momentum this year and finish high in the ranks.
If you've watched Drive to Survive, you'll be familiar with Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian hasn’t won a race since 2018. After being unable to settle for very long and find the right fit in a team, he's hoping McLaren will be the perfect partnership for him. Daniel has one of the greatest personalities on the grid; he always has a big smile on his face and is laughing and joking around with everyone. Ricciardo has multiple winds under his belt but maybe not as much luck. He might have been in the game for a while now, with this being his 10th season, but he’s still going strong and not showing any signs of going anywhere any time soon.
SCUDERIA ALPHATAURI HONDA
2020 Position: 7th
Drivers: Pierre Gasly & Yuki Tsunoda
Previously known as Torro Rosso, Alphatauri rebranded at the start of the 2020 season. It is owned by Red Bull and often considered its B team. Most if Red Bull's junior drivers will start in this team before moving up to the main team later in their career.
After the departure of Daniel Ricciardo from Red Bull in 2018, Pierre Gasly was one of these drivers. It was made clear that Red Bull were expecting big things from him and if Gasly couldn’t meet them then he would be replaced. That's exactly what happened. Pierre was demoted back to the Alphatauri after half a season and replaced by Alex Albon. However, Gasly went on to win the Italian Grand Prix in 2020 with AlphaTauri, which would have come as a bit of a kick in the teeth to Red Bull but a brilliant redemption arch for the Frenchman.
Yuki Tsunoda is our first newcomer of the season! The youngster had a successful 2020 season in Formula 2 before the announcement of his promotion into F1. He is the first Japanese F1 driver since 2014. In Pre-Season testing in Bahrain he finished with the 2nd fastest lap time of the last day behind Max Verstappen. Is this a sign of great things to come for the newbie? Who knows! One thing for sure is that everybody is looking forward to seeing what this youngster can achieve.
ALFA ROMEO RACING ORLEN
2020 Position: 8th
Drivers: Kimi Räikkönen & Antonio Giovinazzi
Alfa Romeo’s previous brand name was Sauber, which is where the 2 Drivers Championships came from in 1950 & 1951. They are often considered Ferrari's B team, bringing young talent into the sport such as Charles Leclerc.
Known by many as the ‘Ice-Man,' Räikkönen has had one of the longest running F1 careers, and as the 2007 world champion he is one of the most decorated and well known drivers. He is currently the oldest driver in F1, but don’t let his age fool you. He is once again partnered with Antonio Giovinazzi, with Alfa Romeo deciding to stick with their driver pairing for a third year running.
URALKALI HAAS F1 TEAM
2020 Position: 9th
Drivers: Mick Schumacher & Nikita Mazepin
Haas has only scored 200 points its entire F1 career, making it the most unsuccessful team. But, it is also one of the newest and youngest teams, so there may still be time for them to grow. Speculations have arisen over the legality of their new livery design, appearing to show the colours of the Russian flag, a country that has been banned from entering many sporting events due to a recent doping scandal. Haas is the first American team to compete since 1986 and their whole new line-up this year is something to look forward to.
Following in the footsteps of his father, the great Michael Schumacher, all eyes will be on the young Mick Schumacher. After an incredibly successful 2020 season in F2, it looks like he has his fathers talents and he could be destined for great thing. He's undoubtedly one of the most exciting subjects of the new season!
Haas' other new signing, Nikita Mazepin, is unable to race under the Russian flag and must instead race as a neutral athlete. Controversy seems to have followed Mazepin into Formula 1, with allegations of inappropriate behaviour and “only getting a seat due to his fathers money”. His worth in F1 will be closely scrutinised throughout the season, so let's see if he has actually deserves his seat.
WILLIAMS
2020 Position: 10th
Drivers: George Russel & Nicolas Latifi
Founded by Frank Williams, former owner, Williams is one of the most well known teams in F1. Once a hugely successful team, it has fallen to the back of the grid for many years now. The legendary but now struggling team was sold in 2020 to Dorilton Capital, there is the hope that they will become successful once more.
George Russell became the man of the hour in the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix after he was given the
chance to drive for Mercedes after Lewis Hamilton was struck down with Covid-19. With his raw talent and a powerful car to support him, he was pretty much guaranteed to win the Sunday race after qualifying in 2nd position. However, his dreams were shattered after a pit-stop mix up of tyres and then a puncture meaning he ended up in 9th place. He won a grand total of 3 points that weekend, the only points he has ever won in F1. The whole nation’s hearts broke for young Russel that weekend but there is great hope for Russell in the future with rumours of a potential move to Mercedes eventually. It does well to remember that George is still incredibly young and at the very early stages of his F1 career, there is still plenty of time for him to bloom in the sport. No pressure George.
George is partnered with Nicolas Latifi for a second year running. He is anot.her driver who has only recently started his F1 career and might just have not been given the opportunity he deserves yet in terms of a decent car.
ALPINE (Formerly Renault)
2020 Position: N/A
Drivers: Fernando Alonso & Esteban Ocon
New name, new year, new colours, new management - lets see what this new team can do! Alpine is rebranded from the former powerhouse, Renault, after a few years of struggles, in order to reflect Renault’s sports car brand, Alpine. The livery has definitely won people over so far.
Just call Fernando Alonso the comeback king. One of the most decorated and successful drivers of F1, he still has some fight left in him, so let’s see what he has left in the tank this season. Fernando has a rich history with this team (as Renault), moving in and out of a relationship with them through the years. He's had his luck tested already this year when being involved in a cycling accident and fracturing his jaw just weeks before pre-season testing.
Esteban Ocon achieved his first ever podium position at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, where he finished 2nd. The Frenchman shows great potential and as he is still young there is still plenty of time for him to shine.
SCUDERIA FERRARI
2020 Position: 6th
Drivers: Charles Leclerc & Carlos Sainz
Ferrari is the oldest surviving and most successful Formula One team ever. The majority of the most famous F1 drivers will have driven for Ferrari at some point, and for many current and future stars, it still remains a goal to be part of the Red Team. However, they haven’t won a championship since 2008. Did the constant pressure get too much for them? Did they get too comfortable? Have they passed their peak? Has time run out for Ferrari? These are all questions they now face after an unimpressive streak over the past decade. Now they are starting with their youngest driver line up ever. Let’s see if their change in strategy will pay off.
Charles Leclerc joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016 so his roots in the team started early. His god-father was the late Jules Bianchi so F1 has always been in his blood. Charles is another young driver who is yet to reach his full potential in his career.
Carlos Sainz Jr.’s father is the double world rally champion, so it was only a natural for the Spaniard to follow in his fathers footsteps. Having not stayed in one team for a period longer than 3 years, it will be interesting to see if his relationship with Ferrari will stick and outlast the rest.
So that's it - a rundown of the histories of everyone donning the 2021 grid. However reputations are just words and a lot of teams will be looking to rewrite the rule book this season!
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