Former Red Bull aerodynamics chief Dan Fallows will join Aston Martin as its technical director in 2022. PHOTO: Red Bull content pool
BRENDAN LINES January 19, 2022
ASTON Martin confirmed it has reached an agreement with Red Bull regarding the notice period of chief aerodynamics engineer Dan Fallows on Tuesday.
The agreement comes after Red Bull announced Fallows would leave the team in June last year.
Fallows will join Aston Martin as its technical director on April 2, 2022 — earlier than his Red Bull contract expires — until then “he remains a Red Bull Technology employee” the statement said.
Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing’s team principal and CEO, said: “We would like to thank Dan for his many years of excellent service and wish him well for the future.”
A mainstay at Red Bull since 2006, Fallows rose through the ranks of the Milton-Keynes-based team during its Sebastian Vettel-led dominance across the V8-era, winning four drivers’ and constructors’ championships from 2010-14.
Martin Whitmarsh, group CEO of Aston Martin, said: “We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Red Bull which releases Dan early from his contract and are looking forward to him joining the team.”
Fallows, said: “I’ve enjoyed many happy years at Red Bull Racing and am proud of what we achieved. I am looking forward to next season and a new challenge.”
The news comes after raft of management changes at the Silverstone-based team led by billionaire Lawrence Stroll, including the recent appointment of former BMW motorsport head Mike Krack as team principal.
FOUR-time Formula 1 world champion Alain Prost has unceremoniously split from Alpine criticising the team and its announcement, potentially making way for a key appointment as the team’s preseason management re-shuffle continues.
Prost had joined the Enstone-Viry based team as Renault in an advisory role in 2017, the Frenchman remained with the team when it re-branded as Alpine for the 2021 season.
It was reported by the F1.com website, senior management had decided against renewing the deal, although Prost claimed he had rejected an offer by the team.
“I am very disappointed how this new has been announced today!” Prost said on his social media.
“It was agreed that we would announce together with Alpine.
“No respect sorry! I have refused the offer made to me in Abu Dhabi for the 2022 season because of a personal relationship and I was right!
“To the Enstone and Viry team I will miss you.”
The 66-year-old had been with the team during his Formula 1 driving career from 1981 to 1983.
Prost’s departure is part of a revolving door in the team’s management structure as executive director and acting team principle Marcin Budkowski left just days before — almost a year to the day of former team principal Cyril Abiteboul’s exit.
Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi is reported to have stepped into the role of team principal for the interim.
Recently departed Aston Martin team principal Otmar Szafnauer has been linked to Alpine as Budkowski’s replacement.
Szafnauer could bring Aston Martin and its former guise Racing Point title sponsor BWT with him.
Max Verstappen won the 2021 Formula 1 world championship, becoming the first Dutchman to win the title. PHOTO: F1.com
BRENDAN LINES December 13, 2021
MAX Verstappen was crowned 2021 Formula 1 World Champion after a nail-biting final lap winner-take-all shootout, beating Lewis Hamilton in the season finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday.
The 24-year-old Red Bull driver became the first Dutchman ever to win the championship, ending Lewis Hamilton’s four-year reign as champion.
Verstappen denied the Brit’s seemingly firm hold on the championship in the final stages of the race — and surpassing Michael Schumacher’s all-time record of seven titles — when Nicolas Latifi’s crashed Williams triggered a safety car on Lap 53, turning the race on its head.
Before the incident, Hamilton had amassed a comfortable lead but was left stranded on his 39-lap-old Hard tyres, Mercedes opting to keep track position than risk a pit stop.
Red Bull made a final roll of the dice and brought Verstappen in immediately changing to fresh Soft tyres, in the hope of getting the jump on the restart.
Confusion reigned with the field left guessing whether the race would resume or the title be decided under the safety car, until race control allowed five of the cars separating the combatants to unlap themselves, drawing Verstappen level with Hamilton for a final lap shootout.
An aggrieved Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff protested the restart as “not right” with three other cars not given the order to unlap themselves.
Verstappen made a courageous lunge into Turn 5 to pass Hamilton on the final lap, in a drag race through the next few corners, Hamilton remonstrated and attempted to go around the outside of Turn 9, but Verstappen’s superior grip and willingness to fight on pulled off the miracle win in the race to the line.
Earlier in the race, Red Bull’s garage was exuding with despondency, with a less than ideal start and struggling for rear grip from the the less favorable Soft tyres, Verstappen had slipped to a four-second deficit to Hamilton.
On Lap 14, Verstappen pitted re-joining in P5, while up ahead his teammate Sergio Perez played the team game brilliantly, holding up Hamilton with some classy wheel-to-wheel racing.
After the race, Mercedes reportedly protested the race restart contradicted the sporting regulation 39.12, arguing the race should have restarted once the “last lapped car has past the leader and safety car”.
Australian Oscar Piastri claimed the 2021 Formula 2 Drivers’ Championship after finishing third in the weekend’s opening race in the season finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. PHOTO: Alpine F1 Team
December 12, 2021
AUSTRALIAN Oscar Piastri has secured the 2021 FIA Formula 2 Drivers’ Championship, confirming his place among Formula 1’s latest crop of elite young talent.
The 20-year-old has now claimed three consecutive drivers’ championships adding to his Formula Renault Eurocup title in 2019 and the FIA Formula 3 Championship last year.
Piastri joins an elite club of drivers – including George Russell and Charles Leclerc – to have won back-to-back Formula 3 (GP3) and Formula 2 titles.
The Melburnian said his drive to third place in the weekend’s opening sprint race was one of his” better races”, clinching the championship.
“I’m certainly pleased with that, but I’m sure this feeling of being champion will take a while to sink in.” Piastri said.
“There are two more races to go this weekend, which we need to focus on, but right now it feels incredibly special to be champion.
“Thanks to all the team at Prema for their work throughout the season and to Alpine for their support, let’s finish the season in style.”
The champ has been a revelation in Formula 2 this year and has enjoyed a stellar campaign with five wins, five pole positions and 227.5 points in his rookie season so far.
He clinched the championship in the opening Sprint Race of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after finishing a superb third from tenth on the reverse grid on Saturday.
Consistency has been key to Piastri’s success in 2021. He began the season brightly with a win at the opening round in Bahrain before back to back podiums on the streets of Monaco.
He added a further podium with second place in Baku and then laid down the gauntlet to his competitors in the series with five consecutive pole positions – equalling Leclerc’s effort in 2017 – at the final five rounds.
Piastri remained in dominant form in the feature races with third place at Silverstone, and three consecutive victories at Monza, Sochi and Jeddah.
A member of Alpine’s Academy, last month Piastri was named Alpine’s Formula 1 reserve driver next season, while fellow Academy driver — and third place in the F2 championship — Guanyou Zhou was promoted into the last available seat on the 2022 Formula 1 grid with Alfa Romeo.
Piastri, will step into his new offical role at the young drivers test day scheduled after this weekend’s grand prix at the Yas Marina Circuit.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was fastest in Friday’s opening session at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. PHOTO: Red Bull content pool
BRENDAN LINES December 11, 2021
WORLD Championship combatants Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen traded fastest times across Friday’s practice sessions in the title-deciding season finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Verstappen gained an early advantage topping FP1 in his Soft tyre-shod Red Bull, the Dutchman posted a 1:25.009s finishing two tenths clear of Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas in P2 and title rival Lewis Hamilton was P3.
Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez rounded out the top four positions, it was the drivers’ first look at the new Yas Marina layout, in the late afternoon session.
It was a surprise result for Alpha Tauri’s Yuki Tsunoda, who finished in P5 ahead of teammate Pierre Gasly in P7, while the Alpine of Fernando Also separated the pair. The Ferrari’s of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished line astern in P8 and P9 respectively, while Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel completed the top ten.
Later, it was Hamilton who was quickest in the cooler conditions as the sun went down and the floodlights took over the track in FP2.
The Brit countered Verstappen’s previous fastest time setting a new benchmark time of 1:23.691s on the Soft tyres.
Though Verstappen slipped back to P4 in the evening session, Hamilton said the relative pace between the rivals was still “unknown”.
“I’m sure it’s going to be super close, as it has been in the previous races,” he said.
After setting the fastest time, Hamilton went on his race simulation runs on the Mediums, the defending world champion expects overtaking might still be a challenge come Sunday’s race on the reclassified circuit.
“On my long run, I was trying to follow the car ahead and it still wasn’t easy here but it should be better than in the past,” he said.
Alpine continued it’s impressive Friday, this time it was Esteban Ocon, the Frenchman finished just three tenths behind Hamilton’s fastest time and ahead of Bottas in P3 by a similar margin — Alonso was again in the mix with P6.
Vertappen ended his session six tenths down on Hamilton, but was still the fastest of the Red Bull pair, teammate Sergio Perez finishing in P5.
Surprise packet Tsunoda was again the fastest Alpha Tauri, this time it was P7 for the rookie ahead of Gasly in P10.
It was a rinse and repeat result for Ferrari, Leclerc remained the lead of the prancing horses in P8 and Sainz P9.
FP3 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix begins 8.30pm (ACDST) tonight.
Max Verstappen was summoned to the Stewards after a collision with Lewis Hamilton in the Saudi Arabian Grand prix. PHOTO: F1.com
BRENDAN LINES DECEMBER 6, 2021
THE post-race fireworks ignited heated words from championship combatants Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen in the wake of a controversial Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Hamilton took aim at driving standards in the post-race press conference after his wheel-to-wheel battle with the Red Bull driver.
“It was clear that others around us were willing to take it to all sorts of levels in order to overtake,” Hamilton said.
The Brit was open in his on-track criticism of Verstappen’s tactics on team radio saying “he brake tested me” after Hamilton’s Lap 37 collision into the Dutchman’s slowing car, while surrendering the lead after a Turn 1 incident earlier in the lap — attracting a five-second penalty.
“I didn’t quite understand why all of a sudden he hit the brakes quite heavily and then I ran into the back of him and then he moved on so I didn’t exactly understand what was going on,” Hamilton said, indicating he did not know Verstappen would let him pass.
“And then I got a message afterwards that he was going to let us past so it was a bit confusing.”
Verstappen dismissed the incident after the race over team radio that he disagreed with his five-second penalty.
“Luckily the fans have a clear mind about racing”.
“Because what happened today is unbelievable,” he continued. “I’m just trying to race.
“This sport is more about penalties than racing. For me this is not Formula 1.”
Stewards will conduct a post-race investigation to decide if Verstappen brake tested Hamilton — in accordance with Article 2 of the regulations.
Lewis Hamilton won a drama-filled Saudi Arabia Grand Prix and has levelled with Max Verstappen in the battle for the title. PHOTO: F1.com
BRENDAN LINES DECEMBER 6, 2021
Lewis Hamilton has levelled the drivers’ championship battle with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, winning a chaotic incident-filled Saudi Arabia Grand Prix.
Stewards will conduct a post-race investigation to decide if Verstappen brake tested Hamilton — in accordance Article 2 of the regulations — causing the collision between the championship combatants on Lap 37.
A slowing Verstappen was instructed by Red Bull to hand back the race lead for a previous incident on the lap, Hamilton unwittingly then ran into the back of the Dutchman’s car.
Earlier in the lap, Hamilton had attempted to make a DRS-assisted pass into Turn 1 — an unyielding Vertsappen left the track gaining an advantage to retain the lead.
The incident was just one in a drama- filled race punctuated by a two red flags just a lap apart.
The first stoppage came on Lap 11 when Mick Shumacher’s Haas collied with the wall on the exit of Turn 21, dislodging a Tech-pro barrier.
Mercedes had rolled the dice and double stacked Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas’ pitstops, just before Schumacher’s crash, and Mercedes worst fears were realised.
Much to Hamilton’s dismay over team radio, the Lap 11-red flag handed Verstappen a free pit stop to change to the Hard tyres.
A subsequent red flag came out after the restart, when backmarkers George Russell and Nikita Mazepin came together, while further up Hamilton made a blinding start, but was pushed wide by Verstappen into Turn 1, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon was the benefactor taking the lead after restarting from P3.
The interruptions kept coming with three virtual safety car periods, allowing Hamilton to close the gap to Verstappen to just 1.8s. By then Vertsappen was handed a five-second time penalty for the initial lap 37 incident.
Hamilton eventually got past Verstappen and pulled a slight gap to take the win.
Meanwhile Bottas who had dropped back to P5, accounted for McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo on his way to pipping Ocon in a photo finish by a tenth of second, taking an important podium in the context of the constructors’ championship.
Both championships will go down to the wire in next weekend’s season finale in Abu Dhabi.
While the drivers’ championship locked at 365.6 points each, Verstappen holds the advantage winning more race so far this season.
Full results
1
44
Hamilton
50 laps
2:06:15.118
26 points
2
33
Verstappen
50
+11.825s
18
3
77
Bottas
50
+27.531s
15
4
31
Ocon
50
+27.633s
12
5
3
Ricciardo
50
+40.121s
10
6
10
Gasly
50
+41.613s
8
7
16
Leclerc
50
+44.475s
6
8
55
Sainz
50
+46.606s
4
9
99
Giovinazzi
50
+58.505s
2
10
4
Norris
50
+61.358s
1
11
18
Stroll
50
+77.212s
0
12
6
Latifi
50
+83.249s
0
13
14
Alonso
49
+1 lap
0
14
22
Tsunoda
49
+1 lap
0
15
7
Räikkönen
49
+1 lap
0
NC
5
Vettel
44
DNF
0
NC
11
Perez
14
DNF
0
NC
9
Mazepin
14
DNF
0
NC
63
Russell
14
DNF
0
NC
47
Schumacher
8
DNF
0
* Provisional results. Note – Hamilton scored an additional point for setting the fastest lap of the race. Tsunoda received a five-second time penalty for causing a collision. Verstappen received a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
Lewis Hamilton topped both FP1 and FP2 in the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix on Friday. PHOTO: Mercedesamgf1.com
BRENDAN LINES DECEMBER 4, 2021
FERRARI’S Charles Leclerc ended Friday’s night session in drama, a shunt into the barriers at Turn 22 red flagged Friday’s final practice session.
By then Lewis Hamilton had carried on from his FP1 performance with another fastest time as the cooler conditions saw lap times tumble.
The Brit’s fastest time of 1:29.018s was over seven tenths better than his FP1 time and six hundreds faster than team mate Valterri Bottas in P2 for the session.
All up Hamilton was satisfied by his pace but expects the cars race pace to improve.
“We tried a couple of things with our setup, and although we aren’t rapid on single run pace compared to the others, our long run pace seemed pretty good,” Hamilton said.
It was another impressive session for Pierre Gasly finishing P3 for the session, the Frenchman said he was already a fan of the new Jeddah track.
“The corners are amazing and there’s a big rush of adrenalin when you’re out there,” Gasly said.
“The whole day has been really good for us and I’m pretty happy with the pace so far.”
Gasly’s teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who put in some early fast laps on the Soft tyre to finish in P8.
Max Verstappen wrestled for every bit of pace, a wide moment at Turn 8 on his Medium tyre run a sign his Red Bull was struggling, but held his nerve to recover to P4 a tenth back from Hamilton.
As the conditions changed Turn 1 was the hot spot of trouble causing a number of lock ups as Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen and Carlos Sainz all had torrid time negotiating its high-speed.
entry.
Alonso eventually came to terms with the trick corner to go fifth fastest and inside half a second from Hamilton while ahead of teammate Esteban Ocon in P6.
Sainz was the fastest of the Ferrari’s in P7 two tenth quicker than Leclerc in P10, the prancing horses split by Tsunoda and the Red Bull of Sergio Perez slotted in P9.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in the first-ever practice session on the Jeddah Corniche circuit for this weekend’s Saudi Arabia Grand Prix. PHOTO: Mercedesamgf1.com
BRENDAN LINES DECEMBER 4, 2021
LEWIS Hamilton topped the time sheets ahead of title rival Max Verstappen in FP1, when F1 took to the Jeddah Corniche circuit for the very first time.
The flat out yet tight concrete wall lined street circuit made it tricky for cars on flying laps to negotiate the slower cars on their out laps.
As Hamilton found out, almost coming to a halt letting through faster cars on his out lap, but the Brit looked at home on the green track surface, eventually posting his fastest lap of 1:29.786s — five hundredths of a second faster than Verstappen.
Hamilton described the 27-turn street circuit as “rapid”.
“Unbelievably quick and with a lot of grip as well,” Hamilton said.
“Once you get in the rhythm, it’s beautiful to drive.
“The grip was very high from the moment we went out and was similar in both sessions.
“Traffic can be a problem here, it’s Monaco-esque and the closing distances to other cars was definitely getting dangerous.”
As the sun went down over the Red Sea, the conditions favoured the Medium and Hard Pirelli tyres.
Hamilton citing the Soft tyre was unable to keep up with the load through the high-speed sections.
Max Verstappen posted early bench mark times, but his Red Bull struggled to warm its tyres correctly.
Although the Dutchman would be satisfied being narrowly adrift of Hamilton, he said there would be work to do in FP2.
“We made a few changes from FP1 to FP2 which didn’t quite work but hopefully we can find the right balance come qualifying tomorrow,” Verstappen said.
Valtteri Bottas also fell foul to some traffic on his Soft tyre run, but the Finn said he was able to set a good foundation for the weekend finishing P3.
Pierre Gasly began his weekend impressively with his fastest time (1:30.263s) well inside half a second of Hamiltons’ time.
FP1’s big surprise was a P5 for Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi, the Italian making the most of his final two races with the team.
The Ferrari’s of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished in P6 and P7 respectively ahead of the their constructors championship rival and the sole McLaren of Daniel Ricciardo in P8.
Alpine’s Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel rounded out the top ten in P9 and P10.
Williams Racing CEO and team principal Jost Capito has tested positive for Covid-19 and will miss this weekend’s Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, PHOTO: F1.com
AN emotion-packed week for the Williams Racing team has been touched by Covid-19.
On Thursday, the team confirmed CEO and team principal Jost Capito has tested positive for Covid-19, prior to travelling to Jeddah for this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Today, the team said “There has been no wider impact on Williams Racing personnel and the team will continue to operate trackside as planned.”
“Jost is now following UK national health authority guidelines.”
Capito is expected to isolate for ten days under the UK guidelines.
Earlier this week, Capito paid tribute to team founder Sir Frank Williams, who passed away aged 79 on Sunday.
The team will mark Williams’ passing at this weekend’s race in Jeddah.
Grandprixnet.com 