Brendan Lines May 14th, 2020

Australian Daniel Ricciardo tonight has signed a multi-year deal to drive for McLaren in 2021, ending his two year tenure as a Renault driver.

Daniel Ricciardo with new McLaren team-mate Lando Norris – Image: F1.com

Ricciardo now takes over the vacant seat left by Carlos Sainz who has signed with Ferrari also tonight.

With racing on hold, possibly returning in July, Formula 1’s driver market ‘silly season’ is in full swing, triggered by the departure of four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel from Ferrari on Tuesday.

The 30-year old Aussie steps into what has been a resurgent McLaren outfit, which finished fourth in the 2019 World Constructors Championship ahead of Ricciardo’s former Renault team.

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has welcomed Ricciardo to the team in a statement on McLaren’s website.

“Signing Daniel is another step forward in our long-term plan and will bring an exciting new dimension to the team, alongside Lando. This is good news for our team, partners and of course our fans.

“I also want to pay tribute to Carlos for the excellent job he has been doing for McLaren in helping our performance recovery plan. He is a real team player and we wish him well for his future beyond McLaren,” he said.

An established race winner with seven Grand Prix victories, Ricciardo has become a sought after talent according to McLaren Team principal Andreas Siedl.

“Daniel is a proven race-winner and his experience, commitment and energy will be a valuable addition to McLaren and our mission to return to the front of the field. With Daniel and Lando as teammates, I believe we have two racers who will continue to excite our fans and help the team grow,” he said.

Ricciardo is the first Australian F1 driver to take a race seat in McLaren — who next to Ferrari are one of Formula 1’s most successful and historic teams.

Ricciardo will join his team-mate 20-year old Lando Norris, who will be in his third year with the team in 2021, is fresh off a ‘wildcard’ victory in the Supercars eSeries on Wednesday night.

McLaren have been on a long road back from its halcyon championship winning days, which seemingly pushed two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso away from the sport in 2018.

The question remains why would Ricciardo risk it all again? perhaps its been all too long between a ‘shoey’ for the smiling Australian — who put on a brave face amid less than desirable results in 2019 with Renault.

After a near billion-dollar investment into Renault’s factory team, its poor results has lead to much uncertainty around the team’s future, even before the 2020 season was put ‘on ice’ from the COVID-19 pandemic.

However McLaren taking customer engines from reigning World Champions Mercedes next year, ahead of the new regulations delayed for 2022, may have been a big carrot for the Australian to make the move.

In order for Ricciardo to bed himself in a team with a clear long-term commitment to fight for the World Championship and provide the Australian a return to the top step of the podium for another ‘shoey.’

Brendan Lines May 1st, 2020

Ayrton Senna’s Formula 1 career spanned just 10 years, in that time Senna left an indelible mark not just on Formula 1, but his star shone so brightly across Adelaide’s Grand Prix years from 1985 to 1995, he became part of our sporting history.

Ayrton Senna takes to the podium in Adelaide 1993 – Image: Motorsport.com

Today marks 26 years since the passing of the Three-time Formula 1 World Champion, who’s legendary life and career was cut-short after an accident at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix which tragically took his life.

Amid the accolades, what makes Senna’s legacy so unique is that it’s not for us left behind to try and match his talent, it’s an aspiration to be who we are no matter the odds to whole heartedly believe and challenge yourself to be the best you can be.

As Senna shone in Adelaide in his pursuit to be the best, he left us with many reasons why we can look back with fondness over his racing legacy in Adelaide.

First driver to score pole position on the streets of Adelaide

In just his second year of Formula 1, the 25-year old Brazilian came to Adelaide for the first time to race at our inaugural Grand Prix in 1985.

In all of Senna’s career he could always produce one blinding lap that would silence the competition in qualifying. On a dusty and new Adelaide street circuit, Senna pushed his Lotus to the point of driving ‘untidy’ in the practice sessions.

But come Saturday’s qualifying session, Senna had it all in front of him, with Williams’ Nigel Mansell just under half-a-second faster — Senna produced another signature spectacular lap to take the first ever Formula 1 pole position in Adelaide.

The elusive Adelaide victory finally comes

Despite his 41 wins and 65 pole positions, victory in Adelaide eluded Senna for most of his career. From nine starts in Adelaide Senna won twice (1991, 1993), placed second (1988), retired five times (1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992) and was disqualified once (1987).

Senna was leading a soddenly wet 1989 Adelaide Grand Prix, when blinded by spray at high speed he collided with Martin Brundle’s Brabham, creating one of the most spectacular pieces of footage in the early days of TV’s on-board cameras.

In 1991 Senna finally won, being one of the best wet weather drivers Formula 1 has ever seen, it was only fitting Senna won in a monsoonal downpour that saw the race officials declare Senna the winner after just 14 laps. The 1991 Adelaide race remains the shortest Grand Prix ever held in Formula 1 history.

‘An end of an era’ victory in 1993

As quickly as South Australian’s took Senna to heart, he was taken away shortly after his victory at the 1993 Adelaide Grand Prix. At the time it was a remarkable win, just on the merit Senna was driving a rather inferior McLaren-Ford. He took pole position and won the last race he would compete in the team that made him a World Champion.

Ayrton Senna’s victory lap after the 1993 Adelaide Grand Prix – Image: Adelaide GP

But in retrospect that victory will be remembered for more sombre and heart felt reasons. As it would be Senna’s final victory before his untimely death. Senna himself called the 1993 victory ‘an end of an era’ as it also saw the retirement of arch-rival and past-McLaren team-mate Alain Prost, who finished second to Senna in the race.

Senna invited Prost to take the top step of the podium with him, in a kind gesture that seemingly put to rest their heated and bitter rivalry.

Alain Prost (Left) and Ayrton Senna share the podium at Adelaide 1993 – Getty Images

Adelaide’s adopted hero

In the days following the retirement of World Champion Alan Jones and before Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo gave Australians born and bred stars to cheer for — Adelaide adopted Senna as our hometown hero.

Senna looked ‘at home,’ as his intense personality and ferocity on-track became relaxed when he landed in Adelaide. It may have been because Adelaide held the final race of the year in what many remember was a ‘party atmosphere.’

Senna could be seen enjoying the city’s hospitality and being part of many off-track moments across the Grand Prix weekend that saw his unique charisma come to the fore, even despite his then feud with Jordan driver Eddie Irvine in 1993.

In his openness to the media, he candidly spoke with raw honesty in interviews, which perhaps hit a chord with Adelaide fans. It was just before Adelaide held the 500th World Championship race in 1990, that Senna gave the famous ‘Designed To Win’ interview and famous quote to three-time world champion Jackie Stewart, after Senna and Prost’s collision that decided the 1990 World Championship.

“If you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver.” – Ayrton Senna, 1990

But Senna truly won over Adelaide fans after his 1993 victory in Adelaide, when he joined American singer Tina Turner onstage at her after-race concert just before the rendition of her hit ‘Simply The Best.’

It was not just speed and single-mindedness he was known for, Senna a devout Christian, by contrast he was known for amazing feats of kindness and compassion. His Instutio Ayrton Senna founded and run by his family, continues to provide the development of children’s education.

His memory here in Adelaide is woven deeply into our sporting consciousness, it’s hard to not think about the Adelaide Grand Prix years, for those who lived through them, without a fondness for Senna.

Even today’s generation is reminded of his impact now as the Supercars race through the Senna Chicane just off Wakefield Street, which is marked by Senna’s memorial plaque.

Ayrton Senna’s memorial next to the Senna Chicane – Image: Advertiser
He was beloved the world over, in his home country over one million Brazilians attended his state funeral. It is not often that a person comes along who can be so mutually respected the world over for who they are, because they carry a humanity we can all see and admire — the world was at a loss when Ayrton Senna passed and still is today.

RIP Ayrton Senna da Silva.

Brendan Lines   April 8, 2020

The Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal becomes the ninth race of the 2020 Formula 1 season to be postponed or cancelled this morning after event organisers received directives from public health officials. the postponement further delays the Formula 1 season into late June 2020.

Starting grid of the 2019 Canadian Grand Prix Formula 1 – Image F1.com

CEO Chase Carey supported the event organiser Grand Prix Du Canada’s decision.

“We have been working closely with our friends at the Canadian Grand Prix over the past few weeks and support them in taking this necessary decision to ensure the safety of fans and the F1 community. We always look forward to travelling to the incredible city of Montreal and while we will all have to wait a bit longer, we will put on a great show when we arrive later this year, ” He said.

As the COVID-19 pandemic further spreads across North America, Carey and Grand Prix Du Canada President Francois Dumontier had been in discussions with Tourism Montreal, provincial and federal governments.

But ultimately directives from public health officials  and expert guidance from authorities postponed the event.

When the Canadian Grand Prix’s new date is set is unknown, nor is the future dates of any of the postponed races, as Formula 1 tries to navigate the pandemic.

For the moment, F1 teams have been shutdown with their summer break brought forward.

 Formula 1, along with the likes of the McLaren and Williams teams, have begun to furlough staff and make pay cuts to management, while the drivers of those teams have also taken pay-cuts.

For now Formula 1 teams have turned their attention to ‘project pitlane’ accelerating the manufacture of ventilators for the medical industry to cope with the current pandemic.

’’I am proud to see how such wonderful initiatives and technical advancements stemming from Formula 1 are being applied in a time of crisis. At the moment it is crucial that all of our energies be put together to overcome COVID-19. We will welcome you with open arms at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve as soon as it is safe to do so.’’ Mr Dumontier said.

The next available date to begin the season is the French Grand Prix set for June 26 to 28th, a statement on the event organiser’s gpfrance.com website reads:

“In view of the information on the spread of Coronavirus, there is no reason to call into question the organisation of the 2020 French Formula 1 Grand Prix. The dates of the next Formula 1 French Grand Prix are therefore maintained.”

Health concerns arising from the pandemic’s evolution, along with travel restrictions and the availability of a workforce to provide the infrastructure, services and volunteers needed for a Grand Prix are likely to affect those dates being ‘maintained.’

Brendan Lines   April 2, 2020

Aston Martin will return to Formula 1 in 2021 as a works team after a $1.9bn buy-in led by Racing Point team-owner Canadian Lawrence Stroll, the transition comes despite warnings from Aston Martin that it could run out of cash over the next 12 months and ends Aston Martin’s title sponsorship of Red Bull.

Image: The Drive

The $1.9bn cash injection approved by Aston Martin Lagonda shareholders is propped-up by $529m injected from the Yew Tree Consortium – a group of investors lead by Stroll, who will become the Executive Chairman of Aston Martin on April 20th.

As business’ world-wide struggle through with the COVID-19 pandemic, Aston Martin is not immune to the financial impact, signalling that due to ‘unquantifiable uncertainty’ the company does not have enough working capital.

Stroll said to motorsport.com the investment gives ‘necessary stability’ to the long-term future of Aston Martin.

The deal, which has been in the works since February is now finalised after many sleepless nights for the Canadian. — ending the British manufacturer’s 61-year absence from the F1 grid.

“The process of investing in this wonderful car brand has required all of my attention and energy for a number of months. There were certainly some sleepless nights. At the same time, it has been one of the most exciting deals in which I’ve ever been involved. Cars are my passion, a huge part of my life, and Aston Martin has always had a special place in my heart. To stand here today and announce that the agreement is finalised is a huge privilege and one of the proudest moments of my career. With all the paperwork completed, I can focus my attention on implementing the strategy to make this fantastic brand even more successful in the years ahead,” Stroll said.

Racing Point team-owner Lawrence Stroll – Image: BWT Racing Point F1 Team

The deal also finalises the separation of Aston Martin from its title sponsorship deal with Red Bull, which Red Bull said would end back in January. That sponsorship is reportedly to be $10m a year, with the inclusion of Aston Martin engineers embedded into Red Bull’s Milton Keynes base for added technical support.

As Aston Martin pivots away from its Red Bull alliance involving Honda, it course corrects the brand’s alignment with Daimler, who brought a five per cent stake in Aston Martin in 2013 and became its supplier of Mercedes AMG engines.

It’s no coincidence then Racing Point’s current Mercedes power-units will be in the back of its Aston Martin’s next year.

The re-branded BWT Racing Point F1 Team will remain at its current Silverstone factory in its new guise as Aston Martin Stroll says.

“The group of men and women at Silverstone are true racers and their determination and spirit is one of the main reasons I invested in the Formula 1 team. After 30 years, they deserve this opportunity to represent this legendary brand. We are continuing to invest in the team to give everybody the resources required and we will see the benefit of those efforts this year as Racing Point. With the Aston name comes more pressure and expectation. We will need to be competitive from the outset. But I have no doubt the team at Silverstone will rise to the challenge and do the Aston Martin name proud,” he said.

The ‘fluid’ situation of the pandemic has seen Formula 1 make drastic changes in recent months, one being the delay of new regulations until 2022, but the $US179m cost-cap will remain in place for 2021.

This could play into the hands of the newly flush Aston Martin outfit, as the cost-cap will limit the massive amounts of money Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull would have spent this year on their 2021 cars, before the regulation came into place.

Stroll says he is very frustrated not competing while the Formula 1 season is on hiatus, his team will continue supporting the ‘Project Pitlane’ collective of Formula 1 teams accelerating the manufacture of ventilators for the medical industry to cope with the current pandemic.

 

Editor’s note: This article is not written to cause fear or panic around COVID-19, it is to be objective given the facts at this time.

Brendan Lines March 25 2020

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku is now the eighth race to be postponed or cancelled on the 2020 Formula 1 calendar as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The race in Baku originally set for June 5th to 7th, until now, carried the hopes of Formula 1 that the 2020 season might resume. But just how realistic is the notion Formula 1 can begin racing over the European summer or completing a 2020 season?

Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey Image: F1.com

Right now, Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey has laid plans for a reduced 15 to 18 race calendar to start “at some point this summer.” The revised calendar could run beyond the current season finale in Abu Dhabi on November 29th.

In a statement made on Tuesday Chase Carey was still unclear of the specifics and the issues affecting the situation.

“It is not possible to provide a more specific calendar now due to the fluidity of the current situation but we expect to gain clearer insights to the situation in each of our host countries, as well as the issues related to travel to these countries, in the coming month.” – Chase Carey

The decision to postpone Baku comes after the monumental decision to cancel the Monaco Grand Prix last week.

Cancellation of the Monaco Grand Prix has for the first time made public the exact factors which Grand Prix event organisers must consider in very arduous multi-faceted decisions.

The Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM) statement articulated the clubs decisive action, saying the situation had become ‘no longer tenable,’ along with the ‘gravity of this crisis worldwide.’

The factors that lead to the ACM’s emphatic realisation were said in its statement:

It’s an unenviable task Carey has, but perhaps the thinking behind the ACM’s decision might be the framework Carey would want to apply when working with host countries and event organisers.

Let’s be clear, if we apply the thinking behind a race that was ultimately cancelled, then it might suggest everything is off — NO.

Up until the Monday before the cancellation of the Monaco race, organisers were still operating under the principality’s special exceptions for work to continue building the 3.3km street circuit — there was intention to go ahead trying to preserve a race.

If that’s the case it might just be the means-test we can use to assess the likelihood wether we go racing. Now it would be quite exhaustive if we applied this to every remaining race, so lets ask the question; will the season get away during the European summer months?

A few things first:

The minimum championship set out in the FIA’s sporting regulations is eight races, we now have 20 races in hand after two cancellations, 14 races remain scheduled and 6 postponed.

As teams collectively put support behind the health and safety of their employees which triggered cancellation of the Australian Grand Prix, after a McLaren Racing team member tested positive to the virus — it’s likely teams will pull-out again if there is any further risk — let’s dive in.

Canadian Grand Prix

The Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal is the next available race to get the season underway, scheduled for June 12th to 14th. Add the news today that the Tokyo Olympics have been postponed to 2021, after Canada withdrew its Olympic team. Staging an international event like a Grand Prix might seemingly go against the sentiment of the nation.

Pandemic Evolution

Currently Canada has recorded 1,959 cases and 27 deaths because of the virus as reported by the Canadian Government at the time of this article.

Montreal’s circuit Gilles Villeneuve lays in the middle of the country’s epicentre of the virus, with more than 500 probable and confirmed cases to date.

The 10-day forecast of active cases in Canada is projected to be over 23,787 following a University of Melbourne’s BioScience modelling.

If we are concerned about the ‘evolution’ of the pandemic like in the ACM’s decision, the evidence is clear. Formula 1 would be placing its fraternity right in the middle of Canada’s growing epicentre of the virus.

Is Formula 1 and its teams concerned about the health and safety of all involved? — it’s an emphatic YES.

Travel Restrictions

The Canadian government has imposed a self-isolation period of 14 days for all travellers. That means teams with all their staff will have to be in Montreal on May 30th, where do you accomodate around 500 track-side staff across all the teams? and how do they work remotely in their roles?

At the moment the US-Canadian border is closed to non-essential travel, only the movement of foods, goods and medical supplies — obviously this has implications that create much uncertainty around the participation of the Haas F1 Team.

People Power

Right now, race organisers GP Canada say all preparations for the June 12,13 and 14 dates are following their course.

As for availability of a workforce to provide all the necessary infrastructure, goods and services of a Grand Prix, reports are saying 500 000 Canadians have applied for unemployment benefits in the last week — but the $42.4 million in economic spinoffs the race provides, the local economy could ill-afford to lose.

Do we race? Perhaps behind closed doors — but practically if Haas cannot get there, if there is another reported case in the paddock and the teams pull-out, if the teams can navigate the expense and logistical nightmare of accounting for a 14-day self-isolation period — it’s highly unlikely we’ll race on schedule.

French Grand Prix

Circuit Paul Ricard is the next destination on the calendar as it stands set for June 26th to 28th. The Grand Prix de France, organisers have said in a statement on their website:

“In view of the information on the spread of Coronavirus, there is no reason to call into question the organisation of the 2020 French Formula 1 Grand Prix. The dates of the next Formula 1 French Grand Prix are therefore maintained.”

Pandemic Evolution

At the moment the French Government has not quarantined the country but there are clusters of COVID-19 around certain regions, the French government asks visitors do not travel to these areas, fortunately, Circuit Paul Ricard in Castellet is not near these areas.

But the current 10-day forecast sits at over 84,870 cases, with a doubling time of four- point eight days. As it stands now France is the fifth country behind Italy, China, Spain and Iran to exceed 1,000 deaths.

As of March 17th the French Government has imposed a full nation-wide lockdown that could extend to six weeks, reports say; “This includes the restrictions of movement and a potential ban on meetings and business” — public gatherings of more than 100 people are now banned. Which in essence means if we can race it would be behind closed doors.

Travel Restrictions

At the same time France went into lockdown EU leaders suspended all travel into the passport-free zone by non-EU nationals for at least 30 days, it is unknown if this will change.

But let’s go with the 30-day period and say with no strict travel bans or a 14-day isolation period, the way might be open for teams based on the European mainland to arrive safely.

There is however again US-based Haas, who could be affected if the ban to all Non-EU nationals is extended any further.

People Power

If we believe the French Grand Prix organisers, then everything is ‘peachy’ in preparation for the race.

Do we race? most likely behind closed doors it would seem. The proximity of the track to the local airport is quite tenable, but this is a highly optimistic proposition.

So that takes care of the remaining June races, most likely we’ll hear these races will be postponed, doing that places them later in the year, making it harder to fit in all the postponed races we have so far.

Into the unknown: July and beyond

July is where the Austrian, British and Hungarian Grands Prix are scheduled to take place, any forecasting of the pandemic’s evolution here would be high speculation, it would be prudent not to spread more panic.

But what is apparent, is governing body Motorsport UK extending its suspension of all racing events until June 30th, which is very close to the scheduled July 17th to 19th dates of the British Grand Prix.

In August we have the Belgian Grand Prix and obviously this period is opened up to perhaps slot in postponed races, as Formula 1 has brought forward its summer break period to now.

The biggest concern is the Italian Grand Prix, which potentially could place the whole Formula 1 fraternity into the epicentre of the outbreak in Europe.

Put simply, the longer it takes for the season to get underway, the more difficult it is to reschedule around more likely postponements to complete a 15 to 18 race season.

The commitment from Chase Carey is to bring fans a 2020 season he says.

‘While at present no-one can be certain of exactly when the situation will improve, it will improve and when it does, we will be ready to go racing again” Carey says.

Carey who has this unenviable task of getting the 2020 season away, but amid any further postponements and the immediate evolution of the pandemic, it looks very unlikely we’ll get a season started “at some point this summer.”

That is if we apply the ACM’s thinking to the cancellation of the Monaco Grand Prix, a race that has featured in every season of Formula 1 until now. For the moment teams now go into their imposed summer break awaiting Carey’s decision on a 2020 season, McLaren and Mercedes have turned their attention to look at manufacturing respirators to cope with increased demand.