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Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo and Sergio Perez have found the process of adaptation to be perhaps even harder than they expected, and thus far all five men have struggled to match the form of their teammates.<br>That was made more complicated by the presence of Imola as the second venue on the schedule. After testing and a race weekend in Bahrain, a place where ...

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Russell and Bottas crashed out while battling for ninth place halfway through Sunday's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, colliding at high-speed on the approach to Turn 2.<br>Russell gained on Bottas using DRS and moved to the right-hand side of the track to try and overtake, only for Bottas to make a slight move to the right.<br>It caused Russell to lose control of his car and spear into Bottas's ...

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Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas spent much of pre-season testing and the opening race weekend in Bahrain battling to get to grips with the new Mercedes W12, which struggled with an unstable rear-end after changes to the car floor design regulations.<br>Hamilton narrowly beat Red Bull rival Max Verstappen to victory in Bahrain, but was under no illusions about the battle Mercedes faced to claw ...

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After losing his last full-time F1 drive – with Renault – at the end of the 2019 season, Hulkenberg took part in three events for the Aston team that was then known as Racing Point during the last campaign on the occasions were its regular drivers were unable to race after contracting COVID-19.<br>Hulkenberg entered the two races at Silverstone in place of Sergio Perez after he testing ...

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After a rough patch, McLaren worked its way back up the grid under team boss Seidl and technical director James Key. Drivers Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz proved to be a competitive pairing, ultimately handing McLaren third place in the 2020 championship.<br>With Sainz leaving McLaren to join Ferrari, the Woking team moved quickly to snap up Ricciardo from Renault as his replacement for ...

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Ticktum joined Williams in the same role last season, one year after being dropped from the Red Bull junior programme.<br>As development driver, Williams says the 21-year-old will complete work in its simulator and “continue to build on the work he has done in this area in 2021, as well as being immersed with the team trackside where possible and at the factory”, per a team statement.<br>In ...

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If F1 can navigate the problems still being caused by COVID-19 around the world, a record 23 races will be held this year. This includes the return of the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort and a new addition in the form of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at a street circuit in Jeddah.<br>The global pandemic has also had a massive effect on the rulebook for 2021: the big regulation change planned for ...

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Last year, F1 drivers were given a platform to display their anti-racism stance with a special time set apart during the moments on the grid before the start.<br>But the gesture of taking a knee divided opinion among drivers, with not all opting for it.<br>While Lewis Hamilton led the charge, six of the 20 drivers - Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Max Verstappen, Daniil Kvyat, Antonio Giovinazzi ...

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Officially named John Crichton-Stuart, but known to friends as Johnny Bute, he took on the surname he became known by to race fans worldwide in order to keep his background as low profile as possible.<br>A statement from his family said that he was "devoted husband, father, brother, uncle, son and grandfather and loved by all.<br>"The indomitable spirit and energy which Johnny brought to his life ...

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Formula 1 drivers have to be at peak physical fitness in order to perform during a grand prix, with every element of their training and diet designed to make them go faster on race day.<br>It might not look it on TV, but drivers experience punishing forces over the course of a qualifying lap that most ordinary people would find intolerable after a matter of seconds.<br>When you consider that they ...

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McLaren raced without its own nominated reserve driver last season after agreeing to call on Mercedes' back-ups if needed, with the agreement to remain in place this year should circumstances arise where a stand-in driver is required.<br>Mercedes currently has Formula E drivers Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck de Vries already locked in as its official reserves and both are familiar with ...

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Beyond the typical back in the office ‘how was your Christmas?’ chat, the drivers will have a number of important issues to discuss ahead of the new season.<br>It will mark a first group meeting for the drivers since Stefano Domenicali started as the new president and CEO of F1, giving the Italian a chance to talk about ideas and plans for 2021.<br>One matter Domenicali is keen to discuss with ...

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Aitken filled in at the team for regular driver George Russell at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, who had in turn substituted for Lewis Hamilton after the reigning world champion contracted COVID-19 ahead of the second race in Bahrain.<br>Finishing 16th, Aitken had recovered from a small crash at the final corner in which he dislodged his front wing, which brought out a safety car - ironically causing ...

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With both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas only signing one-year contract extensions with the team, the German car manufacturer could find itself exposed for 2022 if either of them move on.<br>But while Max Verstappen has emerged as an obvious target for Mercedes if Hamilton does not continue in F1 beyond this year, the team has played down any talk of it scouting options early.<br>Speaking at ...

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Kvyat dropped off the F1 grid at the end of the 2020 season after AlphaTauri opted to sign Red Bull youngster Yuki Tsunoda to partner Pierre Gasly for 2021.<br>It marked the end of Kvyat's third stint with the Faenza-based squad, and a second exit from the Red Bull umbrella of drivers, having previously departed at the end of 2017.<br>But Kvyat will remain within the F1 paddock this year after ...

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2019 FIA Formula 2 champion de Vries linked up with Mercedes following his championship victory, signing with its squad in Formula E ahead of the 2019-20 campaign.<br>The Dutchman scored his maiden Formula E victory in the 2020-21 season-opening Diriyah E-Prix last weekend, dominating from lights-to-flag in the Friday race.<br>Mercedes previously had ex-McLaren F1 driver Vandoorne and former Haas ...

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Perez has sampled Red Bull F1 machinery for the first time this week, completing a run in the 2019-spec RB15 on Tuesday before completing a filming day shakedown in the new RB16B on Wednesday.<br>The Mexican has joined Red Bull on a one-year deal after leaving Racing Point at the end of last year, replacing Alexander Albon.<br>It marks Perez's first time racing for a front-running team since his ...

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Fittipaldi, 24, made his first two F1 starts last December at the Sakhir and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix after Grosjean was forced out because of injuries he picked up in his fiery Bahrain GP crash.<br>The Brazilian recorded 17th and 19th position finishes in his first F1 races, having previously tested its VF-18 and VF-19 cars in 2018 and ’19. <br>While there was no vacancy ...

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F1 has become more vocal in its wider messaging regarding social issues in recent times, launching its 'We Race As One' CSR programme last year and pledging to improve diversity.<br>Newly-appointed F1 CEO and president Stefano Domenicali said last month that the drivers had to be aware of their roles as the public faces of the series, giving them responsibility to further F1's messaging on social ...

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Delivered in the same Instagram Stories text format used by both Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris following their positive results in the last month - also following time to Dubai - Gasly said he was self-isolating and feeling OK, before urging his followers to "take care".<br>The third positive case in the space of a month, and sixth overall among the F1 grid, has acted as another wake-up call to ...

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Gasly has recently been in Dubai for a training camp as part of his off-season preparations, but announced on Sunday night via social media that he had contracted COVID-19. It makes Gasly the sixth F1 driver to test positive for the virus.<br>“Hello everyone, I hope you’re all well and safe,” Gasly wrote on Twitter.<br>“I wanted to let you know that I tested positive for COVID-19. I have ...

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Following the arrival of Sainz from McLaren ahead of the 2021 season, Ferrari said late last year that it planned to give the Spaniard track running in some older machinery to help his adjustment into life at the team.<br>As reported by Motorsport.com on Thursday, Sainz’s first outing in a Ferrari F1 car will come next week when he drives the 2018-spec SF71H at its private test track.<br>Ferrari ...

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The Israeli, who joined the Grove team last year, is the first support driver to be formally confirmed by the new owners, who took over in September.<br>Nissany drove in three FP1 sessions in 2020 in Spain, Italy and at the first Bahrain race, and he also completed a full day of running at the post-season Abu Dhabi test.<br>He has been promised three more Friday outings in 2021, and significantly ...

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Leclerc announced via Instagram on Thursday afternoon that he had contracted COVID-19, and was now self-isolating at home in Monaco.<br>"Hello guys, I hope you are all staying safe. I want to let you know that I have tested positive for COVID-19," Leclerc wrote.<br>"I am regularly checked according to my team's protocols. Unfortunately, I learned that I have been in contact with a positive case ...

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Wolff says that Valtteri Bottas’ difficulties at the end of the season highlighted the change of mindset that comes when a driver’s Formula 1 title ambitions have ended. It was a factor that he suggests was not always appreciated before.<br>After a difficult Sakhir GP weekend, where Bottas was overshadowed by stand-in George Russell, the Finn and Wolff had talks to discuss ...

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