GP Racing UK March 2021

Here we go again; just more of the same, right? Well, maybe not… Yes, the pandemic is still here, and this F1 season (to begin with certainly) is going to feel quite similar to the last, but that doesn’t mean everything is set in stone and all we’re about to witness is yet another Mercedes coronation while we await the revolution. Change is in the air already, and that’s what we’re celebrating in this month’s bumper issue. First up, there are some pretty significant rule changes. As we explain on page 32, the teams have all had to hack back their floors, which are crucial performance differentiators, so the cars will suffer some pretty extreme downforce losses – and Mercedes will surely bear the brunt of that. Pirelli is changing the tyres…

ANDREW BENSON This month, BBC Sport's chief F1 writer explores Lawrence Stroll's ambitious plans for Aston Martin (p56) LUKE SMITH Mick Schumacher is under scrutiny as he begins his F1 career, so Luke investigates how he's handled the pressure so far (p50) MARK GALLAGHER In addition to his regular column, Mark takes a look at Renault's rebranding as Alpine and its management reshuffle (p63) STUART CODLING Stuart analyses the token system and what the teams have been able to change for 2021 (p32) plus the driver merry-go-round (p42)…

Strolling out under Friday night lights My team’s had a new paint job as well as some new faces this year and, while I’ve already seen what the new Aston Martin AMR21 looks like under artificial (studio) lights, I was keen to see how it would look in motion under the spotlights. A plus point of testing in Bahrain rather than in Spain was that there were more hours of representative running available during the day. In Barcelona in February it’s often too cold and damp before 10 o’clock, then the temperatures plummet after dark. In Bahrain you can carry on under the lights, and I think the AMR21’s paint job looks pretty swish in this panning shot as Lance leaves the garage… Where Sakhir, Bahrain When 5.57pm, Friday 12 March 2021 Details Canon EOS-1DX…

01 SILLY SEASON STARTS NOW Hamilton to open 2022 contract talks soon 02 ENGINE FREEZE COMES EARLY F1 Commission lets Red Bull have its way 03 PORSCHE TEMPTED BY F1 ENTRY WHY HAMILTON AND MERCEDES NEED TO TALK 01 Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton only agreed terms for another season at Mercedes within weeks of beginning his title defence – and both parties have a vested interest in this state of affairs not happening again. Team boss Toto Wolff has confirmed that Hamilton – whose one-year extension takes him to the end of 2021 – will get back around the negotiating table well before the end of this season. In previous years both Wolff and Hamilton have been relatively happy to leave contract negotiations until after the outcome of the world championship is settled. This…

Q1 Counting the A1 Ring and Red Bull Ring as one track, how many circuits has Kimi Räikkönen raced on in F1: 33, 38 or 40? Q2 Who will be the youngest driver on the F1 grid this season? Q3 True or false: Sebastian Vettel has only won a single F1 race on home soil in Germany? Q4 What is the highest position Lance Stroll has qualified when he has finished on the podium? Q5 In which season did Romain Grosjean achieve his highest championship position of sixth? Q6 In which year and at what circuit was the last world championship Formula 1 race to run over 100 or more laps? Q7 At which circuit and in what year did Fernando Alonso claim his first pole position in F1? Q8 Which team won more South African GPs…

LECLERC CAN BE THE SPARK FOR FERRARI REVIVAL The season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix will mark two years since Charles Leclerc rattled the F1 establishment with a stunning performance in just his second race with Ferrari. Leclerc dominated all three segments in qualifying and achieved his first pole position. Excessive wheelspin off the line cost him the advantage, but within six laps he was back in front and he controlled the race until a fuel injection problem dropped him to third. But the Monaco youngster had set out his stall. With no intention of playing second fiddle to Sebastian Vettel, Leclerc ignored instructions to hold back from attacking his team-mate in the early stages and almost reaped a worthy reward. That mindset continued throughout a competitive campaign in which Leclerc achieved back-to-back wins in…