It was confirmed yesterday (8/9/21), that former Red Bull driver Alexander Albon will race with Williams F1 Team for 2022 season, returning to the sport after a year on the sidelines, alongside Nicholas Latifi, completing the team's driver line-up for 2022.
Albon will remain in the Red Bull family for 2022, despite he will not racing in either Red Bull team in 2022, means he could return to either team for 2023.
Albon made his Grand Prix debut in F1 at the start of the 2019 for Scuderia Toro Rosso (now called AlphaTauri), after some impressive drives with the team, Albon moved to Red Bull Racing in the middle of the 2019 replacing Pierre Gasly, resulted multiple top six finishes for the rest of the season.
Despite a few podiums during 2020 season, Albon lost his drive at Red Bull demoted to the role of reserve and development driver for 2021, replaced him with Sergio Pérez. Albon only racing this season is with a Red Bull backed Ferrari in DTM, Albon currently sits sixth in the standings.
In my opinion, this was no big surprise this news happen, which has been strongly rumoured. Also, outgoing driver (and friend) George Russell wanted him to replace him at Williams for 2022 despite other drivers could have the drive with the team such as Nyck de Vries (Mercedes backed) or Guanyu Zhou (Alpine backed) taking his spot.
Things are looking up for the Williams team in 2022.
It was confirmed yesterday (7/9/21), that Scuderia AlphaTauri will retain both Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda through to the end of the 2022 Formula 1 season, on a one year deals.
Gasly currently sits eighth place in the Drivers' standings, best finish of third place at Baku in June.
While Tsunoda sits thirteenth place in the Drivers' standings, best finish of sixth place at the Hunganoring back in August.
Overall, a very good decision from AlphaTauri to keep both Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda for next season.
Overall, the right choice for AlphaTauri going into 2022.
It was confirmed yesterday (7/9/21), that Williams driver George Russell will race at Mercedes next season alongside Sir Lewis Hamilton replacing Valtteri Bottas, rumoured to be on a multi-year deal with the team.
The Mercedes junior driver who filled for Hamilton at last seasons Sakhir Grand Prix, will fill the vacancy which opened when Bottas opted to moved to Alfa Romeo next season.
So far this season Russell sits fifteenth in the Drivers' Standings with thirteen points, with his best race finish of second at Spa back in August.
In my opinion, this is not a big surprise this news happen. It has been strongly rumoured since last seasons Sakhir Grand Prix when Russell out-performed Bottas in Mercedes. When that race happen, it was a matter of when Russell gets the Mercedes drive full time.
Its great news for the Mercedes team as they have got a talented Grand Prix driver in George Russell.
It was confirmed this afternoon (6/9/21), that Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas has signed on a multi-year deal (rumoured till the end of 2024) to replace Kimi Räikkönen at Alfa Romeo Racing from the 2022 season.
Bottas currently sits third in the Drivers' Standings with one hundred and twenty-three points, with his best race finish of second place at Austria.
In my opinion, this is not a big surprise this news happen. It has been rumoured since the British Grand Prix that Bottas will sign with Alfa Romeo for next season. With the news of Bottas leaving Mercedes, that means George Russell will replace Bottas at Mercedes, that will be set to confirm within a matter of days.
Review of the thirteenth round of the 2021 F1 season at Circuit Zandvoort, on the outskirts of Zandvoort, for the Dutch Grand Prix.
It was a dominating race weekend from Max Verstappen. Verstappen was on pole for Sunday's race. At the sunny Dutch Grand Prix. Verstappen took the advantage at the start and comfortably lead the race throughout to win this seasons Dutch Grand Prix for Max Verstappen's seventh race win of the season.
While, Current Formula 1 World Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton finished in second place in the Mercedes, Hamilton was twenty-one seconds behind Verstappen at the end.
Meanwhile, Valtteri Bottas finished in third place in the other Mercedes to complete the podium, Bottas was fifty-six seconds behind Verstappen at the end of the seventy-two lap race.
Highlights of the race below, enjoy.
Rate the Teams and Drivers
Mercedes - 7
Lewis Hamilton - 8 (finished second, fastest lap)
Valtteri Bottas - 7 (finished third)
Red Bull Racing - 9
Max Verstappen - 10 (pole, race win)
Sergio Pérez - 8 (finished eighth, lap down)
McLaren - 6
Daniel Ricciardo - 5 (finished eleventh, lap down)
Lando Norris - 8 (finished tenth, lap down)
Aston Martin - 5
Sebastian Vettel - 5 (finished thirteenth, two laps down)
Lance Stroll - 6 (finished twelfth, two laps down)
Alpine - 8
Fernando Alonso - 10 (finished sixth, lap down)
Esteban Ocon - 7 (finished ninth, lap down)
Ferrari - 7
Charles Leclerc - 7 (finished fifth, lap down)
Carlos Sainz Jr. - 7 (finished seventh, lap down)
AlphaTauri - 7
Pierre Gasly - 10 (finished fourth, lap down)
Yuki Tsunoda - 5 (DNF, Power unit)
Alfa Romeo - 6
Robert Kubica - 6 (finished fifteenth, two laps down)
Antonio Giovinazzi - 7 (finished fourteenth, two laps down)
Haas - 3
Mick Schumacher - 4 (finished eighteenth, three laps down)
Nikita Mazepin - 3 (DNF, Hydraulics)
Williams - 5
George Russell - 6 (finished seventeenth/DNF, three laps down/Gearbox)
Nicholas Latifi - 5 (finished sixteenth, two laps down)
Next stop Monza for the Italian Grand Prix in a weeks time.
It was confirmed yesterday (4/9/21), that Alfa Romeo's Kimi Räikkönen has tested positive for coronavirus and will miss this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix. Robert Kubica replacing him for this weekend (possibly next weekend's Italian Grand Prix too).
Räikkönen is the seventh Formula 1 driver to test positive from the virus after Sergio Pérez, Lance Stroll, Lewis Hamilton, Pierre Gasly, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc (all three had the virus during pre-season).
Räikkönen has gone into self-quarantine, along with all his close contacts, as per F1's track-and-trace system.
Räikkönen participated in Friday practice at Zandvoort but news of his positive test was announced early on Saturday morning.
Alfa Romeo said Räikkönen displayed “Kimi is displaying no symptoms and is in good spirits,”
Alfa Romeo outlined that no other members of its team had been impacted by Raikkonen’s positive test.
Robert Kubica, who last raced in Formula 1 with Williams back in 2019. Is currently Alfa Romeo's test-driver, will step in to replace Raikkonen, making his Grand Prix return once again alongside Antonio Giovinazzi for this weekends Dutch Grand Prix.
Kubica, qualified in eighteenth place, nine tenths off getting into Q2.
Anyway, get well soon to Kimi Räikkönen. Also, stay safe everyone.
It was confirmed yesterday (1/9/21) that Kimi Räikkönen will retire from Formula 1 at the end of the 2021 season, which means the Finn will thus be leaving Formula 1 after nineteen seasons thus far, which includes twenty-one Grand Prix victories and one F1 Drivers' title.
Räikkönen made the announcement during via a social media post, confirming his retirement from Formula 1 at the end of the 2021 season.
Räikkönen career in Formula 1 started when he stepped up with Sauber back in 2001 only having twenty-three races in the lower formulas, contesting a season with the team with his debut race finishing sixth place at Australian Grand Prix and a best result of two fourth place finishes at the Austrian and the Canadian Grand Prixs'.
Räikkönen move to McLaren in 2002. In 2003, Räikkönen won the Malaysian Grand Prix, finishing second place in the drivers' standings in 2003 and again in 2005. Overall winning nine Grand Prixs during his time at McLaren.
By the end of 2006, Räikkönen announced that he would be moving to Ferrari for 2007 replacing Michael Schumacher. Winning six Grand Prixs' that season to become F1 World Champion ahead of both Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton by just one point after the dramatic season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix.
Then in 2010, Räikkönen left Ferarri after three seasons which include nine Grand Prix wins and and one Drivers' Title. Rumoured he was returning to McLaren for 2010, Räikkönen opted to rally instead to race in the WRC with Citroen for two seasons, finishing tenth in the Drivers standings in 2010 and 2011 with a best finish of fifth at Rally Turkey in 2010.
By the end of 2011 with rumours he was going to race for Williams in 2012, Räikkönen announced that he would be returning to Formula 1 with Lotus for 2012 and 2013, winning two Grand Prixs' and finishing third place in the drivers' standings in 2012.
By the end of 2013, Räikkönen opted a return to Ferrari for 2014, staying till the end of 2018, winning a Grand Prix and finishing third place in the drivers' standings in 2018.
By the end of 2018, Räikkönen opted return to Sauber (now Alfa Romeo) for 2019, best result of fourth place at 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix. So far this season, he only managed two tenth place finsihes at Baku and the Hunganoring. To conclude Räikkönen retirement from Formula 1 at the end of the season.
Should have been F1 World Champion back in 2003 and 2005 to add his 2007 titles in my opinion becoming a three-times world champion instead of a one-times champion.
Its the right time to retire from Formula 1 (he will be 42 at the end of the season), his got nothing to prove. Good luck whatever Kimi Räikkönen does next, as his been a great ambassador for the sport and a great driver for Formula 1.
