It was confirmed yesterday (2/12/20), Williams driver George Russell is to stand in for Mercedes's Lewis Hamilton at the Sakhir Grand Prix, after the Current Formula 1 Champion contracted coronavirus. While Williams test-driver Jack Aitken replaces Russell at Williams for this weekends Sakhir Grand Prix.
Hamilton tested positive on Monday. He will miss at least this weekends Sakhir Grand Prix and possibly misses next weekends Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Russell currently sits twenty-first in the F1 standings with a best finish of eleventh place at Mugello for the Tuscan Grand Prix.
Meanwhile, Williams test-driver and Formula 2 driver Jack Aitken replaces Russell at Williams for this weekends Sakhir Grand Prix.
Aitken has drove the current Williams F1 car in a Friday practice session early in this season at the Red Bull Ring for the Styrian Grand Prix back in July. Aitken, currently sits fourteen in FIA Formula 2 Standings.
Overall, no surprises that Russell got the drive for this weekend replacing Hamilton, it was Mercedes preference for him to replace any of the current Mercedes drivers were either hurt or ill. Also, no surprises that Aitken got the drive for this weekend replacing Russell at Williams either.
Going to be an exciting Sakhir Grand Prix coming up this weekend.
It was announced on Monday (30/11/20) that Audi it will return to all new Hypercars class that will replace LMP1 class in 2023 with a full-factory assault on the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race and the FIA World Endurance Championship. Also, announced that Audi will end of its factory commitment in Formula E as well as plans to enter the Dakar Rally too.
Though the manufacturer has had a sporadic involvement in sportscar racing in recent times, this announcement will see it go head-to-head with factory rivals Peugeot and Toyota and with privateers Glickenhaus and ByKolles also set to join in the growing Hypercars category of Le Mans and WEC when the cars will introduce at the start of the 2021 WEC season.
Audi has previous experience racing at Le Mans, including wins in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. Audi's last Le Mans outing as a manufacturer came in 2016.
Overall, it will be a very tough challenge ahead for Audi in 2023, challenging the likes of rivals Peugeot and Toyota in technology and imagination.
It's been confirmed yesterday (1/12/20), Formula 2 driver Nikita Mazepin will race with the Haas F1 Team, for the 2021 Formula 1 season on a multi-year deal.
Mazepin, currently sits third in FIA Formula 2 Standings.
In my opinion, this was no big surprise this news happen, rumoured since October that Mazepin was going to get one of the seats, while his future team-mate for next season Mick Schumacher will be likely to be announced next week after the Formula 2 championship is over.
It was confirmed yesterday (1/12/20), that Current Formula 1 Champion and Mercedes's driver Lewis Hamilton has tested positive for coronavirus and will miss this weekend's Sakhir Grand Prix.
Hamilton is the third Formula 1 driver to test positive from the virus after Sergio Pérez and Lance Stroll.
Hamilton has gone into self-quarantine, along with all his close contacts, as per F1's track-and-trace system.
Mercedes said Hamilton displayed “mild symptoms” but is “otherwise fit and well.”
No word yet who will replace Hamilton at Bahrain for this weekend, it could be either Mercedes reserve-driver Stoffel Vandoorne, former Renault and Racing Point driver Nico Hulkenberg or Williams driver George Russell. My guess it could be Stoffel Vandoorne instead of trying to place George Russell into the car giving the Williams team a headache to replace him at short notice.
Also, I doubt that Hamilton will not race Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit in a weeks time for the last Grand Prix of the season.
Anyway, get well soon to Lewis Hamilton also stay safe everyone.
It was confirmed yesterday (30/11/20), Pietro Fittipaldi is to stand in for Haas's Romain Grosjean at this weekends Sakhir Grand Prix, after Grosjean's heavy crash from last weekends Bahrain Grand Prix.
Fittipaldi, has acted as Haas’ reserve driver for the last couple of years and sampled its 2018 and 2019 cars during testing, including at Bahrain.
Fittipaldi, grandson of former two-time F1 World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi, will be the first driver of a third-generation to race in Formula 1.
Although, Fittipaldi has not yet been confirmed for next weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Overall, no surprises that Fittipaldi got the drive as his the teams test and reverse driver, hopefully Pietro Fittipaldi will have a great result this weekend.
Review of the fifteenth round of the 2020 F1 season at Bahrain International Circuit on their Grand Prix Circuit, Sakhir for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Overall the race itself was a great race to watch. Current Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton was on pole for Sunday's race, Hamilton took the lead at the start ahead of Max Verstappen. The race was focus on Romain Grosjean, Grosean clipped Daniil Kvyat on the straight after turn 3, causing Grosjean's car to ricochet into the track-side crash barrier, the impact caused Grosjean’s car to split in half and burst into flames.
Thankfully, Romain Grosjean was able to escape the wreckage unaided in 30 seconds, and was greeted immediately by the medical crew and race marshals, initially reported that Grosjean seemed to have suffered minor burns on his hands and ankles resulting he will miss the last two rounds' of the season. Whatever is your opinion about the halo on the Formula 1 car, halo has done its job for saving Grosjean life.
90 Minutes later for the restart of the race, Hamilton took the lead at the start once agian ahead of Verstappen, on the first lap again another scary crash from collusion between Daniil Kvyat and Lance Stroll, resulted Lance Stroll going upside down at the start of the race. Thankfully he escape unharmed.
Despite all that Hamilton took the advantage, comfortably lead the race throughout, it was Lewis Hamilton day to win this seasons Bahrain Grand Prix for Lewis Hamilton's eleventh race win of the season.
While, Max Verstappen finished in second place in the Red Bull, Verstappen was twelve tenths of a second behind Hamilton at the end.
Meanwhile, Alexander Albon finished in third place in the other Red Bull to complete the podium, Albon was eight seconds behind Hamilton at the end of the fifty-seven lap race.
Highlights of the race below, enjoy.
Rate the Teams and Drivers
Mercedes - 8
Lewis Hamilton - 10 (pole, race win)
Valtteri Bottas - 6 (finsiehd eighth)
Ferrari - 5
Sebastian Vettel - 5 (finished thirteenth, lap down)
Charles Leclerc - 6 (finished tenth, lap down)
Red Bull Racing - 8
Max Verstappen - 8 (finished second and fastest lap)
Alexander Albon - 8 (finished third)
McLaren - 9
Carlos Sainz Jr. - 10 (finished fifth)
Lando Norris - 9 (finished fourth)
Renault - 6
Daniel Ricciardo - 7 (finished seventh)
Esteban Ocon - 6 (finished ninth)
Alpha Tauri: - 7
Daniil Kvyat - 6 (finished eleventh, lap down)
Pierre Gasly - 8 (finished sixth)
Racing Point - 7
Sergio Pérez- 9 (DNF/finished eighteenth, Power unit/four laps down)
Lance Stroll - 6 (DNF, Collision with Kvyat)
Alfa Romeo - 5
Kimi Räikkönen - 5 (finished fifteenth, lap down)
Antonio Giovinazzi - 5 (finished sixteenth, lap down)
Haas - 5
Romain Grosjean - 6 (DNF, Collision with Kvyat)
Kevin Magnussen - 4 (finished seventeenth, lap down)
Williams - 6
George Russell - 7 (finished twelfth, lap down)
Nicholas Latifi - 6 (finished fourteenth, lap down)
Next stop Bahrain International Circuit (again), this time for the Sakhir Grand Prix in a weeks time.
Predictions for this weekends Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit on the Grand Prix Circuit layout, Sakhir.
So Predictions for the race, for the win, I predict Lewis Hamilton for the race win in the Mercedes, Valtteri Bottas second in the other Mercedes, and third place for Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari. Don't forget Sebastian Vettel, the Renault drivers, the McLaren drivers, Pierre Gasly, the Racing Point drivers, and the Red Bull drivers as-well for a podium place.
