Supporters behind McLaren Racing were given a reality check on December 20th. Team Principal Andrea Seidl confirmed that outdated infrastructures are being sustain in McLaren’s manufacturing facility, when compared to Mercedes AMG-Petronas’s facilities. No outfit in Formula One maintains manufacturing & production similar to Mercedes, which enables the German outfit to continually acquire championship status. Seidl noted that McLaren Racing hasn’t the facilities available to Red Bull Racing either, creating a disposition which enables a maximum placement of P3 in the constructor’s championship.

Andreas Seidl provided hope to supporters, with financial revenue earned by McLaren Racing in 2020 being exceptional. The same day that P3 in the constructor’s championship was acquired by McLaren, they’d sign a partnership with an American investment firm. Funds towards development are higher than what’s been witnessed in years, enabling continued enhancements to the teams manufacturing facilities in Great Britain. Confirmed updates coming for McLaren include an updated wind tunnel, simulator facility, and simulation program. Acquiring these enhancements can allow McLaren Racing to rival Red Bull & Mercedes by 2024 to 2025.

The Long Wait for Championship Success

McLaren’s Team Principal clarified that obtaining those upgrades requires time, with engineers having to assess the specific components needed for future car development. Andreas Seidl mentioned that McLaren Racing will battle with Alpine Racing, Scuderia Ferrari, and Alpha Tauri for third in the constructor’s championship for 2021. Emphasis was given by Seidl that restrictions on development are prompting the continued fight for 3rd. Development could be enhanced tenfold if the “Formula International Association” weren’t requiring teams to sustain identical vehicles from 2020 into 2021.

Andreas Seidl confirmed that strategic advancements to launch manufacturing upgrades have begun, with £185 Million being awarded to McLaren Racing through their American investment firm, MPS Sports Capital. Continued finances will be issued to McLaren to guarantee developmental growth is sustained. Regardless, next season will excite supporters of McLaren with the arrival of Daniel Ricciardo & return of Lando Norris. Carlos Sainz is leaving the outfit for Scuderia Ferrari in 2021.

The “Court of Arbitration for Sports” released an expected announcement regarding Russia. Considering the governor of international sports, clarification was given that the communist nation of Russia will sustain their ban from competition until 2021. This announcement was issued after inside reports suggested Russia would receive another sentence-halving, with the nations initial sentencing for an international sporting ban listed at four years. That sentence was decreased to two years, with recent reports suggesting it’d be decreased by another twelve months. It would’ve meant that Russia could compete by January 2021.

An international sporting ban against Russia was sustained after evidence proved the communist nation was supporting athletes with state-run steroids. When CAS learned that Russia was actively doping their international athletes, an immediate ban went into effect. CAS reiterated the ban wouldn’t be lifted & Russia still isn’t permitted in competing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

International sporting bans against Russia has angered President Vladimir Putin, who’s regularly disputed the legislative orders issued by CAS. Vladimir became volatile after learning Russia wouldn’t be permitted from competing at the 2021 Summer Olympics & 2022 Winter Olympics. Athletic personalities born in Russia and residing in other nations are permitted to compete under neutral flags, permitting there isn’t any connection between themselves & the Russian Doping Scandal.

No Russians Allowed in International Bars

The World Anti-Doping Agency was first to uncover evidence that Russia had supported athletic personalities with steroids. That information was given to CAS, with a ruling given weeks later that noted all world championship venues are eliminated from Russian contention. Russian civilians are also banned from entering bars & clubs during world championship events. It’s that legislative order which prompted retaliation from the Russian government. Some speculate that President Vladimir Putin will order state-employed hackers to target the 2021 Summer Olympics & 2022 Winter Olympics. Russia isn’t permitted to compete internationally until December 21st, 2022.

Professional motorsports experienced monetary losses in March 2020, as the pandemic halted operations for months. Leagues worldwide have found themselves unable to resume competition, with finances needed to sustain venues being eliminated. The first motorsport that returned for international contention was Formula One, which completed it’s 2021 Campaign on December 13th. Teams operational in this motorsport have found themselves struggling financially, with organizations like Williams Racing being sold to Dorilton Capital.

Red Bull Racing lost its partnership with Aston Martin, Renault altered their branding to Alpine, and Racing Point became the newest leaders behind the Aston Martin branding in Formula One. After the final Grand Prix ended in Abu Dhabi on December 13th, most anticipated that partnership announcements for teams had completed this year.
F1 Fanatics were shocked when learning Mercedes AMG-Petronas had sold 33.33% of their Formula One racing team to INEOS. That sale follows after the two entities partnered earlier this year. Alongside this announcement, revelations noted how Team Boss Toto Wolff would continue residing over Mercedes AMG-Petronas until 2024.

Speculation had indicated Toto Wolff would become the Executive Chairman or Chief Executive Officer of the Mercedes racing outfit. Wolff noted himself that additional time with family would be welcomed. Inside sources indicated that INEOS wouldn’t become 1/3rd owner of Mercedes AMG-Petronas unless Wolff remained onwards as Team Boss. Inside sources suggest that after 2024, Toto will become the CEO of Mercedes AMG-Petronas.

Wolff Reflects on New Contract

When questioned about sustaining his role of Team Boss until 2024, Toto Wolff reflected his pleasure in starting a new chapter with Mercedes & couldn’t imagine working with another group of individuals in Formula One. Wolff mentioned his happiness is being able to work throughout the new era of F1 and believes Mercedes AMG-Petronas can continue dominating Formula One after the rule changes are implemented in 2022.

Two corporations & one individual hold 1/3rd ownership of Mercedes AMG-Petronas. The two companies residing over Mercedes include Daimler AG & INEOS, with the single individual having 1/3rd ownership being Toto Wolff. Confirmations were made that additional investors aren’t needed moving forward, with share availability being exclusive to one of these three parties.

Speculation regarding the future of Mexico’s Sergio Perez hasn’t stopped since learning the Formula One driver wouldn’t be contracted with Racing Point for 2021. It marked the end to several years of partnership between Racing Point & Sergio Perez, which saw team revisement to multiple teammates. Everything would change for that motorsport collective, which saw financial disruptions after former team owners were found guilty of money laundering. It was the presence of Sergio Perez that allowed Racing Point to continue thriving.

After learning Perez wouldn’t return with Racing Point, speculation indicated that the team best suited for the Mexican is Red Bull Racing. Inside sources close with the Formula One Paddock have suggested that Sergio Perez will be confirmed with Red Bull Racing before December 24th.

Formula One Reporter Ted Kravitz is the individual responsible for leaking this information. Kravitz is known for not announcing details from the Paddock until their almost guaranteed true. This has led thousands throughout Europe & America to believe that Alex Albon is being eliminated as secondary driver for Red Bull Racing, with Sergio Perez being inducted as his replacement.

Albon Out, Perez In.

The reason for Alex Albon’s removal is his inability to compete against Max Verstappen. Red Bull Racing has desired a secondary driver capable of rivalling Verstappen, with Sergio Perez one of the few drivers capable of accomplishing that task. Detailed information from Ted Kravitz indicates that Alex Albon will be demoted to “Reserve & Test Driver” for Red Bull Racing.

This means that Helmut Marko & Christian Horner, leaders of Red Bull Racing, have convinced team owners of electing Sergio Perez over Albon. Owners wanted continued confidence in Albon, which proved unviable after seeing continued poor performances from the British driver. Choosing Sergio Perez will benefit Red Bull Racing with additional victories at multiple Grand Prix’s, with the Mexican a confirmed race winner as of 2020.

Technical leadership with Scuderia Ferrari has been altered, with the corporate division of this auto-manufacturer demanding outstanding results from F1 Team Boss Mattia Binotto. This follows after the Formula One division of Scuderia Ferrari has performed horrendously throughout 2020. Multiple individuals that held prominent roles have been terminated or transferred to subsidiary teams.

Mattia Binotto announced alterations in technical leadership. The Head of Chassis Engineering is leaving Scuderia Ferrari for Haas. Simone Resta has been transferred, marking an end to an influential era. Shock weighed the paddock after learning that Simone Resta is being demoted from Ferrari to Haas, with his namesake holding prominence across Formula One.

Simone Resta sustains an influential career in the technical leadership of Formula One, beginning his career in 2001. Promotional opportunities were given to Resta for his continued display of professionalism & car development. Thirteen years after joining Scuderia Ferrari, Simone Resta became Chief Designer until 2018. An opportunity with Alfa Romeo to become Technical Director was offered to Resta, prompting his one season removal from the prancing horses.

Technical leadership have rumoured to struggle with Team Boss Mattia Binotto, the individual blamed for Scuderi Ferrari’s apparent decline in F1. Transferring of Simone Resta likely follows internal disputes with Binotto & enables Scuderi Ferrari to strengthen their relationship with Haas. Resta proved his loyalty to the brand by remaining with a subsidiary team of Ferrari.

Chief Designer Resta

Simone Resta now helms the position of Haas Chief Designer, meaning he’ll become responsible for creating vehicles for the subsidiary motorsport team. Resta is known to develop & manufacturer cars with prominent downforce, giving ample opportunity for Haas to rise their grid positioning. Haas is electing two new drivers for 2021, with Mick Schumacher & Nikita Mazepin joining the ranks of F1. Combining these attributes could enable Haas to reach championship contention in Formula One & acquire their first podium position in years.

Formula One Directors angered a prominent driver on the paddock. Daniel Ricciardo expressed his disgust & disappointment towards the F1 Race Directors, who continuously showed footage of Romain Grosjean’s accident at Bahrain. This is one of the worst incidents seen in modern-day Formula One, with Daniel Ricciardo believing greater respect should’ve been shown towards Grosjean.

Daniel Ricciardo mentioned that repeatedly showing footage of Grosjean nearly losing his life is disrespectful. The Australian driver isn’t incorrect, with replays liking causing additional trauma for family members & friends watching to guarantee their loved one’s safety. Grosjean’s incident shows a reoccurring issue in Formula One, which indicates Race Directors don’t care about driver safety & more about viewer excitement.

Romain Grosjean experienced a horrific crash at the Bahrain International Circuit, with the event occurring on Lap One by Turn Three. Grosjean impacted into the barriers & prompted his Haas to split apart, with an explosion following after Survival Fuel Cells were pierced. Fuel burned around Romain for eighteen seconds before the French driver removed himself from the melting wreckage.

It’s suspected that Romain Grosjean sustained third-degree burns to his Ankle & Hands, with additional damage maintained via broken ribs. The Bahrain GP was red flagged after the horrific accident, with several drivers watching nearby TVs to guarantee that Romain had survived. When footage of Romain leaving his Haas was shown, cheers from the paddock were heard. Kevin Magnussen & Lewis Hamilton were both seen clapping after Grosjean survived.

Ricciardo’s Formal Disappointment

Daniel Ricciardo wasn’t happy with the incident. He formally expressed his disgust & disappointment in the Formula One Race Directors, that what they’d done was disrespectful & inconsiderate towards Romain’s family. It’s hoped by Ricciardo that other drivers will express their anger going forward, potentially allowing regulation changes that demand crash footage be shown a limited number of times.

Expansion of Formula One’s seasonal calendar will evoke numerous changes onto the motorsport, with the most prominent being alterations to personnel operations. Toto Wolff from Mercedes AMG-Petronas emphasised that triple-headers in Formula One will impose substantial exhaustion onto engineers, and staff that disassemble garages before departing from a circuit. Toto Wolff spoke freely about the long-term affects of sustaining triple-headers after F1 CEO Chase Carey announced a 23-Round season for 2021.

Triple-headers are three consecutive Grand Prix’s in Formula One. The method of race scheduling was first introduced in the 2018 F1 Campaign, which drew notable criticism from team personnel & supporting fans. Most could understand by witnessing crew members, the exhaustion they’d feel entering the third Grad Prix.

CEO Chase Casey doesn’t dispute that teams can enter levels of unexpected exhaustion, but that financial recovery is required for 2021 after the Covid-19 pandemic. Chase Carey promised that triple-headers won’t become a conventional form of scheduling in Formula One. Last resort measures to earn profits are being implemented by Chase Carey, resulting in two triple-headers in 2021.

Teams have understood their obligation towards assisting Formula One with generating greater profits. Formula One almost didn’t resume operations in 2020 following the coronavirus pandemic. However, last minute scheduling permitted a 17-Race season to unfold. Three Grand Prix’s remain before the 2020 campaign closes, with these GPs meant more for excitement than anything else. The Drivers & Constructor’s championship have both been awarded, with Lewis Hamilton becoming a seven-time winning champion in Formula One & matching Michael Schumacher’s record.

The Wolff Reacts

Toto Wolff discussed his thought process behind Formula One’s triple-header scheduling, expressing that CEO Chase Carey is correct & that teams are beneficiaries of the sport. This means their primary purpose is to generate funds for Formula One, while also sustaining their respective profits. Toto Wolff did notify that there’ll be exhaustion associated with two triple-headers & that CEO Chase Carey should consider allowing a secondary team of engineers/assemblers for each team. This would resolve any concerns for F1 outfits like Mercedes. Toto Wolff will likely officially propose the idea to Chase Carey before the 2021 season begins.

International sporting institutions have struggled to eliminate Covid-19 from their respective camps, prompting outbreaks amongst employed personnel. Teams operation in Formula One have experienced minimal infection, with two drivers being infected & less than fifty sport-wide being confirmed positive. Considering that thousands work together to create a Formula One weekend, it’s shocking that more significant outbreaks haven’t been sustained. There are few infections announced per week if none whatsoever. Unfortunately, Pirelli Motorsports had to announced that their “F1 Boss Mario Isola” had contracted Covid-19 while visiting Turkey for the Turkish GP.

Healthcare workers employed by Formula One conducted a PCR-Covid Test on Mario Isola, which revealed a positive infection hours before the Turkish Grand Prix was slated to begin. Without this test, Mario would have walked the grid before the race start & infected dozens along the way. Healthcare workers informed Mario Isola that immediate isolation was required & that when permitted, he’d be moved to a designated quarantine zone. It’s expected that Mario Isola won’t return to his duties until the 2nd-last race of this year. Mario will remain quarantined until December 1st, missing Bahrain GP on November 29th.

An official statement was issued by Pirelli, which confirmed that Mario Isola tested positive on November 15th for the coronavirus. The statement clarified that Pirelli’s Boss is experiencing Asymptomatic conditions & is expected to recover fully before seasons end. Details also expressed that close-contact with Mario Isola isn’t being permitted until a negative PCR-Covid Test is seen.

Driver Infections

Those familiar with Formula One know that Lance Stroll & Sergio Perez from Racing Point contracted Covid-19. Lawrence Stroll (Team owner and father to Lance Stroll) also contracted the virus. Mercedes AMG-Petronas have also barred witness to multiple members becoming infected. Every team in Formula One confirmed they’d experienced one or more infections for coronavirus.

An era between driver & team is ending come 2021, with Sebastian Vettel announced to be leaving Scuderia Ferrari after this year. Vettel will change teams for the 3rd time in his career, joining Aston Martin Racing. It’ll be a meaningful change that could see Sebastian Vettel lead a prominent team in Formula One’s future. Aston Martin is similar to Ferrari, sustaining decades of history in auto-manufacturing.

Aston Martin’s presence throughout motorsports has been pivotal similar to Scuderi Ferrari, albeit in different leagues. That could change with their entrance in Formula One & Sebastian Vettel could be the influence needed to sustain immediate results. Considering that Vettel is a four-time F1 champion, and statistically the 3rd greatest driver in F1 history, providing Sebastian a better vehicle could evoke better results.

Motorsport reporters have begun question, Sebastian Vettel, on his final weeks with Scuderia Ferrari, with five races remaining for 2020. The German explained that for the remainder of this year & his career moving forward, his efforts would be thrown towards Aston Martin. It means that Vettel has mentally retired from Scuderia Ferrari already.

Aston Martin Racing is joining Formula One under the rebranding of “Racing Point”, which currently employs Sergio Perez & Lance Stroll. Perez has terminated three Grand Prix’s ago in September 2020. It means that Sebastian Vettel will partner with Lance Stroll, one of the worst drivers seen in Formula One. Germany’s four-time champion will assist Lawrence Stroll will training his son, Lance, into a better driver. This will be one of many tasks given to Vettel in 2021. It’s for this reason & numerous others that Vettel has confirmed he’ll dedicate himself entirely towards the Aston Martin project.

Goodbye to Ferrari

When questioned if he’ll miss his six seasons with Scuderia Ferrari, Sebastian Vettel mentioned that sadness would be felt towards those friends lost. Vettel also said he’d miss the original spirit of Scuderia Ferrari, a direct emphasis to the time before Mattia Binotto. It’s because of Mattia Binotto that Sebastian Vettel is likely leaving Scuderia Ferrari. The two men were known for sustaining internal battles, which grew even worse when Charles Leclerc was contracted. Binotto has actively sabotaged Vettel since their relationship grew worse.

The Nascar Xfinity Series Playoffs have unfolded over the last few weeks, with multiple drivers moving forward & others getting eliminated. Unexpected victors have been seen throughout the NXSP, including Harrison Burton. Winning last weekend was considered an unlikely occurrence for Burton until repeating his success on October 31^st at the Martinsville Speedway. These victories mean nothing for Burton’s placement in the playoffs, with previous races eliminating his contention from moving forward. Harrison Burton appears confident in his Toyota, clarifying that he’ll take a third consecutive victory at the Phoenix Raceway.

Harrison Burton winning additional races forced contending drivers for the championship further into eliminate. Noah Gregson & Ross Chastain have been eliminated from advancing into the championship standings for Phoenix. Similar to Harrison Burton, their permitted to drive but cannot have their positions in the standings altered. Multiple drivers have benefited from Burton’s victories, unlike those that failed. Justin Haley & Chase Briscoe are expected to compete for championship victory in 2020. Whoever wins will mark the latest driver to win the Xfinity Series Playoffs in three years. Regardless, for Harrison Burton this meant a 4^th victory in 2020, which will benefit his long-term career in Nascar.

Gragson Struggles for Victory

The Texas Motor Speedway saw Harrison Burton overtake multiple drivers, which followed after leading driver Gragson suffered mechanical failure. Burton was able to hurl past down the straight & acquire victory in the last moment. This required that Gragson obtain victory at Martinsville on October 31^st or face elimination from the championship. It’d mark a horrible failure for Gragson, with the Xfinity Series Playoffs first announced & raced at Martinsville in 2003.

That failure came for Gragson when Harrison Burton gained dominance with his Toyota-powered race car. Burton was followed by Allgaier for 2^nd position, with Gragson obtaining 3^rd. He’s now below the cutline for championship contention & risk of elimination after the next Nascar Grand Prix.

Analysts are poising Harrison Burton for championship victory in the Nascar 2021 Xfinity Series Playoffs. His rapid improvement throughout the Covid Era is bringing resumed confidence into Burton’s driving skillsets. Similar to previous seasons, his contention for champion victory is high.