In the round-up: Alexander Albon will race in the DTM this year alongside Red Bull Junior Team member Liam Lawson.
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Links
More motor racing links of interest:
Red Bull to bring Formula 1 driver Alexander Albon and a New Zealander in the DTM (DTM)
"Formula 1 driver Alexander Albon and young talent Liam Lawson will be racing in the DTM with backing from Red Bull."
Progress made – and changes to come – with IndyCar's aeroscreen (Racer)
"Obviously it was a big incident, so we were already looking at some quick disconnect options on a few things, and when we get the report – the findings – on the F1 (Grosjean) crash, we’ll also see if there’s anything in there we could do better, do differently with our frame and screen."
Bottas on dealing with the pressures of F1 – Interview (Autocar India)
"I’ve definitely learned a lot about myself in Formula 1, how to handle that (online criticism) and how to turn that into motivation and an extra power source."
Stellantis: FCA-PSA merger approved by all shareholders (Autocar)
"The planned merger of the PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, dubbed Stellantis, has been approved by shareholders of both firms. "
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Comment of the day
Ferrari should take lessons from McLaren in how to treat their drivers, said Dave:
What Carlos has learned from McLaren over the last two years, collaborating with the other driver to get faster performance improvements will be an eye opener to Ferrari. I don’t think number one or two driver will matter for a year or so. Not until they’re back at the front. It’ll be all hands on deck and Carlos has some serious insight into how that works.
Dave (@Davewillisporter)
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Esploratore (@esploratore)
5th January 2021, 0:47
Kind move from red bull I’d say, I’ve never been a fan of albon, only positive thing I can say is he is a competitive driver in a midfield car and was better than gasly his first red bull year, but they’ve been very supportive to him, so good for him.
H67
5th January 2021, 0:48
DTM is the end of your your Formula One career for current F1drivers. There’s no coming back.
But the DTM series is very cool on its own. The cars look extreme and the performance is still sweet. You still gotta be good to get a seat. As for Albon his time in racing has shifted but race craft is still required. Maybe he could prove us all wrong. I dig the machines.
Matthias[Wlkp] (@matthias-wlkp)
5th January 2021, 4:38
It won’t be the same next year. Since Audi said they quit, they decided to change the rules to GT3. This will make them substantially slower. On the flip side, there will be more brands – i.e. McLaren is already in.
anon
5th January 2021, 8:16
H67, as Matthias[Wlkp] notes, those cars are gone as they have helped to destroy DTM – you might think they look cool, but they also made the series far too expensive for what was meant to be a regional touring car championship and the number of participants has dropped quite markedly in just a handful of years.
Holmzini
5th January 2021, 12:36
Well since the DTM now sucks as YOU say and is as bad as you describe THEN Albon may have found a series that as you say he’s best suited for because you think he failed in F1 as many of us do. Soon to be forgotten Anob.
CarWars (@maxv)
5th January 2021, 13:42
At least he didn’t get demoted to Formula E, then you are a real reject.
kenji
5th January 2021, 1:03
Albon’s big problem was consistency. He showed great speed at times and his racecraft was excellent, at times. The fact that he was taken out by Hamilton when almost 100% assured of a podium would’ve weighed heavily upon him. On top of that he’s an incredibly nice young man. I wish him well for his future.
Jesper (@jesperfey13)
5th January 2021, 6:23
His big problem wasnt his consistensy. It was his lack of pace. He only had one acceptable weekend which was in Abu Ahabi, where he did what he was suppose to do: back VER so the mercs have a harder time on strategy.
Apart from that he was either too slow in qualy and had to overtake some midfieldcars or just didnt have the race pace to follow the top 3.
Carlos Medrano (@carlosmedrano)
5th January 2021, 13:33
The only time he showed speed was in torro roso. Not one race in the red bull he looked fast
slowmo (@slowmo)
5th January 2021, 1:27
Seems a smart move by Red Bull as at the end of they day, not measuring up to Verstappen doesn’t make him a terrible driver, he’s still one of the best in the world. He still has something to offer in motorsport and while I don’t think F1 is for him, there are other types.
Dean Franklin
5th January 2021, 3:05
Bottas is always extra motivated and focussed every off season. I hope he doesn’t actually believe what he says otherwise it makes me concerned for his mental health. A person can only take so much disappointment.
Just a shame he’s going to be in the only regularly competitive team in 2021 because we already know that Russell only needs a practice session with using someone else’s setup to be on Bottas’s pace.
Todfod (@todfod)
5th January 2021, 6:09
It’s good to Bottas to keep himself motivated during the off season… and usually that results in some strong performances from him at the start of the season. Unfortunately, that’s usually his peak, and as you mentioned, I can’t see him coping with the mental trauma of getting outperformed by Lewis on a regular basis throughout. Surely, the criticism from fans does take a toll on him. Not all of it can be used as ‘fuel’ as Bottas mentioned.
Personally, I can’t see him driving for Mercedes much longer. If Mercedes doesn’t replace him.. I’m pretty sure he’ll want another teammate. If I had to guess.. I would say next season is his last with Mercedes.
Aapje (@aapje)
5th January 2021, 10:33
@todfod
My impression is that this kind of motivation doesn’t work for Bottas’ personality. Lewis thrives on criticism, while Max doesn’t seem to care, but many people just get beaten down by it. Like Vettel and Bottas.
To me, the statement by Bottas that he uses criticism as fuel seems part of a pattern of statements that show a lack of self-awareness. Bottas might be better off just admitting to everyone that he won’t beat Lewis. I suspect that the result will be his best season yet, as the load is lifted off his shoulders.
CarWars (@maxv)
5th January 2021, 13:45
I guess we need to critique Bottas more as it gains him HP. Bottas 3.21-really-really_ready_to_compete_now-revKL coming up…
He sucks, what a waste of a seat. Bring Russell!
Dave (@davewillisporter)
5th January 2021, 17:58
@todfod @aapje Bottas is a bit of an enigma. Reading various comments by both him and the team, his work ethic is excellent, he works with rather than against Lewis, he can analyse effectively where he is slower, noting that Lewis brakes harder and squares off corners which helps with tyre wear, is a pretty fast qualifier but despite all this he can’t drive a Sunday worth a damn in comparison with Lewis or Max. He strikes me as being a driver with just not enough natural talent to maintain a top team place but because of Mercedes’ position the last few years they haven’t needed a more competitive second driver. Nico Rosberg took a few years to understand where Lewis got the speed during races and was himself also very fast in qualifying. I remember Lewis bemoaning how Nico could see how he was fast and the whole sharing data debate within the team. The fact that this is no longer an issue shows how little Lewis feels threatened by Bottas.
This is absolutely Bottas’s last year in Mercedes. Toto has a sense of fair play and 5 seasons is fair enough in his mind. It’s onto George in ’22. Even if Bottas has his best season yet it still wouldn’t be enough to beat Lewis and Merc have an eye on the post Lewis era. George and Lewis for ’22 / ’23 and if they’re still the best team, Max and George in ’24.
Bottas likely goes back to Williams. Can’t see another place for him. (Unless I get creative.. If Perez doesn’t come up to scratch and Yuki Tsunoda isn’t ready yet I could see him going to Redbull but for his knowledge as much as his one lap pace.)
Unless Bottas can figure out how to use tyres over a race distance he’s just not going to cut it against the best.
Todfod (@todfod)
6th January 2021, 7:38
@davewillisporter
I think a lot of teams would like to get their hands on Bottas. I could see Renault dumping Ocon for Bottas. Alfa Romeo would also get rid off one of their drivers to make room for Bottas. As you mentioned, if Perez fails to be a significant improvement, then Red Bull could hand Bottas that seat. I would even speculate and say that Ferrari might be interested in fielding a Leclerc – Bottas lineup.
Valterri brings a lot of knowledge on how Mercedes operates, plus he’s pretty quick in qualifying, relatively consistent and a great team player. I think you might be surprised about how many teams would be willing to shuffle their driver line up to accomodate for Bottas.
brum55
6th January 2021, 17:13
He’s a nifty starter too. Although that could be due to his car
Tommy Scragend
5th January 2021, 14:01
This. Remember all that Bottas 2.0 stuff – what are we on now, Bottas 3.1? Bottas 95?
More like Bottas Vista.
Robbie (@robbie)
5th January 2021, 15:31
“Bottas Vista” lol.
Ben Rowe (@thegianthogweed)
6th January 2021, 0:43
Remember that it gets spread about by media then used everywhere. It was just for his impressive first race the year before last! And only silly comments or upgraded numbers have been used since which I think was pointless. Bottas 2.0 at the time was relevant. It has been overused ever since then
yloop
10th January 2021, 17:38
Bottas vista hahahahahaha
Balue (@balue)
6th January 2021, 9:02
I doubt Bottas can suddenly use online criticism to feed his performance when he so obviously got riled by it before.
Bottas is steadily improving, but even last season we saw he had not done basics like how to defend T1, L1 and that’s really inexcusable. Either that, or he’s way too afraid to upset Wolff with a squeeze on Hamilton, but neither is acceptable. It seems he thinks if he’s a good team player things will be given to him, but especially at Mercedes that’s seriously missing the picture.
He must shut down social media and realize his time as a championship challenger is soon up, and just go for it, no matter if Wolff might be mad at him for not being a good wingman or Hamilton giving him a cold shoulder. Basically he’s too sensitive who should stop giving a damn, but unfortunately a bit late in the day for this old dog to learn new tricks IMO. Still, he can’t have as much bad luck this year as last, so should be better and we all love an underdog to come good.
brum55
6th January 2021, 17:21
He probably is grateful at the chance to win races. F1 has been such a closed shop for years. It’s either be a lapdog for Lewis or hope for the occassional podium in a midfield car.
Todfod (@todfod)
5th January 2021, 5:58
Guess that’s it for Albon’s time in F1 then. I don’t see him coming back from a closed wheel series like DTM back to F1. I’m not sure if he has reserve driver status at Red Bull or Toro Rosso, because that might be his only chance to sit in an F1 cockpit.
Patrick (@paeschli)
5th January 2021, 8:30
It feels more like a gift from Helmut Markoto to his friend Gerhard Berger: Mercedes and Audi have left, so a well-known international driver joining the DTM makes for some appeal.
But if he manages to win a championship, he might just win a ticket back to F1.
Todfod (@todfod)
5th January 2021, 11:31
@paeschli
Even if he did win, I don’t think it improves his chances to return to F1. Closed wheel DTM has little relevance to open wheel F1. Paul di Resta was probably the only driver to make that transition in recent history, and rarely did he shine in F1.
Additionally, there’s just no place on the grid right now. We have proven talents like Hulkenberg on the sidelines, with a couple of bright prospects in Illot, Zhou and Schwartzman on the sidelines. Maybe if the billionaire dads get fed up with burning money over the unattainable dreams of their untalented kids, then there is a chance for him to return.
Patrick (@paeschli)
5th January 2021, 12:19
He already has experience in F1, I’d say the thing he needs the most is showing he can handle pressure. Winning the DTM championship would be perfect for that.
Dewald Nel (@ho3n3r)
5th January 2021, 6:50
What’s with the duplicate accounts?
Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
5th January 2021, 6:56
They’re twice as old as each other.
ColdFly (@)
5th January 2021, 8:27
At least they consistently pick the same birthday, @ho3n3r.
Yezy918 is intriguing though. Is (s)he referring to some overpriced sneakers or a marvellous car?
cduk_mugello (@cduk_mugello)
5th January 2021, 10:08
Sending Albon to DTM is a terrible move. This isn’t the DTM of a few years ago where you’d find past F1 greats like Hakkinen, Alesi or Coulthard alongside endurance racers like Capelli, competing against the best touring car drivers like Schneider. DTM is a shadow of it’s former self.
That Red Bull have placed him there suggests there are few other decent series out there where he can keep himself fresh.
Patrick (@paeschli)
5th January 2021, 12:20
Driving is still better than not driving
BasCB (@bascb)
5th January 2021, 10:44
Thanks for the link to that Racer article. I must say that both the Halo in F1 and the Aeroscreen used in IndyCar have proven their worth this year. Good to see how both series work together to learn common lessons to further improve things like getting out, heat buildup etc.
Jere (@jerejj)
5th January 2021, 11:44
So some racing program for him after all, which is better than nothing at least. One good thing is that all DTM races take place in Europe rather than worldwide or a single country far away from Europe (Super Formula in Japan/IndyCar in the US), so more convenient F1-wise. I’m still somewhat skeptical about his chances of becoming a regular driver again, though. At least in the Red Bull-owned teams.
COTD: I agree.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
5th January 2021, 13:33
COTD… I would not be surprised to learn, in a future cotd, that Ferrari is indeed the root cause of all evil.
H@tin’ on Ferrari and the italians was a thing in the 50’s and 60’s, stop it, sick of it, old news.
John H (@john-h)
5th January 2021, 15:31
Even Ferrari fans have made fun of how Vettel has been treated this year.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
8th January 2021, 14:09
@john-h how was he treated? I don’t follow Ferrari that closely, he was really far off.
@todfod
Todfod (@todfod)
8th January 2021, 14:27
@peartree
I wouldn’t call that Ferrari bashing. Just an obvious change in driver working relationship, away from playing favourites and political games during the Vettel – Leclerc era, to something healthier.
Todfod (@todfod)
6th January 2021, 9:30
@peartree
I don’t know how inferred critique of ferrari from the cotd. It just mentioned that Sainz will bring a different style of collaborative teamwork… which is true because Sainz and Norris did move Mclaren forward together and maximised their points scoring potential over any of the midfield teams for two years in a row. They didn’t have any on. track or off track issues. This was significantly better than the way the driver relationship that has existed in Ferrari for quite a while now.
Adam (@rocketpanda)
5th January 2021, 17:08
To whom it may concern, Bottas…
Seriously though, the guy’s got to start keeping his mouth shut and let his driving speak for him as at the moment he comes across as all talk but no bite. I really doubt seeing Bottas in a Mercedes after 2021 so if he wants to win a title he’s going to have to do a Rosberg, get his elbows out and take it as I really expect this to be his last shot at it. He HAS the ability, he HAS the car, he just doesn’t bring it all together often enough. It’s this year or never, last call. Though to be honest even if he won the title I still think he’ll lose his seat at the end of the year anyway.
Aapje (@aapje)
5th January 2021, 19:26
@rocketpanda
Bottas doesn’t seem to be the fighter that Rosberg was.
Also, I don’t think that he has the ability. He is inferior to Rosberg who still only won the title by being lucky. Bottas only wins if he has crazy luck (like Lewis not being able to drive for a bunch of races).
Davey
5th January 2021, 18:48
Re Bottas: With the pressure from social media, I do hope he improves.
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
6th January 2021, 12:50
With record of usual RBR dropouts, he is on track to achieve a few championships elsewhere.