The official Formula One and General Motorsport thread for the 2021 season! Season finale live on Sky & Ch4 Dec 12th 1pm

Fed up talking videogames? Why?

Who do you think will be the WDC and WCC winner for the 2021 F1 season?

Sir Lewis Hamilton
17
29%
Valtteri Bottas
1
2%
Max Verstappen
11
19%
Sergio Perez
0
No votes
Lando Norris
2
3%
Daniel Ricciardo
0
No votes
Sebastian Vettel
0
No votes
Lance Stroll
0
No votes
Fernando Alonso
1
2%
Esteban Ocon
0
No votes
Charles Leclerc
0
No votes
Carlos Sainz Jr
0
No votes
Pierre Gasly
0
No votes
Yuki Tsunoda
0
No votes
Kimi Raikkonen
0
No votes
Antonio Giovinazzi
0
No votes
Mick Schumacher
0
No votes
Nikita Mazepin
0
No votes
George Russel
2
3%
Nicholas Latifi
0
No votes
Mercedes
17
29%
Red Bull Racing
3
5%
McLaren
2
3%
Aston Martin
1
2%
Alpine
1
2%
Ferrari
0
No votes
Alpha Tauri
0
No votes
Alfa Romeo
0
No votes
Haas
0
No votes
Williams
1
2%
 
Total votes: 59
User avatar
Robbo-92
Member
Joined in 2018
AKA: Robbo-92
Location: South Yorkshire

PostThe official Formula One and General Motorsport thread for the 2021 season! Season finale live on Sky & Ch4 Dec 12th 1pm
by Robbo-92 » Fri Jan 08, 2021 5:53 pm

Well its that time of the year yet again to get the new yearly thread up and as now seems customary, we start (and probably end) the thread with my main motorsport addiction, Formula One.

Let’s start with the lineups, we have quite a few changes for the coming season after all,

Team Line ups

Mercedes - Lewis Hamilton (44) & Valtteri Bottas (77), now Hamilton (well I suppose its Sir Lewis now!) hasn’t officially signed an extension yet but if I shake my magic 8 ball I reckon all signs point to yes, probably a matter of when not if.

Red Bull Racing - Max Verstappen (33) & Sergio Perez (11)

McLaren - Lando Norris (4) & Daniel Ricciardo (3)

Aston Martin - Sebastian Vettel (5) & Lance Stroll (18)

Alpine - Fernando Alonso (14) & Esteban Ocon (31)

Ferrari - Charles Leclerc (16) & Carlos Sainz Jr (55)

Alpha Tauri - Pierre Gasly (10) & Yuki Tsunoda (22)

Alfa Romeo - Kimi Raikkonen (7) & Antonio Giovinazzi (99)

Haas - Mick Schumacher (47) & Nikita Mazepin (9)

Williams - George Russell (63) & Nicholas Latifi (6)


So thats how the teams/drivers are lining up this year, for once we actually have some very exciting changes! First up we have a a couple of rookies entering the sport who actually show some promise in 7 time WDC Michael Schumacher’s son, Mick. In Formula 2 Mick took a season to properly get to grips with the cars but hopefully he can absolutely annihilate Mazepin from day 1, whatever happens it’s great to see the Schumacher name back on the grid. The other notable Rookie is Tsunoda, who in his rookie season in Formula 2 finished 3rd, the less said about Mazepin the better I think but at least his dads money has saved Haas for the short term.

Secondly after a fantastic season for Perez for Racing Point in a wonderfully designed (definitely not copied, I repeat NOT COPIED) car he finally got his maiden win despite nearly being wiped out of contention on lap 1 round the outer circuit at Bahrain, I think short term it was definitely the best option for Red Bull and Perez but Sergio’s performance in the Red Bull team will dictate his future there but he is the first none Red Bull affiliated driver to be signed since Mark Webber. Replacing the outgoing Perez at Racing Point (now Aston Martin) is Sebastian Vettel, on the back on probably his least competitive season in the sport he has moved himself into what could be a very strong challenger going forward with the upcoming budget cap as the team have a knack for getting very good performance despite their lesser budget, this alongside a very close technical partnership with Mercedes could be a bit of a dark horse for 2022. Mercedes have extended their technical partnership with Williams as well, who will now be buying more parts rather than making them in house, which is probably a wise decision when you can see how well its worked out for Racing Point over the past few years.

The other notable driver moves are Ricciardo moving to a resurgent McLaren team with a new Mercedes power unit, if the power unit change doesn’t hamper their aero package I think they could be fighting Red Bull a little more for the podium as they ended the 2020 season very well indeed. Sainz Jr must be slightly rueing his decision going to Ferrari which seems very much team Leclerc at the moment (and rightly so, he looks like a very good F1 driver for the future) and with the clear lack of performance they had for most of the previous season, although Ferrari do seem to be quietly confident about their new engine but the proof will be seen in testing. Last up is Alonso returning, reckon he’s going to batter Ocon which might not bode well for his future career.

2020 season recap

2020 was a truly wonderful yet bizarre season. To start with we didn’t even know if we’d get the 8 races needed to class it as a WDC season due to the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the world, but in the end we were treated to an amazing 17 race season (well there was the odd dud, but not everything can be perfect), revisiting some old classics and then going to places who’ve never held an F1 race before. Some of the new/returning circuits provided some excellent racing too, with Turkey being a real highlight due to the new track surface alongside poor weather conditions all weekend making it a bit of a lottery alongside a test of skill, plus Vettel’s sole podium came at this race :wub:

While the WDC and WCC were more or less a forgone conclusion even before the season started the midfield was intense from start to finish, with a very tight fight between McLaren, Racing Point and Renault. In comparison Ferrari had an absolute nightmare season, lack of power with a less than stellar car meant they had one of their worst seasons in a good few years, although Leclerc shone and had a much better season than Vettel who really struggled to get to grips with the car, only scoring a single podium throughout the year. The back end of the really struggled for the most part too, although Williams did make some solid progress throughout whereas Haas and Alfa Romeo didn’t really. Hopefully the midfield is the star of the season again as I don’t see anyone catching Mercedes this year.

This past season we were also treated to two first time winners in Pierre Gasly and Sergio Perez, winning round Monza and Sakhir respectively and who have both seen a huge upturn in their stock due to both having a fantastic season with the latter getting a move to Red Bull, it’ll be interesting to see how he stacks up against Verstappen. I don’t think he’ll have much of a chance in qualifying but in the races where he has very good tyre management it could play to his advantage at some tracks.

Series Schedules

I’ll link the official Formula One (and others) calendars here as and when they’re available, I don’t think the F1 one is up on the official site as of yet, imagine a lot of them could see changes throughout the year too. I’m not sure where they are holding pre season yet either, if Bahrain will be the opener it could make sense to do it out there (and have a second test instead of the first race?) but I’m not sure how Spain is coping with Covid as its bad enough looking at how woefully poorly our country seems to be managing it without looking for news about it elsewhere.

Formula One calendar -

World Rally Championship calendar - https://www.wrc.com/en/news/season-2020 ... ndar-2021/

World Endurance Championship calendar - https://www.fiawec.com/en/calendar/80

Formula E calendar - https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/champion ... e-calendar

Indycar calendar - https://www.indycar.com/-/media/Files/C ... hedule.pdf

If there are any other series you’d like to add here, just quote me with the relevant series name/calendar link and I’ll add it as soon as I can!

Official Grcade F1 2020 Hotlap competition

With a couple of people showing interest I thought I’d add this in, with Australia being the first track of choice as its looking very unlikely we’ll actually have a Grand Prix there this year due to Covid. Any suggestions on choice of car? Can be one of the F1 2020 cars (think they’re equal performance in time trial?), a classic thats on both versions of the game or even a F2 car, just as long as everyone is happy but it’ll change with each track. No limits on assists or control method of course, just use whatever makes you drive to the limit! We’ll have to decide if we run the default setup or allow custom ones, default would be be more of a level playing field of course. I would say winner gets to choose the next track/car combo but that’d mean our resident sim racing expert would be picking each week :lol:

F1 2020 game thread - t:f1-2020---codemasters---pc--ps4--xbox-one--stadia---scumacher-edition-out-now?f=2&hilit=F1%2C+2020

F1 2021 game thread - t:f1-2021?f=2

Closing thoughts

So what are everyone’s thoughts about the upcoming season? Reckon we’ll get the full calendar in with Covid still having a grip on the world? Are we in for another cracker of a season or will it have more Abu Dhabi’s than Turkeys? Personally I’m just hoping we see a bit of a resurgence from Vettel, his last season at Ferrari has been far from ideal and I really hope we can see him pull out the performance we know he is capable of producing. Plus with Aston Martin coming back in F1 as their own team I’m really hoping we get a gorgeous looking livery from them.

As with last years thread I’ll pop up a poll too, which will run until the first race is held, hopefully that will be sooner than 2020’s first race in July!

If you’ve taken the time to read all of this then thanks and lets hope for a good season :D

Previous years threads,

2019 - https://grcade.co.uk/t:the-official-formula-1-and-general-motorsport-thread-for-2019?f=7&hilit=2020+F1+2020+Formula+One+2020
2020 - https://grcade.co.uk/t:the-official-formula-one-and-general-motorsport-thread-for-the-2020-season?f=7&hilit=2020+F1+2020+Formula+One+2020
2021- https://grcade.co.uk/t:the-official-formula-one-and-general-motorsport-thread-for-the-2021-season-mercedes-domination-set-to-continue?f=7

Last edited by Robbo-92 on Thu Dec 09, 2021 4:16 pm, edited 8 times in total.
Image
Image
Image
User avatar
Robbo-92
Member
Joined in 2018
AKA: Robbo-92
Location: South Yorkshire

PostRe: The official Formula One and General Motorsport thread for the 2021 season! Mercedes domination set to continue....?
by Robbo-92 » Fri Jan 08, 2021 6:16 pm

Despite there not being a load of changes for the upcoming season (come back in 2022 for that!) there is a few, detailed in this article I’ve just seen,

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/arti ... JQKIWJ3tcU

Oh and for the hot lap competition I was thinking Australia with the current WDC car of Mercedes, will definitely have to try some of the classic ones out for the next round (unless everyone just wants to use the 2020 F1 car?).

Image
Image
Image
User avatar
DarkRula
Member
Joined in 2018
Contact:

PostRe: The official Formula One and General Motorsport thread for the 2021 season! Mercedes domination set to continue....?
by DarkRula » Fri Jan 08, 2021 6:19 pm

Very nicely put together.

I'll see how competitive I am in that hop-lapping competition, even if I won't get near the top times. Just a bit of fun, after all.

Image
Image
User avatar
Roonmastor
Member
Joined in 2008

PostRe: The official Formula One and General Motorsport thread for the 2021 season! Mercedes domination set to continue....?
by Roonmastor » Fri Jan 08, 2021 6:42 pm

I'd say do any F1 2020 car at Australia, default set up (apart from what you can change on the fly) and see how it goes from there.

Although I am pants at Australia so not gonna do well here!

User avatar
Robbo-92
Member
Joined in 2018
AKA: Robbo-92
Location: South Yorkshire

PostRe: The official Formula One and General Motorsport thread for the 2021 season! Mercedes domination set to continue....?
by Robbo-92 » Fri Jan 08, 2021 6:56 pm

DarkRula wrote:Very nicely put together.

I'll see how competitive I am in that hop-lapping competition, even if I won't get near the top times. Just a bit of fun, after all.


Don’t worry about being near the top, a good few years ago I was a lot better years than I could probably dream of being now, nowadays I just don’t have the time to dedicate to racing games like I used too when there’s so many games out there I want to play!

Roonmastor wrote:I'd say do any F1 2020 car at Australia, default set up (apart from what you can change on the fly) and see how it goes from there.

Although I am pants at Australia so not gonna do well here!


I don’t think the performance of the cars is equal in time trial though (I know it is online), hence why I said about the Mercedes? As I said I’m happy for any car/track really but just thought Australia made a nice opening one!

Image
Image
Image
User avatar
Vermilion
Gnome Thief
Joined in 2018
Location: Everywhere
Contact:

PostRe: The official Formula One and General Motorsport thread for the 2021 season! Mercedes domination set to continue....?
by Vermilion » Fri Jan 08, 2021 7:36 pm

I am officially really crap at Albert Park, so it's unlikely i will have a go at the game this time.

User avatar
Neo Cortex
Member
Joined in 2008
AKA: Jamiej
Contact:

PostRe: The official Formula One and General Motorsport thread for the 2021 season! Mercedes domination set to continue....?
by Neo Cortex » Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:20 pm

I'm happy to join in with any hot lap shenanigans. Am partial to a few assists though as I'm pants otherwise.

User avatar
Robbo-92
Member
Joined in 2018
AKA: Robbo-92
Location: South Yorkshire

PostRe: The official Formula One and General Motorsport thread for the 2021 season! Mercedes domination set to continue....?
by Robbo-92 » Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:39 pm

Vermilion wrote:I am officially really crap at Albert Park, so it's unlikely i will have a go at the game this time.


Well the track/car will probably change after a couple of weeks so plenty more options to jump in on. However, I will be missing Vietnam as I despise that track :lol:

Neo Cortex wrote:I'm happy to join in with any hot lap shenanigans. Am partial to a few assists though as I'm pants otherwise.


No problems with using assists! I’m impartial to a couple myself (ABS and medium TC) these days.

Image
Image
Image
User avatar
Roonmastor
Member
Joined in 2008

PostRe: The official Formula One and General Motorsport thread for the 2021 season! Mercedes domination set to continue....?
by Roonmastor » Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:59 pm

Robbo-92 wrote:
DarkRula wrote:Very nicely put together.

I'll see how competitive I am in that hop-lapping competition, even if I won't get near the top times. Just a bit of fun, after all.


Don’t worry about being near the top, a good few years ago I was a lot better years than I could probably dream of being now, nowadays I just don’t have the time to dedicate to racing games like I used too when there’s so many games out there I want to play!

Roonmastor wrote:I'd say do any F1 2020 car at Australia, default set up (apart from what you can change on the fly) and see how it goes from there.

Although I am pants at Australia so not gonna do well here!


I don’t think the performance of the cars is equal in time trial though (I know it is online), hence why I said about the Mercedes? As I said I’m happy for any car/track really but just thought Australia made a nice opening one!


I thought it was but if not, then its a great excuse why my mate is faster in his merc vs my McLaren.

User avatar
Vermilion
Gnome Thief
Joined in 2018
Location: Everywhere
Contact:

PostRe: The official Formula One and General Motorsport thread for the 2021 season! Mercedes domination set to continue....?
by Vermilion » Sat Jan 09, 2021 7:42 am

Robbo-92 wrote:However, I will be missing Vietnam as I despise that track :lol:


I think we all do.

I think it's cancellation for this year was less about the corruption scandal, more about the FIA playing F1 2020 and realising that the track layout is shite.

User avatar
Robbo-92
Member
Joined in 2018
AKA: Robbo-92
Location: South Yorkshire

PostRe: The official Formula One and General Motorsport thread for the 2021 season! Mercedes domination set to continue....?
by Robbo-92 » Sat Jan 09, 2021 9:12 am

Vermilion wrote:
Robbo-92 wrote:However, I will be missing Vietnam as I despise that track :lol:


I think we all do.

I think it's cancellation for this year was less about the corruption scandal, more about the FIA playing F1 2020 and realising that the track layout is shite.


It’d have only taken them a couple of laps at most to realise how awful it is!

Image
Image
Image
User avatar
Victor Mildew
Member
Joined in 2009

PostRe: The official Formula One and General Motorsport thread for the 2021 season! Mercedes domination set to continue....?
by Victor Mildew » Sat Jan 09, 2021 9:45 am

Nice topic!

Count me in for hot laps. Formula 2 might be more interesting (ive not tried them in f1 2020 yet) as I find slower less grippy cars have more margin for improvement rather than having to go for .002 to get somewhere.

Hexx wrote:Ad7 is older and balder than I thought.
User avatar
Robbo-92
Member
Joined in 2018
AKA: Robbo-92
Location: South Yorkshire

PostRe: The official Formula One and General Motorsport thread for the 2021 season! Mercedes domination set to continue....?
by Robbo-92 » Sat Jan 09, 2021 10:43 am

F2 cars are a good idea too, one thing we could do is start with one of the earliest classic cars available across both versions of the game and move forwards through the years as we move through the race calendar? That way we’d get a really nice variety of cars, ending with the current crop of F2 and F1 cars for the last few tracks.

Image
Image
Image
User avatar
Saint of Killers
Member
Member
Joined in 2008

PostRe: The official Formula One and General Motorsport thread for the 2021 season! Mercedes domination set to continue....?
by Saint of Killers » Sat Jan 09, 2021 11:43 am

Filthy casual fan here. I think Sir Lewis will win again, though he's been so dominant (and all credit to him and his team for that!) that I wouldn't mind someone else winning instead of him. Thing is, his dominance clearly sticks in the craw of some of the old guard (and some of the new who aren't fit to follow him on the track. Literally and figuratively.) so knowing how much Hamilton winning will piss them off, also makes me wish he dominates again.

User avatar
Robbo-92
Member
Joined in 2018
AKA: Robbo-92
Location: South Yorkshire

PostRe: The official Formula One and General Motorsport thread for the 2021 season! Mercedes domination set to continue....?
by Robbo-92 » Sat Jan 09, 2021 12:57 pm

It certainly would be good to see someone else win but I think thats very, very unlikely for the 2021 season with how Mercedes dominated nearly all of the season and have allegedly regained the rule enforced loss in downforce already means they could start the 2021 season exactly how they started the 2020 one.

I think everyone is really hopping that Mercedes don’t dominate in 2022, I fully expect they’ll be around the sharp end of the grid but if they do nail the new regulations this could easily turn into a decade of almost pure dominance from the Mercedes team.

Image
Image
Image
User avatar
Rawrgna
Member
Joined in 2019

PostRe: The official Formula One and General Motorsport thread for the 2021 season! Mercedes domination set to continue....?
by Rawrgna » Sat Jan 09, 2021 2:33 pm

twitter.com/richenergyceo/status/1346580504963911692

so who's stupid enough to get back with Rich energy after what happened with Haas?

User avatar
Robbo-92
Member
Joined in 2018
AKA: Robbo-92
Location: South Yorkshire

PostRe: The official Formula One and General Motorsport thread for the 2021 season! Mercedes domination set to continue....?
by Robbo-92 » Sat Jan 09, 2021 2:53 pm

Sadly, probably Haas or Williams :(

Image
Image
Image
User avatar
Vermilion
Gnome Thief
Joined in 2018
Location: Everywhere
Contact:

PostRe: The official Formula One and General Motorsport thread for the 2021 season! Mercedes domination set to continue....?
by Vermilion » Sat Jan 09, 2021 3:16 pm

Had F1 still been using the old numbering system, Ferrari would have been able to use their classic 70's style 11 and 12 for 2021.

User avatar
floydfreak
Member
Joined in 2008

PostRe: The official Formula One and General Motorsport thread for the 2021 season! Mercedes domination set to continue....?
by floydfreak » Sat Jan 09, 2021 3:49 pm

twitter.com/autosport/status/1347920939913269248


User avatar
Robbo-92
Member
Joined in 2018
AKA: Robbo-92
Location: South Yorkshire

PostRe: The official Formula One and General Motorsport thread for the 2021 season! Mercedes domination set to continue....?
by Robbo-92 » Sat Jan 09, 2021 3:57 pm

I know its Covid at fault for the two delays we have so far but this is one of the downsides for Liberty Media wanting such a jam packed schedule for the year, any issues with one of the races wanting to be pushed back and it’ll be almost impossible as there just won’t be space towards the rear end of the season.

Image
Image
Image

Return to “Stuff”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Cumberdanes, Skarjo and 331 guests