Aston Martin's first Formula 1 car in six decades will be called the AMR21, according to a teaser video posted by the F1 team on Wednesday.

The name for the 2021 car, which will be launched on March 3, is a departure from the 1960 DBR5 car that was named after then-team owner David Brown.

Previously known as Racing Point, the team say work began on the AMR21 back in August 2020, with 50% of the 2020 Racing Point's DNA carried over to this machine. Aston Martin will also carry over sponsor BWT from their Racing Point days - though not as title sponsor, with American IT firm Cognizant taking up that role.

Technical director Andrew Green explained that despite the large carry over of parts from last year's car to this, considerable work has still been done on the 2021 car's aerodynamics. "All the aero components are designed by the aerodynamics team using Catia CAD. These models are then imported into CFD [computational fluid dynamics], processed, and the results analysed," he said.

“We, as a team, develop the CFD too, so ultimately, it’s only as good as we can make it. It is highly optimised to work with Formula 1 cars and, as it develops, it becomes increasingly powerful."

The team's production director Bob Halliwell added that Aston Martin are motivated to continually improve their car thanks to the new branding and investment.

"I think it [Aston Martin's arrival] made everybody up their game and their attention to detail, that desire to always improve,” he said. “We're taking on more technical people to enable us to build up and develop in all areas across the business, but in a controlled way.

“Having Aston Martin behind us is enabling us to move forward and get these things put in place. It has been a big change for us and it's very exciting."

Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel and Canadian Lance Stroll will take the wheel of the AMR21 this season, with work already under way on upgrades and the team's 2022 car as of January.

Williams are reportedly set to become a customer and junior team of Alpine from the start of the 2022 season.

Alpine, the team formerly known as Renault, head into the 2021 campaign with no partnerships with other teams on the grid following McLaren’s decision to use Mercedes engines.

This means that, unlike Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari, they don’t have a team that they can put their academy drivers – Oscar Piastri, Guanyu Zhou and Christian Lundgaard – with to get them into Formula 1.

Academy director Mia Sharizman has previously stated that they were looking into doing so, but didn’t believe they necessarily had to supply a team with an engine in order to.

“It is something that we have identified, ways and means to ultimately get the drivers to our seat,” Sharizman is quoted by Autosport.

“Without a power unit supply or without any connections, there can still be a collaboration between other teams. I won’t divulge too much into it.

“But having said that, we focus on what we have, we focus on the two race seats that we have, the academy that we have, and the tools that we have.

“Obviously, going into our team is the priority. But we believe that there is still room for collaboration with other teams, irrespective of the power unit supply.”

However, there were reports from Motorsport.com earlier in February that stated that after discussions with Alfa Romeo broke down, contact had been made with Williams regarding such a partnership.

Italian publication La Gazzetta Dello Sport has now claimed that, with CEO Luca de Meo believing it necessary, a deal has been reached between the two parties.

“The ambitions are great and it is very clear to De Meo, as well as to anyone who understands motorsport, that as long as Alpine is on its own, it will not be able to compete on equal terms with Mercedes, which has three customers (McLaren, Aston Martin, Williams), with Ferrari (Alfa Romeo and Haas) and with Honda (Red Bull and Alpha Tauri),” the paper said.

Reportedly, the partnership will consist of Alpine supplying Williams with engines from 2022 and in return, the British will become a customer outfit, providing seats for whoever junior drivers Alpine want to promote to the grid.

In January, Williams announced that they would be increasing their technical partnership with Mercedes from the 2022 season, with gearboxes and other parts being transferred. If a deal with Alpine has indeed been struck, such a partnership will have to end.

Pirelli has confirmed details of its testing schedule for the new 18-inch tyres which are being introduced for the 2022 F1 season.



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Nine of Formula 1’s 10 teams are scheduled to participate in the tests, the first of which were held last week at Jerez. Ferrari conducted three days of testing for Pirelli at the former home of the Spanish Grand Prix with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jnr driving.

Ferrari will do two more days of testing for Pirelli over the remainder of 2021. All of their rivals bar Williams are also scheduled to run mule cars to assist F1’s official tyre supplier in developing its new rubber for next year.Like Ferrari, Mercedes and Alpine will do a total of five days each. The tests will take place across nine different circuits, all bar two of which are due to hold rounds on the 2021 F1 calendar.

In a deal announced on Tuesday, F1 says that Ferrari Trento has been named as the official Sparkling Wine of F1 in a partnership that will last for the next three years.

Bottles of the Italian company's beverage will be used on the podiums after each race and its products will be available in F1's Paddock Club and other official venues.

It is not the first time that Ferrari Trento wine has featured on the podium with its products having been used on the podium at the Italian Grand Prix in the past.

Simone Mase, General Manager of the Lunelli Group, said: "In [1981] we were on the podium of the Monza grand prix, so we have beautiful pictures from then with great champions. They have already tasted Ferrari, but now we are partners and we cannot wait to be there."

While F1's podium ceremony has traditionally used champagne, it has not been used exclusively throughout its history.

After several decades of using Moet and Mumm champagne after races, sparkling wine producer Chandon was used on the podium from the start of 2016.

However, midway through the 2017 season, F1 announced an official tie-up with champagne producer Carbon.

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said he had no qualms about the sport breaking with tradition and committing to a new sparkling wine deal over champagne.

Asked why the sport had decided on the switch, he said: "The answer is very simple: it is the quality of the product and the quality of the company that comes first. This is the reason why our relationship has developed.

"Beyond technical words, Italian sparkling wines will have the chance to be greatly appreciated and F1 is the right platform to make sure people can appreciate the quality of Ferrari Trento.

"Of course, champagne has always represented something that is always synonymous with quality, so I am sure F1 will let the entire world know about Ferrari Trento."

Domenicali hoped that the Ferrari Trento deal could open the doors for the sport trying out something different with the podium ceremonies in the future too.

Recently, F1 has experimented with using GoPro cameras on the champagne bottles to try to offer a unique view of the podium ceremonies as they happened.

"I want to make sure that with Ferrari Trento, being such an exceptional Italian product, I would like this celebration to be somehow different," he said.

With alcohol not used on the podium for the races in the Middle East, the first podium that will feature Ferrari Trento will be the Imola race in April.

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said he had no qualms about the sport breaking with tradition and committing to a new sparkling wine deal over champagne.

Asked why the sport had decided on the switch, he said: "The answer is very simple: it is the quality of the product and the quality of the company that comes first they offered us more money. This is the reason why our relationship has developed.

Davide Brivio admits it was “not easy” to leave Suzuki’s MotoGP team to become Alpine’s new racing director, but says he would have regretted passing up the “dream” opportunity to work in Formula 1.

After leading Suzuki to its first MotoGP title since 2000 last year as Joan Mir clinched the riders’ crown, Brivio has traded two wheels for four by joining the rebranded Alpine squad as its new racing director amid an organisational restructuring within the team ahead of the upcoming 2021 F1 season.

Speaking at Alpine’s launch of its new A521 car, the Italian explained the thinking behind his decision to quit MotoGP for F1, saying he did not feel it was an opportunity he could pass up.

“Of course it was not easy to leave my old team, an environment that I knew very well,” Brivio said.

“Formula 1 has been for me a dream for a long time and it’s very exciting for me to start something completely new, to get into a new environment.

“Of course I have a lot to learn, a lot to understand but it’s adrenaline for me, it’s oxygen to get to work and to learn a lot of things. It was an opportunity which I felt I had to take, probably I would have regretted if I didn’t take.

"So now here I am and I will try to do my best. I hope I can contribute to the Alpine F1 Team with my experience. It won’t be easy and I need some time, but I am fully committed to get involved as best as I can as soon as possible."

Brivio will effectively split the traditional F1 team principal role with executive director Marcin Budkowski following the departure of former Renault F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul.“I will be in charge of the track operations, track activity so everything that happens on the circuit,” he explained. “Basically our job as a race team is to exploit the full potential of the car.

“It’s a big pressure and a big responsibility because we have over 1000 people between Enstone and Viry, preparing the chassis, the car and the power unit, and our job - we will be a much limited number of people at the race track - but there is where we have to extract the full potential of the car. So I will be in charge of that.

“Of course I’m not an engineer but I have to make sure that the engineers, the drivers, all the people involved, they have all they need to perform at the very best. In this way, if we are able to have a strong team - which is already in place - we will be able to extract the full potential of the car.

“So that is the job, to go to the circuit, to go around the world, and try to get out the best of what the guys have prepared at home. So we have big responsibility and big pressure because we have to give a value to their job.”

Asked whether he feels it is harder transitioning from MotoGP to F1 or vice-versa, Brivio replied: “I don’t know, I will tell you in maybe one years time!

“In this moment I think it’s probably harder for MotoGP to go to Formula 1. Because F1 is a bigger organisation, it’s more complex, and many more people.

"I think it’s a little more complex, so that is good news for me (laughs). But let’s see. I feel a lot of similarities with teamwork, drivers that are similar in attitude and willing as the riders. It’s much more complex in terms of technicality so many more parameters and more problems, aerodynamics.

“This is a more technical job. In terms of putting the team together, trying to strengthen the group I think there are similarities. There is no doubt that Formula 1 is more complex than MotoGP, but they both have similarities I think.”

Reuters

Porsche and the Volkswagen Group would consider entering Formula One if the next engine regulations due to be introduced in 2025 promote sustainable fuels, the BBC reported on Wednesday.

The broadcaster quoted Porsche Motorsport vice-president Fritz Enzinger as saying it would be "of great interest if aspects of sustainability -- for instance, the implementation of e-fuels" played a role.

"Should these aspects be confirmed, we will evaluate them in detail within the VW Group and discuss further steps," he said.

"Porsche and Volkswagen AG are observing the constantly changing regulations in all relevant racing series around the world.

"This is also the case with regard to the emerging new engine and drivetrain regulation for Formula One from 2025."

Formula One's governing body, the FIA, last year delivered the first barrels of 100% sustainable fuel made from bio-waste to engine manufacturers for testing and validation.

It said the aim was a mandatory requirement of 100% sustainable fuels in F1, which has target of being a net zero carbon sport by 2030.

"Our top sustainability priority now is building a roadmap for the hybrid engine that reduces emissions and has a real world benefit for road cars," managing director for motorsport Ross Brawn said in December.

"We believe we have the opportunity to do that with a next generation engine that combines hybrid technology with sustainable fuels."

Formula One's new chief executive Stefano Domenicali, a former head of Volkswagen-owned Lamborghini, said in January that the sport was in discussions with manufacturers not currently involved.

"For the moment, they prefer to stay still quiet, but the good news is that there are other...companies, very important companies, that are really keen to understand what is the value that they can bring home using the F1 platform," he said.

Williams have unveiled their new car for 2021, with the iconic British squad saying the all-new livery for the FW43B "captures the spirit of the team’s past".

After more than 40 years under the stewardship of founder Sir Frank Williams, the team was sold last year to investment firm Dorilton Capital, who are now embarking on their first full season in charge.

But the new owners are in no hurry to move on from the team's hugely successful past when it comes to the look of the FW43B, which, as per the regulations brought in to help teams cope with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, will carry over a lot of parts from last year's FW43.

"The team’s new look captures the spirit of the team’s past, the present transformation and its drive to future ambitions as it heads into its first full season of ownership under Dorilton Capital," the team said in a statement on Friday.

"Whilst evolutionary on the technical side due to the regulations, hence the designation FW43B as opposed to the FW44, the 2021 car will race with a dramatic new visual identity sporting a livery inspired by Williams’ all-conquering cars of the 1980s and 1990s, combining blues, white and yellow accents."

Speaking for the first time as CEO of Williams Racing, Jost Capito said: “Williams Racing is a sporting icon, and a team that has forged a reputation of success through sheer determination and grit intertwined with innovation, passionate and skilful race-craft and an absolute desire to win.

"Highs and lows are typical in any long-established sporting brand’s journey and historic success can be a strong motivator, but it cannot be relied upon to define future success in the modern era of Formula One.

“Therefore, we have created a fresh new livery for the 2021 car; one that acknowledges our incredible past and retains the spirit, drive and motivation that remains at the core of Williams’ DNA yet looks to the future and signposts our long-term ambition to return to the front of the grid.

"Whilst we are just starting out on this journey and there is still a lot of work to do, we are happy to see momentum in the right direction and look forward to continuing that progress on track this season.”

The new car – which has already completed a shakedown run at Silverstone – will be raced again this season by British driver George Russell and Canadian Nicholas Latifi.

Simon Roberts, who took over as Team Principal, initially on an interim basis following the departure of Sir Frank and Claire Williams last year, will continue in that role this year, while former Williams driver and 2009 World Champion Jenson Button has also rejoined the team as a Senior Advisor.

Williams announced earlier this week that Jack Aitken – who made his F1 debut in last year's Sakhir Grand Prix while standing in for Russell, who in turn was subbing in for Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes – is being retained as reserve driver, while W Series racer Jamie Chadwick is also being kept on in a development role.