Teams are preparing to reveal their 2021 contenders over the next few weeks – here’s what to expect.
This year’s Formula One season is arguably one of the least-anticipated in years. This was supposed to be the first year of the next-generation cars, but after development schedules were hit by the coronavirus pandemic, bosses agreed to delay that by one year.
It means there’s not a whole lot new for this year’s season and many are expecting Mercedes to continue to dominate as a result. But with constant evolutions and the midfield battles becoming ever-more fascinating, 2021 could surprise us yet.
McLaren were the first team to reveal its 2021 contender on February 15. Reveals are exciting because we get to see what technical changes have happened as well as seeing each team’s new livery. Here’s when to expect every team’s new race car to be revealed.
McLaren – revealed
The first team to reveal its new car could also be the team to watch next season. It has seen massive progression over the past few years and in 2020 became ‘the best of the rest’, finishing third behind Mercedes-AMG and Red Bull Racing.
This year the team will have popular young Brit Lando Norris, and he’ll be joined by the always-smiling Australian Daniel Ricciardo. This could be the year they take the fight to Red Bull.
AlphaTauri – revealed
The Red Bull sister team is a bit of a fan favourite, because it ran a fantastic livery last year and has the popular Pierre Gasly behind the wheel. He’ll be joined by rookie Yuki Tsunoda, who has shown great promise in Formula 2.
The team likely hopes to close the gap to the other midfield teams, having only finished above the three backmarkers last year.
Alfa Romeo – revealed
Alfa Romeo has close ties to Ferrari and performed even worse than its bigger brother last season. It struggled massively, scoring just eight points, putting it 99 behind the next team, AlpaTauri.
With the iconic Kimi Raikkonen on the team, there’s great potential, so it will be hoping Ferrari delivers a better engine for 2021. Antonio Giovinazzi is also racing for the Italian team this year.
Alpine – February
Renault has rebranded its F1 team to Alpine, the name of its performance arm. Aside from a new boss, not much should change behind the scenes, but fans are excited to see an all-new livery on the grid when the car is revealed some time this month.
Esteban Ocon will have a fight to prove he has what it takes, having a tough 2020 despite showing much promise. Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso is fighting to be fit after fracturing his jaw after being knocked off his bike by a car.
Mercedes-AMG – March 2
All the other teams will have to wait until March 2 to see the car that will likely be beating them in 2021. The team has won the constructor championship seven years in a row, and with the regulations almost identical to last year, you’d have to be brave or stupid to bet against them.
Finn Valtteri Bottas will be hoping to push his team-mate Lewis Hamilton a bit closer this year. The Brit is back and hoping to continue his domination, having finally put pen to paper on a one-year deal earlier this year.
Williams Racing – March 5
It’s been a sad few years for Williams, which has propped up the table in recent memory. The once-dominant team will be hoping to challenge the midfield pack now it’s under new ownership, but there’s a massive gap to bridge.
With George Russell they have a fighting chance. The Brit is considered the next big thing and Hamilton’s natural successor, but he needs a decent car to compete. He’s joined again by Nicholas Latifi, who’s quietly impressing at the back of the pack.
Ferrari – March 10
Last year was a season to forget for Ferrari, with the team falling to sixth in the constructor standings. An unceremonious split with legendary driver Sebastian Vettel didn’t help the mood in the camp, either.
For this season, they’ll be hoping to have put their gremlins behind them, with bosses bullish about their new car being much improved. They will have upcoming superstar Charles Leclerc back behind the wheel, with highly-rated Carlos Sainz joining from McLaren.
Aston Martin – March
Racing Point has been rebranded Aston Martin for this season, after its owner bought the British car maker last year. The team is planning to be competitive from day one, taking over from a team that pushed McLaren to be best of the rest until the very end of the season.
It’s also fascinating to see how Sebastian Vettel fares at the team. The German has won multiple titles and is considered one of the best of this generation, but lost form and confidence in his final years at Ferrari. He’s joined by team owner’s son Lance Stroll.
Red Bull – revealed
Will Red Bull take the fight directly to Mercedes this year?
It has a great chance with Max Verstappen at the wheel, widely considered the only driver close to Hamilton’s talents. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez has been brought in to replace struggling Alex Albon. He’ll be hoping to prove himself in a top car.
Haas – ?
The American team has not announced its new car reveal which will likely be one of the last. It has an all-new driver line-up this year, using two rookies, one being Mick Schumacher, the son of seven-time champion Michael Schumacher.
However, its second rookie, Nikita Mazepin, caused outrage after a video was uploaded to social media showing him groping a girl in a car. Fans have called for him to be sacked, but his family bring mega money to the Haas team, putting them in a tough spot.
They’ve decided to keep him on and deal with the incident internally, but every social media post the team uploads is bombarded by people angry he’s kept his job. Expect the car reveal to be a low-key affair, then.
