2021 GRID GUIDE
THE cars are largely carried over from last year, but there have been a lot of changes to the F1 grid over the winter: Pérez to Red Bull, Vettel to Aston Martin, Alonso to Alpine, Ricciardo to McLaren, Sainz to Ferrari – and Michael Schumacher’s son Mick making his debut with Haas. So there are plenty of drivers with plenty to prove when the lights finally go out in Bahrain on 26 March.
Mercedes
@MercedesAMGF1
44
Lewis Hamilton
Races 266 Wins 95
Titles 7 Last year 1st
Age 36
@LewisHamilton
2021 Objective: Anything less than an eighth title will be a disappointment for the Briton. The question is, will he keep going into F1’s new era in 2022?
77
Valtteri Bottas
Races 157 Wins 9
Titles 0 Last year 2nd
Age 31
@ValtteriBottas
2021 Objective: Given the car, Bottas’s only target can be the title – but that’s been the case for a few years and he hasn’t done it. Now, George Russell waits in the wings.
Engine Mercedes Races 227
Wins 115 Titles 7 Last year 1st
HAVEN’T we heard this before? Mercedes has struggled in testing, Red Bull/Ferrari (delete as appropriate) has looked strong, this could be the year the champions drop the ball…
Yet the Brackley squad was dealing with several major issues: gearbox woes, then an unstable rear end and simply slower pace
