With the 2021 Formula One season on the horizon, we bring you the ultimate guide to the upcoming campaign.
Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton are bidding for eighth constructor and driver titles but with new aerodynamic rules shaking up the grid in pre-season testing, 2021 looks set to be their toughest yet.
This season also sees the returns of various Grands Prix plus Saudi Arabia debut on top of several driver and team changes.
We have therefore rounded up everything that you must know ahead of the new season, kicking off with a guide to the teams and drivers.
Team and Drivers
| Team | Driver | Number |
| Mercedes | Lewis Hamilton | 44 |
| Valtteri Bottas | 77 | |
| Red Bull | 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 | 55 | |
| AlphaTauri | 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 |
Driver Changes
- Sergio Perez replaces Alex Albon at Red Bull following his release from Aston Martin, with Albon demoted to reserve driver role.
- Sebastian Vettel joins Aston Martin this season after his departure from Ferrari, with his seat at the latter being taken by Carlos Sainz who moves from McLaren.
- Daniel Ricciardo departed Renault to move to McLaren and replace Sainz.
- Fernando Alonso returns to F1 with Alpine after a two-season sabbatical as he replaces Ricciardo.
- AlphaTauri released Daniil Kvyat at end of 2020 with the Russian joining Alpine as their reserve driver. Yuki Tsunoda graduates from Carlin in F2 to replace the Russian at AlphaTauri.
- Haas released Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen at end of last season, as Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin graduate from F2 in an all-rookie line-up.
Team Changes
- Racing Point has rebranded to Aston Martin after Lawrence Stroll brought a major stake in Aston Martin in early 2020.
- Renault have rebranded as Alpine F1 after a merger between Renault Sport Cars and Renault Sport Racing.
Rule Changes
Financial Regulations
- This season sees F1 introduce a budget cap of $145m which will drop to $140m for next season before freezing at $135m between 2023-25 seasons.
- From this season, there is an increase in year-end bonus exclusion cap to $12m for exceptional sporting results.
Technical Regulations
- Teams are limited this season in changing components especially to chassis, gearbox and various mechanical parts, although tokens can be exchanged for upgrades to front & rear wings plus power units.
- Aerodynamics on the car’s floor has been reduced in 2021 with a 100mm move inwards ahead of the rear tyre, instead of running in a straight line which will reduce downforce levels by 5%.
- Mercedes’ Dual-Axis Steering system (DAS) which was first introduced in 2020 is banned from 2021 onwards. DAS allowed drivers to adjust the toe of front wheels to optimise mechanical grip by pulling or pushing their steering wheel.
Sporting Regulations
- Teams must replace one of their race drivers with a driver who has raced in fewer than two Grands Prix in at least two Friday Practice sessions throughout course of this season, in order to give young drivers time in a F1 car.
- Following Mercedes’ tyre blunder in 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, drivers using mixed tyre compounds or tyres allocated for teammate now have two laps to pit and correct the error before facing a penalty, instead of potential instant disqualification.
- Race time limit for red flagged races has been reduced from four to three hours.
- Friday Practice sessions have been reduced to 60 minutes this season, in a change from the traditional 90 minutes which was introduced in 2007.
- In event of a wet FP1, teams can be instructed to conduct tyre testing in FP2 if necessary in order to approve a new tyre specification by Pirelli.
- Parc-Ferme conditions will now begin from FP3 rather than Qualifying in order to try and reduce in-season development, with teams forced to either run test upgrades on Fridays only or commit to the parts for the entire weekend.
2021 Calendar
| Grand Prix | Circuit | Dates |
| Bahrain | Sakhir | 26-28 March |
| Emilia Rogma | Imola | 16-18 April |
| Portugese | Portimao | 30 April – 2 May |
| Spanish | Circuit de Catalunya | 7-9 May |
| Monaco | Circuit de Monaco | 20-23 May |
| Azerbaijan | Baku City Circuit | 4-6 June |
| Canadian | Circuit Gilles Villeneuve | 11-13 June |
| French | Circuit Paul Ricard | 25-27 June |
| Austrian | Red Bull Ring | 2-4 July |
| British | Silverstone | 16-18 July |
| Hungarian | Hungaroring | 30 July – 1 August |
| Belgian | Circuit Spa Francorchamps | 27-29 August |
| Dutch | Zandvoort | 3-5 September |
| Italian | Monza | 10-12 September |
| Russian | Sochi Autodrom | 24-26 September |
| Singapore | Marina Bay Street Circuit | 1-3 October |
| Japanese | Suzuka | 8-10 October |
| USA | Circuit of the Americas | 22-24 October |
| Mexico | Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez | 29-31 October |
| Brazil | Interlagos | 5-7 November |
| Australia | Albert Park | 18-21 November |
| Saudi Arabia | Jeddah Street Circuit | 3-5 December |
| Abu Dhabi | Yas Marina Circuit | 10-12 December |
- Monaco, Azerbaijan, Canadian, French, Singapore, Japanese, USA, Mexico, Brazil and Australian Grands Prix return after an enforced absence in 2020 due to Coronavirus pandemic.
- Dutch Grand Prix returns at Zandvoort for the first time since 1985 after a 36 year absence.
- Saudi Arabia will host a F1 Grand Prix for the very first time on a street circuit in Jeddah.
- Emilia Romagna and Portugese Grands Prix return after initially featuring as one-off races on last season’s revised calendar.
Three Key Themes
Can Hamilton Clinch His Eighth Title?
Having secured his record-equalling seventh title in Turkey last season, Hamilton faces the ultimate challenge as he now goes for an all-out record eighth crown.
Mercedes however encountered a series of issues throughout pre-season testing in Bahrain from gearbox issues to rear instability, which left the Brit 1.065s off the pace come the end of the three-day test.
Hamilton thereafter admitted that there is work to do, saying: ““I can’t pick out any one area, it just feels globally through the lap that we need to improve.”
The season-opener back in Bahrain therefore will be hugely important in confirming whether Mercedes’ issues are genuine or whether they’re just bluffing as they’ve done in recent pre-seasons before storming the regular season.
Verstappen vs Perez
Having both impressed throughout 2020, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez look set to be the biggest talking point in 2021 as they not only look to end Mercedes’ dominance but also push each other for the title as Perez moves to Red Bull.
Although it is easy to put most of focus on their race consistency as being where the main battle lies, we shouldn’t underestimate the qualifying battle too given how dominant both were over their teammates in 2020 on single lap pace at an average of one second.
Perez is also currently only on a one-year contract with an option to extend for 2022 and having had to wait a decade for this opportunity in a big team, he will be eager to deliver and show why he deserves a top seat as this is his best shot at multiple wins and a title.
Verstappen however looks the man to beat after a strong pre-season in which he was fastest on two of three days, so we are tipping fireworks at Red Bull in what looks the strongest pairing since Verstappen and Ricciardo in 2018.
Who Will Impress Amongst Rookies?
This season sees three rookie drivers look to impress as they step up from F2 as Yuki Tsunoda graduates to AlphaTauri, whilst F2 champion – Mick Schumacher joins Haas in an all-rookie lineup alongside the controversial Nikita Mazepin.
With AlphaTauri boasting a race-winning teammate in Pierre Gasly for Tsunoda, the Japanese youngster will be looking to build on a promising pre-season and take the fight to Gasly in the battle for a potential Red Bull promotion next season.
Haas meanwhile have already confirmed plans to focus solely on 2022’s car, meaning that Schumacher and Mazepin are set for a tough season with an underdeveloped car which places focus on their ability to maximise any opportunities that fall their way.
Schumacher however still has doubters after edging fellow Ferrari junior, Callum Ilott out for the F2 title last season without registering one pole position, whereas Mazepin’s craziness on and off track has attracted criticism in regards to his seat.
2021 therefore is going to be quite interesting amongst the rookies to see who impresses most and proves doubters wrong, given varying levels of pressure on all three drivers.