1 Racing Mind: 2020 Formula 1 Year In Review

Photo Credit: LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd

 

A year many of us are pleased to have in the rearview mirror, 2020 presented some unprecedented challenges as we pursued (and continue to pursue) a manner to globally battle COVID-19 while attempting to maintain as much normality as possible. As a series intended to transverse across five of the Earth’s seven continents, the 2020 Formula 1 championship needed to be greatly shuffled their travel schedule in order to provide an entertaining 17-round season. 

Operating under the improvised, abbreviated calendar, this past year’s Formula 1 competition was held with some complications but ultimately concluded as a season of note. For the seventh-time in his career, the recently-knighted Sir Lewis Hamilton claimed the World Drivers’ Championship winning 11 of the 2020 season’s 17 grand prix events. Although the dominance of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team fielding drivers Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas spent another season at the front of the majority of the time, there were a number of impressive feats performed throughout the 2020 Formula 1 paddock. The surprise win of Pierre Gasly at the Italian Grand Prix, Sergio Perez's long-awaited first victory and a re-ignition of the Mexican's career, Canadian Lance Stroll's first pole on a wet Intercity Istanbul Park circuit for the Turkish Grand Prix and the one-off showcase of George Russell at the Sakhir Grand Prix were so of the bright spots defining a sport's 70th Anniversary season.   

As teams and drivers prepare for what will be a challenging 2021 tour, 1 Racing Mind wishes to shed light on their performances in the past year’s 17-race calendar. In addition to grading the team and their driver lineup during the 2020 Formula 1 season for the following race squads, this review will also contain detailed highlights:

     

Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team

Red Bull Racing

McLaren Racing

BWT Racing Point F1 Team

Renault DP World F1 Team

Scuderia Ferrari

Scuderia AlphaTauri

Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen

Haas F1 Team 

Williams Racing

1 Racing Mind’s Formula 1 Season Ending Team Report Card: Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team

Photo Credit: Steve Etherington for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.

Team Grade: A

Overall: 

In a narrative that has grown impressive and tiresome at the same time depending on fan allegiances, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team captured the 2020 Formula 1 World Constructors’ Championship handily as drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas combined to net victories in 13 of 17 grand prix events. Throughout the 2020 season, the organization’s drivers, staff and leadership were seen as a dynasty in the sport where they have won seven consecutive team titles. The Mercedes-AMG F1 W11 EQ Performance race car demonstrated itself to be the latest in some finely-tuned and engineered Formula 1 challengers from the squad. Only one retirement was recorded for this year’s Mercedes-AMG racer with a power unit failure on Valtteri Bottas’ car during the Eifel Grand Prix.

Achievements During 2020 Season: 

It’s hard to pinpoint a specific moment in the entire season that stands off beyond the others for showing the greatness for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. Winning 13 races in 2020, the Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 team finished first and second a total of five times with Lewis Hamilton taking the top spot on every occasion. In the Tuscan, Portuguese and Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the team also scored the pole and fastest lap of the event either with Hamilton or Valtteri Bottas.

Shortcomings During 2020 Season: 

Although Mercedes-AMG rolled to what could easily be assessed as another dominant title defence in 2020, this season was not flawless. Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas both suffered from massive tire degradation at the end of the British Grand Prix though Hamilton still crossed the finish line first at Silverstone on only three inflated Pirelli tires. However, tires were also the source of what could be the biggest team blunder of the season at the Sakhir Grand Prix. During a safety car period, the Mercedes-AMG team decided to pit both cars (the #77 of Valtteri Bottas and the #63 being raced by George Russell in a one-off appearance) for tires but mistakenly mixed up the set installed on Russell’s car. With some of Bottas’ tires going on Russell’s vehicle, the #63 needed to return to pit road to correct the matter while the #77 finished the race on used tires.   

Team's Drivers:

#44 Lewis Hamilton: A

Photo Credit: LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd

Overall Season:

 Although Lewis Hamilton has been the face of Formula 1 almost every year since 2014, the 2020 season gave the British driver a reason to be seen as a true motorsport legend. 

Despite the schedule shortened to just 17 races, Hamilton tied a personal record for wins in a single season with 11 victories. Competing since 2007, Lewis Hamilton passed and/or prepared to set records in the series including a quest for Michael Schumacher’s 91 career all-time victory tally. Hamilton tied the mark in at the Eifel Grand Prix held on German’s Nurburgring (receiving a Michael Schumacher race helmet from the past legend’s son Mick) and took sole ownership as the winningest Formula 1 driver at the Portuguese Grand Prix. With his last race of the 2020 coming at the Bahrain Grand Prix, Hamilton currently holds 95 career grand prix victories. In the year that the driver claimed his seventh world championship, he was also recognized outside of the cockpit of his Mercedes-AMG race car for social activism throughout the season. Lewis Hamilton’s successful 2020 campaign was accomplished in just 16 races due to sitting out the penultimate round due to a positive COVID-19 test.

Achievements During 2020 Season: 

With Lewis Hamilton finishing first in 11 races in 2020, there could be at least 11 occasions to cite as the best single grand prix performance for the year. Winning the British Grand Prix while running the final lap on a flat tire is certainly going down as one of the most bizarre Formula 1 victories in his career (in addition, most of Formula 1 history). Hamilton also had three percent races (win, pole and fastest laps) in the Hungarian, Tuscan and Portuguese Grand Prix.

The Turkish Grand Prix might be one of the most impressive race efforts of the season starting sixth and eventually mastering the wet Intercity Istanbul Park circuit. Despite an early struggle, Hamilton recovered and emerged with his dominating style with wet tires changed to intermediate tires. At the end of 58 laps, the #44 Mercedes-AMG race car crossed the line 31.6 seconds ahead of second place Sergio Perez.

Shortcomings During 2020 Season:  

In the 16 races he ran in 2020, Lewis Hamilton finished no lower than seventh place. That result came at the Italian Grand Prix after a penalty when he and his Mercedes-AMG pitted when the pit road was closed during a safety car period. Arguably losing the race due to the miscue in Italy, Hamilton’s next race in Russia also contained another rare mistake with the #44 Mercedes-AMG car. Practice starts conducted by Lewis Hamilton at the beginning of the Russian Grand Prix led race stewards to levy a pair of 5-second penalties. Hamilton also lost second place due to a penalty in the opening event in Austria after being found at-fault for making contact with Red Bull Racing driver Alexander Albon.

#77 Valtteri Bottas: B

Photo Credit: LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd

Overall Season: 

Entering Formula 1 in 2013 with Williams Racing, Valtteri Bottas joined the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team in 2017 chosen to fill the driver's seat vacated by Nico Rosberg who retired as the 2016 drivers' champion. Participating with the Mercedes-AMG team for the fourth consecutive season, Bottas is a frequent front-runner. 

During the 17-race 2020 Formula 1 tour, the driver of the #77 Mercedes-AMG race car stood at the top spot on the podium after two grand prix events. In addition to the two wins, Bottas finished in the top-three on 11 occasions.  

However, with Hamilton being Bottas’ teammate at Mercedes-AMG, his entire Formula 1 season campaign since 2017 has been measured against an awe-inspiring benchmark. Achieving some great performance in 2020, Bottas has also been less consistent than his teammate.

Achievements During 2020 Season: 

For the second consecutive year, Finland’s Valtteri Bottas secured the place of placing “Best of the Rest” in Formula 1 behind Lewis Hamilton.

Two of Bottas' 11 podium results included victories at the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix and the Russian Grand Prix. For the Austrian Grand Prix held on the Red Bull Ring circuit, the Finnish driver piloted his #77 car to the pole position on Saturday and commanded Sunday's 71-lap main every leading from start to finish. His victory on the Sochi Autodrom came in a race where pole-sitting teammate Lewis Hamilton made a costly error before the start of the event. Bottas' win at the Russian Grand Prix also consisted of him scoring the extra championship point for scoring the fastest lap.

Valtteri Bottas’ second place finish in the drivers’ points standings were locked up on at the season finale in Abu Dhabi maintaining a 9-point advantage over Max Verstappen. 

Shortcomings During 2020 Season:  

Although Valtteri Bottas has been able to maintain his position as being the second-best driver on the Formula 1 grid supported by the 2020 drivers' standings. However, one of the downsides is that the points differential between the first and second place drivers in the Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship this past season was 124 points. Certainly racing against the greatest driver of a generation is daunting but the gap between Mercedes-AMG pilots does spawn questions.  

Valtteri Bottas’ Achilles Heel throughout the 2020 Formula 1 season has come at the start of races on Sunday. On more than one occasion, the Finnish driver would lose multiple positions within the first lap of a grand prix. One of the first instances of a poor start by Bottas occurred at the Hungarian Grand Prix where the pilot of the #77 Mercedes-AMG race car mentioned reacting to the wrong light in his cockpit disturbing his race start. 

#63 George Russell (Round 16): A

Photo Credit: Steve Etherington for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.

Overall Season: 

The #63 rode only once on a Mercedes-AMG race car this Formula 1 season but made a massive impact on the tour. Williams Racing regular driver George Russell was called over to the German factory squad when Lewis Hamilton was sidelined due to a positive COVID-19 test. While Russell’s major triumphs for most of the 2020 season has been cracking Q2 in his Williams race car, the Sakhir Grand Prix presented the Brit the opportunity to take pole position coming short by just 0.026 seconds from the top time set by Valtteri Bottas. Qualifying and the race showcased the driver’s ability to be a formidable competitor.  

Achievements During 2020 Season: 

The Sakhir Grand Prix was a remarkable performance for George Russell as a driver. Not only did Russell maintain a steady pace throughout his weekend substituting for Lewis Hamilton but was in position to capture a surprise victory running strong as the race reached two-thirds distance. The chance to win in one of the greatest drives in the Brit’s career was foiled by an uncharacteristic mistake made by the Mercedes-AMG crew. Also overcoming a tire puncture late in the Sakhir Grand Prix, George Russell achieved a career-best Formula 1 finish of ninth place while also gaining credit (as well as the extra race point) for setting the fastest lap of the event.  

Shortcomings During 2020 Season: 

George Russell’s outing with Mercedes-AMG has been both a massive achievement and disappointment as a stellar driving performance fell victim to misfortune. 

 

1 Racing Mind’s Formula 1 Season Ending Team Report Card: Red Bull Racing

Photo Credit: Andy Hone/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

Team Grade: B+

Overall Season: 

Although Red Bull Racing has lost its dominant position in the Formula 1 tour in 2014 with the arrival of the turbo/hybrid powerplant format, the colourful race cars fielded by the Austrian energy drink company has maintained a place as a top-three team. For the 2020 season, Red Bull Racing entered its second year using Honda-supplied power unit installed in their RB16 chassis. While the team drivers mentioned handling complications with the vehicle at the Hungarian Grand Prix, the race car performed well overall.

In the hands of Max Verstappen, the #33 RB16 race car was a formidable entrant seen as being one of the few competitors capable of nearly matching the pace of the Mercedes-AMG race cars evident by three fastest race laps, two grand prix wins and a pole. Red Bull Racing’s second driver Alexander Albon encountered a less consistent outing in the #23 machine as he navigated his first full season with the team. Albon did manage to stage some noteworthy runs in 2020 including his first career Formula 1 podium. Deservingly, Red Bull Racing finished second in the Formula 1 World Constructors’ Championship after the year wrapped.

Achievements During 2020 Season:

With two race wins in the 2020 Formula 1 campaign, Red Bull Racing’s top triumphs in the season were actually more impressive that just claiming the top podium positions. Max Verstappen’s victories at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix and the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix were the direct result of Red Bull Racing outfoxing the German factory team on race day with an advantage. The first victory of the year at the Silverstone Circuit saw Red Bull Racing exploit a weakness with the Mercedes-AMG cars’ ability to manage tire wear. At the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Verstappen finally ended up on the best side of a qualifying fight with Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. Following a great start, the Dutch driver’s second win for Red Bull Racing appeared to be better suited to the Yas Marina Circuit.

Scoring a total of 14 podium finishes between both drivers in 2020, the Bahrain Grand Prix served as the team’s best overall result. Aided by Sergio Perez’s late race retirement, Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon snagged podium finishes behind grand prix winner Lewis Hamilton. The double podium result for Red Bull Racing in the third-to-last event in 2020 was the first for the team since the 2017 Japanese Grand Prix.

Beyond the accomplishments of the drivers, Red Bull Racing’s unsung garage crew staged one of the most breathtaking exhibitions at the Hungarian Grand Prix before the race started. During the formation lap for Formula 1 cars on a wet Hungaroring race track, Max Verstappen’s and his vehicle on intermediate tires slid wide in turn 12. Impacting the safety barrier resulting in damage to the left front suspension and front wing, the #33 car was quickly attended to by the Red Bull Racing mechanics. A grateful Verstappen was able to finish second in the event thanks to his crew’s efforts. 

Shortcomings During 2020 Season: 

Assembling a 2020 season that saw them functioning as the only viable challenger to Mercedes-AMG, Red Bull Racing ended the year as the second-best outfit. Most of the times outright beaten by the German automaker’s Formula 1 team, there were occasions where opportunities for better results slipped away. Despite finishing in the runner-up position in the Formula 1 World Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull Racing failed to score points in three grand prix events. McLaren, Racing Point and Renault only had one race apiece where neither vehicle finished in the top 10. Several mechanical problems and Max Verstappen’s unlucky involvement in an opening lap of the Sakhir Grand Prix proved costly.

Red Bull Racing has been spoiled by their wealth of grand prix talent that existed within their Scuderia Toro Rosso affiliate team. Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo all followed a route from the so-called ‘junior team’ to Red Bull Racing. In the past two seasons, the Austrian-based team has fielded two entries with noticeably varying consistency. While the #33 Verstappen car was a stable frontrunner, the second drivers have been seen as underachievers. Dropping Pierre Gasly in the middle of the 2019 season, Red Bull Racing put Thailand driver Alexander Albon behind the wheel for the remainder of last year and the full season in 2020. Albon has encountered much of the same obstacles of Gasly with Red Bull Racing. Receiving a new race engineers ahead of the British Grand Prix, the Thai Red Bull Racing pilot eventually gain two podiums but his performance remained uneven.

Team's Drivers: 

#33 Max Verstappen: A-

Photo Credit: Mark Sutton/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

Overall Season: 

When the Dutch driver joined Red Bull Racing in the fifth round of the 2016 season, it was clear to the motorsport world the name Max Verstappen would become a spotlight athlete. In his sixth full season in Formula 1, Max Verstappen maintains a fierce level of aggression on the race track but continues to assert an attitude that some could call abrasive at times. 

The Dutch driver led the charge for the Red Bull squad in 2020 and was ultimately seen as ‘the best of the rest’ compared to the dominating performance of the two Mercedes-AMG team competitors. In 17 races, Verstappen claimed 11 podium finishes and the fastest laps in three grand prix events in addition to victories at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. On four occasions, Verstappen was voted by fans as the Driver of the Race. 

Achievements During 2020 Season: 

Max Verstappen was the only non-Mercedes-Benz powered Formula 1 entry to stand at the top of the podium. On two occasions in 2020, Verstappen took the chequered flag in first place beating the Mercedes factory team. 

The season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was perhaps the best drive by Max Verstappen. Taking the race’s pole by a narrow .025-second maring for Valtteri Bottas, the Dutch racer presented a masterful performance on Sunday reminiscent to some of the showing Mercedes-AMG were able to orchestrate in races this past season. Maintaining his lead from the start, Verstappen would cross the finish line 15.9 seconds ahead of Bottas.

Shortcomings During 2020 Season: 

Max Verstappen finished on the podium in all but one race when the vehicle remained running at the end of a grand prix. On the flip side of that number, the 2020 season featured five retirements for the #33 Red Bull Racing RB16 race car. For two of the DNFs, Verstappen was caught in an opening lap crash including the Sakhir Grand Prix where he had a hypothetical chance at winning if he remained in the race based on the way the event transpired. Verstappen also suffered a retirement at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola when a sudden tire failure sent him off the track and out of the race while running second.

With only Haas F1 Team driver Kevin Magnussen recording more DNFs in 2020, Max Verstappen’s failure to finish likely cost the Dutch drive the runner-up spot in the World Drivers’ Championship ending the season nine points behind Valtteri Bottas.

#23 Alexander Albon: C+

Photo Credit: Charles Coates/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

Overall Season: 

Thanks to the high profile mid-season driver change pushing Pierre Gasly out of the team in favour of Alexander Albon, the Thai racer was almost immediately on the hot seat to perform in 2020. In his first full year with the Red Bull Racing squad, Albon proved to be less effective in races than teammate Max Verstappen but did manage some accolades. A first career podium at the Tuscan Grand Prix allowed Albon to become the first athletic competing under the flag of Thailand to claim such an honour in Formula 1. Adding another podium later in the season, Alexander Albon succeeded in proving himself behind the wheel of the RB16 race car. However, being constantly measured against a teammate that ended the 2020 season with two wins and eleven podium finishes were inevitable causing the driver of the #23 car to be judged against a high standard. 

Alexander Albon finished the 2020 Formula 1 tied with McLaren’s Carlos Sainz Jr. with 105 points in the season-long drivers’ standings but a second place scored by the Spaniard resulted in the Red Bull Racing driver settling one position behind in 7th place. 

Achievements During 2020 Season: 

In a unique grand prix held at Ferrari’s Mugello race track, Alexander Albon took his first career podium finish crossing the line behind the pair of Mercedes-AMG race cars. The podium result at the Tuscan Grand Prix was essentially an overdue honour for the Thai driver. Running within the top-three late in the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix as well as at the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix, Albon’s hope to celebrate on a stage was foiled both times after contact with Lewis Hamilton.  

Although Alexander Albon was outranked in many aspects of the 2020 Formula 1 by Max Verstappen, the Thai driver leaves the past season better in one discipline. Albon finished all but two grand prix events compared to Verstappen’s five race retirements.

Shortcomings During 2020 Season: 

Alexander Albon performance during the 2020 Formula 1 season has been a roller coaster. Though he succeeded in putting the #23 Red Bull Racing car in a podium spot twice, the 17-round calendar also featured some less than stellar outings and missed opportunities for better placement. On lap 58 of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Albon spun as he battled Racing Point’s Sergio Perez for fifth place costing him and his team a point-paying finish. Albon was also out-qualified by Verstappen in every grand prix event in 2020 and earned a second row grid position on just three occasions. 

The lofty expectations of Red Bull Racing are difficult for many qualified Formula 1 drivers to live up it during a season. Alexander Albon performed well but not good enough for Red Bull Racing to field him in Formula 1 competition for 2021. His team elected to pick up hot free agent Sergio Perez to be the teammate to Max Verstappen next season with Albon remaining with the squad as a development driver. 

1 Racing Mind’s Formula 1 Season Ending Team Report Card: McLaren Racing

Photo Credit: Mark Sutton/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

Team Grade: A-

Overall Season: 

During the 2019 season, McLaren Racing was seen as on the road to recovering much of its historical reputation for being a contender in Formula 1. The 2020 Formula 1 season was another step forward to once-again asserting itself as a podium-fighting squad. Drivers Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz Jr. each grabbed a podium result with McLaren in 2020 with their Renault powered machines. Overcoming reported financial concerns caused due to the Coronavirus pandemic, McLaren Racing’s reward was a third place finish in the Formula 1 World Constructors’ Championship following an aggressive fight with Racing Point and the Renault F1 Team for the honour.   

 

Achievements During 2020 Season: 

The McLaren Racing organization has made a clear and concerted effort in recapturing much of its past glory after struggling through the midpoint of the 2010s. This year, the Woking-based race team was a solid point finisher with both drivers. The Russian Grand Prix was the only instant in 2020 where the team left a race weekend without scoring a top 10 finish. The McLaren Racing team also pulled together a great deal of consistency in the last remaining races that contributed greatly to their third place in the constructors’ standings for 2020. In the final five grand prix events, both cars finished in point-scoring positions.

The Renault-powered MCL35 also proved to be a pretty quick machine over the course of the year. On three occasions during the 2020 Formula 1 season, McLaren team cars captured the fastest lap of the race. 

Shortcomings During 2020 Season:  

For the team in general, the 2020 Russian Grand Prix could be seen as their most disappointing outing. In the only race where McLaren Racing failed to score points, Carlos Sainz Jr. crashed on the opening lap overshooting the second turn on the Sochi track and hit the wall after failing to rejoin the circuit. Lando Norris continued through the event attempting to push the hard compound Pirelli tires he received on lap 1 to the 53-lap distance of the Russian Grand Prix. In the last laps of the event, the #4 McLaren race car had difficulty maintaining the pace to retain a top 10 finish and ultimately needed to make a late pit stop coming across the line in 15th place.  

Another unfortunate moment for the McLaren Racing team came at the Belgian Grand Prix. Before the start of the race on the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, the power unit of the #55 machine of Carlos Sainz Jr. refused to engage. Sainz had qualified in seventh place for the weekend’s main event.

Team's Drivers

#4 Lando Norris: B+

Photo Credit: Steven Tee/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

Overall Season: 

Lando Norris entered his second season in Formula 1 returning to McLaren Racing in 2020 and the 21-year-old continued to show talent and some blossoming expertise behind the wheel. In the opening round of this season at Austria’s Red Bull Ring, he scored his first career podium result. Despite the shortened season, Norris racked up almost twice the amount of points in the season-long championship compared to 2019. 

Achievements During 2020 Season: 

Lando Norris enjoyed a very consistent season with the McLaren Racing team failing only to finish one event on the entire 17-race calender. The biggest achievement in his young Formula 1 career occurred at the Red Bull Ring. A track where Lando Norris had tied his season-best result in his rookie year, the Austrian circuit hosted his first series podium finish after Mercedes-AMG driver Lewis Hamilton was issued a five-second penalty. Norris crossed the line in fourth but was 4.8 seconds behind Mercedes elevating him to his new career-best finish. In many events, Norris mirrored the efforts of his more veteran teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. ending the 2020 season with a qualifying average almost identical to the Spaniard. However, Norris bettered his now-former McLaren teammate by taking the extra championship point for fastest lap in two grand prix events compared to Sainz’s one.

Shortcomings During 2020 Season:  

Lando Norris’ efforts behind the wheel of a Formula 1 in 2020 were nowhere near as rage-filled as some of his Twitch game play streams. For a sophomore season in the top open wheel racing series on the planet, Lando Norris enjoyed a quiet yet successful campaign that did not contain too many major moments of failure. Missing the points on four occasions in the season, three of those times came in consecutive races. The Russian Grand Prix was due to Norris losing on the team’s gamble with hard compound tires, the Eifel Grand Prix at the Nurburgring ended with a power unit issue (his only DNF of the 2020 season) and the Portuguese Grand Prix’s 13th place finish was a result of a collision between him and the Racing Point car of Lance Stroll.

#55 Carlos Sainz Jr.: B+

Photo Credit: Glenn Dunbar/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

Overall Season: 

Finishing in sixth place in the 2020 Formula 1 Worlds Drivers’ Championship points standings, Carlos Sainz Jr. had one of the best years in his professional career. A driver in the series since 2015, Sainz entered his second year with McLaren Racing in 2020 achieving several career firsts. At the Styrian Grand Prix held on the Red Bull Ring, the driver of the #55 race car set the fastest lap that was also a lap record for the present configuration of the track. Later in the year, Sainz obtained a runner-up finish at the Italian Grand Prix on the Monza circuit. One-half of the driving team that contributed to McLaren’s third place in the Constructors’ Championship, Carlos Sainz Jr. is taking his talent to Scuderia Ferrari. 

Achievements During 2020 Season: 

The Styrian Grand Prix was one of two showcase events for the Spanish driver’s 2020 Formula 1 campaign. Falling short in the race finishing in ninth, Carlos Sainz Jr.’s outing in Austria was one where the #55 car qualified a strong 3rd place in wet weather and posted the fastest lap on Sunday. However, the highlight of Sainz’s 2020 season (and Formula 1 career so far) has been the Italian Grand Prix. Placing himself in a position to pounce when the majority of traditional frontrunners were out of contention, Sainz and McLaren had a chance at victory. After pursuing eventual winner Pierre Gasly closely in the late laps, Carlos Sainz Jr. earned his second career podium finish and first time as the runner-up driver. Through 17 rounds of the 2020 Formula 1 tour, the Spaniard earned his season-best championship tally of 105 points.   

Shortcomings During 2020 Season:  

Carlos Sainz Jr.’s best Formula 1 finish to date came in a middle of an unlucky streak of grand prix events. Prior to the Italian Grand Prix, Sainz was sidelined in the Belgian Grand Prix when his car’s power unit failed before the start of the event. In the two races following Monza, the #55 McLaren suffered early race retirements. At the Tuscan Grand Prix on the Mugello track, Sainz first suffered damage to his car in the opening lap. He would later be caught up in a multiple car crash following a safety car period on lap five. The following event in Russia had Carlos Sainz Jr. crashing on the opening lap after unsuccessfully attempting to rejoin the track through a run-off area. 

1 Racing Mind’s Formula 1 Season Ending Team Report Card: BWT Racing Point F1 Team

Photo Credit: Mark Sutton/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

Team Grade: A-

Overall Season: 

Racing Point name in Formula 1 will only exist for two and a half seasons as the team prepares for a massive rebranding for 2021. However, in the twilight of the short-lived Racing Point identity, the squad focused around pink team colours has left a meaningful footprint in the sport. For many races in 2020, the organization’s RP20 was a common sight running in the top 10 (often in the top five) of grand prix events.

Racing Point’s driver lineup consisting of Mexican Sergio Perez and Canadian Lance Stroll both had career years in 2020 with the young driver scoring his first Formula 1 career while the veteran pilot captured a prized win in the Sakhir Grand Prix. Both Racing Point drivers had to sit out races due to positive COVID-19 tests resulting in Nico Hulkenberg joining the group for three events performing more than respectable efforts especially based on limited practice. 

Though Racing Point established itself as a solid contender this season evident by its fourth place finish in the World Constructors’ Championship, the team’s infancy as a top-contending organization showed on several occasions this past year. A reliance on technology from Mercedes-AMG was also a major factor in Racing Point’s success but ended up being a double-edged sword creating one of the biggest controversies in the Formula 1 paddock.

Achievements During 2020 Season:

 Racing Point found its target during the 2020 season. After struggling to find traction in the 2019 competition, the group maintained itself as a solid top five constructor this past season. In occasions holding its own against Mercedes-AMG and Red Bull Racing, Racing Point posted two monumental achievements late in the season. Under treacherous conditions in Istanbul, Lance Stroll took pole for the Turkish Grand Prix. On race day, Stroll maintained the lead early but eventually fell down the running order as a result of tire issues. The Canadian driver was also in position to take Racing Point’s first Formula 1 win at the Italian Grand Prix but settled for third in that race. With two races remaining in his tenure at Racing Point, Sergio Perez stormed to victory at the Sakhir Grand Prix. 

Shortcomings During 2020 Season: 

For the first part of the Formula 1 season, the Racing Point team’s RP20 race car came under scrutiny for its design resembling last year’s Mercedes-AMG F1 W10 EQ Power+ initially resulting in the vehicle being branded a “Pink Mercedes’ by some. Although the similarities were dealt with by humour, other teams felt more seriously about Racing Point’s 2020 challenger. The Renault F1 Team would file a formal complaint after the second round of the season focused on the RP20's rear brake duct design. After an investigation by the FIA it was determined the team used a 2019 rear brake duct design that was unused until this season. Though the computer-aided design template was legally obtained last year, using the design as the basis for the 2020 car was judged for being an infraction. Costing the team 400,000 euros, the addition penalty of 15 points proved significantly more expensive. Racing Point was seven points behind McLaren Racing who took third place in the 2020 Formula 1 World Constructors’ Championship.     

Team's Drivers:

#11 Sergio Perez: A+

Zak Mauger/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

Overall Season: 

Reaching the mark of completing in 190 grand prix events in 2020, Sergio Perez entered the season as one of the longest competing Formula 1 drivers that had not won a race. At the beginning of the year, the 30-year-old Perez who spent a majority of his career in the series driving mid-mark race cars was one-half of the driving team piloting Racing Point’s steadily quick RP20 machine. For the Mexican, the 2020 season would serve as a reward for a team he supported when it was known as Force India and remained part of following a consortium headed by Lawrence Stroll bought the organization. Demonstrating an ability of picking up points in almost every start he made, Perez’s presence in Formula 1 appeared to be precarious as Racing Point decided within the season that their 2021 plans would involve Sebastian Vettel replacing him. Determined to leave a lasting mark on the team as well as secure a 2021 ride, Perez was on a mission in the late rounds of the 2020 calendar. Becoming a Formula 1 race winner in the second to last race with Racing Point, Sergio Perez accomplished both late season goals.

For the 2021 Formula 1 season, Segio Perez takes his reignited determination to the Red Bull Racing team. 

 

Achievements During 2020 Season: 

The crowning achievement of what was a banner season for Sergio Perez is naturally the much-lauded victory at the Sakhir Grand Prix. Recovering from being a casualty of opening lap contact from the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, Perez’s charge placed him in prime position when the pair of Mercedes-AMG race cars fell out of contention due to poorly executed pit stops. Perez’s victory in the race in Bahrain was a popular moment late in the 2020 Formula 1 season and certainly played a major part in cementing the Mexican’s place with Red Bull Racing for 2021.  

Besides the win, Sergio Perez’s 2020 season is still an impressive campaign finishing fourth overall in the World Drivers’ Championship. With exception to the two races he missed because of a COVID-19 diagnosis, Perez finished in the top 10 in all two events. 

Shortcomings During 2020 Season:  

Sergio Perez became the first Formula 1 driver to be affected by the Coronavirus in 2020. Testing positive for the virus just before the British Grand Prix, Perez was sidelined for the famous United Kingdom event as well as a special second event held on the Silverstone Circuit called the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix. With Lance Stroll showing eye-catching pace with his Racing Point car during practice at Silverstone, there would have been a strong likelihood that the Perez would have been able to at least mirror the lap times.

The final four races for the Mexican at Racing Point were a period of highs and lows. Sergio Perez’s two podiums were accompanied by two race exits before crossing the finish line. His retirements in both races came late in the season and were the result of power unit failures.

#18 Lance Stroll: B

Photo Credit: Steven Tee/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

Overall Season: 

Having entered his fourth season in Formula 1 in 2020, 22-year-old Lance Stroll is perhaps one of the most scrutinized athletes in the sport. Since his arrival in 2017, the merits of Stroll’s presence in the driver’s seat were questioned by some citing his father’s and family’s wealth. However, this assumption discounting the Canadian’s place in the Formula 1 fails to account for his Italian F4 and F3 European Championship titles as well as what has been some more than decent drives between 2017 and the end of 2019 for teams away from the top tier. 

The 2020 season presented the first true test for Lance Stroll in Formula 1 as the Racing Point team had become a legitimate podium contender. The year started strong with a streak of point scoring finishes spanning seven races but was broken by a troublesome middle portion of the series. Thanks to a pair of third-place finishes, Stroll’s season ended with a 11th place in the drivers’ standings.  

Achievements During 2020 Season:

Lance Stroll demonstrated consistent race pace early in the 2020 Formula 1 season thanks to a career-best run of consecutive point-paying positions. The 22-year-old Canadian would also set a career-high amount of total top 10 finishes in Formula 1 that included a two podium finishes. At the 2020 Italian Grand Prix, Stroll posted a third place result that was the highest finish for the Racing Point team’s short history at that time in the season. The second podium for Lance Stroll accompanied the triumphant victory of teammate Sergio Perez in the Sakhir Grand Prix.       

At the fourteenth round of the 2020 Formula 1 season, Lance Stroll proved himself to be superior among competitors in qualifying for the Turkish Grand Prix. A Saturday event undertaken on a wet and slippery Intercity Istanbul Park track, the #18 Racing Point race car posted a lap time in Q3 besting teammate Perez as well as beating the efforts of Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen for the top grid position. Stroll became the fifth youngest Formula 1 polesitter and would lead a sizable portion of Sunday’s main event.

Shortcomings During 2020 Season:  

There’s a belief in auto racing that sometimes a driver needs to lose a race before they can win one. In 2020, Lance Stroll was presented with at least three potential opportunities that could have been grand prix victories but failed.

The first major chance for the Canadian to pull off a Formula 1 win this past season came at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix. Lining up in second for a standing start following a red flag period on lap 28, Stroll could not get the traction needed for an effective launch and fell to fifth place by the end of the lap. At the Sakhir Grand Prix, the #18 Racing Point car failed to pass the Renault of Esteban Ocon during the middle portion of the event. Stroll’s teammate Sergio Perez did accomplish the feat and ultimately ended up in the position to take the win.

Though the two previously mentioned incidents ended with the consolation of a podium result, Lance Stroll settled with far less in a grand prix where he started on pole. At the Turkish Grand Prix, Stroll maintained the lead early and pulled out a gap on wet weather tires but suffered after intermediate tires were mounted to his Racing Point on pit stops finishing ninth.

In addition to his unfortunate missed chances for an initial Formula 1 victory, Lance Stroll had a demoralizing streak of not scoring a point after his podium at Monza. Stroll crashed in the Tuscan Grand Prix due to a tire failure, collected in an opening lap incident in Russia, withdrew from the Eifel Grand Prix because of illness and had poor outings in Portugal as well as the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.  

#27 Nico Hulkenberg: A

Photo Credit: Glenn Dunbar/ LAT Image/ Pirelli

Overall Season: 

Time and again, there are drivers in Formula 1 that proves how unfair the sport is to some very skilled individuals. Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg first drove for the Williams Racing team in 2010 after demonstrating his championship-earning abilities in the defunct A1 Grand Prix and GP2 Series. In the middle of his Formula 1 career, Hulkenberg participated in the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans where he was part of the overall winning driving team behind the wheel of a Porsche 919 Hybrid prototype sports car. However, after nine competitive season in Formula 1 (ten including the 2011 season where he served as reserve/test driver for Force India) the German’s career was relegated to mid-to-lower field teams. Often over-achieving with the vehicles he competed in, he was never able to earn a grand prix podium result by the end of 2019 when the Renault F1 Team decided not to retain Hulkenberg. While many Formula 1 fans expressed support for Nico Hulkenberg in Formula 1, a 32-year-old driver who had not won in the series was vulnerable as a newer, younger crop of competitors are always climbing through the ranks. 

Without a ride for 2020, Nico Hulkenberg’s talent would return to the Formula 1 grid on three occasions with Racing Point. Hulkenberg would substitute for the team’s regular drivers Sergio Perez for both races at the Silverstone Circuit as well as for Lance Stroll at the Eifel Grand Prix on the Nurburgring track. Despite little preparation for two of three events, the German’s efforts were strong and resulted in his appearances receiving well-deserved praise.  

Achievements During 2020 Season: 

In the three appearance with Racing Point during the 2020 season, Nico Hulkenberg’s reserve call-up succeeded as creating a buzz around every event. Piloting his #27 Racing Point RP20 race car during the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone, Hulkenberg compiled some barn burner laps in qualifying on Saturday in an effort that placed him third on the grid. The German pulled off a seventh place finish after 52 laps during the Sunday main race.

Nico Hulkenberg’s third and final run in the 2020 Formula 1 season earned him the “Driver of the Day” recognition. Initially intending to spend the race weekend as a personality with German television, Hulkenberg was called to replace an ill Lance Stroll at the Eifel Grand Prix on Saturday. With no practice time, the German qualified in 20th place but drove to an eighth place result. By a considerable margin, Formula 1 fans voted Nico Hulkenberg as the Driver of the Day for the race at his home track.  

Shortcomings During 2020 Season: 

Nico Hulkenberg’s worst showing in 2020 was not the result of actions of the German but rather a clutch bolt. After qualifying 13th on Saturday for the British Grand Prix, Hulkenberg’s #27 Racing Point refused to start for the formation lap on Sunday. Hulkenberg and his Racing Point RP20 were sent to the garage before having the ability to a turn. 

1 Racing Mind’s Formula 1 Season Ending Team Report Card: Scuderia AlphaTauri

Photo Credit: Zak Mauger/ LAT Image/ Pirelli

Team Grade: B+

Overall Season: 

A team known under the Toro Rosso name from 2006 to 2019, Scuderia AlphaTauri made it clear that their rebranding is more than just a superficial change limited to a team name and colours. Under the same ownership as Austria-based Red Bull Racing but having a home base in Italy, AlphaTauri made it clear the constructor will no longer operate as a junior team used mainly to develop drivers. 

The 2020 Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Red Bull Racing influence remained strong, however, with a driver lineup consisting of two pilots that had previously competed under Christian Horner-led squad. Russian driver Daniil Kvyat and Frenchman Pierre Gasly have both shown to be promising Formula 1 talents but were dropped by Red Bull Racing in rather demoralizing manners. 

As the season got underway, Gasly seemed to get the most out of the team’s AT01 race car. Receiving the same Honda power units as what is used to propel the Red Bull Racing cars, AlphaTauri’s AT01 was gifted with ample performance towards the rear portion of the vehicle. Both AlphaTauri drivers scored points in the first two rounds of the 2020 Formula 1 season on the Red Bull Ring in Austria falling in line with the expectations many observers had for the team. Triumph later at the season with Pierre Gasly’s victory at the Italian Grand Prix was an unexpected surprise in the Formula 1 world but also showed how the organization can capitalize when the situation allows.

Achievements During 2020 Season: 

Scuderia AlphaTauri definitely made a powerful statement in the sport in their inaugural season. Capturing points in all but two grand prix events in 2020 would have been a reasonable achievement for the team to have expected. However, AlphaTauri over-achieved at the year’s eighth round at the historic Autodromo Nazionale di Monza. 

Starting in 10th place on the grid for the 2020 Italian Grand Prix, the #10 AlphaTauri AT01 race car piloted by Pierre Gasly advanced through the field early. In a race that featured a safety car period, red flag stoppage and a second standing start, Gasly drove a near flawless grand prix as he would outshine all competition to win the Italian Grand Prix. The victory for AlphaTauri occurred on the same track where team won the 2008 event under the name Scuderia Toro Rosso. 

Although Scuderia AlphaTauri did not return to the podium in the remainder of the season, Daniil Kvyat scored fourth for the team at Imola while Gasly best finish after his Monza win was fifth in Portugal.  

Shortcomings During 2020 Season: 

Statistics would show that the Turkish Grand Prix was the team’s most disappointing event with both cars qualifying in the lowest five positions and failing to score points in the Sunday main feature being only the second time in the 2020 season Scuderia AlphaTauri did not have a car finish in the top 10. However, the wet race weekend proved drastically challenging for the entire field.

Team's Drivers 

#10 Pierre Gasly: A-

Photo Credit: American Honda Motor Co Inc

Overall Season: 

By the middle point of 2019, Pierre Gasly was possibly at the lowest point in his short Formula 1 career. Receiving the call-up from Scuderia Toro Rosso to Red Bull Racing, the Frenchman was under pressure to at least maintain a close pace with the team’s top driver Max Verstappen. Gasly sadly fell short of Red Bull Racing’s expectations resulting in him being sent back to Toro Rosso in the middle of the 2019 season. For the remainder of year, Pierre Gasly worked to rebuild his confidence in the sport. A second-place finish at the Brazilian Grand Prix did a lot to lift the spirits of the driver and secured a position with the newly rebranded team for 2020.

With the start of the 2020 Formula 1 season, the popular French driver continued to showcase his skills. Gasly finished seventh in the opening round in Austria but placed out of the top 10 in the Styrian Grand Prix and suffered a gearbox failure at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Initially appearing to be another season as a mid-marker, the Italian Grand Prix at Monza was a breakout moment. With the help of some extreme circumstances in the September race at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Pierre Gasly added himself to the exclusive fraternity of Formula 1 race winners. 

Through the remainder of the 2020 Formula 1 after his great victory, Gasly ran respectfully highlighted by the collection a fifth place finish at the Portuguese Grand Prix and a pair of sixth place results. 

Achievements During 2020 Season: 

Pierre Gasly’s 2020 season will be defined by the Italian Grand Prix win. Though his path to the upset victory was aided by the struggle of typical Formula 1 front runners, Gasly still drove a magnificent race that involved fending off a determined McLaren race car wheeled by Carlos Sainz Jr. in the event’s closing laps. The victory by Pierre Gasly came shortly past the one-year anniversary for when is rejoined the team and functioned as a popular moment in the season as the elated Frenchman took to the podium. The French driver was the first by a competitor to win a Formula 1 race since 1996 when Olivier Panis drove his Ligier to win the Monaco Grand Prix. 

Although the win at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix was unexpected, many Formula 1 observers would have correctly guessed that Pierre Gasly would have been on a mission to prove himself still recovering from his forced departure from Red Bull Racing in the middle of 2019. With Scuderia AlphaTauri, Gasly showed some brilliant speed in qualifying as well as over the course of races. The Frenchman’s was able to break into the Q3 session in 11 of the 17 grand prix events posting a season-best effort of fourth at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. For the Sunday main events, Gasly grabbed a top 10 result in 10 of the 17 rounds.

Shortcomings During 2020 Season:  

Suffering three retirements during the 2020 season, Pierre Gasly’s latter two DNFs were perhaps the most disappointing. 

One week after his first grand prix win, Gasly and the rest of the Formula 1 tour converged on the Mugello circuit to run the Tuscan Grand Prix. Celebrating in Monza, Gasly’s second week racing in Italy was a deflating experience. After qualifying a season-worst 16th place, Pierre Gasly retired from the race on the opening lap after he was caught between Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean entering turn two.    

The second and final time Pierre Gasly’s #10 car failed to make it to the chequered flag was at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. In a race where he launched from a season-best grid position of fourth place, Gasly exited the event after just eight laps completed after his car suffered a coolant leak. 

#26 Daniil Kvyat: B

Photo Credit: American Honda Motor Co Inc

Overall Season: 

First competing in Formula 1 during the 2014 season at the age of 19, Russian driver Daniil Kvyat spent much of his career in the open wheel series part of Scuderia Toro Rosso. With the name change to Scuderia AlphaTauri, the team selected to keep Kvyat after a decent 2019 campaign that included a podium at the German Grand Prix. 

Paired with Pierre Gasly during the 17-race 2020 Formula 1 season, Daniil Kvyat would prove to be a reliable runner within the middle of the field. Kvyat scored points in the conclusion of seven events and failed to finish for just two grand prix races. His first DNF was a suspension failure in the Austrian Grand Prix while the second incident occurred on lap 12 at the British Grand Prix. Attributed to a failure of a rear tire, Kvyat’s #26 AlphaTauri AT01 was sent into a sudden spin in the Maggots section of the Silverstone Circuit and, despite travelling through a gravel trap, heavily impacted the track retaining barrier. Daniil Kvyat fortunately left his wrecked vehicle unhurt after the crash and returned the following week to take 10th place at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix also held at Silverstone.

A fixture on the competitive Formula 1 circuit for six seasons, 26-year-old Kvyat ends the 2020 season with an uncertain future in motorsports as AlphaTauri has replaced him with Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda for 2021.   

Achievements During 2020 Season:

For only the second time in his career, Daniil Kvyat scored a point-paying finish in his home grand prix in Russia crossing the line at the Sochi track in 8th place. The only other time he posted a top-10 run in the Russian Grand Prix was in 2015 when he drove for Red Bull Racing. 

The best race result of the year for Daniil Kvyat was a fourth place at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix held in Imola. The Russian driver narrowly missed out on a chance at a fourth career podium crossing the finish line 0.821 seconds behind the Renault of Daniel Ricciardo. 

Kvyat finished the 2020 Formula 1 season in 14th place in the drivers’ standings with 32 points scoring just one fewer point than his former Red Bull Racing teammate Sebastian Vettel. 

Shortcomings During 2020 Season: 

In the Bahrain Grand Prix, Daniil Kvyat’s #26 car was connected to two major accidents at the beginning of the race. 

During the rush of the first lap of the race coming out of turn 3, Romain Grosjean’s Haas F1 Team car aggressively swerved down into the path of Kvyat making minor contact. While the #26 AlphaTauri vehicle continued largely unaffected, the Haas VF-20 race car of Grosjean heavily impacted the track retaining wall. “On the opening lap, I was a bit angry at first with Romain for his move, but then I was just worried about him because I saw the flames and how bad the crash was - I was just hoping he was OK and fortunately it wasn’t as bad as it looked.” Kvyat stated in a team press release following the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Daniil Kvyat’s second incident occurred shortly after the second standing start of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Proceeding through turn eight at the 5.412-kilometer Bahrain International Circuit track, Kvyat’s AlphaTauri AT01 made an adventurous move low on the #18 Racing Point entry driven by Lance Stroll. The two race cars made contact with the point of impact sending Stroll to flip upside-down and out of the race. Kvyat was handed a 10-second time penalty ruled to be at-fault for the impact. 

1 Racing Mind’s Formula 1 Season Ending Team Report Card: Alfa Romeo Racing

Photo Credit: Charles Coates/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

 

Team Grade: C-

Overall Season: 

The former Sauber Formula 1 team’s second year operating under the persona of Alfa Romeo Racing has been deep disappointment. Scoring 57 points in the Formula 1 World Constructors’ Championship for the 2019 season after 13 top-10 finishes, the squad collected just 8 points 2020 in 5 top-10 results. Although the 2020 schedule contained four fewer events than the previous season’s calendar, Alfa Romeo Racing’s deteriorating performance this past season was also clear on the track. In qualifying, team drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi settled with an average placement of 16.8 before accounting for grid penalties.

Alfa Romeo Racing’s partnership with Ferrari has been alluded to by observers as the reason for the lackluster 2020 campaign. The Ferrari power unit performance deficit in competition was viewed as an anchor to Alfa Romeo Racing as well as Haas F1 Team and specifically Scuderia Ferrari throughout the year. 

The driver lineup for the team consisting of 2007 Formula 1 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen and Italian Antonio Giovinazzi performed decently throughout the 2020 season with the failings of the Ferrari-powered C39 race car. By the end of the year, both the highly-experienced Raikkonen and Giovinazzi who were running in his second full-time Formula 1 campaign gathered four points apiece. 

 

Achievements During 2020 Season:

Gaining points in just 4 of the 17 grand prix events on the 2020 Formula 1 calendar, Alfa Romeo Racing team’s top 10 result at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was a particular high moment in a fairly lowly season. At the end of the 63-lap event on Italy’s Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari commonly recognized as Imola, the cars draped in Alfa Romeo colours flew to a double-point scoring finish. Electing to use a single pit stop plan for both cars, the execution involved contrasting strategies. Finishing ninth, Kimi Raikkonen’s #7 machine started on medium compound tires and waited until lap 48 to take on soft compound Pirelli rubber. The #99 car of Antonio Giovinazzi left the race grid on soft compound Pirelli tires but pitted to receive medium compound tires on lap 10. 

Though the team technically competes under Sauber’s Swiss flag, Alfa Romeo Racing’s most successful run for the 2020 season coming at an Italian race would have provided an extra sense of thrill with the accomplishment. 

Shortcomings During 2020 Season: 

Lacking engine power and finding no other significant advantage to overcome it, Alfa Romeo Racing faced trouble scoring top 10 finishes throughout 2020. Although the team’s C39 race cars were mechanically reliable with a total of five race retirements between their two entrants, they were non-factors in a number of grand prix events. 

While Alfa Romeo Racing’s pit road strategy call paid off with points at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, their plan at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza was a major miss. For what was a chaotic event, both Alfa Romeo cars were running in the top-five aided by the opportune deployment of a safety car early in the event. Another safety car quickly turning into a red flag period brought forth after Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari crashed proved costly for Antonio Giovinazzi when the team pitted the #99 while the pit road was closed. Running second for a brief time when racing resumed after the red flag, Kimi Raikkonen faded as his soft compound tires wore falling to what would be a 13th place finish.  

Team Drivers

#7 Kimi Raikkonen: B-

Photo Credit: Mark Sutton/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

Overall Season: 

Turning 41 years old in October of 2020, Kimi Raikkonen is defying conventions in modern Formula 1 that favours younger pilots. As the 2007 Formula 1 World Drivers’ Champion, the Finnish competitor first competed in the series in 2001 after barely qualifying for the sport’s Super License due to limited car racing experience. Raikkonen suited up to run his 18th season on the tour competing for a second season with the Alfa Romeo Racing team realizing that the squad may lack race-winning prowess of previous teams such as Ferrari and McLaren but eager to keep fighting for grand prix honours. 

In 2020, Kimi Raikkonen claimed a pair of Formula 1 records related to his endurance in the sport. Raikkonen’s 323rd start in the series the Eifel Grand Prix game him the recognition for being the driver with the most Formula 1 starts. The Finnish driver also gained the top honour for having the most grand prix entries. Secured to race for Alfa Romeo Racing for 2021, Kimi Raikkonen is set to place the mark higher. 

On a competitive front, the Finnish endured a rather difficult 2020 season with an outmatched race car. Raikkonen accomplished scoring points in his #7 Alfa Romeo Racing car twice over the course of 17 races.

Achievements During 2020 Season:

Though the season was limited in success, Kimi Raikkonen was provided with a few opportunities to remind his fellow competitors as well as other race observers that he still has hunger that led to his 2007 Formula 1 championship. 

The veteran Finnish pilot for Alfa Romeo Racing would end two grand prix events in ninth place. The first came as Raikkonen survived the Tuscan Grand Prix at Mugello slotting between the Ferraris driven by Charles Leclerc and former teammate Sebastian Vettel. His second point-scoring finish was part of a double-point scoring effort by his race team at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. In the second effort, Raikkonen ran until lap 48 on medium compound tires before making his one and only pit stop in the event.

Raikkonen would crack the top-10 in qualifying once during the 2020 season under tricky driving conditions on the weekend of the Turkish Grand Prix. The #7 car would place 8th on the grid after the Q3 session concluded.

Although he would ultimately finish an unremarkable 13th place, Kimi Raikkonen and his Alfa Romeo Racing team staged an amusing showing during the middle stage of the Italian Grand Prix on the Monza track. Following the second standing start in the race, the Finnish driver and his #7 Alfa Romeo C39 race car ran in second place for several laps before his soft compound Pirelli tires wore out.  

Shortcomings During 2020 Season:  

Though Kimi Raikkonen competed valiantly in 2020, the year on the track was a mostly miserable outing. Scoring just four points in the drivers’ standings after 17 races, Raikkonen’s season-ending tally is the worst in his Formula 1 career (this includes the Finnish driver entered Formula 1 in 2001 when only the top-six finishers in a grand prix received points).

Suffering only one retirement during the season in the opening round in Austria, Kimi Raikkonen spent the large portion of the year finishing well out of the points in a lackluster C39 race car. Qualifying was particularly dreadful for the driver of the #7 Alfa Romeo Racing entry concluding three events as the slowest driver in the initial Q1 session. Though comparing relatively equally to teammate Antonio Giovinazzi’s time trial performances throughout 2020, Raikkonen was out-qualified by the Italian driver of the #99 car 9 times in 17 grand prix events.

#99 Antonio Giovinazzi: C+

Photo Credit: Zak Mauger/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

Overall Season: 

For Italy’s Antonio Giovinazzi, 2020 was the sophomore driver’s second full-time season of competition with Alfa Romeo Racing. Giovinazzi entered Formula 1 after climbing the motorsport ladder through junior open wheel series and the occasional sports car start. In 2015, he finished runner-up in the drivers’ standings to current IndyCar driver Felix Rosenqvist in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. The next year, Giovinazzi ran in the GP2 Series and came eight points short of the drivers’ title scored by Pierre Gasly. One of the greatest honours earned by Antonio Giovinazzi was claiming victory at the 2015 Masters of Formula 3 event taking pole and winning ahead of current Williams Racing driver George Russell. 

The Italian’s tenure in Formula 1 has been a mixed affair. Debut for a two-race stint with the Sauber F1 Team in 2017, Giovinazzi’s only full season in the sport prior to the 2020 season concluded with just four top-10 finishes over 21 races last year. A fifth place scored in the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix remains his best result in the series. The 2020 season was a struggle for the 27-year-old Italian as he competed with the Alfa Romeo Racing team’s uncompetitive race car.  

Achievements During 2020 Season:

Finishing in the points in three grand prix events during the 2020 season, Antonio Giovinazzi’s best result was ninth place at the Austrian Grand Prix. 

However, as a driver competing under the Italian flag, Giovinazzi’s tenth place finish at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola likely served as a great moment over the 17-round Formula 1 calendar. “I am really happy for the team’s result and, of course, for scoring points in my home Grand Prix. It has been a very strong race, especially starting from last place, and finishing in the top ten really was the most we could do.” said Giovinazzi in a post-race Alfa Romeo press release following the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. 

Advancing into the Q3 session in qualifying one time at the Turkish Grand Prix, Antonio Giovinazzi’s performance in Saturday time trials often outpaced his more experienced teammate Kimi Raikkonen.

Shortcomings During 2020 Season: 

In what is a relatively short Formula 1 career, Antonio Giovinazzi has been involved in some spectacular crashes. In his second-ever time behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car for the 2017 Chinese Grand Prix weekend, Giovinazzi crashed twice in qualifying and during the race. The Italian driver fortunately walked away from both accidents on that weekend in China.

At the 2020 Belgian Grand Prix, Antonio Giovinazzi experienced another hard wreck in his career. During the race on the fast Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, the driver of the #99 Alfa Romeo Racing C39 race car slipped exiting turn 14 on lap 10 crashing into track retaining wall. A wheel/tire assembly from Giovinazzi’s car flew into the path of Williams Racing entrant George Russell leading to his race retirement. Both drivers were unhurt and walked out of their machines. 

1 Racing Mind’s 2020 Formula 1 Mid-Season Team Report Card Roundup

Photo Credit: Steven Tee LAT Images/Pirelli

The year of 2020 has been one that has a period where almost everyone on Earth has been forced to make adjustments to accept duty of fending off a dangerous health threat. In battling COVID-19, measures to minimize the spread managed effectively by individuals and groups have given us some abilities to enjoy some a few indulgences. Along with a good part of the sporting world operating under strict health and safety guidelines, Formula 1 was finally able line up for their first event in Austria at the beginning of July. 

Eventually assembling a 17-race calendar consisting mostly of European tracks, the 70th Formula 1 season has completed their first nine races. With eight races occurring without spectators, the open wheel racing tour has put on some very entertaining events. Though the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team has shown the same strong form as seen in previous seasons, the 2020 season already contained some of the most intense and surprising Formula 1 action we haven’t seen for a long time. We’ve been treated some memorable wins that included a wild British Grand Prix finish where Lewis Hamilton limped his Mercedes to victory on only three inflated tires, Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing triumphant in the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix as well as the underdog win of Pierre Gasly at the Italian Grand Prix. The 2020 Formula 1 championship season has also consisted of a fierce battle in the top 10 with McLaren, Renault and Racing Point in a tight constructors’ championship fight for third place. 

Celebrating 70 years as a world-leading auto racing spectacle, Formula 1 has faced trouble in honouring the milestone without the usual parties and fanfare they would have obviously wanted to generate. Mugello was the first time spectators were allowed to experience this year’s on-track suspense during the same race where Ferrari commemorated their 1,000th grand prix entry. 

Crossing the halfway for the 2020 season, all 10 Formula 1 teams have been able to clearly establish their performance potential in what is a very strange year overall. As the tour sets course towards some interesting grand prix such as a race in Turkey, Portugal and the Nurburgring not initially part of the 2020 schedule, let’s take a look at the season so-far from the perspective of the teams making up this year’s grid. 

Please click below on the Formula 1 team's name to view their 2020 Mid-Season Report Card: 

Mercedes-AMG

Red Bull Racing

McLaren Racing

Racing Point

Renault F1 Team

Scuderia Ferrari

Scuderia AlphaTauri

Alfa Romeo Racing

Haas F1 Team

Williams Racing