Alex Pennington adds his third instalment to the F1 2022 preview series, this time focusing on the hopes of midfield teams Alpine and Alpha Tauri.

Moving further up the midfield for the third part of our F1 2022 preview series, this time we’re taking a look at Alpha Tauri and Alpine. The two teams find themselves in very different situations heading into F1’s next era, and both need some closer analysis.

Alpha Tauri

Red Bull’s junior team have found themselves having one of their best seasons to date this year, especially in the hands of Pierre Gasly. Some unexpected pace has seen the outfit outqualify, and occasionally outrace, the likes of McLaren and Ferrari right at the front of the midfield pack.

It’s been a promising season and the team certainly has some momentum behind it going into 2022. Its (official) status as Red Bull’s ‘sister’ team also means it will never struggle for financial resources, unlike some other midfield rivals, and it also has a useful technology partnership with its big sister. This should, theoretically, put it in a good place for next season.

This same partnership could actually turn out to be a thorn in Alpha Tauri’s side. It’s difficult to see them ever being allowed to outpace Red Bull, through a variety of means. Red Bull, as of next year, will be controlling the production and development of its own engines, now free of their Honda badges, and of course is the only one of the two teams with a wind tunnel. Further, it is unlikely that Alpha Tauri would be able to poach big names in aerodynamics or engineering from F1’s title challengers; everybody knows, after all, that Alpha Tauri is not the team to work for if you want to aim for a championship. All this leaves the team in a bit of an odd space between pushing as hard as they can in the midfield, and never being given absolute free rein financially and developmentally to achieve their potential. 

This potential is hardly trifling, either. Pierre Gasly has undoubtedly been one of this year’s top performers, often putting drivers in quicker cars to shame, and vastly outshining his teammate. His best finishes of the year include a podium in Azerbaijan, and two P4 finishes in Zandvoort and Mexico. He has qualified in P6 or higher on 13 occasions so far this year, and his consistency has been massively impressive. On his current form, this is a man who could challenge for a title in the right car. Of course, this has led to much speculation and questioning over potential moves to a better team for his future career prospects.

On the other side of the garage, Yuki Tsunoda has been less impressive, taking just six points finishes (at the time of writing) in 2021. His inconsistency compared to his teammate has arguably damaged the team’s fight for 5^th with Alpine considerably, and although there have been improvements in the second half of the year, he has quite some way to go to compete with Gasly.

So, in Alpha Tauri we have an accomplished midfield outfit with a good driver line-up, albeit one of whom needs to be more consistent, but with a strange position in relation to its development and inter-team ties. In the face of competitors like Aston Martin, Alfa Romeo and Williams, I see their P5 fight this year being a bit of a high point for the team, before settling back to a more usual battle in the lower midfield next year.

Alpine

Alpine is a team in a slightly odd position within F1. On the one hand they have massive backing from the Renault Group, and a solid driver line-up in two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso and increasingly consistent and accomplished teammate Esteban Ocon. On the other, they have consistently struggled to convert all this into results, and to truly fight in the upper midfield, or break out of it.

This year, the team has possibly been one of the most inconsistent outfits on the grid in terms of pace and results. In Qatar they appeared to be in the mix to be the third-fastest car on track (with Alonso taking a spectacular podium) while in Mexico he was knocked out in Q1. In the three races to Mexico, the team scored three points, compared to Alpha Tauri’s 22. It has been an odd, unpredictable season for them. 

The trouble is that these struggles are actually quite inexplicable. As mentioned above the team has massive financial assets, a good line-up, and a lot of experience operating in the sport. With this kind of setup, it’s difficult to know what to say about the team. Undoubtedly some of their struggles have been due to what is generally accepted to be the worst engine on the grid, but according to Alonso the problems have often been aerodynamic this year, with the car only responding well to a specific corner type.

If the team has something to be optimistic about, it’s that it has maximised results this year when the car has been on the pace. The massive points haul from their 1-4 finish in Budapest, as well as Alonso’s Qatar podium, have been instrumental in carrying them towards their possible P5 in the championship. Even after his P17 qualifying in Mexico, Alonso finished P9. Looking ahead to next year, they seem to be running an efficient operation that knows how to strategise and has two drivers that know how to race wheel-to-wheel.

This leaves them needing to extract consistent, outright pace from their package. Of course, 2022 is the best opportunity for this kind of reset, and apparently they will be arriving next year with a significantly reworked engine which they hope will help to reduce or eliminate their deficit in this area too. 

The problem is that heading into next year, there are teams with better momentum behind them, and teams starting from stronger positions than Alpine are. I can see them fighting in the upper midfield again, and possibly looking to build some momentum in the medium-term from there, but for next year, I expect Alpine to stay put around P5 or P6 in the standings.

In next week’s article we’ll be getting into the sport’s heavy hitters, and discussing what McLaren and Ferrari’s recent upward trajectories could mean for their hopes in 2022.

Alex Pennington continues his five piece set with a look at the upcoming season for both Williams and Aston Martin.

Following on from the first part of the 2022 season preview series on Haas and Alfa Romeo, it’s time to look at two of the biggest names in motorsport, and two of the sport’s three traditionally ‘British’ marques: Williams and Aston Martin.

Williams

It’s genuinely tough to know what to say about Williams when looking forward to F1’s next era. The team is – by constructors’ championships – the second most successful in the history of the sport, behind only Ferrari. In drivers’ titles, only Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes have more. Williams is a true giant of the sport. In recent years though they have seen massive struggles. 

Financial worries which led to F1’s only remaining independent team being sold to US investment firm Dorilton have been the hallmark of the last few seasons, culminating in two years where the team took a total of 1 point: these were the worst performances in Williams’ long and storied history.

Moving forward, I do think that they have more reason to be optimistic. The aforementioned Dorilton Capital have effectively solved the team’s monetary issues, while allowing it to maintain its name and heritage. The budget cap now in place at $145m a year will also be of help and, even if not immediately, should certainly start to help them draw level with their competitors over time. Their poor showings in recent years may even be a medium-term positive due to F1’s new sliding scale for CFD testing of aerodynamic parts. Finishing last in 2020 gives them the largest amount of development time of any team, which will be absolutely crucial heading into the new regulations.

Next year’s driver line up is a bit of an unknown. Nicholas Latifi – who will be heading into his third year in the sport – will finally get a taste of life outside of George Russell’s shadow. He has been comprehensively beaten by the Brit since joining Williams, only outqualifying Russell once (excluding Sprint Qualifying). He has shown big improvements though, and that deficit has been shrinking continually. What remains to be seen is if he can stamp his authority on Williams as its most experienced driver and lead it forward. 

Meanwhile, Alex Albon re-joining the grid is an exciting prospect for next year, especially away from what some see as the toxic pressure and driver development environment at Red Bull. He certainly has raw talent and pace, and a fresh start with new regulations could be just what he needs to shine. There’s also his experience with Red Bull as test and development driver, which will have massively improved his feedback skills, a crucial aspect of maximising performance at the beginning of F1’s new era.

All of this combined means that Williams now has a stable, sustainable financial platform to work with, increased development time compared to others, and a driver line up which, while not the best on the grid by any stretch, is solid enough to fight well in the midfield. Do I expect them to pull a Brawn GP next year and come away with the championship? No. But I do expect to see them more solidly embedded in that midfield fight in 2022.

Aston Martin

This is a team whose 2021 season has been a story of frustration and underperformance. Aston Martin is, of course, the same Racing Point/Force India team which became renowned for pulling incredible results out of a small operation with limited finances. After a 4^th place finish in 2020, and with new backing from Aston Martin and billionaire Lawrence Stroll, they were expected to do well. The revised technical regs this year, (supposedly) devised to peg back Mercedes, have had a knock-on effect for all teams running a low-rake philosophy though, and left them struggling towards the bottom of the midfield. Next year is a chance to reset and restart their push to the top.

Organisationally, Aston Martin is in superb shape. Lawrence Stroll has a huge amount of involvement in the team’s management and certainly knows how to run a successful business. Team principal Otmar Szafnauer is a very well-respected figure in the paddock, and his leadership style certainly seems to be effective based on past results. Further, using Aston Martin’s new and significant financial backing, they have made some serious personnel investments. Just the latest in a line of hirings is Eric Blandin, Mercedes’ chief aerodynamicist, moving after the 2022 season. Red Bull’s aerodynamics head, Dan Fallows, has also been announced as the team’s future technical director, along with Alfa Romeo’s chief designer joining as engineering director. On top of this, ground was recently broken on Aston Martin’s new F1 factory and wind tunnel, a £300m project which will give them the largest development and production campus of any team on the grid. 

Of course, these changes will all take time to take effect, so what about the immediate future? What can Aston Martin expect from their drivers next year? Lance Stroll has come under constant scrutiny since his entry into F1 for being the son first of a billionaire, and then for being the son of a billionaire who owned his team. Is his uncontested hold on that seat fair? Probably not. But Stroll has proven to be a capable midfield driver, and more than able to fight through the field, even if this is usually as a result of poor qualifying.

On the other side of the garage is Sebastian Vettel. The 4-time world champion is a huge asset to the team, commercially and in development terms. His detailed notebooks are famous in F1, and he has often been described as working like another engineer, such is the depth and accuracy of his feedback. A team with big ambitions could not ask for more. Four championships and two on-track podiums in a 7^th-placed car this season should also serve to allay any fears over his quality as a driver when the car is underneath him. 

Aston Martin is a medium-term project, make no mistake. It’s very difficult to place them for 2022, and I don’t see them troubling the top teams for at least a couple of years, but I do think they will be firmly in the battle to top the midfield in the first year or two of the new regulations. 

In next week’s edition of the F1 2022 preview series, we’ll be moving on to look at two slight oddities on the grid in Alpha Tauri and Alpine, currently embroiled in a battle for 5^th in the constructors’, and what their ambitions will be moving into 2022. 

Alex Pennington starts his five-piece preview set, kicking off with Haas and Alfa Romeo, about what we should expect from teams in the upcoming season.

With the season approaching its end – even with many battles far from over – Formula 1’s teams have already turned their attention towards next year, and the sport’s much-anticipated new regulations. As we head towards the conclusion of a thrilling title battle, it’s worth doing the same, looking ahead to what we can expect from the teams next year. 

Over a series of five articles, I’ll examine each team’s 2021 season, and what we should look for from them and their drivers next year. They’ll run in reverse championship order (at time of writing) and, importantly, should be read as a (undoubtedly contentious) bit of fun. So, without further ado, let’s get started; don’t forget to set a reminder for this time next year to tell me just how wrong I was. 

Haas

Of all the teams heading into next year, Haas seem to be in the most uncertain, and possibly weakest, position. It’s hardly been a positive couple of seasons for them, and unfortunately that seems unlikely to change in the immediate future.

The American outfit is the only team this year yet to score any points, despite some of the chaotic, mixed-up, and wet races the calendar has seen: barring any true miracles, this looks unlikely to change before the end of the season. Hardly ending the era on a high, then. 

They also seem to have the biggest financial struggles of any team, taking that mantle from Williams in the last couple of years. Gene Haas still funds some of the team personally, and the rest is now done by Nikita Mazepin’s father, via his company Uralkali. This has, of course, helped to plug the gap, and the budget cap coming in for 2022 will also go some way to mitigating the issue. The fact remains though that Haas’ financial viability is linked to one of its drivers remaining with the team. Budget cap or not, it’s hardly an enviable position.

So, what about the drivers? For the avoidance of major controversy, let’s just say that one of the two has had mixedPR results for his new team. Aside from that issue, there is that of experience. Heading into completely new regulations, they have only one year apiece in Formula 1. Of course, all of the teams are in the dark heading into the new regs, but most teams have at least one more experienced driver who knows how to give development feedback and has been with their team for several years. Haas may have dedicated all its 2021 resources to next year, but throwing money alone at an issue will not be enough. 

Do I think Haas will be as far off next year as they have been next year? No. If they are, I think there is a risk of them dropping off the grid as their risk/reward calculations start to turn out some concerning answers. I see their 2022 spent in a similar position to Williams and Alfa Romeo this year – not quite able to fight with the big midfield names, but not always a million miles away.

Alfa Romeo

Speaking of Alfa Romeo, what can we expect from the Swiss outfit next year? Well, it’s not an Andretti takeover, but it is an exciting – if controversial – new driver line-up, and the promise of big things from boss Frederic Vasseur.

Alfa Romeo currently sit 9^th in the standings with 11 points, 12 behind Williams, with only three races to go. This, compared to their expectations at the start of the year, will be disappointing, given Williams’ weakness in the last few seasons and Alfa Romeo’s lower-midfield consistency. 

They do however have reason to be optimistic in 2022. Alfa Romeo recently renewed its financial commitment to the Sauber team, and they also have new financial support in the shape of Guanyu Zhou – but more on the driver line-up soon. The team has doubled its number of personnel over the last 2-3 years according to Vasseur, and has operated for years underneath F1’s newly introduced cost cap. This means that it has to make no adjustments to its spending at all, as opposed to famously big-spending Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull who have had to deal with major organisational changes, as well as the challenge of developing the new car.

Valtteri Bottas will also be a valuable addition to the team. He is now an experienced, proven entity in F1, someone capable of beating Hamilton on his day, and with invaluable development experience. Alfa Romeo could not have asked for a better replacement for Kimi Raikkonen. There is, of course, the matter of newly announced Guanyu Zhou. His appointment has been controversial, but with multiple F2 wins and a title challenge still underway, he is anything but slow. He will need a season to bed in and adapt, and I expect a Tsunoda-esque year from him next year, but with all the drivers starting from square one with their new machinery, he couldn’t be joining at a better time.

Compared to Haas, Alfa Romeo have reason to be optimistic. A small, efficient operation with a potentially strong driver line-up could see a decent step forward, and it would be unsurprising to see them challenging for seventh in the constructors, fighting in the upper midfield on a good day.

So, there’s the rundown on where F1’s current bottom two teams stand ahead of 2022. The second article in this series, out next week, will tackle two of motorsport’s biggest names – Williams and Aston Martin – and how they will be looking to change their mixed fortunes in F1’s new era. 

Alex Pennington examines the history of US teams in Formula 1, the desire from F1 elites to generate a larger US audience, and whether the addition of a new American team on the Formula 1 grid would provide the following that is so sought after.

Rumours have surfaced in recent weeks that US-based Andretti Autosport is in talks to take over a majority stake in Sauber, which (despite the name) still owns the Alfa Romeo F1 team. Given the importance of the Andretti name in motorsport, and the fate of the last US name to make an appearance on the grid, it’s worth taking a look at them – and why, if the takeover happens, this time it will be different.

Let’s look at that surname. Haas entered F1 back in 2016, and after a couple of seasons spent establishing itself and its operation, they finished fifth in the constructors’ championship in 2018. P5 in the standings after only three years in F1 is no mean feat, and the signs looked good for a competitive US team in Formula 1. The team’s story since then is hardly as successful. Their farcical relationship with Rich Energy in 2019 compounded their performance issues in a season where they finished ninth, a result they replicated in 2020. So far in 2021, with an all-rookie driver line-up, they sit last, the only team yet to score any points. 

The problem we want to focus on here though is marketing. When Haas entered F1, it was lauded as an opportunity to finally draw in the US audience F1 has craved for so long. Five years on, F1’s peak viewership for the entire season so far (1.2 million viewers in Silverstone) is still lower than the average viewership for the Mid-Ohio IndyCar race in July, at 1.38 million. The Indy500 this year peaked at over 7 million viewers. For an international racing series owned by a US company, with a US team competing, something isn’t quite working. 

The first problem, at least recently, is that Haas just aren’t competitive. It’s difficult to draw supporters and viewers to a team that finishes 19^th and 20^th at almost every race weekend. And then there’s the sponsorship. At the risk of opening a whole other can of worms, a car with a white, blue and red flag on its engine cover and ‘Uralkali’ in the name doesn’t exactly play well in the US market. Money and performance struggles, combined with Russian sponsorship, have meant that Haas has not been – and won’t be, at least for the foreseeable future – the answer to F1’s struggle to finally break into the US.

What about races, then? This weekend’s US Grand Prix was first held at the Circuit of the Americas back in 2012, and has been every year since, except 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This followed a hiatus from 2007-2011, before which the race was held at Indianapolis. On the whole, it’s been a big success: close racing, title deciders, and Kimi Raikkonen’s hard-fought final victory for Ferrari have all been seen here. Holding it in the States’ motorsport-mad deep south only adds to the appeal. The growth F1 has seen in the US has been hugely aided by COTA’s success. Now, though, we have to talk about Miami.

The circuit confirmed a deal with F1 in 2020, with a provisional layout having been revealed back in late 2019. It’s a very all-American affair, taking place around the Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the Miami Dolphins. It’s touted as being all about the fans, with a big capacity, and entertainment in the stadium during the race weekend. This could be a big success. But the track itself – which looks like an oddly deformed version of F1’s Sao Paolo track – might pose a problem. There are big braking zones, which is a positive, but the combination of twiddly, slow-speed sections and flowing, medium-speed corners means that overtakes are likely to be under DRS, and prolonged side-by side battles are going to be tough. Of course, we won’t know for sure until the race is held for the first time, and it’s always best to be optimistic, but the fact is that if a track is boring, it’s unpopular. F1’s last race in the car park of a US landmark was hardly a resounding success, either. Looking at you, Caesar’s Palace.

Then there’s the issue of the calendar itself. It’s been confirmed that China, another big growth market for F1, is out for next year, whilst the US will now have two races. F1 says that they want to bring China back in the future, but with a 23-race schedule, and more and more tracks signing long-term deals, just how likely is that? Miami comes at a cost to the east Asian market, and has already raised questions over just why the US, as well as Italy, has two races. Campaign groups set up by local residents unhappy with the idea of an F1 race being held in their already busy backyard have also reinforced negative opinions.

So, with Haas a backmarker and Miami a somewhat controversial unknown quantity, how could Andretti be different? Firstly, it’s a bigger name than Haas. Haas is originally a NASCAR team and machine tools company, and even in the US, NASCAR is a regional sport. Andretti, on the other hand, is a name with F1 heritage, and huge brand exposure. Mario Andretti (current team owner Michael’s father) was 1978 F1 world champion, and Michael himself is an ex-F1 driver and IndyCar champion. Andretti Autosport is also one of the biggest names in IndyCar, and so should bring a lot of American excitement – and importantly, fans – to F1. 

Of course, it’s easy to bring fans, but harder to keep them without performance; based on this year, Alfa Romeo might not seem like the most attractive candidate. That could very much change in coming seasons. The rule changes for 2022 are a completely blank slate for all the teams, and combined with the cost cap, they provide the best chance in years for those at the back to mix up the pecking order. Add to that an improved Ferrari engine, a newly committed Alfa Romeo, and the combined racing experience of Sauber and Andretti, and the ingredients for a competitive team start to come together. Then there is Valtteri Bottas, an experienced driver who on his day can challenge Lewis Hamilton.

Things, then, would be looking good for the Swiss-American outfit. But who would partner Bottas? Rumours have been around for a few months now that Guanyu Zhou is the most likely candidate, but negotiations have apparently hit a stumbling block over the fact that he wants a three-year deal which the team is unwilling to agree to. With the possibility of Andretti entering the sport, though, another name has been thrown into the ring in the form of Colton Herta. The young IndyCar driver has turned heads in that series, and it seems that Andretti are very keen to get him an F1 drive. An empty seat at an Andretti-controlled team would be the perfect opportunity for this, and has the added marketing value of an American driver with a new American-backed team. 

Some readers will already be protesting that Herta only has 32 Super Licence points, out of the 40 required to drive in F1, and therefore shouldn’t be anywhere near the conversation for that second Alfa Romeo seat. He does have a way of getting in, though. The FIA can technically override the 40-point requirement for a driver whose season/s have been affected by “circumstances outside their control.” 

In 2018, Herta competed in the IndyLights series, and his position should have earned him 12 points: instead it earned him zero due to the low number of competitors that year. The fact that fewer people than usual chose to participate hardly seems within Herta’s control, not to mention the two COVID-affected seasons since then. An exception like this would be unprecedented, but if it made commercial sense for F1, it is likely that the FIA would at the very least consider it. 

All of this adds up to the potential for a new name on the F1 grid for next year, with huge US marketability, and even an American driver for the first time since 2007. Of course, rumours of new names entering F1 are hardly rare at the moment, and it could all come to nothing. But after the commercial failures of Haas, and the Miami GP yet to prove its worth, the sheer possibility is an exciting prospect for the future of the sport. So, among the excitement of this year’s title race, and the start of a new era for Formula 1 in 2022, remember to keep an eye on Andretti Autosport and the USA, because there are interesting times ahead. 

Bella Manfredi briefly introduces pitching articles to CUMFS, and what we look for in an article.

If you’ve never written an article or you’re a seasoned pro, we want you to write for us! We’re looking for submissions all year round on a casual basis: you submit a pitch whenever you’d like to write! There is no commitment and you can write as much or as little as you’d like. Anyone can pitch an idea- click here to submit yours, or email Bella (Social Media Officer) via ikm22@cam.ac.uk .

“I have no idea what to write!”

Despite the blog being open for various types of article, we’ve listed a few examples below to get you going.

1. Opinion Pieces: disagree with a penalty that a team/driver has been given? Want to see more teams reducing their carbon footprint? Write an opinion piece for us and let others see your ideas.
2. Spotlight Pieces: has a particular driver or race caught your eye? Why? Tell us more about it!
3. Fun Pieces: whether it be a meme review or ‘5 ways in which a Cambridge degree feels like an F1 race’, we want your best comedic pieces! You take the wheel on this one, and make it as fun as you’d like!
4. “Blast from the Past”: take us through a past race or event that stands out to you.
5. Race Review/Race Preview: what should we be looking out for? Did something really interesting happen? Write about it!
6. Other: you can pitch us anything and we’ll get back to you shortly!

It would be impossible to list every idea (and I definitely don’t have the time to do this!) so do take creative reign a little on your pitches.

“Okay, I know what I want to write about but have no idea how to pitch it.”

Pitching can be scary- I know this! A good pitch is short and to the point. Things you could include are:

• outline the topic of your article/ area of interest- be as specific as you like, but this does help.
• why you’re the best person to write this article/ any experience you have writing (not essential at all, and we’d still love to work with you!)
• why you want to write this article
• anything else you feel is necessary

Try and keep pitches between 100-200 words, but don’t worry if pitching isn’t for you! Just drop us a message and outline your article however you wish. It is good getting experience doing a formal pitch, but we’ll just be happy to hear from you.

“I’ve pitched my article, now what?”

If you haven’t already written your article, write it now! In terms of recommended word count, it can vary. Opinions pieces may be 500-600 words, whilst longer analytical articles may be 1000+. We’re all busy students so don’t worry if you need longer to get an article to us, prioritise your degree first! Once finished, send your article to Bella (email above) for editing, and it should shortly be uploaded to the blog.

We can’t wait to see al of your submissions!

Bella Manfredi briefly introduces the Cambridge University Motorsport Fans Society.

On behalf of the entire committee, welcome to the Cambridge University Motorsport Fans Society! Established in 2020 by a small group of Cambridge University freshers, the society now has over 150 members. Everyone is welcome in the society, no matter how long you’ve been watching motorsports!

We wanted to be able to provide a space for students passionate about motorsports to try their hand at writing articles… enter the blog! Anybody can write for us, just get in contact with Bella (Social Media Officer) via the email ikm22@cam.ac.uk , or alternatively click here to fill in a pitch form. We welcome any suggestions and would love to hear your ideas.

Whether it be through reflecting on past races, ranking your top ten favourite Bottas memes, or writing a more analytical piece, hopefully this blog will evolve into a space full of insight about the world of motorsport.