The first race of the year is now live!

Wolff: “It will be a challenge”

“Hopefully we can put a little pressure on Max,” says the Mercedes team boss on ‘ServusTV’ and explains: “We have two cars in the game. If we get there, we will have several game variants.” But: “During testing, the wind did more harm than good, especially against Red Bull. We are two or three tenths short per lap. It will be a challenge.”

Honda: offline

According to Honda, there is no connection between Gasly and Pérez’s problems. There was a real problem with Gasly, but they hope to be able to use the parts again. With Pérez, however, it was just a precautionary measure. The pieces will be examined next week.

All fixed!

All 20 drivers have reached the grid. Before we start right away, the mandatory note again: Here at this point you will get pictures, voices and the most important information during the race. The full report is available from my colleague Stefan Ehlen in our separate session ticker. It’s best to just open both tickers at the same time, then you won’t miss a thing!

Open pit lane

Meanwhile, the pit lane has been opened. Drivers now have until 4:30 pm to drive to the starting grid. Let’s hope that in the first race of the year all 20 cars make it to the grid. That was not always the case in the past …

Marko trusts Pérez to catch up

Will Pérez still be able to enter the top group from P11? “He has to stay away from anything there is no collision, and then use his ‘tire whispering’ skills to set the optimum pace without overwhelming the tires. I think the soft drivers will get to the pits relatively soon. of the leading quartet ”, says Helmut Marko on ‘ServusTV’.

Honda: precautionary measure

The Japanese explain that the pieces were changed in Pérez as a “precautionary measure.” Something was recognized in the data that I did not like. With the other three Honda cars (including Verstappen) everything is fine.

New parts in Pérez

More details: The Mexican got a new energy storage device and new control electronics. Of these two parts, only two are allowed per season. So Pérez reached the maximum allowed here before the first race. It wasn’t a great start.

As for Honda’s point of view: At Gasly the two elements had to be exchanged yesterday.

Problem bei Pérez?

Work is currently underway on the Red Bull in the garage. Apparently something in the power unit. The car should be ready again at the beginning, so there is no drama. But let’s keep an eye on it, of course.

This is new for the 2021 season!

Get started in less than 60 minutes! Before that, I would like to briefly refer to our series of photos, in which we have summarized all the novelties of this year in a compact way.

What is possible for Schumacher in debut?

The rookie is “very excited” for his Formula 1 debut. Today, a lifelong dream is coming true for him. What gives you hope: The Haas performed quite well even in windy conditions. It could be a little advantage today. Of course, it won’t be easy for him anyway, because yesterday the gap with Williams was quite large. Therefore, he also explains that his goal is simply to learn as much as possible.

Gasly looks ahead

The Frenchman explains that yesterday he was very happy with fifth place. Today’s goal is therefore “good points”. He definitely wanted to break Leclerc right in front of him. His teammate Tsunoda wants to bake slightly smaller muffins in his first Formula 1 race. His ultimate goal is to get there and learn. But it also expects points. The car looks good enough for that.

What does Ferrari win?

“I was surprised by fourth place yesterday,” Leclerc said. It is a “pleasant surprise”, but in the race you have to wait. Expect a good result, but it will be difficult with a podium. His teammate Sainz says he won’t be able to keep up with Leclerc. He also knows very little about how the car behaves in traffic, on the first lap and so on.

Alonso still has to “learn”

The returnee expects a “tough race” due to conditions. But he’s happy anyway. At the same time, however, he also makes it clear that after a two-year hiatus in Formula 1, he still has to “learn” about things like tire management. He expects to need “three or four runs” before he can claim his maximum. Today you can not only look ahead from P9, but you also have to keep an eye out for “faster” cars like Pérez behind them.

Vettel: punishment doesn’t matter

“We were way behind anyway, so it doesn’t matter,” the four-time world champion shrugged at his penalty. Your goal today is simply to get as far as possible. “I’m looking forward to the race,” he explains. He hoped the strategy could also take a step or two forward.

Pérez: Can you catch up?

The Mexican explains that days like today are particularly important for the World Cup. You should try to score as many points as possible after qualifying in poor condition. What gives him hope: Yesterday’s result did not fit, but he took a “big step” to better understand the car. Let’s see what remains of P11.

Hamilton: “Like in the wind tunnel”

The world champion talks about the wind, which today could become a problem. It is “like in a wind tunnel,” he reports. In other words, it is quite impressive. It will not be easy for the Mercedes W12, which is apparently quite sensitive. But the conditions are, of course, the same for everyone, and Hamilton says he is looking forward to the fight against Red Bull. “It will be a tough fight,” he predicts.