9 things every F1 fan should be excited for in 2021

Well, 2020 was weird wasn’t it? But while life off-track was hard, on-track F1 fans were treated to one of the most entertaining seasons in recent memory. So what does 2021 have in store? Here are 9 things to get excited about this season.

1. The Schumacher name back on the grid in 2021 F1

The evocative Schumacher name will return to the grid for the first time since 2012 this year, when Michael’s son Mick makes his F1 debut with Haas. Don’t go thinking that the Ferrari-backed Schumacher Junior’s presence in the sport is merely some PR exercise though…

The son of the seven-time champion already has his own impressive junior formula CV, having won the 2018 European F3 title before a ruthlessly consistent 2020 F2 campaign saw him crowned champion in the F1 feeder series, succeeding the likes of Charles Leclerc and George Russell. Comparisons to his old man are both inevitable and unfair – but there’s no doubt that Mick has earned his spot on the grid.

2. The return of Alonso in 2021F1

Meanwhile, one of Michael Schumacher’s old nemeses returns to the F1 grid in 2021 too, with Fernando Alonso poised to replace Daniel Ricciardo at the Renault team (rebranded Alpine this year) with whom he won his two world titles in 2005 and 2006.

Having left F1 in 2018 before sensationally signing up to come back with Renault in July of 2020, Alonso – in true Alonso fashion – has already set pulses racing and caused controversy by heading the timesheets in the Abu Dhabi Young Driver Test in December – while if you’re reading this on New Year’s Day, spare a thought for the poor engineers who Alonso has ordered to appear at the team’s Enstone factory today to begin work on the 2022 car as soon as legally permissible. Alonso has promised to be there too, though – take it from us, the Spaniard is properly fired up about his F1 return.

3. Hamilton’s chance to take F1 title #8 in 2021

Lewis Hamilton broke a whole heap of records in 2020, beating Michael Schumacher’s tally of 91 victories (Hamilton stands on 95 ahead of the 2021 season start) as well as taking the record for highest number of victories for a single manufacturer from the German (Hamilton now has 74 with Mercedes).

All that record breaking helped Hamilton to claim a dominant seventh championship, matching Schumacher’s record. But 2021 could see Hamilton move to the absolute top of the tree with his eighth title triumph. And having claimed his 2020 crown by a full 124 points, despite even missing one race, he’ll be odds-on favourite to get the job done.

4. Red Bull with momentum – and a strong new line-up

Mercedes’ turbo-hybrid dominance has been demoralising enough for their rivals in previous years. Since 2014 the Silver Arrows had always enjoyed a 100% pole and win record at the Abu Dhabi season finales. But 2020 saw Max Verstappen unexpectedly break that streak with a surprise victory at Yas Marina. So this year it’s Red Bull’s engineers, rather than Mercedes’, who’ll have a spring in their step over winter.

And with Red Bull set to field their most tried and tested line-up since Verstappen was last paired with Daniel Ricciardo back in 2018 – with Sergio Perez having been signed up to replace Alex Albon – the Bulls must surely fancy their chances against the Arrows in 2021.

5. Refreshed Ferrari looking to get back to the front in 2021 F1

So Red Bull will be looking to stop Mercedes in their tracks in 2021 – but could Ferrari too? The Prancing Horse will be confident from a driver line-up point of view, with Charles Leclerc joined by Carlos Sainz. Carlos blossomed in the previous two seasons spent with McLaren.

Allied to that, Ferrari suffered a horsepower drop following an FIA Technical Directive at the start of 2020. They have opted to rip up their power unit and start again. They will have high hopes of the new unit propelling Sainz and Leclerc back to the front of the pack. Ferrari finished P6 in the 2020 constructors’ standings, their lowest finishing position since 1980.

6. New races as part of F1 ’s biggest ever calendar 2021

2020 saw Formula 1 head to the new circuits of Portimao, Mugello and Bahrain’s Outer Track. Also the return to Nurburgring, Istanbul Park and Imola. There’ll be more novelty coming in 2021 too, starting with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort on September 5.

That will mark a return to the classic circuit in the Dutch dunes for the first time since 1985. But then on November 28, Formula 1 will breach truly uncharted waters with the first race in Saudi Arabia.

7. Electric Japanese youngster Tsunoda set to debut with 2021 AlphaTauri

There was a sense of inevitability about Formula 2 racer Yuki Tsunoda clinching spot at AlphaTauri for 2021. Tsunoda impressed the team during his first test of F1 machinery at Imola. Then he got nod to run in the Young Driver Test, one day before he was announced as Kvyat’s replacement.

It would be easy to write off Tsunoda’s ascension into the Red Bull sister team as a sop to Honda, with Red Bull thought to be keen to continue using the Japanese firm’s power units beyond Honda’s withdrawal at the end of 2021. But Tsunoda proved plenty of times in the 2020 F2 season that he was possessed of the right stuff. We wait and see what the 18th Japanese driver to start a Grand Prix can achieve.

8. Vettel looking to rediscover his mojo as Aston Martin return to F1

If ever a driver was in need of a career palette cleanser, it’s Sebastian Vettel. 2020 was his worst full season in F1. He limped to 13th place in the drivers’ standings with just 33 points.

Still, with four titles behind him, Vettel had enough star power to book himself a berth at Aston Martin, the brand returning to the sport as a works team for the first time since 1960. And with a car likely to be both wieldier and more suited to Vettel’s driving style than the one he had in 2020 – given that Racing Point’s strong 2020 chassis is set to be re-used for 2021, with some aerodynamic tweaks which you can read about here – plus the fact that he’s back in the British team environment that so suited him at Red Bull, Vettel could thrive.

9. Ricciardo and Norris form a meme dream team at McLaren

Banter levels over Woking are set to be dangerously high in 2021, as Daniel Ricciardo moves over to McLaren. Aside from being a very potent driver line-up – with Norris and Ricciardo both having put in some starring drives in 2020 – it’s also a PR dream for McLaren, who have doubtless got plenty of LOLsome content mapped out for the duo in 2021.

But with the team set to be powered by Mercedes this year as they look to build on their impressive P3 in the constructors’ standings from 2020, expect both Ricciardo and Norris to be all business when they hit the track.