The Morning Warmup: The F1 Champ Returns
The Morning Warmup
Dec. 11, 2020
(Photo: Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 Team)
Lewis Hamilton's return and Nikita Mazepin's controversy led a news week dominated by F1.
By Aaron Bearden
The Podium: Today's Top Three Stories
P1: Lewis Hamilton back for Abu Dhabi after clearing COVID-19 protocol (F1)
The champ is back.
Lewis Hamilton has been medically cleared to return to competition ahead of this weekend’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, following one missed race at Bahrain as he recovered from COVID-19.
Hamilton will reclaim his seat at Mercedes, closing out a season that he’s already claimed the championship for. The move comes after he passed the minimum number of negative COVID-19 tests and completed a mandatory 10-day quarantine period in Bahrain, with an ensuing trip to Abu Dhabi and subsequent negative test also completed.
With Hamilton returning to the cockpit, George Russell will shift back to his standard ride at Williams Racing. Russell was given a one-race run in the Sakhir Grand Prix with Mercedes in place of the ailing Hamilton, topping practice and leading a large portion of the race after overtaking temporary teammate Valtteri Bottas on the initial start. The run came to a heartbreaking end when a poor pit sequence and tie puncture derailed Russell’s day, allowing Sergio Perez to score an unexpected win.
With Hamilton’s condition uncertain, both Russell and Jack Aitken prepared as though they were going to reprise their roles this weekend on Thursday. Aitken made his debut in Russell’s place with Williams in Bahrain.
Russell made light of the situation on social media, offering kind words for Hamilton after posting a picture of himself back in his Williams driving suit.
“Glad to see @LewisHamilton back and fighting fit,” he tweeted. “Had a blast with @MercedesAMGF1 but now I’m buzzing to put everything I’ve learned into action with my team @WilliamsRacing. Gonna give it everything this weekend - just as they do for me week in, week out.”
Aiken did similar, calling his one-off run with Williams an “honour” and wishing luck to Russell in his return to the team.
(Source(s): F1.com, George Russell / Twitter, Jack Aitken / Twitter)
P2: Nikita Mazepin criticized after distasteful video posted to social media (F1)
Haas F1 Team rookie Nikita Mazepin has come under fire months before his competitive debut behind the wheel for the team after a post to his Instagram account’s story showed him groping a female in a car.
From RACER:
The Russian driver — who will step up from Formula 2 to race for Haas next season — quickly deleted the video that was posted to his Instagram story, in which he reached back from the front passenger seat to grab a woman who was sitting behind him. Despite Mazepin removing the post, it received backlash on other social media channels and Haas released a statement condemning the video and its content.
“Haas F1 Team does not condone the behavior of Nikita Mazepin in the video recently posted on his social media,” a team statement read. “Additionally, the very fact that the video was posted on social media is also abhorrent to Haas F1 Team. The matter is being dealt with internally and no further comment shall be made at this time.”
The FIA and F1 collectively chose to back Haas’ handling of the incident, saying “We strongly support the Haas F1 Team in its response to the recent inappropriate actions of its driver, Nikita Mazepin. Mazepin has issued a public apology for his poor conduct and this matter will continue to be dealt with internally by the Haas F1 Team. The ethical principles and diverse and inclusive culture of our sport are of the utmost importance to the FIA and Formula 1."
Mazepin later issued his own apology, stating: “I would like to apologize for my recent actions both in terms of my own inappropriate behavior and the fact that it was posted onto social media.
“I am sorry for the offense I have rightly caused and to the embarrassment I have brought to Haas F1 Team. I have to hold myself to a higher standard as a Formula 1 driver and I acknowledge I have let myself and many people down. I promise I will learn from this.”
Andrea D’IVal, the woman in the video, later came to Mazepin’s defense and explained her side of the situation, claiming she’d been the one to post the video.
“Nikita and I have been good friends for a long time and nothing from that video was serious at all,” she wrote in a post to her Instagram account’s story. “We trust each other so much and this was a silly way of joking between us. I posted this video on his story as an internal joke. I am truly sorry. I can give you my word he’s really a good person and he would never do anything to hurt or humiliate me.”
This isn’t Mazepin’s first incident of note. He infamously punched fellow competitor Callum Ilott in the face after a disagreement during practice at the Hungaroring in 2016, resulting in a one-race ban. On-track he’s racked up numerous time penalties, including two separate instances in the Formula 2 finale weekend at Bahrain that left him one penalty point shy of a race ban, and was penalized for hitting his P2 board in the direction of winner Yuki Tsunoda after losing race to him earlier this year.
Mazepin finished his last season of Formula 2 fifth in the standings, earning his F1 super license with two race wins along the way. He was confirmed for a 2021 drive in F1 with Haas just prior to the season finale, joining F2 champion Mick Schumacher as the pair replace exiting veterans Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen.
(Source(s): Chris Medland / RACER, F1 Media / Twitter, Marcus Simmons / Autosport, F1.com)
P3: NASCAR announces start times and networks for 2021 (NASCAR)
NASCAR released the 2021 starting times and networks for each of its three national series on Thursday afternoon, showcasing a schedule with broadcasts spread primarily across four channels.
Continuing the trend of recent years, the bulk of the NASCAR Cup Series schedule will see races held at 3:00 p.m. ET or later. The lone event starting earlier than 2:00 p.m. ET will be the Aug. 15 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, held at 1 p.m. ET.
A total of 23 Cup races will be aired between FOX and NBC this year, up two races from 2020. That includes 11 races on FOX, including the first seven points-paying races of the season. Five of the 10 playoff rounds will be aired on NBC, along with the debut Cup race at Road America.
Five Xfinity Series races will air on the same channels, including three of the final five races of the year airing on NBC. The Camping World Truck Series will be shown entirely on FS1.
Only one race will air outside of the four main channels. The NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen International (Aug. 7, 4 p.m. ET) will be aired on CNBC while NBC works to cover the 2021 summer Olympics.
As we’ve learned in painful fashion this year, all dates, times, networks and even tracks are subject to change. But for the time being it appears NASCAR and the TV networks are marching on with plans for a season more in line with the traditional February through November slate.
(Source(s): NASCAR.com)
Other News and Notes
NASCAR
Riley Herbst is switching from one Xfinity Series power to another, taking over Stewart-Haas Racing’s No. 98 Ford in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for 2021. (Stewart-Haas Racing)
He’ll be joined on the full-time grid by Myatt Snider, who is stepping up from a split effort with Richard Childress Racing and Ryan Sieg Racing to a full-season effort in RCR’s No. 2 Chevrolet next season. (Richard Childress Racing)
Herbst made an appearance on Stewart-Haas Racing’s latest podcast episode to discuss his newfound opportunity. (Stewart-Haas Racing)
Kyle Larson is for sure coming back to the NASCAR Cup Series. What’s less certain to return is significant sponsor backing for him, with the search for it reportedly remaining a work in progress. (Jordan Bianchi / The Athletic ($))
Spire Motorsports confirmed Ryan Sparks (No. 7) and Kevin Bellicourt (No. 77) as the team’s Cup crew chiefs for 2021. (Spire Motorsports / Twitter)
Good news for the industry: NASCAR has been ranked as the ninth-fastest growing brand among Gen Z adults aged 18-23 in a poll from Morning Consult. (Adam Stern / Twitter)
Truck Series runner-up Zane Smith was the latest guest on “The Racing Writer’s Podcast,” discussing his rookie year and the sting of finishing second. (Kelly Crandall / RACER)
IndyCar
Juan Pablo Montoya is returning to McLaren… Sort of. He’ll attempt to contest May’s Indianapolis 500 with Arrow McLaren SP. (Arrow McLaren SP)
Pietro Fittipaldi just made his Formula 1 debut in place of the injured Romain Grosjean in Bahrain, but the F1 reserve driver may have IndyCar ambitions for 2021. (David Malsher-Lopez & Erwin Jaeggi / Motorsport
Nothing has been confirmed for Conor Daly and Ed Carpenter Racing, but Motorsport is reporting that the U.S. Air Force is close to renewing its deal with the group. (David Malsher-Lopez / Motorsport)
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing mourned the loss of longtime staff member Mike “TZ” Szouanakis last week. (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing / Twitter)
In the latest episode of the fan-favorite podcast and video series, “Brickyard Empire,” Dinner With Racers took a step back to the 1930s to find parallels with modern motorsport and chronicle an Indianapolis 500 dynasty built by a… Businessman in Mike Boyle. Here’s the trailer. (Dinner With Racers)
One of the creators, Sean Heckman, discussed the story and why it matters today in a column. (Sean Heckman / RACER)
F1
In a move that’s more industry-based but will definitely effect the motorsports world, Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri shockingly announced his retirement from the company with immediate effect on Thursday, citing “personal reasons.” (Jonathan Noble / Motorsport)
The major news came hours after Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto flew home to Italy after becoming unwell with an illness reportedly unrelated to COVID-19. (F1.com)
With his blown Mercedes opportunity now in the rear-view mirror, George Russell has revealed the emotional toil his team’s missed victory took on himself and those around him. (F1.com)
Fernando Alonso will run his title-winning Renault R25 in Abu Dhabi to mark his F1 return and celebrate Renault’s re-branding to Alpine for 2021. (F1.com)
Not all is sunshine and roses with Alonso, though. Carlos Sainz and Sebastian Vettel have been critical of the FIA’s decision to allow Alonso to participate in the Young Driver Test after Abu Dhabi. (Chris Medland / RACER)
Oscar Piastri topped the charts in the final Formula 2 test day this week at Bahrain. (James Pavey / Speedcafe)
Charles Leclerc has vowed to “try to choose fights better” after his Bahrain aggression led to an early crash and three-place grid penalty for Abu Dhabi. (Chris Medland / RACER)
A frustrated Valtteri Bottas blocked out media coverage after his disappointing run in the Sakhir Grand Prix. (James Pavey / Speedcafe)
The 2021 season is nearly a wash for Sergio Perez. But what are his best options for 2022 at the moment? (Matt Beer & Edd Straw / The Race)
Sports Cars
Meyer Shank Racing conducted its first test of the Acura ARX-05 DPi at Daytona International Speedway this week ahead of January’s Rolex 24 at Daytona. (RACER)
Audi intends to support both factory and customer teams as part of its LMDh project, which is set to debut in 2023. (John Dagys / Sportscar365)
The full 2021 calendar for GT World Challenge Asia has been revealed, with Shuhai joining the schedule as the host of the season finale in October. (Daniel Lloyd / Sportscar365)
Reigning 24 Hours of Le Mans GTE-Am class winner TF Sport will make its IMSA debut in the Rolex 24 at Daytona with an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 entry in the GT Daytona category. (Daniel Lloyd / Sportscar365)
Also confirmed for a Rolex 24 entry is Racing Team Nederland, which will stay in WEC’s LMP2 class otherwise. (Daniel Lloyd / Sportscar365)
British GT race winners 2 Seas Motorsport will compete in the DTM next year with a pair of McLaren 720 GT3 entries. (Daniel Lloyd / Sportscar365)
Dirt
The USAC National Sprint, Midget and Silver Crown schedules for 2021 have all been revealed this week. Get to planning those dirt track trips now. (Richie Murray / USAC Media (x3))
Justin Grant will return for another year of USAC Sprint action in 2021, continuing on for a fourth season with TOPP Motorsports. (USAC Media)
Boom Briggs will return for another year with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series in 2021. (Brian Walker / WorldofOutlaws.com)
Here’s a deeper look at the lineup Keith Kunz Motorsport will bring to the Chili Bowl - the team positioned as likely favorites should traditional powers Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell stumble. (Jacob Seelman / Speed Sport)
Short Tracks
The Granite State Pro Stock Series has officially unveiled its 15-race schedule for the 2021 season, which will run from April through October. (Speed51)
The Super Late Model world is rolling right along, With the Snowball Derby complete, the schedule and entry list for January’s CRA SpeedFest has been released. (Speed51)
Here are some final observations from the Snowball Derby, with the race now fully left in the rear-view mirror. (Matt Weaver / Short Track Scene)
Supercars
Erebus has confirmed a new lineup of race engineers ahead of the 2021 Supercars season. (Andrew van Leeuwen / Motorsport)
That isn’t the only shakeup, either. Team 18 has signed long-time Garry Rogers Motorsport engineer Richard Holloway as its new Head of Engineering. (Andrew van Leeuwen / Motorsport)
Moto
Valentino Rossi’s VR46 team has officially unveiled the Ducati Desmosedici GP20 that will be ridden by rookie Luca Marini in MotoGP next season. (Simon Patterson / The Race)
Jorge Lorenzo has come under fire from Spanish media for an alleged tax avoidance scheme, one that he has since categorically denied but is under investigation by tax authorities in his native country. (Simon Patterson / The Race)
Marc Marquez has reported “seeing positives” after the third surgery on his broken arm, a good sign as he continues to work toward his return to MotoGP. (Lewis Duncan / Motorsport)
Esports
A special Indonesian Series has been announced by the group behind MotoGP Esports in an attempt to fastback young Indonesian talent up the ladder. (Overtake.gg)
Ashton Crowder prevailed in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Series race at the virtual Dover International Speedway this week. (Seth Eggert / Kickin’ the Tires)
Other:
In a major story from the rally sector, nine-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb will contest the inaugural Extreme E season for seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton’s X44 team. (Stephen Brunsdon / DirtFish)
Loeb’s co-driver, Cristina Gutierrez, isn’t as well known as the rally legend. But the 29-year-old is one to watch as well. (Rachel Harris-Gardiner / DirtFish)
In an opinion piece covering the news, DirtFish’s David Evans explained why he believes Loeb and Gutierre will be the benchmarks for the new Extreme E tour. (David Evans / DirtFish)
Cupra and Abt Sportsline also completed their Extreme E lineup, signing Nurburgring 24 Hours winner and German Touring Car champ Claudio Hürtgen to pair with Mattias Ekstrom. (Elliot Wood / DirtFish)
Formula E’s moment of reckoning seems to be on the way with the planned launch of Gen3 racing in 2022. With Audi and BMW already jumping ship beforehand, who else could follow suit? (Sam Smith / The Race)
Former Hyundai Motorsport driver Kevin Abbring will test an electric GCK e-Blast 1 car when it debuts at the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia next month. (Elliot Wood / DirtFish)
Speaking of Dakar, Mattias Ekstrom will compete in the race as part of an X-Raid Team SSV prototype program as he prepares for Extreme E. (Stephen Brunsdon / DirtFish)
The NHRA is out to find the 20 most memorable moments of a unique 2020 season. You can vote on them on a link in the tour’s website. (NHRA.com)
Thank You
We’re all just playing the waiting game, aren’t we?
I’m so eager to get back to the track and promise I will next year. I’m just being cautious and waiting until we have a vaccine readily available so I know that I can do so safely. Here’s to hoping that comes sooner than later.
Thanks for the support that’s kept me optimistic amid an otherwise sour year. Per usual, I’d also like to offer a special shoutout to our top patrons: David Colyer, Cat Hicks, Bob & Sally Wichert, Jory Fleischauer, Spencer Pullins, Nathan K. Thomas, Dustin Tanner, Tyler Sorenson, Ethan Davies, Mary Dzuro, Pat Richardson, Kate Ertmann, Seth Whitesel, Mike Johnson, Howie Molton, Billy Rowlee, Matthew Luxford, Michael Gaffney, Robert Yoki, David Vrabel, Michael S. Lee, Kathleen OKelley, Hannah Landvater, Sue Parzych, Matt Call, John R Wilson, Jr., Neil K. McMillan, Contessa Nyree, Sharon Eddy, Sven Kuttner, Mitch Wright, Allison Bodiford, Buzz Baylis, Min, Nathan A. Ulery, Mike Selby, Paula Buck, John Enyart, John Wimmer, Andy Merritt, Tara McCook, Jeff Smith, Cadence Smith, Jeff Brown and Steve Luvender.
Fast Fact:
Not only did George Russell lead the only 59 laps of his F1 career last week with Mercedes, but he scored his first points with a ninth-place result and finished closer to the lead time-wise (+18 seconds) than he had at any other point this year. Russell only has three lead-lap finishes this year with Williams, with the closest coming 32 seconds back in 11th at Mugello Circuit.
The Morning Warmup is fueled by associate sponsors David Colyer, Cat Hicks, Bob and Sally Wichert, Jory Fleischauer, Spencer Pullins, Nathan K. Thomas, Karen L. Springer. Ethan Davies, Tyler Sorenson, Mary Dzuro and Pat Richardson.
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