#AskMST
We are asked whether the “leak” could have come from Ferrari itself in order to generate more PR for today’s launch. Of course, that cannot be ruled out, but we tend to assume that it really was a glitch.
The launch was probably rehearsed yesterday, and that’s when this photo was taken. But of course we can’t say that with certainty. And especially in Formula 1 you can’t rule anything out…
Either way: The real launch begins in an hour!
Abu Dhabi: More than 100 million viewers!
Earlier we talked briefly about the viewership figures for 2021. In this context, Formula 1 also revealed that a whopping 108.7 million people worldwide watched the season finale in Abu Dhabi on TV. This also made Abu Dhabi the most-watched race last year. On average, 70.3 million fans tuned in for each race.
Nissany remains loyal to Williams
In the past few days, Mercedes and Alpine have published their junior squads for 2022. Now Williams reveals that they will be working with Roy Nissany again this year. The Formula 2 driver will remain part of the Williams Driver Academy – and will possibly also get more Friday assignments in this function.
Brawn happy about the end of “High Rake”
The new Formula 1 cars generate downforce very differently than their predecessors. That’s why the racing cars will no longer be pitched as steeply as in the past. Formula 1 sports director Ross Brawn is pleased. “These high-flying vehicles looked a little silly. The nose was almost buried in the ground and the butt was hanging high in the air,” he scoffs.
Verstappen: I’m not a record hunter
The Dutchman always wants to win. But that doesn’t mean that he necessarily wants to break the records of Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton and eventually win eight world titles. “It’s okay if I never make it to number seven or eight,” reveals Verstappen in conversation with ‘The Guardian’.
His explanation: “You need a lot of luck to be in such a dominant position for such a long time.” Sebastian Vettel, for example, can sing a song about that. When he won his fourth consecutive title in 2013, Hamilton was just a one-time world champion. In the meantime, the tide has turned completely.
So Verstappen also knows how difficult it will be to win six or even seven more world titles – even if he still had a few years left at just 24 …
Viewership 2021
Formula 1 has just published the official audience figures for the 2021 season. Accordingly, the three most successful Grands Prix were the races in Austin (400,000 spectators at the weekend), Mexico (371,000) and Silverstone (356,000). Overall, half of all events (eleven out of 22) managed to jump over the 100,000 mark.
Of course, the numbers are not completely comparable due to the different corona restrictions in the individual countries. Not all of the 22 races of the season could be held in front of full grandstands. At the season opener in Bahrain, for example, only 4,500 fans were allowed.
That’s why there were “only” 2.69 million fans at the racetracks over the course of the entire season. In 2019, the last year before Corona, there were 4.16 million.
Ferrari & Marlboro
What also strikes us about the new Ferrari is the absence of Marlboro sponsorship. Okay, the brand of cigarettes was out at the Scuderia a long time ago anyway. However, the partnership with Philip Morris International lasted until last year, most recently in the form of the Mission Winnow campaign. But that too will be over in 2022!
Albon confirms Formula E talks
What would have happened to Alexander Albon in 2022 if the Formula 1 comeback hadn’t worked out? “I looked at the IndyCar series and also spoke to a few teams in Formula E,” he reveals. Formula 1 was always his “Plan A”.
But it made “sense” for him to look for alternatives if the comeback hadn’t worked out. “The market is so difficult that you have to keep your options open,” he explains. Luckily for him, Plan A worked out in the end!
#AskMST
Oliver has a question about tomorrow’s Mercedes launch and wants to know if the real W13 is already being shown. Since the shakedown is already scheduled for Friday afternoon, Mercedes will certainly show the real car. However – and this is the case with all teams – this does not mean that we will already see the W13 in the configuration that will also be used at the season opener.
In the past, Mercedes used to only have a “base car” at the beginning, which then got more and more new parts over the course of the test drives. This is likely to be the case again in 2022. Given the new rules, it’s important for teams to have a working base from which to develop.
Abu Dhabi: Would a red flag have been fairer?
There is also a lot of talk about the 2021 season finale. With the colleagues from ‘auto motor und sport’ Alfa Romeo team manager Beat Zehnder has now explained why, in his opinion, a red flag would not have been fairer in the relevant situation. “A red flag would give all drivers fresh tires,” he recalls.
“The question is: Would that really be fairer? I think we would still have similar discussions depending on the outcome of the race. With a safety car there are always drivers who benefit and those who lose places. If you watch the race in Abu Dhabi, then Lewis Hamilton would probably have been the winner in the end and Red Bull would have complained,” said Zehnder.
Basically, he defends Michael Masi and explains: “From my point of view, not much went wrong in Abu Dhabi. The only thing I didn’t quite understand was the early announcement that the lapped drivers were not allowed to lap back. He actually should have permit when track conditions permit.”
seat adjustment
Today it’s Ferrari’s turn, but tomorrow’s Mercedes launch is already casting its shadow. It starts there already in the morning. To get in the mood, the Silver Arrows have published a video of George Russell’s seat adjustment, among other things. Lewis Hamilton was there too!
Ferrari colors in transition
Personally, the new car in the picture reminds me a lot of Michael Schumacher’s first Ferrari from 1996. Of course, this is not a professional photo, which is why it is difficult to judge whether the color is also in reality and later in the TV will work like that.
In any case, in this series of photos we take a look back at the colors that the Scuderia has chosen over the years.
It will be launched again!
Hello and welcome to a new edition of our Formula 1 live ticker. After a “rest day” we’re going back to full launch mode today. From 2:00 p.m. Ferrari will present the new F1-75. However, the first breakdown occurred the day before the presentation, more on that in a moment…
Ruben Zimmerman accompanies you at this point through the launch day and if you have any questions, suggestions or complaints, you can use our contact form as usual. You can also find us this year at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, and if you have any questions, you can also use our Twitter hashtag #FragMST. Here we go!