A well-timed summer truce

It’s vacation time for the drivers and F1. This three-week summer break may have come at the right time. The 2021 season is exceptional and the best is yet to come. This first part of the season has brought us some surprises. The battle for the top spot in the drivers’ standings is fierce with just seven points separating current leader Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. The Mercedes driver can finally take a break after a grueling weekend in Hungary. And it didn’t take 24 years to see a French victory in F1 again. Esteban Ocon brilliantly won the race in Hungary ahead of Hamilton and Sainz. It promises things to come!

The Belgian Grand Prix

Formula 1 will meet us on August 29 for the Belgian Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. The variety of its layout, offering several overtaking possibilities, allows drivers to show all their talent. Verstappen will be keen to bounce back. The Dutch driver only finished ninth in Hungary, while his rival finished second. This is not the only interesting duel. The third place in the constructors’ standings remains undecided. McLaren (3rd) and Ferrari (4th) are only three points apart.

Tests on Pirelli tires 2022

For the 2022 season, Pirelli will include 18-inch tires. An opportunity for some drivers to test these new tires. Moreover, Théo Pourchaire, the French F2 driver, was able to take his first steps at the wheel of an F1 with the Alfa Romeo C38. George Russell also did several laps with a Mercedes in Budapest.

The teams will be closed for two weeks.

The summer break also allows stables to take a break. While the drivers will enjoy their holidays, the factories will have to close for fourteen consecutive days. During this period, the FIA reserves the right to carry out checks at any time to ensure that the teams do not make any changes.

Article 21.8 of Regulation 2021 specifies that « all teams must observe a period of fourteen consecutive days off during the months of July and/or August.

There are, however, exceptions. If a team cannot operate its wind tunnel, it can still maintain and carry out maintenance on it. Departments that do not directly affect the car, such as marketing, are allowed to continue as usual according to the rules. This well-deserved summer break for all teams allows them to recharge before the second half of the season begins. It is worth noting that the F1 calendar has gradually expanded to include more than 20 races.

The return of sprint racing.

Tested for the first time at Silverstone, the sprint race will make its big comeback at Monza in Italy and in Brazil later in the season. The first sprint race was won by Verstappen, giving him the pole position for the start of the British Grand Prix. These upcoming trials will be crucial for the future of F1. If they are successful, it is possible that starting in 2022, sprint races will be part of every Grand Prix weekend.