F1 Pickings

Drivers and team bosses enjoy returning to a track with "soul", but don't expect much overtaking.

AlphaTauri Formula 1 driver Daniil Kvyat blasted "bullshit" track limits monitoring at Imola after the subject became a major talking point during Saturday's running at the Emilia Romagna GP

Following the re-introduction of national lockdowns in France and Germany earlier this week, the British government is set to shortly announce that a full lockdown will return next Thursday. The previous lockdown in the UK began in March, with strict measures staying in place until July in a bid to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, resulting in a drop in both positive cases and ... Keep reading

Today's post-qualifying press conference with Valtteri Bottas, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

Formula 1 teams are confident they can adapt to work around the fresh COVID-19 lockdowns announced across Europe this week

In the only practice session at Imola on Saturday morning, 22 laptimes were deleted at Turn 9, and a further 38 at Turn 15. After the session and before qualifying the matter was debated in an extra drivers' briefing. Race director Michael Masi clarified where the limit was judged to be at the two corners, as well as adding Turn 13 to the mix. Only eight laps were subsequently deleted in ... Keep reading

There is still considerably less tyre data than there would be from a 'conventional' weekend, which leaves some question marks over strategy heading into the race and opens up some more options tomorrow, especially with the track evolving all the time.

A bit of a mixed qualifying today.

It's nice that at their home race, Scuderia AlphaTauri had their best qualifying of the season and it was also the first time this year that all four Honda cars are in the top ten.

Third on the grid for Max today was thanks to some incredible teamwork by the mechanics who managed to repair the electrical issue in record time.

The only thing we'll be telling the drivers is to go flat out and race each other hard - everything else they know and we're looking forward to see how it plays out.

We had enough pace to make it through to Q3 but, at the same time, when we look at the classification, we see there were some quick cars, and we could do no better than P9 and P10.

Pierre Gasly has downplayed the value of AlphaTauri's pre-season test at Imola despite equalling his best Formula 1 qualifying performance with fourth place for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

Valtteri Bottas claimed his fourth pole position of the 2020 Formula 1 season beating Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton at Imola. Here's how and when you can watch the race

Qualifying went pretty much the same way as last weekend, even if we had hoped for something a bit better.

Although there are no points given on a Saturday, we are quite happy with the two-day GP format so far in here in Imola!

We undoubtedly have some strong race cars around us on the grid, but we had a good long run this morning and we believe that we can race hard and put up a strong fight.

Of all tracks to be at the back, this is one of the worst: we will need something special, especially in the opening stages, to get something out of this race.

There's not a lot to say. We are where we are usually. We're fighting with our closest opponents, and that's what we do. Tomorrow in the race, maybe we can get some points.

Mongolia's foreign ambassador Lundeg Purevsuren has written to Red Bull over Max Verstappen's "racist and derogatory" comments during Formula 1's Portuguese Grand Prix weekend

Valtteri Bottas beats Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to pole position with his last lap of qualifying at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Verstappen reported a loss of power on his Red Bull car during his first run on the medium tyres in Q2, forcing him to return to the pits for repairs. Red Bull reported that it was a suspected spark plug failure that had caused the loss of power, but the mechanics were able to complete the repairs in time to get Verstappen back out before the end of the session. Verstappen made it through to ... Keep reading

Just 0.097s separates the Black Arrows, as Valtteri Bottas makes up for Portimao qualifying heartbreak by edging out his Mercedes teammate.

Max Verstappen felt a suspected spark plug failure on his Red Bull Formula 1 car "ruined" his qualifying for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

Valtteri Bottas says the risk taking he took to grab pole position for the Formula 1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix left him with the "shakes" at the end of qualifying

Valtteri Bottas beats Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to pole position with his last lap of qualifying at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Both Mercedes drivers and Verstappen will start the race on the medium compound rubber, giving them an expected additional strategy advantage over the rest of the top 10 runners for Sunday's race. Hamilton had the advantage after the opening runs in Q3 had been completed on the soft rubber, with his 1m13.781s putting him 0.031s clear of Bottas despite the world champion dipping his rear wheels ... Keep reading

For the first time since 2006, teams were unleashed around the classic Italian venue for a qualifying session. In the top-10 shootout, Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) set the bar at 1m13.781s, 0.031s quicker than Bottas, who lost time in the final sector. Hamilton then lowered his time to 1m13.706 on the second run, but Bottas snatched the top spot seconds later with 1m13.609s, which was 0.097s ... Keep reading

Times from today's qualifying session for the Emirates Gran Premio dell' Emilia Romagna.

Valtteri Bottas beat Lewis Hamilton to pole for Formula 1's 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola, with Max Verstappen third despite needing a rapid Q2 spark plug change

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Wolff admitted earlier this year that his time in helping Mercedes to a run of world championship success since 2014 has taken its toll on him, and he was pondering what he wanted to do in the future. He is currently in negotiations with Mercedes owner Daimler about a new contract, and identifying what responsibilities he wants to have with the team from next year. And while he will stay ... Keep reading

Mercedes Formula 1 team boss Toto Wolff has given the firmest indication yet that he's on the lookout for a successor so he can step back from his role

The top three at Imola are covered by just 0.492s, as traffic, track limits and tyre strategy look set to play a significant role as the weekend develops.

Times from free practice for the Emirates Gran Premio dell' Emilia Romagna.

Lewis Hamilton set the pace for Mercedes in the sole Formula 1 practice session for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola, edging out Red Bull's Max Verstappen

As part of the revised two-day race weekend format at Imola, drivers were handed a single 90-minute practice session on Saturday morning to dial their cars in ahead of qualifying later today. In the first official on-track running for F1 at Imola since 2006, Hamilton was able to take top spot ahead of Verstappen and Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas. Verstappen set the initial pace in ... Keep reading

Renault Formula 1 team boss Cyril Abiteboul has expressed his frustration after rivals opposed Fernando Alonso taking part in the Abu Dhabi young driver test in December

The Abu Dhabi test running was originally supposed to feature race drivers in mule cars sampling the new 18-inch tyres. However after the technical regulation changes were postponed to 2022, the test was switched to a rookie format, and the 2020 sporting regulations adjusted to suit. The rules clarify the format of the test thus: “An optional one day test, for the sole purpose of providing ... Keep reading

Renault has joined Ferrari in saying it will not back any move for a Formula 1 engine freeze from the start of 2022

Horner says it has been “made clear” to the Frenchman why he wasn’t in contention for a seat, should Red Bull decide to replace Alex Albon. Gasly was recently confirmed at AlphaTauri for 2021, having won the Italian GP and comfortably outperformed teammate Daniil Kvyat this season. Until recently many observers thought that should Red Bull decide to drop Albon for 2021, Gasly had ... Keep reading

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Red Bull principal Christian Horner has challenged Pierre Gasly's suggestion that he was surprised that he was not considered for a promotion to the Formula 1 team in 2021

The idea of a freeze is being pushed by Red Bull, which is trying to find a way to take over the Honda engine project so it can run the power units after the Japanese manufacturer pulls out. The Milton Keynes-based team is clear that it can only do so if there is a block on development, as it cannot afford the huge costs that would come from having to keep upgrading ... Keep reading

Fernando Alonso admits that it will take him "a couple of races" to get up to speed when he returns to Formula 1 with Alpine next season

Ferrari Formula 1 chief Mattia Binotto says there are "no big differences" in the data from Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc's cars to explain their gap in performance

Leclerc has led Ferrari throughout the 2020 season, scoring two podium finishes and more than four times as many points as Vettel, who has not finished a race any higher than sixth. Vettel himself has conceded that Leclerc is able to maximise the potential of the Ferrari SF1000 more and enjoy greater levels of confidence with the car - something four-time world champion Vettel has acknowledged ... Keep reading

As more countries go into lockdown ahead of the so-called second wave of the coronavirus, Toto Wolff admits the sport will need to be "adaptive".

Max Verstappen admits that comments he made over the team radio during the Portuguese Grand Prix weekend "not correct" and that he never meant to offend anyone.

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With Europe becoming an epicentre for COVID-19 cases, there is an increasing likelihood of travel disruption and greater difficulties in moving personnel as countries move back towards lockdown scenarios. F1 has already had to react to the escalating coronavirus situation by limiting the number of fans in Portugal last weekend, and turning this weekend's grand prix at Imola in to a fully ... Keep reading

With no Friday practice taking place for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the latest Formula 1 weekend begins with a very unusual outlook. Here's how and when to watch qualifying

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has faith Formula 1 can finish off the current season despite the increasingly "complicated" situation caused by a second wave of coronavirus infections

Ferrari currently has five members of its young driver academy racing in F2, with three of them - Mick Schumacher, Callum Ilott and Robert Shwartzman - in the top five of the championship. Schumacher is currently leading the points standings ahead of Ilott, with the pair set to battle for the title across the remaining two rounds of the season in Bahrain. Alfa Romeo announced on Friday that ... Keep reading

Pierre Gasly has unveiled an Ayrton Senna tribute helmet livery, which the AlphaTauri Formula 1 driver will use at this weekend's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen apologises for using offensive language over the team radio after a crash with Lance Stroll at the Portuguese Grand Prix.

Verstappen made the comments after a collision with Lance Stroll in practice for the Portuguese GP after the Canadian didn't see him as the pair headed into the first corner. Verstappen said "Is this f***ing guy blind? What the f**k is wrong with him? Jesus Christ. What a retard. I have damage. What a mongol. I swear." Stroll ended up in the gravel trap, while Verstappen's car suffered minor ... Keep reading

McLaren's Lando Norris messaged Lewis Hamilton to apologise for his "stupid and careless" comments following Formula 1's Portuguese Grand Prix, as he revealed his motivation for publicly posting his apology

Racing Point have had seven people test positive for Covid-19 during the 2020 Formula 1 season, says team principal Otmar Szafnauer.

Norris wrote on Twitter on Tuesday that he had "been stupid and careless with some things I've said lately in media and interviews, and haven't shown the respect I should have to certain people", regarding comments he made after last weekend's race at Portimao, where Hamilton clinched a record-breaking 92nd F1 win. Ahead of this weekend's Emilia Romagna GP at Imola, Norris explained that his ... Keep reading

Verstappen made the comments after a collision with Lance Stroll in practice for the Portuguese GP after the Canadian didn't see him as the pair headed into the first corner. Verstappen said "Is this f***ing guy blind? What the f**k is wrong with him? Jesus Christ. What a retard. I have damage. What a mongol. I swear." Stroll ended up in the gravel trap, while Verstappen's car suffered minor ... Keep reading

Red Bull Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen admits the offensive language directed at Lance Stroll during Portugal practice was "not correct" following a collision between the pair

Newly confirmed by AlphaTauri for 2021, Pierre Gasly admits to being "surprised" that he wasn't recalled by Red Bull.

Red Bull is currently weighing up whether or not to retain Alex Albon next year, with the Thai driver under pressure to lift his game after some recent disappointing outings. If Albon is not retained, then Red Bull's senior management have been clear that it will look outside of its pool of young drivers for a replacement, with the experienced Perez and Nico Hulkenberg the favourites for the ... Keep reading

Ferrari CEO, Louis Camilleri admits that he is "firmly against" proposals to freeze development of the current power units.

Lance Stroll says that a refresher test at Imola in a GP2 car last month was a "useful experience" prior to Formula 1's return to the venue this weekend

It was announced earlier this week that Gasly will remain with AlphaTauri for a second consecutive season in 2021 – he also raced with the team for five races in 2017 and all season in 2018 before his promotion to Red Bull for what turned about to be a difficult half season with the team alongside Max Verstappen.  After Gasly won the chaotic Italian Grand Prix last month, he said he was ... Keep reading

AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly is "surprised" he wasn't considered for a promotion back to the Red Bull Formula 1 team for 2021 following his Monza win, but insists he's "not disappointed"

Sergio Perez says he can't wait too long for Red Bull to decide on its final 2021 Formula 1 driver line-up, after admitting a move there is an option

Red Bull is currently weighing up whether or not to retain Alex Albon next year, with the Thai driver under pressure to lift his game after some recent disappointing outings. If Albon is not retained, then Red Bull's senior management have been clear that it will look outside of its pool of young drivers for a replacement, with the experienced Perez and Nico Hulkenberg the favourites for the ... Keep reading

Kimi Raikkonen says his decision to extend his Formula 1 career with Alfa Romeo in 2021 was "not difficult"

On Friday morning the Hinwil outfit announced that both Raikkonen and teammate Antonio Giovinazzi will stay on for a third season together. In recent weeks the Finn has fielded regular questions about his future by insisting that he had yet to make his mind up, suggesting that the decision to stay was his to make, despite others – notably Sergio Perez – apparently being in contention for ... Keep reading

Williams acting team prinipal, Simon Roberts has confirmed that current drivers, George Russell and Nicholas Latifi will continue with the team in 2021.

George Russell will remain with Williams for the 2021 Formula 1 season following speculation about his position and "confusion" about his future with the team

In the wake of Honda's decision to exit F1 at the end of next year, Red Bull has indicated that its preferred option is not to look elsewhere for a replacement power unit. Instead, it wants to do a deal with Honda where it takes over its engine programme and facilities, potentially in partnership with someone else, and then run the power units itself until new rules come in to play by 2026 at ... Keep reading

Ahead of this weekend's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, race director, Michael Masi has warned drivers that they will be penalised for exceeding the track limits at two corners.

Ferrari has made clear it is "firmly against" the idea of a Formula 1 engine freeze from the start of 2022, despite Red Bull pushing for the plan

Russell’s future has been subject to speculation amid links between Williams and current Racing Point driver Sergio Perez, who is on the lookout for a seat for next year. Russell stressed last week that he had “no concerns” about his future with Williams, given he has a contract in place, and that the stories had been “fed by the Perez camp” to help try and secure the Mexican a ... Keep reading

Power unit elements used prior to the Emirates Gran Premio dell' Emilia Romagna weekend.

Formula 1 Race Direction insists pleas from drivers to have the penalty point system altered have not been ignored and says implementing a change mid-season would be "bad governance"

Points hit the headlines in Russia when Lewis Hamilton gained two for his pre-race practice starts offences, temporarily putting him on 10 for the past year. However, in an unusual development the stewards took them away after the race having accepted that the Mercedes team had contributed to Hamilton's decision to start where he did. The affair triggered a debate about penalty points with ... Keep reading

Fernando Alonso is test for Renault again next week in Bahrain, albeit in a 2018 car.

Vettel's current contract runs out at the end of the 2020 season, and it had looked likely at the start of this year that it would be a simple matter of extending it. However, the reality of Ferrari's competitive struggles after Barcelona testing, allied to it pondering what was best for its long-term future, left team management believing that sticking with Vettel was not the right thing to ... Keep reading

Ferrari Formula 1 team principal Mattia Binotto has revealed that he had to mentally rehearse three times his phone call to inform Sebastian Vettel he wasn't being retained for 2021

Esteban Ocon says it would be "cruel" and "not justified" if George Russell were to lose his seat with Williams in Formula 1 for next year

Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi will remain at the Alfa Romeo team for the third consecutive year in 2021.

Fernando Alonso will continue his Formula 1 testing programme with Renault next week when he gets a run in a 2018 car at Bahrain

The Spaniard has fully immersed himself with preparations for his grand prix return in 2021 for Renault, having agreed a deal to replace Daniel Ricciardo. He has already conducted a number of simulator sessions and completed a filming day run, limited to just 100 kilometres, in Renault’s current challenger at Barcelona in Spain earlier this month. He is also set to join the team trackside at ... Keep reading

Alfa Romeo has extended its contracts with Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi to a third season as the driver pairing is confirmed for the team for the 2021season.

Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi will remain together at the Alfa Romeo Racing Formula 1 team for a third consecutive season in 2021

The news comes as no surprise after it became apparent in recent weeks that the Swiss team would retain the established line-up, despite other names being mentioned. Sergio Perez was in the frame at one stage after being dropped by Racing Point, and the Mexican had obvious appeal given the commercial package that comes with him. Perez's options now appear to be Williams and Red Bull ... Keep reading

George Russell's trainer, Aleix Casanovas is self-isolating after showing COVID-like symptoms.

Williams F1 driver Russell’s trainer, Aleix Casanovas, self-isolated on Thursday and will undergo a test on Friday outside of the paddock that must return negative before he can enter the circuit. Russell and Casanovas have not been in contact since last Sunday, since when both have returned negative test results for COVID-19. Russell is set to undergo another COVID-19 test tomorrow, and ... Keep reading

George Russell's Formula 1 trainer is self-isolating after showing mild respiratory symptoms for COVID-19 ahead of this weekend's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

Last weekend, F1 suffered with strict enforcement of track limits in practice at the Portuguese Grand Prix, when the FIA was forced to delete 125 lap times on the opening day of running because drivers had run wide. The annoyance about the matter was further amplified by bizarre scenes in qualifying at the Spa 24 Hours, when there was no track limits policing and cars were running all ... Keep reading

Last weekend, F1 suffered with strict enforcement of track limits in practice at the Portuguese Grand Prix, when the FIA was forced to delete 125 lap times on the opening day of running because drivers had run wide. The annoyance about the matter was further amplified by bizarre scenes in qualifying at the Spa 24 Hours, when there was no track limits policing and cars were running all ... Keep reading

Ferrari has won at Imola eight times, first in 1982 with Didier Pironi in a race where relations soured between the Frenchman and his Canadian team-mate Gilles Villeneuve. The following year, Patrick Tambay won and then came six wins for Michael Schumache

Esteban Ocon says the Portuguese Grand Prix was the best weekend he has had working with his Renault Formula 1 team, even if performance on-track was not as strong

Matteo Togninalli, Ferrari's chief race engineer is confident that Imola will suit the SF1000, and that the two-day schedule could even be an advantage, but that the drivers will play a key role.

The downforce demands and slippery track surface left Renault slightly on the back foot against rivals Racing Point and McLaren last weekend, with Ocon finishing in eighth place. However, even though the result was not as good as the team would have liked, Ocon says that the way he and his crew interacted pointed to a big step forward. "I'm not sure Portugal was my best weekend, but I would ... Keep reading

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says Lance Stroll faces an unfair "stigma" due to his father's wealth, and is fully deserving of his place on the Formula 1 grid

Racing Point driver Stroll is currently enjoying his best season to date in F1, scoring a podium at the Italian Grand Prix and more than double the points of his previous two seasons combined. The Canadian has often faced scrutiny through his career due to the role of his father, Lawrence, who bought the Racing Point team in 2018 ahead of his son's move there. Racing Point acknowledged ... Keep reading

AlphaTauri driver Daniil Kvyat insists that he is not worried about his Formula 1 future despite the chances of holding on to his seat receding

McLaren will make a number of changes to the parts in its MCL35 to cope with high loadings that are specific to Formula 1's upcoming Turkish Grand Prix.

On Wednesday, Pierre Gasly was confirmed at the Faenza-based team for 2021, while F2 star Yuki Tsunoda is being lined up for the other drive, and is due to test a two-year-old Toro Rosso car at Imola after this weekend’s Emilia Romagna GP. Alex Albon is also potentially in the mix, should he be dropped by Red Bull Racing. Kvyat has scored only 14 points in 2020 compared to the 63 logged by ... Keep reading

The Alfa Romeo name will remain in Formula 1 next season after the Italian car company extended its deal with the Sauber team by one year.

Ferrari has endured a difficult 2020 season so far that has seen it score only two podium finishes and slump to sixth place in the constructors’ championship. The team looked to remedy the aerodynamic flaws of the Ferrari SF1000 car with a three-stage update package, the final part of which was added to the car for last weekend’s Portuguese Grand Prix at Portimao. Charles Leclerc put in ... Keep reading

Alfa Romeo and Sauber have confirmed that they will continue their partnership in 2021.

Alfa Romeo has extended its support of the Formula 1 team run by Sauber Engineering for a further season

Although there was never any real doubt that the partnership would continue into 2021, it had not officially been confirmed until today. The two parties joined forces for the first time in 2018 when the Italian manufacturer was just a sponsor, before it took over the name of the team the following season, under the Alfa Romeo Racing banner. There has been no confirmation of drivers for 2021 ... Keep reading

Saudi Arabia is set to make its debut on the Formula 1 calendar next year, with a race on a street circuit in Jeddah.

Formula 1 completes its latest back-to-back action in the shaken-up 2020 season with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola

In the video above, Allison also gives some intriguing insight into the issues the team faced at the Portuguese GP, where Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas struggled for pace in the opening laps, and were initially left behind by McLaren’s Carlos Sainz. Allison conceded that it was “pretty dicey” for the Mercedes drivers at the start of the race, although it came good in the end, with ... Keep reading

Mercedes Formula 1 team technical director James Allison says getting the tyres "singing" is the biggest challenge when going to an unknown venue, such as the Algarve circuit last weekend

Esteban Ocon says the Portuguese Grand Prix was the best weekend he's had working with the Renault Formula 1 team, even if the performance on track was not as strong

A street race in Jeddah is on the provisional 2021 schedule that was shown to team bosses at a meeting of the F1 Commission on Monday. Longer term there are plans to hold the race at the Al-Qiddiya entertainment complex that is being constructed in Riyadh. F1 has already forged close links via the country through Saudi petrochemical giant Aramco, one of its main commercial partners. The ... Keep reading

Human rights organisation Amnesty International has warned of "sportswashing" should plans for a Formula 1 race in Saudi Arabia come to fruition

While Lance Stroll won his European F3 title there, teammate Sergio Perez has never raced at the iconic venue.

After a recent run of good form, Renault endured a step back in pace at Portimao as it found itself unable to match main rivals Racing Point and McLaren. While both drivers suspect the slippery track surface was a factor, they feel that there are some big mysteries from the weekend that need answering – including why Ocon could not benefit from a late switch to soft tyres in the ... Keep reading

Ferrari still needs to validate its recent improvement in performance to ensure it is not solely due to the characteristics of the Algarve Formula 1 track, according to Mattia Binotto

The Italian government bans spectators from attending this weekend's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at the historic Imola track.

Saudi Arabia is set to make its debut on the Formula 1 calendar next year, with a race on a street circuit in Jeddah.

Horner believes that the Frenchman is thriving in an environment with less pressure, and with a car that is less tricky to drive than the RBR. Gasly was confirmed today for 2021 by AlphaTauri after not figuring on the shortlist of possible replacements for Alex Albon, should Red Bull decide to make a change for next season. Gasly drove for the main outfit for the first half of 2019 ... Keep reading

A late move by the Italian authorities means that fans will not be allowed to attend this weekend's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola.

Red Bull Formula 1 boss Christian Horner says Pierre Gasly was not under consideration for a return to the senior team because he is performing so well at AlphaTauri

The circuit had been given permission last month to sell 13,000 tickets and operate VIP hospitality both for local sponsors and guests of the regional authority that is backing the race. However this week a decree from the office of prime minister Giuseppe Conte, known as a DCPM, ordered a raft of new COVID-19 measures. It includes a clampdown on crowds at events, as well more general ... Keep reading

The Italian authorities have made a late decision to ensure that next weekend's Formula 1 Emilia Romagna GP is run behind closed doors.

Teams have agreed in principal to the introduction of a $30m cap on drivers salaries to be introduced in 2023.

French driver Pierre Gasly will stay with the Alpha Tauri team in Formula 1 for the 2021 season.

Saudi Arabia is set to make its debut on the Formula 1 calendar next year, with a race on a street circuit in Jeddah.

Gasly has been one of the stand-out drivers in F1 this year, scoring a shock maiden victory at the Italian Grand Prix in September, marking just the second win in AlphaTauri’s history. Gasly’s performances led to suggestions that he could return to the senior Red Bull squad for next year - having been demoted after 12 races in 2019 - but the team made clear it was not planning to make a ... Keep reading