Alfa Romeo has announced the retention of both Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi for the 2021 season, with Mick Schumacher to Haas now a distinct possibility.
Italian side Alfa Romeo have confirmed the retention of Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi for the 2021 season. This will mark Raikkonen’s 20th season in F1 next year with the same team he started his F1 career with – Sauber, Alfa Romeo’s partner.
“Alfa Romeo Racing is more than a team to me, it is like a second family.”
“So many of the faces that were around me when I made my F1 debut in 2001 are still here and the unique atmosphere of this team is what gives me that extra motivation to keep going in what will be my 19th season in the sport, next year.”
Antonio Giovinazzi has had a decent season, all in all, scoring points in the Austrian and Eifel GPs. He has finished 15th, 10th and 11th in the last three races, clearly playing a part in the aforementioned announcement. He also does really well in the engineering briefings, something which team boss Fred Vasseur is really pleased with. Giovinazzi is too, and he called Alfa Romeo his “home in F1”.
“Alfa Romeo Racing has been my home in F1 for the last two seasons. And I am happy this relationship can continue for one more year. The team has put a lot of faith in me and I have done my best to repay this confidence with hard work and commitment.”
Mick Schumacher to Haas?
Mick Schumacher, who had his Alfa Romeo test at the Nurburgring called off due to rain, is a form contender for Haas, the other Ferrari team. Sky Sports Germany had reported this, adding fellow F2 driver Nikita Mazepin as his partner.
“Mick Schumacher will race in Formula 1 next season. He will do so with Haas, even if the official announcement is still missing, and will have Russian Nikita Mazepin as a boxing partner.”
Haas boss Guenther Steiner also suggested he would like the idea of a Schumacher in the American team. But he threw the decision ball in Ferrari’s court, as Mick is part of the Ferrari Driver Academy. Haas are also considering the likes of Callum Illot, Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg.
“I would definitely not be against that. The decision who Ferrari sends on is up to Ferrari, not us.”
“We can say we want one or the other, but I don’t know the contracts Ferrari has with the Juniors. Who wouldn’t want a Schumacher in Formula 1? Especially in the form he currently in Formula 2.”
The F1 silly season climax is getting very interesting, with three teams – Red Bull, AlphaTauri, and Haas – still in the fray. And with top drivers like Perez and Hulkenberg available in the market, things could get really dicey for one man, especially – Alex Albon. Stay tuned for more updates on this.
