Thursday in Portugal: Haas taking a new direction

After a week's rest, Formula 1 has now arrive at Portimao in Portugal, where the pinnacle motor racing will race a Grand Prix for the first time. For some drivers it is known territory because of races in lower classes, for other drivers it is completely new. Despite there being no action plenty went down off the track.

Silly season at full speed

Several drivers have already secured their seats for 2021, but there are certainly still options available. Sergio Perez is one driver in the spotlight with his time at Racing Point coming to an end. He has the intention to stay active in the sport, but he still hasn't found a new team.

Still, it looks positive for the Mexican, at least that's the impression he gave. He did not want to be specific about where he might end up, but he could say that he will have more news soon. Is it going to be Haas? Will it be Alfa Romeo, or will it really be George Russell who has to give up his place? The Brit was not worried, but you never know in Formula 1.

Haas breaks new ground

However, the biggest news on Thursday came from the Haas camp. Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen have been the line-up of the team for a few years now but it surprised many in 2019 that the Frenchman in particular would be driving for the team this year. He used to be capable of the odd podium, but now he is mainly known for his clumsiness and so the question was quite justified last year why Haas continued with him.

However, now Haas are saying goodbye to him after this season and it is not likely that the Frenchman will drive for another team. The same goes for Kevin Magnussen, who will also leave. That may be a slightly bigger surprise, but it is clear that Haas are going down a new road.

That road is exactly where the money would be, it is suggested that the American team needs more money in order to operate more competitively. In that case, attracting Nikita Mazepin is an interesting consideration, given that his father is a Russian billionaire. Will it be Mazepin and a driver from the current grid? Or will Mick Schumacher or Callum Ilott, get a shot?

Racing Point attracts a lot of unwanted attention

Finally, a team that has attracted a lot of attention throughout the week, but not for the right reasons. Lance Stroll tested positive for the coronavirus and although he did withdraw from the race he didn't test positive until after it. Shortly after that his father was also found to have the virus.

Of course, drivers and key figures are under a magnifying glass, more than random team members, but even then it is surprising this happened. It is not without reason that the FIA ​​has issued a warning to the team due to a lack of compliance with the applicable coronavirus protocols. So everything about this will be monitored extra closely and it is important that Racing Point and all team members handle it with a little more care.

As a precaution, Nico Hulkenberg has flown in, should he unexpectedly have to fill in again for either Sergio Perez or Lance Stroll.

You can follow all of the action from Portugal, live on GP Blog!