F1 Daily round-up: Another schedule change, Mercedes penalty & analysis

The first day of the 2021 Styrian Grand Prix has come to a close. It's been an interesting day for Formula 1 on and off the circuit. Max Verstappen completed the Friday double at the top of the timesheets, but Mercedes aren't far away. Here are the biggest stories in your F1 daily round-up. 

Turkish Grand Prix comes back

The Turkish Grand Prix has returned to the 2021 Formula 1 calendar. Turkey had already been drafted as a replacement for the Canadian Grand Prix, but coronavirus lockdown procedures from England, where many F1 teams are based, meant this was impossible. The Turkish GP will replace the Singapore Grand Prix, with the race taking place on Sunday 3 October.

The Turkish Grand Prix is an event that many Formula 1 fans are excited about. In the years that the Istanbul Park Circuit was on the calendar it always provided good racing, and the race that was held in 2020 was also a true spectacle. Turkey was also supposed to return in 2021 as a replacement for Canada, but it couldn't be organised due to coronavirus measures. Read the full story here, and the reaction here. 

Bottas three-place penalty

The weekend hasn't started too well for Valtteri Bottas. The Finn made a nasty spin in the pitlane and has received a three-place grid penalty for it. Click here to read the full story, and here to see the spin. 

Aston Martin pinch some Red Bull crew

Red Bull Racing have announced that their Head of Aerodynamics, Dan Fallows, will leave the team. He will become the new technical director of Aston Martin's Formula One team. 

Red Bull Racing have announced in a press release that they have confirmed the departure of Dan Fallows. He will become the new technical director at Aston Martin, after 15 years at Red Bull. Fallows joined the aerodynamic team in 2006 as team principal and has played a key role in taking the team to the top. He has held the role as Head of Aerodynamics since 2014. Read the full story here. 

New strict measure against Red Bull

The FIA is reportedly working to add minimum intervals to pit stops. Red Bull Racing feel that Mercedes are behind the new guidelines to thwart its major rival this season. 

The intention is that in future a time of 0.2 seconds will be set as standard between the moment the newly mounted wheels touch the ground and the green light. In addition, the FIA wants to add another 0.15 seconds between the signal that all four wheel nuts have been properly tightened and the manual attachment of the corresponding mechanics to the impact wrenches. It would mean that pit stops will take at least 0.35 seconds longer. Read the full story here. 

Analysis 

Max Verstappen recorded the fastest time in both FP1 and FP2 ahead of the Styrian Grand Prix. The World Championship leader's fastest lap in the second free practice session was almost 0.400 seconds quicker than his rival for the title. Valtteri Bottas found himself down in P12, but the long runs prove Mercedes can't be ruled out in Austria. The Mercedes team also seem to have more time in their pockets. 

Overall, Hamilton recorded the average lap time on the long runs. He did so on the soft tyre. As the Mercedes looked good on the soft tyre, Red Bull Racing looked good on the hard tyres. Verstappen and Perez were both within a few tenths of Hamilton's average time. Click here to read the full analysis. 

Reports

Max Verstappen has topped the timings of the first session of the race weekend in Austria, ahead of the Styrian Grand Prix. The Dutchman finished ahead of Pierre Gasly and Lewis Hamilton in second and third respectively. He set a lap time of 1:05.910 around the Red Bull Ring. It was a superb session for AlphaTauri and Alpine, who had both of their drivers running in the top 10 at the end of the hour. It was, however, a different story for Sergio Perez who couldn't get himself into the top 10. Click here for the full FP1 report. 

Both Aston Martin & Alpine showed strong performance during the session, with Vettel and Ocon briefly leading the timing sheets. Verstappen then arrived on the scene and claimed the lead, holding with three tenths to spare from Ricciardo & Ocon. Hamilton held fourth, around 0.384 seconds behind the championship leader. Antonio Giovinazzi had a good time as well, holding tenth with the fastest time in the speed traps. The Alpines came a comfortable third and fifth for Ocon and Alonso. Click here for the full FP2 report.