![]() ![]() New ownership, serious new investment and a lairy new colour scheme (that doesn’t actually include any new sponsors) represents fresh hope for this former ‘big beast’. Last year: 8th | Our 2020 rating: 4/10 Williams Again, what’s new? The odd points finish is all we need to expect, although Räikkönen’s long-matured class might still deliver something more on occasion. An unchanged driver line-up only adds to the sense of so what, although 41-year-old Kimi Räikkönen still shows the odd spark and inspires a level of popularity not commensurate with his results. It’s still middling Sauber under the attractive Alfa Romeo livery, so there’s no reason to expect anything more than mediocrity from this perennial grid filler. Last year: 7th | Our 2020 rating: 6/10 Alfa Romeo Rookie Yuki Tsunoda’s startling form in Bahrain testing (second fastest to Verstappen) highlights the potency of Honda power and raises the expectation this team can once again embarrass the manufacturer teams that surround it. The rejuvenation of Pierre Gasly’s career was one of the happiest stories of 2020 and his fortuitous win at Monza capped a strong year for the team formerly known as Toro Rosso, and before that Minardi. Red Bull’s secondary team takes the mantle of Racing Point as the squad that offers the best bang for its bucks. Last year: 6th | Our 2020 rating: 3/10 AlphaTauri But the most illustrious team on the grid needs some proper form this term if serious questions are not to be asked of boss Mattia Binotto. Carlos Sainz Jr is a good signing to replace Vettel, and in Charles Leclerc it has a latent F1 superstar. What next after the ignominy of a secret deal with the FIA to cover up power unit irregularities in 2019, followed by an embarrassing fall from grace last year? Has Ferrari hit rock bottom after its worst season in 40 years? The signs in Bahrain testing suggested clear progress – but perhaps not enough to rejoin Mercedes-AMG and Red Bull at the sharp end. Last year: 5th | Our 2020 rating: 6/10 Ferrari Internal politics and regime change at the top has left the team with two bosses calling the shots – which doesn’t usually work in F1. The returning Fernando Alonso, and more vitally the Renault board, will demand nothing less from a manufacturer-backed team that has underachieved since it resumed full works status in 2016. The name above the door changes and so do the colours, but in every other sense the deal remains the same: Team Enstone must accelerate the pace of its revival this season to at least bid for more podium finishes. Toleman, Benetton, Renault, Lotus, Renault again – and now Alpine. Last year: 4th | Our 2020 rating: 7/10 Alpine Third place last term represented McLaren’s best season since 2012, also the last time the team won a grand prix. But mating the era’s dominant 1.6-litre turbo and energy recovery systems to a decent MC元5M chassis should give new recruit Daniel Ricciardo and team-mate Lando Norris something to work with. It’s not quite the same as the past, as the team is a paying customer rather than a true partner. After the Honda debacle and three seasons with Renault customer power, McLaren is propelled once again by Mercedes this year, just like the good old days. Last year: 2nd | Our 2020 rating: 8/10 McLaren Time to carry over that form into the new season, then, if nothing else to ensure mercurial Verstappen keeps the faith for Red Bull’s newly independent future. It took time last year for Adrian Newey and his engineers to find the sweet spot of the RB16, but Max Verstappen’s conclusive win at the 2020 Abu Dhabi season finale showed the car’s true capability. The trouble-free, time-topping test in Bahrain backed up claims that momentum is with the Milton Keynes squad. Powertrain supplier Honda pulls the plug at the end of this season, just as Red Bull finally looks ready to give Mercedes-AMG a proper run for its money. Last year: 1st | Our 2020 rating: 10/10 Red Bull Racing It will take more than a slightly off-colour three-day test to convince us this super-team has lost its sparkle. ![]() In this high-tech hybrid turbo era, no other team has married a chassis department (in Brackley) and powertrain expertise (in Brixworth) in such perfect harmony, and with sustained consistency. Mercedes-AMG is the finest F1 team in history, and not just because it’s bidding for a record-extending eighth world championship. Is this the season when a record-breaking Formula 1 reign will finally be brought crashing down? Don’t bet on it, just because the team lost the short pre-season testing war in Bahrain. Racing lines: Can Hamilton's F1 dominance be stopped?.Under the skin: How E-turbos banish lag and help emissions.The next Hamilton? Autocar meets F1 prodigy George Russell.Will it drift? Mercedes-AMG A45 S video review.The history of Mercedes-Benz AMG - picture special.
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