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Vettel, Ricciardo, Magnussen, Pérez: Time for goodbyes ... or goodbyes

2020-12-12T04:03:37.385Z


Several drivers will compete in their last grand prix with their current team this weekend in Abu Dhabi. Some will return in 2021, others will not.


They leave Formula 1 or change teams: Sebastian Vettel, Carlos Sainz Jr, Daniel Ricciardo or Kevin Magnussen have farewells to say at the last Grand Prix of 2020 in Abu Dhabi from Friday to Sunday.

, Magnussen was not renewed next year and will therefore fly to the United States to compete in the American IMSA Endurance Championship.

The Dane will have played 119 GP in six seasons since 2014 with McLaren, Renault and Haas, with the best result of a 2nd place ... in his first race!

At 28, he feels “lucky and privileged” to have driven in F1, even if the results have not lived up to his expectations.

A subscriber to the grid for the past two years, Magnussen is "looking forward to being in a car and a team (Chip Ganassi Racing, Editor's note) capable of winning". 

As for Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari), Carlos Sainz Jr (McLaren) and Daniel Ricciardo (Renault), they race one last time in these colors before joining Aston Martin, Ferrari and McLaren respectively in 2021. Hired by the Scuderia in 2015 to bring back the world title in Italy, the quadruple world champion (2010-2013 with Red Bull) believes he has "failed", finishing at best 2nd in 2017 and 2018 for the drivers and in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 for the manufacturers.

The 33-year-old German still won 14 times in red but 2020 was particularly painful, between his ouster even before the start of the season and performances at half mast, if not a 3rd place in the air of redemption in Turkey in mid-November .

It is Sainz, 26, who will realize a "dream" by succeeding him.

The Spaniard, who previously passed through Toro Rosso and Renault, left McLaren “moved” after two seasons, with his first two podiums in the category in his pocket.

After two years of progress on the track, "the team has gained confidence and I'm proud to have been able to participate," said the Spaniard.

Goodbye or goodbye?

Ricciardo, 31, inherits his steering wheel after two seasons at Renault, which saw it offer the French manufacturer its first two podiums since returning to F1 as a team (and not just an engine manufacturer) in 2016. The Australian is remembers his first in yellow and black, which ended with a retirement.

“Remembering the hard times allows you to appreciate the good ones and see how much you've progressed,” he explains.

For three other drivers, this race could be a goodbye, if not a farewell, to F1.

Thailand's Alexander Albon, 24, is not guaranteed to remain a Red Bull starter and will take a year off if the team decides to explore another option, team principal Christian Horner said last week.

That option could be Sergio Pérez, who won his first race on Sunday after ten years in F1 but that Racing Point (later to become Aston Martin) is not keeping.

Otherwise, it is the Mexican, aged 30, who will take a sabbatical, "determined" to return in 2022.

Daniil Kvyat, finally, has every chance of not continuing with AlphaTauri, to make room for Japanese Yuki Tsunoda, 3rd in Formula 2 this year and a protégé of Honda, the engine manufacturer of the Italian team and Red Bull.

The Russian claims to have "interesting options" for 2021 and work to return in 2022 because he believes he has "still a lot to give in this sport".

Read also

    Negative for Covid-19, Hamilton will return for the last GP in Abu Dhabi

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2020-12-12

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