Formula 1 | F1 data: Aston Martin F1 bled by 2021 regulations, Alpine opportunist

After the first part of our comparison of the points scored between 2020 and 2021 by each team (with a multiplier coefficient to take into account the passage from 17 to 22 Grands Prix), here is the continuation with the midfield. Where we see that Aston Martin F1 suffered the most from the 2021 rule change.

Alpine F1

Numbers : 155 points in 2021, compared to 138 in 2020. An increase of 12.32%.

Remark : This Alpine 2021 seemed to be less efficient in the hierarchy than its predecessor, and yet, a healthy progression allowed the team to regain 5th place in the constructors’ classification. Why ? Because more than any other team, Alpine was able to deliver life-saving blows when needed. In Hungary and Qatar, Alpine simply scored 40% of their season’s total points. Almost half of the points in two races, that makes you think about the need to be quite consistent to shine in the middle of the grid.

Without these feats of course, the balance sheet would have been rather negative for Alpine: but after all, this progress comes to reward opportunism, in the positive sense, and the operational level reached by the team, remarkable on Sunday this year.

Alpha Tauri

Numbers : 142 points in 2021, compared to 139 in 2020. An increase of 2.16%.

Remark : A very timid increase which may seem paradoxical, as the AlphaTauri seems to have performed better this year. This is the conclusion that we could draw from this year. Admittedly AlphaTauri has reached its new points record in one year, certainly Pierre Gasly has crossed the 100 point mark: but why such a timid rise then?

The answer lies in two words: Yuki Tsunoda. The rookie scored only a quarter of the points of his more experienced teammate. If Yuki Tsunoda had been consistent like a Carlos Sainz at Ferrari, there is no doubt that AlphaTauri’s progress would have been much more spectacular, 5th place in the constructors’ standings at stake.

Aston Martin F1

Numbers : 77 points in 2021, compared to 252 (Racing Point) in 2020. A drop of 69.45%.

Remark : This is by far (Haas excluded) the biggest fall on the set. Aston Martin F1 almost lost three-quarters of its points to Racing Point. Yet we have not taken into account here the 15 penalty points for illegal brake scoops (copies of those of the Mercedes)! We measure here how much the aerodynamic regulations, with their changes around the flat bottom, have heavily affected the Greens. And for good reason, the 2019 Mercedes, which remains the model for this Aston, was not ready for this change in regulations either.

However Aston Martin F1 suffered three times more in proportion to this change of regulations than Mercedes. Everything cannot therefore be blamed on the change of regulations, which must not serve as a cover-up or universal excuse. This must interrogate at Silverstone. Why a fall triple that of Mercedes? Worse relative performance of their drivers, Sebastian Vettel or Lance Stroll? A less convincing evolution of the car during the year? This could be a lead because Aston Martin F1 struggled to properly evolve a car whose original concept was not theirs. Fortunately in 2022, all of this will be history.

Alfa Romeo

Numbers : 13 points in 2021, compared to 17 in 2020. A decrease of 23.6%.

Remark : Despite a more efficient Ferrari power unit, Alfa Romeo lost almost a quarter of its points compared to 2020. This can be explained by a certain inability to shine in races where the opportunities were bright like at the Hungaroring or Spa ( unlike Williams). Or even by the bad luck of the team, which signed an impressive number of 11th places (especially Antonio Giovinazzi, 4 in total).

In pure performance, the team has progressed, but regressed in the number of points. The operational was not there for Alfa Romeo, which did not exploit the full potential of its single-seater where it counted, and this is perhaps the most convincing explanation for this disappointment.

Finally, as for Williams and Haas, the data is naturally less usable: indeed, the first team had not scored a point in 2020 (23 in 2021), the second drew a blank in 2021 (3 points in 2020) . Note that Haas’ performance in 2021 is even worse than that of Williams in 2020, as there were more races on the menu!