Sports Mole rounds up all of the latest news regarding Formula 1 on Friday, February 19.
Friday morning's Formula 1 news roundup
Alpha Tauri turned down 2020 Red Bull rear
Alpha Tauri turned down the opportunity to update its car for 2021 with last year's rear-end and gearbox of sister team Red Bull.
Amid the pandemic, and apart from an aerodynamic rule change, chassis design has been essentially paused between 2020 and 2021 apart from a complex 'token' system.
However, as a technical partner of Mercedes', Aston Martin got the green light to upgrade to the 2020 title-winning rear-end without spending a single token.
A similar rear-end upgrade would also have been available to Alpha Tauri.
"We decided to leave the rear of the AT01 as it is," said Alpha Tauri technical director Jody Eggington.
"It wasn't an easy decision," he told the Japanese source as-web.jp. "We considered the positive and the negative sides.
"It was certainly an attractive option to switch to a new gearbox without using tokens, but it was the front of the chassis that I most wanted to develop."
Eggington said the decision was also guided by the sweeping new regulations for 2022.
"Next year's cars will be drastically different," he said. "So we have to concentrate our resources there as well.
"Last year's AT01 was very complete - especially the rear stability was fully satisfactory. So we decided that we didn't need to (change it)," Eggington added.
Hulkenberg wants to 'stay in F1 orbit' in 2021
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Nico Hulkenberg has all but confirmed that he will serve as Aston Martin's official reserve driver in 2021.
Team boss Otmar Szafnauer, having used the out-of-work Hulkenberg at short notice last year when Racing Point's regulars Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll were ill, revealed last week that he is back in talks with the German.
The German magazine GQ asked 33-year-old Hulkenberg if the rumours were true that he will "celebrate your comeback" alongside Sebastian Vettel in 2021.
"Sebastian already has a teammate, so it's a fact that I won't go straight into the car," he said.
"Nevertheless, I would like to stay in the Formula 1 orbit and try to find a permanent cockpit for 2022."
"Who knows what's going to happen this year. I will just let it come to me and then I just have to do it again, as in 2020," Hulkenberg smiled.
He said he has enjoyed experiencing a slower lifestyle since losing his full-time Renault seat at the end of 2019, but admitted that he simply has not yet received a concrete alternative offer.
"It (an offer) didn't come, that's true," said Hulkenberg. "There were discussions, but it just didn't fit together.
"That's why I said to myself: Don't just come back at any cost, get out for a year even at the risk of not coming back at all.
"I had a good ten years in Formula 1 and I'm not the type of person who has to keep on driving," he added. "Especially not at the back, just to be there.
"So I deliberately said no and came to a point where this break was very welcome for me personally."
More news from Formula 1:
Tost doubts Mazepin will succeed in F1
Franz Tost doubts controversial Haas rookie Nikita Mazepin can succeed in Formula 1. Read more.
F1 drivers shouldn't make 'millions' - Tost
Formula 1 drivers should not make "millions", according to Alpha Tauri boss Franz Tost. Read more.
Monaco to start work on F1 street circuit
Monaco is poised to begin work to prepare the fabled street circuit for May's Formula 1 race. Read more.
Williams, not Haas, to turn pink in 2021
It is Williams, not Haas, that has leapt into pole position to turn pink in 2021. Read more.
