Formula 1 had been bracing itself for a character-building start to testing at Jerez in Spain, but few had expected the kind of day we were eventually treated to.
The talk over the winter months had been of a reliability bloodbath in Spain; of frequent red flags and blown engines.
One senior technical figure even jokingly suggested pre-Christmas that there should be a sweepstake for the number of cars that actually managed to complete an installation lap on day one.
The one certainty over F1's uncertain 2021 calendar Formula 1 has firmed up its 2021 calendar but, like last year, it is uncertain if there are further cancellations in the pipeline. Largely, it's at the mercy of worldwide COVID-19 vaccine progression - but, unlike 2020, F1 should at least be guaranteed a full season F1
Why Bottas won't emulate Rosberg to beat Hamilton Of the four seasons Valtteri Bottas has been Lewis Hamilton's team-mate at Mercedes, he has been beaten in all of them. Although trying to emulate predecessor Nico Rosberg's approach is not an option, the Finn says he needs to try something new F1
The ethos change behind Williams' bid to move forward Williams was, under its family ownership, resolute in its desire to build everything it could for its Formula 1 car. Under new ownership, the team has switched to Mercedes gearboxes and hydraulics in a more pragmatic approach befitting of its status F1
Why Albon's F1 dream isn't all over Going up against Max Verstappen in the same car is not an easy task and Alex Albon's attempts to live with his highly-rated team-mate were not enough to keep his Red Bull seat for 2021. But, he's now in the perfect place to get his F1 career back on track F1
How Tandy joined an exclusive club of endurance legends Victory at last year's Spa 24 Hours meant Nick Tandy had completed the unofficial sextuple crown of the world's six biggest endurance races, becoming the first Briton to do so. Ahead of his fresh start with Corvette Racing, he explains how he did it GT
The reluctant Lotus ace who was dropped for Clark A firm believer that motor racing was a sport for gentlemen, Innes Ireland lived a spirited life. NIGEL ROEBUCK recalls a character whose outlook ceased to fit with modern Formula 1 F1
The ground-up refresh behind Toyota's new Le Mans challenger Toyota's new GR010 contender for the World Endurance Championship's Hypercar era has little in common with the LMP1 TS050 that preceded it. But within the confines of the scaled back new rules, its latest challenger will be no less formidable a prospect WEC
What to look out for in the 2021 WRC As the 2021 World Rally Championship prepares to launch amid tight COVID-19 restrictions in Monte Carlo, here are the eight things unrelated to the pandemic that you should keep an eye on this year WRC
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