© Getty ImagesChristian's Christmas ColumnIn Christian’s final column of 2020 he reflects on the season and the difficult 2021 driver decision.
Now though, it is the time for the staff to re-acquaint themselves with their families over the Christmas period. In Christian’s final column of 2020 he reflects on the season and the difficult 2021 driver decision.
Team Celebrations For Our First Win Of 2020© Vladimir Rys
I must start by saying hats off to everyone involved in our sport. Not only F1's commercial rights holder, but to everyone; the FIA, the teams, the circuits and the media.
Achieving a 17 round World Championship is an incredible achievement.
To achieve a 17 round World Championship with the difficulties that this year has presented, is an incredible achievement and it shows what F1 can do when we all work together.
One of the highs and something that epitomises why we are in fact one large F1 family, was the ventilator project. The spirit and engineering brilliance that went into that from within our Team and the other teams involved was immense to see and what should have taken years to develop and build actually took just four weeks.
Of course, on track there were highs too. Winning the 70th Anniversary GP at Silverstone and finishing the year on a high in Abu Dhabi were of course moments for the Team to celebrate.
In both races we won in a straight fight with Mercedes, they were not lucky wins. The way Max has driven this year has been exemplary and he has grabbed every opportunity with both hands.
A Double Podium Picture Perfection© Vladimir Rys
It’s been a year of intense learning and development for Alex who embarked on only his second season in F1. The standout moments for him were his first podium in Mugello and his second in Bahrain. It is never easy lining up alongside a driver like Max who has six seasons of experience and is arguably the best on the grid but Alex learnt from Max and they worked well together.
Max’s 2021 teammate has been a matter for debate and at times something that has yielded intense questioning and external pressure for Alex. He handled this extremely well and it impressed me how much strength, resilience and class he has displayed throughout.
All of us wanted to see Alex retain the seat for 2021. We therefore made the decision to evaluate the performances at the end of the season with a full set of data. Looking at the delta between our two drivers and given Sergio’s strong performances, particularly in the second half of the year, we made the decision that Sergio had earned the 2021 seat.
Alex remains an important part of the Team and will focus on 2022 development and of course making himself a contender for a future race seat. He is also one of the most humble drivers we have ever worked with and a highly regarded member of the Team.
Sergio’s experience will be crucial next season and we look forward to welcoming him to the Team. We have decided to go outside of the programme for the first time since 2007 but we need to field the strongest team possible in order to take the fight to Mercedes. Sergio’s experience will be crucial next season and we look forward to welcoming him to the Team.
GettingIntoTheChristmasSpirit
I still get genuinely excited about Christmas. The novelty of going downstairs with the kids to see if Santa has eaten his mince pie and taken a sip of whiskey.
Christian Sports Some Festive Ear Muffs© Getty Images
There is a flurry of activity. I am one of those who wants to open presents first thing and so do the children, unlike some in the house who like to save them for the afternoon.
Then, it’s time for Christmas lunch. I am very much a backseat driver when it comes to that. I just want to make sure that the bread sauce is being cooked and the pigs in blankets are all there. I am like a member of the FIA scrutineering things!
Geri gets heavily involved as does Bluebell - she’s probably the best cook in the family (laughs).
Everyone eats far too much and then usually there are games in the afternoon and everyone falls asleep early in the evening after a turkey sandwich.
I find it amusing that a three year old is telling me that Adrian says it is important to follow instructions. 1It is all about spending time with the children and playing with Lego, which is a big thing in our house, along with unicorns and Hatchimals.
Monty was given a Lego tractor by Adrian and he must have built this tractor about 50 times. He keeps on telling me “Adrian says it is very important that I follow the instructions”.
I find it amusing that a three year old is telling me that Adrian says it is important to follow instructions, when Adrian probably hasn’t followed any instructions in his entire life and always makes up his own!
Christian And Adrian Meet At The Factory© Thomas Butler
The winter will be very short because we finished a week before Christmas, but we will be at testing in February.
As for the goal, by finishing second in the championship in 2020, we are in a void between Mercedes and the chasing pack.
The target is to give Mercedes a stiffer challenge. The target is to give Mercedes a stiffer challenge. They have done an amazing job this year and credit to them for what they have achieved, but we take a lot of heart from the last three or four races where we have picked up quite a lot of momentum.
While we have just finished racing, I am looking forward to carrying on the lessons we have learned this season.
I also hope that we can go back to some normality. Racing in Abu Dhabi without fans was quite strange. It usually has such a vibrant atmosphere but we really missed that this year.
Max And Alex Speak To 300 Fans In Turkey© Getty Images
We have a fantastic fan base who have been with us throughout the year, the wins and the retirements. They have been very supportive and we are incredibly grateful for that and hopefully, we will be able to celebrate a few more times next year with them.
All that remains is for me to say thank you to them and our partners who have helped us during this challenging year. I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
