The race for the remaining seats on the 2🙈021 Formula 1 grid is ramping up, with further developments emerging at the Belgian Grand Prix. 

We round up the latest n𝓀ews from the Belgium paddock at the seventh round of the 2020 season at Spa-Francorchamps…

Who will drive for Aston Martin? 

Besides Lewis Hamilton’s expected renewal at Mercedes, the biggest talking point has been the long-running s𓂃a🧔ga of who will drive for Racing Point in 2021. 

Speculation linking Sebastian Vettel to a switch to the team when it rebrands as Aston Martin for next year following his Ferrari departure has been rife ever since he confirmed he had 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:held ta🅰lks with the Silverstone squad, which already has Sergio Perez an🦄dꩲ Lance Stroll under contract for next season. 

Despite suggestions Vettel could replace him at the team, Perez has cont🍸inued to insist that he is not going anywhere, believing his seat for 2021 is secure. 

Such is the Mexican’s confidence t♋hat he will be an A💫ston Martin driver next year, he has on the F1 grid. 

Asked ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix if he had spoken to anyone else about a p꧅otential drive for 2021, Perez replied: “No. The feedback that I get from the t൲eam is that we all want to continue.

“As I have said before, it’sꦿ a matter of time. I said in Spain that I felt really happy in the team, I really believe in tღhe project, I’ve been here for a while, and I’ve seen how the team is going onboard.

“We’re all feeling that everything is working well, so we don’t see the reason why we should chan🍎ge anything... I think we are enjoying a great season on track and things are working really w♛ell in the team, so I don’t expect any change.” 

Stroll’s seat 🍒at the team owned by his billionaire father Lawrence is considered to be safe thanks to his genealogical advantage, although it is not definitive. 

Japan’s next F1 hopeful catching Red Bull's eye 

Japan has not had a full-time F1 driver since Kamui Kobayashi raced for Caterham in 2014, but that could change next year if Honda protege Yuki Tsunoda cont𒆙inues to impress. 

AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost praised the Formula 2 frontrunner in Belgium on Friday as he confirmed Tsunoda will drive for his side i🔴n t♊he end-of-season young driver test in Abu Dhabi. 

Tsunoda has been one of the standout stars of the 2020 F2 season and currently occupies fourth place in the championship standings 🎶in what has so far been a strong rookie campaign that has featured a maiden victory i🦂n the series at Silverstone. 

The 20-year-old had already caug♌ht the eye in Formula 3 with a ninth-place finish in the 2019 standings, having claimed the Formula 4 title in his native Japan the year before. Tost believes Tsunoda has “all the ingredients” required to be a successful F1 driver. 

“I am not only impressed wit🦹h his driving in Formula 2, I was impressed last year in Formula 3 as well and the years before,” said Tost.

“He is a really high skilled driver and I think he has all tꦅhe ingredients together to become a successful Formula 1 driver. He for sure will test for us in Abu Dhabi at the Young Drivers’ Test.”

Red Bull is keeping a close eye on his progress and could conside♒r promoting him to F1 as early as next year, providing he can secure the necessary points required to qualify for a superlicence. 

“Whether he will drive for us next year or not, this is being decided by Red Bull,” Tost explained. “It depends also whether he gets the s𒅌uper lice🦩nce.

“If he continues like now and he will be within the first three or four drivers in the Formula 2 championship t🎉hen it shouldn’t be a problem to receive the super licence and the rest then we will see.”

For Tsunoda to step up to an AlphaTauri seat next⛄ season one of the team’s current drivers, Pierre Gasly, or Daniil Kvyat, would h🦄ave to make way. 

Gasly’s brilliant start to the season, coupled with a difficult patch for Alex Albon at Red Bull, has seen his name linked with a possible return to the senior team, but the Frenchman insists he is not considering the prospect and is fully fo𝕴cusing on his own performances. 

“I’m not really thinking about it,” The Frenchman told wuqian0821.com. “That’s what I want, I want to be in th🃏e fastest 🥂car but it’s not going to change anything whether I think about it or not. 

“I just need to 𝓰be fast and we will see what they [Red Bull] decide.” 

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner and Helmut Marko have both thrown their ꩵsupport behind Albon, but any decision over the Anglo-Thai’s future will have dir🍷ect knock-on effects to who drives for AlphaTauri. 

Could it be all change at Haas?

One of✨ the most interesting developments is the one brewing at Haas. 

Now that t𒀰he American outfit has committed to F1 by signing the new Concorde Agreement following much speculation over its future in the sport, team owner Gene Haas and team prin🔯cipal Guenther Steiner are set to switch their attention to deciding upon its driver line-up for 2021. 

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Steiner said that 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:all options are on the table for his team’s driver plans for 2021, including the prospect of replacing both Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen, and 🌺even fielding an all-rookie line-up. 

"We are looking at everything," Steiner admit♒te♏d ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.

"We are looking at all the drivers, and we haven't made the d𝓀ecision. I'm not trying to be evasive. We just got the Concorde [Agreement] done and I did not speak with Gene [Haas, team owner] about drivers yet.

"I want his input on the drivers, so that 💫will come soon. As sꩲoon as he can make it to a race we will sit down and discuss it.

"But at the moment, everything is on the table from keeping the drivers we have got, to getting two rookies. So if you want the seat you can apply for it! Eไverything is possible in the moment.⛎”

Both drivers stressed they are keen to stay at Haas for 2021 an🗹d bey༺ond, but neither have opened talks with the team as yet. 

Nico Hulkenberg, who🍌 made a br🃏ief return to the F1 grid with Racing Point for the two Silverstone rounds as stand-in for Perez, has been linked with Haas. 

One would imagine Haas will be keeping tabs on the Racing Point situation just in case Perez suddenly became available, while it also has Formula 2 ace Louis Deletraz and Brazil’s Pietro Fittipaldi within its rost🌺er, both of ꦇwhom the team rates highly. 

Raikkonen key to Alfa Romeo developments 

Kimi Raikkonen appears to hold the key to what will happen at Al🔴fa Romeo, with the 40-year-old F1 veteran coming to the end of his init♐ial two-year deal with the Swiss squad following his Ferrari exit. 

Amid suggestions he may well call time on his established career that has included a world championship triumph in 2007, Raikkonen insisted he is 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:yet to make a decision about whether he wants𝐆 to continue in the sport or not.&nbsꦫp;

“I don’t know,” he explained. “First of all I need to decide what I will🍸 do. Right now, that’s the first thing ൲to decide. 

“I𒁏 don’t see it would change anything – if I race with them or I don’t race. Until I decide what I do, those things are not really in my list.

"My decision is based on what I feel is right fꦇor me.”

Alfa Romeo has endured a difficult start to the 2020 campaign and Raikkonﷺen has found himself unable to challenge for points during the openi🥀ng six rounds of the season. 

Might that, coupled with a delay to the major technical regulation overhaul until 2022, ultimately sway Raikkonen into 🅰making this year his swansong in F1?

“[If I have a good car or not] makes a difference [to my decision],” he said. “I’d much rather race in go🐼od positions and fi𒀰ght for points, but it’s never guaranteed, wherever you go, if it’s going to be good or bad.

“Bigger picture i♋s much more important for me [regarding his decision]. Family comes first. The kids are getting bigger. This year I have been able to be home more, so it’s great.

“There will be a point when I want 🐻to be home and do other things, but I d🐻on’t know yet.”

Should Raikkonen decide to leave, Hulkenberg - who revealed he has been 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:holding talks with a number of teams about a full-time comeback 🎃for 2021 since the start of the year - would be a great coup for the team to lead its charge. 

But if Raikkonen opts to s🌠tick it out at Alfa Romeo for at least another year, the fꦰocus will instead turn to his teammate Antonio Giovinazzi, whose own future is not yet confirmed. 

Speaking about his position within the team the Italian, who scored Alfa Romeo’s only po⛎ints of the season so far in Austria, said: “It’s still a bit too early, just six races. 

“I𒐪 just know I need to continue like I’m doing, be consistent, be competitive, and then we’ꦺll see.”

Ferrari’s sway over one of the two seats at the Hinwil-based squad will also be factor, with its plethora of rising stars in F2 - including championship leader Callum Ilott, second-placed man Robert Swartzman, and Mick Schumacher - lining up to pounce on a promoti🎶on to F1 should a space open up…