F1

Lights went out on the 2021 Formula One season this past weekend as round one kicked off at the Bahrain International Circuit. Prior to Sunday's race it was 105 days since fans were last treated to racing action – this time out there were new coloured racing cars, rebranded teams and exciting changes in the paddock.

The upcoming electric Lotus Evija will sound like a 1960s V8 Formula One car, according to new reports out of Europe. Patrick Jordan-Patrikios – a music producer who has worked with Britney Spears and Susan Boyle, among others – was reportedly recruited by Lotus to develop “distinctive” and “organic” sounds for the otherwise-silent hypercar.

Porsche could join Formula One in 2025 if the regulation updates promote sustainable fuel alternatives, according to parent company Volkswagen. Fritz Enzinger – the vice president of the brand’s motorsport division – told the BBC earlier this week: “It would be of great interest if aspects of sustainability - for instance, the implementation of e-fuels - play a role in this. "Should these aspects be confirmed, we will evaluate them in detail within the VW Group and discuss further steps."

Months after taking over as temporary CEO at Alpine, Cyril Abiteboul has been replaced by former Google executive Laurent Rossi. Abiteboul also announced his sudden departure from the Alpine Formula One Team – formerly the Renault F1 Team. While his appointment to the Alpine road-car division was originally publicised as a short-term gig in September 2020, his departure from the F1 team has come as a surprise to the sport.

It's been an usual year for motorsports – like most things in 2020 – with many championships either cancelled or rushed through thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. With 2021 just on the horizon and most car-racing seasons winding down, we wanted to bring our readers' attention to a few shows we thought might be of interest, to help bridge the gap over the holiday period.