What Gifts Were Given In F1 To Say Farewell This Season?
From a pyro parade to almost every driver's helmet, F1 had a few interesting parting gifts in 2021
The end of the FIA Formula One World Championship season usually means saying farewell to at least one driver in the field. Add in the drivers already in F1 who leave their current teams to move to other teams, and there's a decent amount of driver movement each season.
While the teams can be ruthless in selecting drivers, they can be just as gracious to those who have brought success to the team. Here are some of the gifts that F1 personalities have received at this season's end to get in the holiday spirit.
A Metal Model Of A Ferrari 2007
Alfa Romeo driver Kimi Räikkönen retired from Formula One after 19 seasons. The Finnish driver won grands prix with three different teams, but the zenith of his career was when he won the World Drivers' Championship in 2007 with Ferrari. Fittingly, he received a metal model of his world championship-winning Ferrari F2007 from Scuderia Ferrari.
Almost Every 2021 F1 Driver’s Helmet
Jean Todt, the Ferrari team principal in 2007, ended his third and final four-year term as FIA President this week. At the FIA Prize Giving Gala in Paris, Todt received autographed helmets from almost every F1 driver. You might notice in the photo that the bottom corners of the case seem to have generic helmets to fill empty spaces. Those spaces were probably meant for the helmets of Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez.
A Pyro-Filled Factory Parade
Valtteri Bottas will be replacing Räikkönen at Alfa Romeo. While not a physical gift per se, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team held a massive farewell celebration for Bottas at its factory in Brackley. He was the guest of honor in a small parade filled with pyrotechnics, confetti and a light show.
A Helmet Painting & A Podium Trophy
After three seasons of driving for Williams Racing, George Russell is heading for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team next season. Williams gave the British driver a painting of 16 helmets he had worn over his time at the team, along with the trophy from his second-place finish at the rained-out Belgian Grand Prix.
A YouTube Tribute Video
Alex Albon is returning to a Formula One race seat next season. He will be filling the seat vacated by George Russell at Williams. Albon spent 2021 as Red Bull Racing's reserve and development driver. The F1 team produced a YouTube video to thank Albon for his service. The video is framed around an interview Red Bull conducted with Albon at the Istanbul Park Circuit.