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Formula 1, 2020

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#1 · (Edited)
Sim lap of 2020 Zandvoort track


And Sim lap Hanoi

 
#83 ·
Formula 1
TECHNICAL
TECH TUESDAY: Why Ferrari have bucked the trend with their 'odd one out' nose concept
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Technical contributors
Mark Hughes and Giorgio Piola

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One of the most visually arresting themes of the 2020 crop of cars was the widescale adoption of the narrow nose. Up until this year, there seemed to be competing philosophies on this: Mercedes had for a long time led the way with the needle nose, with Ferrari and Red Bull in the opposing wide nose camp. But for this year only Ferrari have stayed with the wide nose. Red Bull, Renault and others have become converts to the narrow nose.
READ MORE: How Red Bull forced a last-minute Mercedes design tweak

There are pros and cons to each, concerning aerodynamics, weight and packaging. Aerodynamically, the nose’s upsweep (when seen side-on, in profile) creates a low air pressure zone beneath it, causing the airflow to accelerate as it heads for the underfloor (and, at the edges, towards the barge boards). The faster the airflow, the greater the downforce. The airflow speed is only nominally related to the car’s speed over the ground. Manipulation of air pressures can induce the air to pass over the surfaces at many times the speed of the car – and this is the key to creating downforce, which squares with airflow speed.
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Dramatic differences in width between the noses of the Mercedes W11 and the Ferrari SF1000 - which could yield dramatically different results...
The downforce created is generally a multiplication of the surface area and the airflow speed. The wide nose creates a greater surface area with which to accelerate the airflow. It can, in theory, accelerate more air. But it tends to be prone to stall, especially at low car speeds. When the airflow falls below a critical speed, it can leave parts of the under-nose area unenergised in a dead zone – leading to loss of control of the flow. The wide nose tends to work better at higher speeds.

The narrow nose seems to offer better control of the aerodynamics at low speed and generally, therefore, more consistent slow corner grip. From the perspective of surface area x airflow speed, the narrow nose offers less surface area, but can more easily induce high airflow speed. As a further benefit, the narrower dimensions leave more space to fit in airflow turning vanes further forwards, so more easily turning the air where it needs to be directed.
To get a narrow nose through the crash test invariably requires it to be heavier than the wider nose, with a denser structure, as the impact loads are obviously spread over a much smaller area. This will mean less ballast is available to vary the weight distribution from circuit to circuit as required.
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Red Bull previously favoured a wide nose design, but the RB16's is much narrower than its predecessor
But perhaps the most fundamental impact of the aerodynamic choice between wide and narrow nose is that of the packaging. This part of the car – with suspension systems, steering, brakes, hydraulic reservoirs – is incredibly mechanically dense. There is so much to fit into a very confined space.
READ MORE: Exploring the suspension layouts that could give Mercedes and Red Bull the edge
Mercedes have been challenged in keeping to their slim nose philosophy by their adoption of the DAS steering system, but have managed to squeeze it in, partly by re-siting the upper wishbone attachment point. Red Bull have only been able to switch to the slim nose concept through a wholesale rearrangement of mechanical components, notably by re-siting the steering and reservoirs behind the bulkhead of the nose - which, unfortunately for Red Bull, has made it unfeasible to incorporate DAS.
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Red Bull's nose has undergone a dramatic repackaging that could mean incorporating DAS is out of the question
Ferrari, having prioritised research on what was to have been their 2021 car (now 2022), opted not to make radical changes. Essentially, they have continued the philosophy of their 2017 car through those of ’18, ’19 and ’20. This is reflected in the current front suspension which is quite simple in layout compared to that of their two main rivals. It can be seen how the wider nose affords more accessible suspension adjustment.
Among a field of slim-nose rivals, the Ferrari suddenly looks the ‘odd one out’. But invariably, there is more than one way to skin a cat.
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Ferrari have stuck with the wider nose, which makes packaging easier - and now the Scuderia are the 'odd ones out'...

 
#85 ·
Biofuel cooling set to become key development avenue for new F1 cars


Formula 1's switch to biofuels with its new generation of cars looks set to trigger a surprise development battleground thanks to a change it brings in engine cooling characteristics.

As part of F1's continued push for sustainability, new rules - which were originally slated for 2021 but have now been delayed - will require teams to run their engines with a 10% blend of advanced sustainable ethanol.
Work has already begun among F1's fuel suppliers to optimise the cooling potential of the biofuel, which has nearly three times the heat of vaporisation as regular fuel and means there is a cooling effect for the incoming charge during the combustion cycle. A cooler intake charge means that engine power will increase.
Benoit Poulet, F1 development manager for Ferrari's technical partner Shell told Autosport: "The interesting aspect of the car performance is similar to when you put a [ethanol based] cooling gel on your fingers - you can feel the cooling effect that you get. It will be the same for the engine.
"It will be able to cool some parts of the powerunit and that could be quite beneficial. We are working hard on it.
"The properties are certainly quite interesting for combustion, and I think we can do some interesting things. We have definitely found at the moment that this cooling effect is good for the engine."

Engine manufacturers could seek to optimise the cooling properties for a straight horsepower gain, or change the overall design and cooling characteristics to run the engine at a different temperature. This could then have a knock-on effect for the car's aerodynamics.
Poulet explained that Shell has been developing the new biofuel ever since the regulations came out last year in a bid to steal a march on its opposition.
"It's a big challenge but we are really happy to switch to E10 fuel - and to be honest we would be happy to have even more than 10%," Poulet said.
"We have people working on the project, and people who are familiar with E10. And it's a big change because ethanol comes with some different properties to the other hydrocarbons.
"Because of that, we really decided to start early. It's a bit like the chassis people; we started as soon as the regulation was published. On project management, I allocated one person full time on that question and now we have got a good understanding in terms of the benefit of E10."

 
#86 ·
Just saw an article that put in print what we all pretty well assume, that there will be no F1 for 2020.

Then I thought, what if there had been none in 2019?

And I struggled to think of anything we would have missed. Bits and pieces, a very few races with some action towards the end, but zero that could affect a championship. Overall, this beloved sport has fallen that far.

So are we missing anything by the “lost” 2020 season? This quarantine does give me a chance to show my 23 year old son some films of back in the day when racing was real.
 
#87 ·
........
So are we missing anything by the “lost” 2020 season? This quarantine does give me a chance to show my 23 year old son some films of back in the day when racing was real.
I was looking forward to a more competitive car for Verstappen. The Honda PU seemed closer to Ferrari & Mercedes during Barcelona testing..... :)
 
#89 ·
MOTORSPORT.COM

Giorgio Piola's F1 technical analysis
TopicGiorgio Piola's F1 technical analysis





Previous
FORMULA 1 / ANALYSIS
How Mercedes has taken F1 brake design to the next level

How Mercedes has taken F1 brake design to the next level

By: Giorgio Piola
Co-author: Matthew Somerfield
Mar 30, 2020, 7:00 AM

Mercedes has made no secret of the fact that every element of its 2020 Formula 1 car has been improved for this year.


And while most of the attention has been dominated by its DAS system and a bold revamp of its sidepod concept, a deep dig into less obvious areas – like its brakes – highlights the attention to detail the team has put in.
The front brake disc bell is a component that usually divides teams into two camps: those looking for maximum stiffness (such as Ferrari) and those that focus their attention on maximum lightness, (such as Red Bull).
However, in the case of Mercedes, it has looked to F1's past for inspiration as its bell has a truncated cone shape that's full of holes. This not only offers the required stiffness with a reduction in weight, but also brings aero benefit too.

Since 2012, when Adrian Newey introduced a contentious solution on the RB8, teams have skewed their designs to take into account a secondary function: aerodynamics.
The blown axle devised by Red Bull, which took air from the brake inlet and ejected it through holes in the side of the stub axle, was discovered by Giorgio Piola at the second grand prix of the season.
Red Bull RB8 blown axle wheel detail

Red Bull RB8 blown axle wheel detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
But, it wasn't until the Monaco GP, which Mark Webber went on to win, that the FIA decided to act.
Charlie Whiting considered the combination of the holes in the wheel and axle, allied to the rotation of the cone-shaped stub axle, to constitute a 'moveable aerodynamic device' and declared this and another borderline solution on the RB8 illegal, requiring the team to be compliant for the Canadian GP.
Williams FW35 front brake duct, captioned

Williams FW35 front brake duct, captioned
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Teams were not content with filing this idea away in a drawer though, with Williams the first to find a legal way of emulating the concept the following season.
The FW35 featured a hollow and open ended stub axle with a fixed nozzle housed within. Fed airflow in a similar way to the banned Red Bull solution, but no longer rotating around the axle's axis, this version may not have had the same potency but still helped to clean up some of the turbulence created by the wheel and tyre.

Over the course of the next few seasons, many of the teams developed this solution to the point that when the FIA was devising the new regulations for 2019 it decided to outlaw them.
Interestingly, Mercedes never pursued the blown axle concept, instead using the tools available to it on the front wing to help manage this turbulence.
However, the regulation changes for 2019 also took away the majority of these tools, stripping away the aerodynamic furniture from the front wings and with it, Mercedes' reliance on them.
Mercedes, like its counterparts, has in the last few years found subtle ways of funnelling airflow through the brake duct in ways that are still considered a form of brake cooling, although they clearly err on the side of being aerodynamic devices.
Mercedes AMG F1 W11 brake flow

Mercedes AMG F1 W11 brake flow
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
The inner crossover pipe, seen here on the W11 (left) but also present on the W10, certainly constitutes as one of these devices, as its sole purpose is to spill airflow out of the wheel face. The pipework is also contorted in such a way that the nozzle falls close to the border created in the regulations to outlaw the blown axle.
The Technical Regulations state: (11.4.3) No air flow may pass through a circular section 105mm in diameter with its centre lying along the axis and its plane coinciding with the inboard face of the wheel fastener described in Article 12.8.2.
Of course this isn't the only duct that serves an aerodynamic purpose, with two others fashioned into the drum itself (right), one of which sits at the base of the drum, whilst the other is interwoven with the trench formed in the drum's surface.
Mercedes AMG F1 W11 brake disc comparsion

Mercedes AMG F1 W11 brake disc comparsion
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Blown away
Having had great success with this solution in 2019 and having looked at ways it can enhance this further, we must also pay attention to the W11's brake bell, which has been modified extensively by the team for 2020.
The RB8's design could be considered a forefather here, with numerous holes cut very precisely into the bell's surface to create a robust aerodynamic effect that intensifies the flow of air through the assembly and out of the wheel face to influence the wake turbulence created by the wheel and tyre.
It's not yet clear whether the FIA has scrutinised this, considering the precedent set by the Red Bull solution but, suffice to say that Mercedes will justify the inclusion of these holes for weight saving purposes and that any aerodynamic function is simply a by-product of that.
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Once again, this is an example of how consumed F1 teams become in the search of performance, as a component that might seem benign to most, is transformed into a clever aerodynamic solution. It also speaks volumes about Mercedes design methodologies too, as just with many other facets of the car it has left no stone unturned in its pursuit of perfection.
Ferrari F2007 (658) 2007 wheel cover airflow
Ferrari F2007 (658) 2007 wheel cover airflow



1/17
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
In 2007, Ferrari introduced a wheel cover design that it convinced the FIA was being used to improve brake cooling. Now, whilst this was the case, it could be argued this was a secondary function, as the design actually had a wider reaching aerodynamic appeal - tidying up the turbulence created by the wheel and tyre. Ferrari's latest solution fashioned a nozzle for that airstream to escape out of, not only creating a more defined pathway but also improving the extraction rate. Other teams swiftly jumped on this bandwagon, realizing the benefits that the simple solution offered
 
#94 ·
F1 legend Sir Stirling Moss dies, aged 90
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One of the true greats of Formula 1, Sir Stirling Moss, has died at the age of 90.
Often referred to as the greatest driver never to win the world championship, Moss contested 66 Grands Prix from 1951 to 1961, driving for the likes of Vanwall, Maserati and Mercedes, where he famously formed a contented and ruthlessly effective partnership with lead driver Juan Manuel Fangio.
In that 10-year career, Moss took 16 wins, some of which rank among the truly iconic drives in the sport's history – his 1961 victories in Monaco and Germany in particular often held up as all-time classics.
Moss was also a highly regarded sports car driver, famously winning the 1955 Mille Miglia on public roads for Mercedes at an average speed of close to 100mph, while he also competed in rallies and land-speed attempts.
Following an enforced retirement from racing (bar a brief comeback in saloon cars in the 1980s) after a major crash at Goodwood in 1962, Moss maintained a presence in Formula 1 as both a sports correspondent and an interested observer, before retiring from public life in January of 2018.
All at F1 send our heartfelt condolences to Lady Susie and Sir Stirling's family and friends.
Sir Stirling Moss: 1929-2020
 
#95 ·
Stirling was my hero when I was a teenager just getting interested in cars and racing (late 50s). I bought In the Track of Speed and was hooked forever. His near-fatal crash cut a brilliant career way too short.
Recreation Team Competition event Grandparent Smile
I got a chance to spend some time with him at the Quail in 2007 and he was a true gentleman and loved the fact I recognized him. He was perfectly happy to chat about cars for probably half an hour. Needless to say I was a Ferrari owner at the time...:)
 
#99 ·
F1 confirms first details of new 2020 calendar including start in Austria
2020 Austrian Grand Prix
27th April 2020, 9:25 | Written by Dieter Renckenand Keith Collantine

Formula 1 has confirmed the first details of its rescheduled 2020 calendar, which will begin with the Austrian Grand Prix in July.

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The first races of the season will be held “without fans”, Carey confirmed, but the sport is hopeful later races will not have to be held behind closed doors.

“We’re targeting a start to racing in Europe through July, August and beginning of September,” said Carey, “with the first race taking place in Austria on 3rd-5th July weekend.”
Carey previously indicated there will be extensive changes to the original 2020 schedule in order to accommodate other racers which have been postponed.
Today the French Grand Prix became the 10th round of the championship to call off its original scheduled date. It has been cancelled, along with the races in Australia and Monaco, while seven other race promoters are seeking to reschedule their events
Bahrain, which was originally due to hold the second round of the world championship on March 22nd, is among the races which will feature in the new schedule, said Carey. He also confirmed Yas Marina will remain as the season finale:
Start, Bahrain International Circuit, 2019Carey confirmed Bahrain’s race will go ahead“September, October and November would see us race in Eurasia, Asia and the Americas, finishing the season in the Gulf in December with Bahrain before the traditional finale in Abu Dhabi, having completed between 15-18 races. We will publish our finalised calendar as soon as we possibly can.”

However Carey acknowledged their plans could be disrupted by further developments in the global pandemic.

“All of our plans are obviously subject to change as we still have many issues to address and all of us are subject to the unknowns of the virus,” he said.

“We all want the world to return to the one we know and cherish, yet we recognise it must be done in the right and safest way. We look forward to doing our part by enabling our fans to once again safely share the excitement of Formula 1 with family, friends, and the broader community.”
 
#101 ·
F1 plans immediate reduction in new budget cap, reveals Brawn

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Ross Brawn has revealed Formula 1 is planning to reduce the amount teams can spend under the new budget cap by $30m from the original figure of $175m, as the sport looks to cut costs in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
A cost cap of $175m was set to introduced in 2021 but in light of the F1 season having been delayed because of the virus outbreak and the subsequent economic squeeze on the sport and the teams, Brawn says the new annual spending cap will be set at $145m. The aim is to create a glidepath thereafter, further reducing teams' annual spending, once final talks with the teams have been concluded.
READ MORE: What the 2021 rules delay means for F1
Brawn, F1's managing director of motorsport, held talks on Monday with F1 CEO Chase Carey and the FIA over the future and sustainability of the sport, and soon after spoke to Sky Sports F1, saying: “The message is clear – we’ve got to cut costs – and therefore there’s another big step in the reduction of the cost cap.”

“We started at $175m, that was a long battle to get it there. With the current crisis we’re now going to start at $145m and the discussion really is how much further we can drive [it down] over the next few years.”
With the situation we have now, economic sustainability is the priority, and I think that counts as much for the big teams as it does for the small teams
Ross Brawn
“Today’s meeting was [between the] FIA and Formula 1… and the details will be going out to the teams in the next few days,” said Brawn. “There’s been a lot of consultation and I think we’re now we’re at the very final stages. It’ll all become clear shortly.”
Ferrari were opposed to such a strict cost cap of $175m while other teams such as McLaren were supportive of reducing that figure further, but the coronavirus pandemic has put pressure on F1 and all the teams to reconsider how much they are spending.
“The initial objectives [of the budget cap] were a more competitive field and I think with the situation we have now, economic sustainability is the priority, and I think that counts as much for the big teams as it does for the small teams.”
READ MORE: What is the 2021 F1 cost cap and how will it be enforced?

EXPLAINED: How the 2021 F1 Cost Cap works
The resource gap between the top teams like Mercedes and Ferrari, and midfield outfits such as McLaren and Racing Point will be further shrunk by an increase in prize money for midfielders, added Brawn.
“There’s going to be a much more equitable prize fund in the new agreement. The midfield teams are going to be much better off in terms of their proportion of prize money. So it’s being balanced in every direction," he said.
VOTE NOW: Who is the most influential driver in F1 history?
“We’re reducing the amount of money that can be spent in Formula 1 and improving the distribution of the prize fund more evenly amongst the teams. A good midfield team should be able to score podiums, maybe a win, and it should make a small profit.
“And if we can achieve that then we’ve got a very sustainable future
 
#102 ·
Brawn, Liberty Media, FIA are attempting to convince all teams to stay in F1. Lower performing teams being offered a larger share of prize and commercial money together with budget expenditure caps. This to achieve ‘closer racing’.

While Mercedes, Ferrari, are being told the objective is not to change their WCC winning positions going forward but to make it look like the other teams have a race win chance, occasionally .... ;)
 
#103 · (Edited)
BBC

Sebastian Vettel to leave Ferrari at end of Formula 1 season

By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer
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Sebastian Vettel

Vettel won four F1 world titles with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013
Sebastian Vettel is to leave Ferrari at the end of the year after contract talks between the two broke down with no agreement.
The move, which is expected to be officially announced imminently, throws the future of the 32-year-old four-time world champion into doubt.
Spaniard Carlos Sainz, currently a McLaren driver, is among those who have been linked to Vettel's seat.


If Sainz leaves McLaren, one option for the team is Renault's Daniel Ricciardo.
The Australian had serious talks with McLaren in 2018 when he was weighing up whether to leave Red Bull, before finally deciding to move to Renault.
Ricciardo is known to be unsettled at the French team and has talked about moving on.
Vettel could also be an option for McLaren, if he felt he was prepared to move to a team that was going through a restructuring process.
If not, the options for the 32-year-old to continue in F1 are bleak.
Lewis Hamilton, who is also out of contract at the end of the season, has repeatedly signalled his intention to stay at Mercedes, who are not believed to be considering a move for Vettel.
And Red Bull, where Vettel won his four world titles, have said that they would not partner their star driver Max Verstappen with another top-line driver - nor is Vettel likely to be interested in partnering the Dutchman.
Ferrari's other options are Ricciardo or Italian Antonio Giovinazzi, who races for the affiliated Alfa Romeo team.
Hamilton is not considered to be a serious possibility.
202066

Vettel wanted to emulate his hero Michael Schumacher, who won five of his seven F1 world titles with Ferrari between 2000 and 2004A remarkable fall from grace
Vettel's departure from Ferrari signals an ignominious end to his career at the Italian team, who he joined in 2015 with the aim of following in the footsteps of his childhood hero Michael Schumacher by winning the title with them
Vettel said as recently as last month that his intention was to stay with Ferrari beyond the end of his contract this season.
But talks have broken down after Vettel felt unable to accept the offer Ferrari made to him to stay alongside Charles Leclerc, who last winter signed until the end of 2024.
The exact nature of the disagreement that led to the failure of the talks is not clear, but Ferrari are reported to have offered Vettel a vastly reduced salary and a shorter contract than he desired.
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Vettel had made a series of unforced errors during last season, including crashing into a backmarker whilst returning to the circuit after spinning at Ferrari's home race at Monza
Vettel had been Ferrari's number one driver since 2015, when he replaced Fernando Alonso after the Spaniard negotiated an exit from the team at the end of 2014 having lost faith they could ever provide the circumstances in which he would win the world title.
Vettel came closest to winning the championship with the team in 2017 and 2018, when Ferrari had a faster car than Mercedes for much of both seasons but their challenge faltered after a series of mistakes from driver and team.
That led to the beginning of a loss of faith between the two parties and he lost his position in the team for good with the arrival of Charles Leclerc last season.
The Monegasque was immediately a threat to Vettel, who started 2019 as the designated number one, and Leclerc ended the season having out-scored his senior team-mate on every metric - wins, poles, points and average qualifying pace.
The tension between the two also led to a series of flash points culminating in a crash at the penultimate race of the season in Brazil.
Vettel now heads into his final season with the team - assuming the 2020 championship is able to start amid the coronavirus crisis - knowing he has lost his status and facing an uncomfortable season in a team whose focus will inevitably be on their rising young star.

 
#105 ·
202083



Ben Issatt Formula 1 12 May 2020
Sainz to inform McLaren he's departing for Ferrari - report
Carlos Sainz is poised to anger McLaren by informing them he will leave and replace Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari in 2021, Motorsport Italia claims.
Early on Tuesday, growing speculation was confirmed when the Italian team announced a mutual decision had been made not to renew the four-time world champion's contract beyond this year.
Then rumours began that Ferrari had already signed a new driver to partner Charles Leclerc from next season and that could be made official as early as this week.
Well, now the cat may have been let out of the bag with Motorsport Italia's Franco Nugnes reporting Sainz is set to be confirmed within the next 48 hours, after agreeing a basic contract with only some small details left to be resolved.
One of them, he writes, is the Spaniard informing McLaren CEO Zak Brown of his decision to leave at the end of the year.


After weeks of criticising Ferrari on their stance over F1's budget cap, Nugnes predicts Brown "will not take well" Sainz's departure, particularly as McLaren had reportedly offered a two-year extension until the end of 2022.
While the second-generation driver proved his talent with a strong 2019, finishing sixth in the Constructors' standings, it is suggested the main motivation for signing Sainz is money, as Ferrari will save 20m Euros compared to re-signing Vettel.
It is also for that same reason why Ferrari looked past Renault's Daniel Ricciardo, despite being arguably a better option to join Leclerc at Maranello.
Ultimately, we'll have to wait and see if this report is true but, adding the other speculation to this, it certainly appears credible

 
#110 ·
BBC
Formula 1: Ferrari to sign Carlos Sainz as Daniel Ricciardo set for McLaren

By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer
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Daniel Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz

Ricciardo and Sainz have both driven for Toro Rosso and Renault in recent seasons
Carlos Sainz is poised to replace Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari with Daniel Ricciardo set to take the Spaniard's seat at McLaren.
Talks to seal the two moves are ongoing and no final agreements have been reached, but they are expected to be concluded and announced this week.
McLaren have been chasing Ricciardo for some time and his signing is a coup.

But they must release Sainz from his contractual obligations before signing the Australian.
Sainz had been in negotiations to stay with McLaren beyond 2020 but the appeal of joining a top team has convinced him to move.
The teams and drivers have been in negotiations for some time and talks are understood to be in their final stages.
The domino effect in the driver market was triggered when negotiations over a new contract between Ferrari and Vettel failed.
Ferrari announced on Tuesday that the German four-time world champion would be leaving the team at the end of the season, which is currently on ice as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
Ferrari have identified Sainz as the ideal support driver for Charles Leclerc, whose starring performances in his first season with the team last year undermined Vettel's status and precipitated his departure when he was not prepared to accept diminished contractual terms.
Ferrari will envisage Sainz in the type of back-up role Valtteri Bottas plays to Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes - quick enough to be close to him and engage in battle with other front-runners but not the team leader.
Sainz, who previously drove for Toro Rosso and Renault before moving to McLaren last year, is likely to view the move as an opportunity to prove himself as a top-line driver.
He excelled in his first season with McLaren last year and his strong race performances have earned him the call-up from Ferrari.
He's flown before: Ricciardo has taken seven career wins so far

What about Ricciardo?
Signing Ricciardo is a major boost for McLaren, who last year made impressive progress back to fourth in the championship after a dismal few years falling down the grid.
The Australian came close to joining them in 2019 when he left Red Bull, but in the end chose Renault because they were more competitive at the time.
But the two teams' fortunes diverged last year, with McLaren jumping up the grid and Renault's progress back towards the top stalling; in fact they fell behind McLaren to finish fifth in the championship.
Ricciardo has now decided that McLaren are a better bet for the future - a decision partly influenced by their switch to Mercedes engines for the 2021 season.
That is one of a number of significant decisions made by their new team principal Andreas Seidl, who has impressed with his no-nonsense approach since joining the team in May last year.
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Sainz scored McLaren's best result for seven years last season with third in Brazil
Who will replace Ricciardo?
Ricciardo's departure leaves a space at Renault alongside Frenchman Esteban Ocon, assuming the car manufacturer stays in F1 next year.
Renault are said to be keen to promote one of their young drivers to the role but Vettel and double world champion Fernando Alonso have been mentioned as possible contenders.
Alonso said at the end of last year that he would consider a comeback to F1 after two years out, but he will have to weigh up whether he believes Renault will give him the competitive car he says he wants.
But he has fond memories of the team, having won both his world titles with them in 2005-6. He also returned there for a two-year period in 2008-9 after his move to McLaren turned sour in a tumultuous year alongside Lewis Hamilton in 2007 and before moving to Ferrari.
He has said he views the new regulations being planned for F1 as a chance for the field to be more competitive.
But these have now been delayed a year until 2022 as part of a package of changes to cut costs because of falling revenues from the truncated 2020 season.
That means Alonso - who turns 39 this July - would have to be prepared for a 2021 season likely in the upper midfield and it remains to be seen if he wants to go through that again after his five years in an uncompetitive McLaren from 2015-18.
 
#113 ·
Ricciardo is going to McLaren, as per the latest news. I'm a big fan of his, so while I'm delighted he'll be joining McLaren at a time when Mercedes will again be their PU supplier, I'm also a little disappointed that he's not going to the team I expected he'd end up with. McLaren should be able to compete with the big dogs within the next two seasons.
 
#115 ·
I wonder what Ferrari’s view of Sainz is. Obviously they like him but do they really see him as a #2 or another alpha that can win a title? There’s no way Carlos sees himself as a #2. If I recall correctly, at the end of the season, Carlos was rated the #3 driver in the behind Hamilton and Max but ahead of LeClerc. Now, that Vettel is out at Ferrari, I’ll take less joy in seeing the team implode. I am a big fan of both Charles and Carlos. I hope these two can get along.


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#119 ·
I wonder what Ferrari’s view of Sainz is. Obviously they like him but do they really see him as a #2 or another alpha that can win a title? There’s no way Carlos sees himself as a #2. If I recall correctly, at the end of the season, Carlos was rated the #3 driver in the behind Hamilton and Max but ahead of LeClerc. Now, that Vettel is out at Ferrari, I’ll take less joy in seeing the team implode. I am a big fan of both Charles and Carlos. I hope these two can get along.
I don't know what line of guff Ferrari may have sold Sainz, but for ages they have had a #1 and a #2 driver, and they are infatuated with Leclerc to the point where whey were willing to let Vettel, who was extremely popular within the team, leave if not to force him out. In that context, regardless of what Ferrari's public statements will be or what they told Sainz, it is hard to believe that he will be given equal status to Leclerc's.
 
#116 ·
From Leclerc’s winning behavior in F2 and clear superiority over a fragile Vettel in 2019 F1 it seems to me that Ferrari is looking for the maturity of a Sainz - no crashes, follow team orders partner for Leclerc.
With regards to the #3 rating it had little to do with measured results, more to do with his driving behavior and squeezing the most out of a not too competitive McLaren ....
 
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