QUICK READ
AIMING HIGH
ALPHATAURI’S new driver Yuki Tsunoda says he is aiming to be “the first Japanese driver to win a race in Formula 1”. The 20-year-old, who replaces the Russian Daniil Kvyat in the AlphaTauri stable, is the first Japanese driver to compete in Formula 1 since Kamui Kobayashi in 2014. The diminutive Tsunoda – he is 1.59m tall – was named FIA rookie of the year in December after finishing third in his debut season with British team Carlin in the Formula 2 championship. He has set his sights on making an even bigger impact in F1.
TEARS OF JOY
JUSTIN Bieber says he got emotional when he saw his new custom Rolls Royce for the first time. The singer had been looking forward to it for three years and when he saw the car, Bieber and West Coast Customs founder Ryan Friedlinghaus cried. Through tears, he muttered “what” and “oh my goodness”. Bieber enjoys splurging on exotic machinery, with his collection reportedly including cars such as the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport and Lamborghini Aventador, but this is probably the most unique car he has owned.
NEW SUV
SEAT’S Cupra performance brand has unleashed an interesting new highperformance SUV featuring Audi’s fivecylinder turbopetrol engine. Sadly there is no chance of the Cupra Formentor VZ5 ever coming to South Africa, not only because the VW-owned Seat brand pulled out of our market more than a decade ago, but also because the company is only building it in left-hand drive format. The production run is limited to just 7000 units. What are we missing out on then? Cupra is quoting a 0-100km/h time of just 4.2 seconds.
RECORD LOSS
RENAULT booked a record loss in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic hit its performance and looked set to weigh on the outlook this year as well. Renault said in a statement that it recorded a net loss of €8.05 billion (R142bn) last year, compared with a bottom-line profit of €19 million in 2019. Renault added that its Japanese partner Nissan, in which it holds a 43% stake, accounted for €4.9bn of the loss. Full-year revenues were down 22% at €43.5bn and vehicle sales slumped 21% to 2.95 million worldwide.