Formula 1 - 2022 Season

[Firebat]

Lewis Hamilton says the future of Formula 1's budget cap depends on the punishment Red Bull are given for breaching it last year.

Red Bull committed a "minor" breach of the $145m (£114m) cap last year, the sport's governing body the FIA has said.

Hamilton said: "If they are relaxed with these rules, all the teams will just go over.

"Spending millions more and only having a slap on the wrist is not going to be great for the sport. They might as well not have a cost cap in the future."

 

[Firebat]

United States Grand Prix: Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc head practice sessions

Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc headed the two Friday practice sessions at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.

Sainz led Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who clinched his second title at the last race in Japan, by 0.224 seconds in the first session.

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton was third, 0.475secs off the pace, as the team assessed a significant car upgrade.

Leclerc topped second practice, run as a test to assess 2023 tyres.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/63353323

 

[MenInG]

Red Bull have accused their rivals of waging a "concerted campaign for a draconian penalty" for them breaking Formula 1's budget cap.

Team principal Christian Horner said that "what is in contention is a couple of hundred thousand dollars" in the team's financial submissions for 2021.

Governing body the FIA has offered Red Bull a so-called breach agreement detailing a suggested penalty.

Horner said Red Bull were in talks over this and "wanted closure on 2021".

Details of the FIA's offer have not been made public.

Horner's remarks come in the wake of a letter McLaren Racing chief executive Zak Brown wrote last week, and which was first reported by BBC Sport, that said Red Bull breaching the $145m (£114m) cap in 2021 "constitutes cheating".

Horner is also angry about interviews given by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff and his opposite number at Ferrari, Mattia Binotto, at the Singapore Grand Prix last month, when Red Bull's breach first became public knowledge.

Red Bull have been found guilty of both a 'minor' and a 'procedural' breach of the financial regulations. A 'minor' breach can be any amount up to 5% of the cap, or $7.25m in 2021.

Horner said the 5% window and number of possible punishments listed in the regulations "have contributed to a concerted campaign for there to be a draconian penalty on Red Bull for what at the end of the day we are taking what is probably in contention with the FIA is a couple of hundred thousand dollars."

He added: "What has been tremendously disappointing is the leakage that happened. Suddenly we are tried and subjected to three weeks of effective abuse. And then to be seeing a letter accusing us of cheating and being fraudulent, it is just not right, and this has to stop."

Horner said that that he was "appalled at the behaviour of some of our competitors", adding that children of Red Bull employees had been bullied in school playgrounds.

"For a fellow competitor to be accusing you of cheating, to accuse you of fraudulent activity, is absolutely shocking," he said. "Without any of the facts or details to be making that kind of accusation.

"We have been on trial because of public accusations since Singapore. The rhetoric of cheats, that we've had this enormous benefit, numbers have been put out in then media that are miles out of reality. The damage that does to the brand, to pour partners, to our drivers to our workforce."

Horner said Red Bull hoped to resolve the talks with the FIA over the breach before the end of the US Grand Prix weekend, but was not able to say whether that would be possible.

He said if they could not reach a breach agreement deal with the FIA, the matter would go to the sport's cost-cap adjudication panel and potentially even to the FIA court of appeal.

"It could draw it out for another six or nine months," Horner said. "Which is not our intention."

Horner said that a rule clarification in June - three months after teams had to hand their final 2021 accounts to the FIA - had changed the way unused parts were assessed under the cap and "had a seven-digit effect on our submission".

Sitting alongside him in a news conference, Brown and Williams team principal Jost Capito both said they had not been affected, and Brown said the FIA process had been "quite thorough, quite detailed and very manageable".

Horner said: "We had zero benefit from a development or operational perspective either in 2021 or 2022 from the way we operated in the cap.

"Our submission was significantly below the cap, we expected certain things to be potentially clarified or challenged as is the process in a brand new set of regulations. But based on professional accounting, external third parties, the expectations to police this was very clear from our side."

He added: "Once this situation is concluded, there will be complete transparency and I will talk you through the reasoning behind our submission and why we felt each of the line items that have been challenged we believe there is a contrary position.

"The whole thing should be transparent. There is going to be no private, secret deal. It will all be absolutely above board."

Up and down the paddock, there is a consensus among rivals that Red Bull should have a significant punishment for the breach, to act as a warning to all teams for the future, otherwise the cost cap will be rendered ineffective.

One high-profile figure told BBC Sport they thought Red Bull should be disqualified from the constructors' championship in both 2021 and 2022, losing all their prize money.

Another said that if Red Bull had been proven to be difficult with the FIA and tried to hide spending, Max Verstappen should lose the 2021 drivers' title, which was won after a close fight with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and in controversial circumstances at the final race of last season.

Neither are considered a likely eventuality. It is expected that the probable outcome is that Red Bull will be hit with a significant fine, running into millions of dollars, and a restriction on permitted aerodynamic research and development next year.

BBC

 

[James]

<b>Max Verstappen fought back to pass Lewis Hamilton to win a dramatic United States Grand Prix and equal the record for victories in a season.</b>

Verstappen was controlling the race until a delay at his final pit stop handed the lead to Hamilton and also dropped the Red Bull driver behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

The pit problem gave Hamilton a chance to end his and Mercedes' win drought in a difficult season for the team.

But the pace of the new world champion was just too much, and Verstappen caught and passed Hamilton with six laps to go, the seven-time champion defenceless against the formidable straight-line speed of the Red Bull.

Verstappen's 13th win this year equals the record for wins in a season, held by Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, and was sufficient for Red Bull to clinch the constructors' title for the first time since 2013, securing a double after Verstappen clinched the drivers' title last time out in Japan.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished third from 12th on the grid, helped by the two safety car periods that punctuated the middle of the race, ahead of Red Bull's Sergio Perez and Mercedes' George Russell.

Verstappen dedicated the win to the late Dietrich Mateschitz, the team's co-owner, who died on Saturday, and which paused the Red Bull's discussions with governing body the FIA after being found guilty of breaching F1's budget cap last year.

The second safety car was caused straight after the restart from the first when Fernando Alonso's Alpine crashed into the back of Lance Stroll's Aston Martin, which had moved late in defence against the Spaniard.

Somehow, despite his car rearing up into the air at 180mph, crashing down to the track, and then hitting the barrier and breaking its front wing, Alonso fought back from last place to finish seventh.

It was a drive that will surely go down in the annals of great Alonso performances, regardless of the outcome of a stewards' inquiry into the incident.

In front of a record crowd at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, and a phalanx of celebrities led by Hollywood star Brad Pitt, the race served up one of the most exciting spectacles of the year.

Verstappen took the lead from pole-winner Carlos Sainz as soon as the lights went out, and the Spaniard was taken out of contention in a collision with Russell at the first corner, for which the Briton was given a five-second penalty.

Verstappen was in control, measuring his pace at the front as the rest of the field fought a series of close battles behind.

But his race looked like it might have fallen apart when there was a delay fitting his left front wheel at his final pit stop.

Verstappen sent a passive-aggressive radio message to his team, and was reminded they were "all in it together", before setting about recovering his position.

And despite the determined efforts of Leclerc and then Hamilton, there was nothing that could hold him back.

Verstappen admitted he had "got a bit emotional" but told his team they "deserved" the title double as he spoke over the radio on the slowing-down lap.

Lando Norris passed Alonso on the penultimate lap to take sixth place and best of the midfield for McLaren, while Sebastian Vettel pulled a brilliant pass on Kevin Magnussen's Haas on the final lap to take seventh place.

BBC

 

[MenInG]

Sauber have confirmed they will become Audi's strategic partner when the German marque enters Formula 1 in 2026.

The Swiss constructor has run under the Alfa Romeo banner since 2019, but that partnership will conclude at the end of the 2023 season.

Sauber will then continue to run with current supplier Ferrari's power units in 2024 and 2025 before Audi take over the following year, with Audi planning to "acquire a stake in the Sauber Group".

"The partnership between Audi AG and Sauber Motorsport is a key step for our team as we continue to make progress towards the front of the grid," Sauber team principal Frederic Vasseur said.

"To become Audi's official works team is not only an honour and a great responsibility, it's the best option for the future and we are fully confident we can help Audi achieve the objectives they have set for their journey in Formula 1."

It is Sauber's second full works agreement after their link-up with BMW in the 2000s and owner Finn Rausing said Audi were the "best strategic partner" for the company.

The goal now will be to return to at least the upper midfield.


Sauber, who first debuted in Formula 1 in 1993, partnered with Alfa Romeo in 2018 but have still been operating at a smaller budget than nearly all of their rivals, and have been towards the back of the grid since.

A link-up with Audi will certainly help their cause.

"We are delighted to have gained such an experienced and competent partner for our ambitious Formula 1 project," said Audi board member Oliver Hoffman, who is responsible for the F1 programme at corporate level.

"We already know the Sauber Group with its state-of-the-art facility and experienced team from previous collaborations and are convinced that together we will form a strong team."

Stefano Domenicali, president and CEO of F1, said: "It is great news to hear that Audi will have a partnership with Sauber for their entry into Formula 1 in 2026.

"The combination of those two names is a very exciting prospect for our sport. It highlights the strong momentum that Formula 1 has and the belief in our strategy to further grow and enhance the sport while delivering on our sustainability plans to be Net Zero Carbon by 2030 with advanced sustainable fuels in the cars in 2026.

"We look forward to seeing their progress over the coming years and the car on the grid for the team's first race."

Audi confirmed in August they would be entering Formula 1 in four years' time as a power unit supplier and had been previously linked with a partnership with McLaren. Fellow Volkswagen brand Porsche, meanwhile, saw a deal fall through with Red Bull but still retain an F1 interest.

Audi will develop engines from their German base, with the chassis still expected to be developed at Sauber's Switzerland base.

The new generation of F1 engines will feature increased electrical power and 100 per cent sustainable fuels.

SKY

 

[Firebat]

Red Bull's punishment for breaking Formula 1's budget cap will be revealed on Friday.

 

[ex-q-zit]

Red Bull: F1 team receive $7m fine & 10% aero research reduction

Red Bull have been hit with a $7m (£6.07m) fine and a 10% reduction in permitted aerodynamic research for breaking Formula 1's budget cap.

Governing body the FIA said that Red Bull had overspent by £1.86m in 2021.

Their financial punishment is not a reduction in their permitted spend next year, when the budget cap is $135m.

The 10% cut is in the time they can spend using their wind tunnel or computational fluid dynamics to design their car.

The punishment comes after Red Bull acknowledged they were at fault and entered into a so-called "accepted breach agreement" with the FIA.

The FIA had previously said only that Red Bull had committed a "minor" breach, which is anything up to 5% of the cap, or $7.25m in 2021, when Max Verstappen won his first title, with no further details.

A statement by the FIA detailing Red Bull's errors said the team had "inaccurately excluded and/or adjusted costs amounting to a total of £5,607,000" in 2021.

The team's overspend breach of relevant costs adjusted by the FIA was £1,864,000.

This amounts to an understatement of accounts of nearly 5% and an adjusted overspend of 1.6%.

A total of 13 points of non-compliance included an understatement related to their new power-unit business and fixed costs, and costs relevant to catering, social security, apprenticeships, inventory (unused parts) and non-F1 activities.

The fine has to be paid within the next 30 days.

Will the penalty have an effect?

Red Bull already had the lowest permitted aerodynamic research time for the first half of 2023 as a result of winning this year's championship.

Last year, F1 introduced a sliding scale of aerodynamic restrictions in an attempt to close up the field, giving the lowest team in the championship the most research time and the highest the least.

Rival teams will have questions as to whether the punishment is appropriate, particularly over whether the fine will have any effect on a vastly wealthy global corporation, and also as to why the amounts published are different from those that were doing the rounds of the F1 paddock at last weekend's US Grand Prix.

They will also likely point out that the areas of the overspend are irrelevant because they, too, could have chosen to spend more in such areas, but that would have meant spending less on engineering and car design

 

[MenInG]

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was unhurt in a heavy crash in Friday practice at the Mexican Grand Prix.

Leclerc lost control at the Esses and spun backwards into the barrier, bringing his session to an end and causing a red-flag for barrier repairs.

His team-mate Carlos Sainz topped the first session, while Mercedes' George Russell was quickest in the second.

And both Russell and team-mate Lewis Hamilton were happy with their cars after setting strong pace.

Russell's fastest overall time in the second session was set on the standard 2022 Pirelli tyres.

The session was mainly given over to testing 2023 development rubber on pre-determined blind programmes set by the tyre supplier, but Russell was one of five drivers allowed to use the standard rubber because his car been driven by a young driver in the first session.

Hamilton, meanwhile, was fastest of the drivers who exclusively used the 2023 tyres.

The seven-time champion was 0.03 seconds faster than Red Bull's Sergio Perez and 0.039secs ahead of the Mexican's team-mate Max Verstappen.

In a closely matched field, Leclerc was fourth quickest on the test tyres, just 0.109secs behind Hamilton, with the second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz 0.184secs off the seven-time champion's time.

Both Mercedes drivers were positive about their day's work.

Hamilton said: "I feel really, really good. Generally had a really good session today. I really enjoyed driving around the track, the car is feeling better and better as we work more through it and understand it more."

Russell added: "The car's working well at the moment and I got a good feel around here, the pace is looking relatively strong.

"I would like to think it is podium possible at least. It is probably one of if not our best Friday of the year."

BBC

 

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Mexico City Grand Prix: Max Verstappen on pole with George Russell second

Red Bull's Max Verstappen took pole for the Mexico City Grand Prix, fending off a challenge from Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.

Mercedes had one of their most competitive qualifying performances this year but Verstappen was too quick, taking pole by 0.304 seconds.

Briton Russell held on to second place despite a mistake on his final lap.

Countryman Hamilton recovered from having his first lap deleted to take third, 0.05secs slower than Russell.

Ferrari, the pole position kings of 2022 so far, were nowhere - Carlos Sainz was in fifth place, behind the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez, and 0.576secs from pole.

Team-mate Charles Leclerc, who has more poles than anyone so far this year, was edged out by the upgraded Alfa Romeo of Valtteri Bottas and could manage only seventh place.

McLaren's Lando Norris was eighth, ahead of the Alpines of Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/63443036

 

[MenInG]

Lewis Hamilton has reacted to his old rival Fernando Alonso questioning the value of some of his championships.

The Spaniard said in an interview with the Netherlands' Telegraaf this week that a championship has "less value when you've only had to fight with your team-mate".

Hamilton then posted a picture on social media from 2007, when he and Alonso were McLaren team-mates, with him on top of a podium and Alonso second.

The seven-time champion posted a thumbs up symbol with the photograph.

Alonso had tried to reduce the impact of his comments with a post on Twitter on Saturday.

He wrote: "Please, all the titles are amazing, well deserved and inspiring. Incomparable to each other and let's enjoy champions and legends of our current time.

"Tired of the continuous search for headlines. Let's enjoy them."

Hamilton made his debut in F1 in 2007 and he and Alonso staged a close and sometimes bitter fight. Both ended up losing out to Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen by a single point.

At the end of the season, Hamilton and Alonso were tied on points and both had four wins, but Hamilton was declared ahead in the championship by virtue of having more second places.

Hamilton's Twitter post was a response to the social media reaction to Alonso's interview, in which he compared his own two world titles in 2005 and 2006 with those of Max Verstappen this year and last, against Hamilton's record-equalling seven.

Alonso said: "This year Max is very dominant and at some point he was able to cruise to the world title. Last season it was different. I thought he outperformed Lewis in the end and I think he is a worthy champion.

"I also have a lot of respect for Lewis. Still, it's different when you win seven world titles, when you've only had to fight with your team-mate.

"Then I think that a championship has less value than if you have fewer titles but you have had to compete against other drivers with equal or even better material.

"In 2005 and 2006, I had a good start to the year and I was able to create a lead. Then others may have had a better car, but I was able to manage that gap.

"I never had to fight with my team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella to win the title. I also didn't see Max fight Sergio Perez or Alex Albon to win races.

"But [Michael] Schumacher mainly fought with his team-mate Rubens Barrichello to become champion five times in a row and Hamilton with Nico Rosberg and Valtteri Bottas. That's different, I think."

Alonso's comments are a questionable interpretation of some of the titles won by Schumacher and Hamilton.

Schumacher and Ferrari dominated in 2001, 2002 and 2004 and the German driver had only his team-mate to beat, but in 2003 he had a close fight with McLaren's Raikkonen and Williams' Juan Pablo Montoya.

And while it is a fair comment to say Mercedes were unbeatable from 2014 to 2016 and in 2019-20, in 2017 and 2018 the Ferrari was arguably the quicker car for the majority of both seasons.

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel's led the championship for much of both of those years, only for his title campaign to be undermined by mistakes from both driver and team, as well as problems with reliability and losing the development war late in the year.

 

[Saj]

Red Bull's Max Verstappen broke the record for wins in a season with a comfortable and controlled victory in the Mexico City Grand Prix.

The world champion held off a challenge from Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes in the first part of the race before pulling away to take his 14th win of the year.

It moves the Dutchman clear of Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, who won 13 races in 2004 and 2013.

Red Bull's Sergio Perez took third ahead of Mercedes' George Russell.

Mercedes had hopes of winning the race after qualifying close behind Verstappen in second and third places.

But, on divergent tyre strategies, early promise faded after the pit stops and Verstappen moved into a race of his own, leaving Hamilton to fend off Perez for runners-up spot.

 

[Firebat]

Charles Leclerc says he was "hurt" by the performance of Ferrari at the Mexico City Grand Prix, while Sky Sports F1's Paul Di Resta admits he fears for the team after their Formula 1 drop-off in recent months.

 

[Firebat]

Reigning Formula E champion Stoffel Vandoorne will join Aston Martin in 2023 as test and reserve driver.

 

[Firebat]

Lewis Hamilton has said the Las Vegas Grand Prix - which will debut in Formula 1 next year - is going to be the "best race of all time".

 

[Firebat]

Sao Paulo Grand Prix qualifying: Kevin Magnussen takes pole position

Kevin Magnussen caused a sensation at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix by qualifying his Haas car on pole position for Saturday's sprint race.

The Dane, who returned to Formula 1 this season after a one-year hiatus, took his and his team's first pole with a remarkable performance at Interlagos.

Magnussen nailed the only dry lap before a red flag, during which rain started to fall.

He will start Saturday's sprint race ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

Mercedes' George Russell was third, with team-mate Lewis Hamilton in eighth.

And there was embarrassment for Ferrari, who made the latest in a series of strategy blunders this season by sending Charles Leclerc out on intermediate tyres for the start of the final session.

Ferrari allowed themselves to be tricked by the weather forecast that predicted rain, but it did not come soon enough, and there were recriminations over the radio as Leclerc realised everyone else had managed to do a lap and he would be starting 10th.

Magnussen was disbelieving, grinning ear to ear in the car as it became apparent the weather was too wet for anyone to improve once the session resumed, and then jumping out of the car and celebrating with his team afterwards.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/63603135

 

[James]

George Russell took a maiden grand prix victory - and a first for Mercedes in 2022 - as Max Verstappen was penalised for a collision with Lewis Hamilton in Sao Paulo.

Russell was in control of the race throughout after Verstappen and Hamilton crashed together disputing second place in the early stages at a safety car restart.

Hamilton dropped to eighth place after the collision with his 2021 title rival but came back to secure a Mercedes one-two and seal the team's recovery after a difficult season that the eight-time champions started with an uncompetitive car.

Russell's accomplished drive included him surviving a late safety car that bunched up the field and put Hamilton right behind him heading into the final 10 laps.

The Mercedes drivers were told that they were allowed to race but Russell held the lead at the restart and kept Hamilton at bay until the end.

Behind them, the final 10 laps were a frantic fight as a number of drivers who had had difficult races revived their afternoons.

Among them were Ferrari's Charles Leclerc - who had been barged off the track by McLaren's Lando Norris at Turn Five shortly after the Verstappen-Hamilton incident and dropped to the back - and Verstappen himself.

Leclerc was sixth at the restart but moved up to finish fourth behind his Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz, as both passed the fading Red Bull of Sergio Perez.

Alpine's Fernando Alonso also overtook the Mexican to take a strong fifth place after starting 18th.

The late caution period also helped Verstappen move up from the bottom of the top 10 to sixth place, just failing to pass Alonso on a race to the line.

Verstappen was ordered by Red Bull to let Perez back past, after being allowed past a few laps earlier, but did not comply.

He was asked by his engineer after the race "what happened". His response was: "I told you already last time, you guys don't ask that again to me, OK? Are we clear about that? I gave my reasons and I stand by it."

Mercedes went into the race with a front-row lock-out - after Russell's win in the Sprint race on Saturday and a grid penalty for Sainz, who had finished second ahead of Hamilton - but concerned about the potential pace of Verstappen.

They held their positions at the start only for the safety car to mean they had to do it again a few laps later.

Russell managed the re-start perfectly but Verstappen got a run on Hamilton and dived for the outside into Turn One.

Hamilton fought it out and they collided as they tried to negotiate Turn Two side by side.

Verstappen complained that Hamilton had not left him space but the stewards saw the incident differently and gave Verstappen a five-second penalty, declaring that he had been "predominantly at fault".

That left Perez as Russell's only realistic rival for the win, but after managing his pace for the first few laps the Briton obeyed a request from the team to up his pace and build a gap and Perez had no answer.

As Russell took control of the race, the question was how far could Hamilton climb back up the field in his recovery and it soon became apparent he had a chance of second.

Hamilton ran longer on his first set of tyres to give himself a pace off-set. He stopped six laps later than Perez and emerged in fourth place also behind Sainz.

Sainz, whose race was disrupted early on by a forced early pit stop when a visor tear-off got caught in a rear brake duct, pitted out of the way, and Hamilton caught and passed Perez with 26 laps to go.

Eight laps later, more jeopardy was introduced when Norris' McLaren stopped on track and first the virtual safety car and then the safety car were deployed.

But none of the main runners stopped for tyres and the result then depended on who had the freshest rubber.

Perez, who had made his last stop earlier than others and fitted medium tyres rather than softs, was left vulnerable and he succumbed to Sainz, then Leclerc and then Verstappen, who he was ordered to let by so the world champion could try to take points off those ahead of him.

Verstappen made no further progress, though, leaving the Red Bulls sixth and seventh, ahead of Alpine's Esteban Ocon, Alfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas and Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel.

BBC

 

[ex-q-zit]

Max Verstappen says reaction to team orders controversy 'unacceptable' and 'disgusting'

Max Verstappen says some of the reaction to his role in the Red Bull team orders controversy in Brazil has been "unacceptable" and "disgusting".

The world champion refused Red Bull's order to let his team-mate Sergio Perez through on the final lap of last weekend's Sao Paulo Grand Prix to gain points in his fight for second in the championship.

Verstappen said: "After the race, I looked very bad in the media. But they didn't have the clear picture.

"To immediately put me down like that is pretty ridiculous. All the things I have read are pretty disgusting.

"They started attacking my family, they were threatening my sister, my mum, my girlfriend, my dad. And for me that goes way too far when you don't even have the facts of what is going on. And that definitely has to stop.

"If you have a problem with me, that's fine, but don't go after my family because that is unacceptable."

Verstappen initially appeared to be referring to responses to the incident on social media but he then also said he had a problem with some of the media reports after the race.

"A lot of people what they have been writing about me is ridiculous," he said.

"At the end of the day you contribute to all the problems social media has by writing these kinds of things.

"It is just incredibly disappointing to read these kind of things. I know how I am and the team knows how I work and I have always been good to the team."

He added: "As soon as there is something negative it needs to be highlighted, it is pretty sickening being part of that. While at the end of the day I haven't done anything wrong; it's just people misunderstood what has been going on."

Verstappen said after the race in Brazil that he had "reasons" for refusing to let Perez back ahead and that he was reacting to "something that happened in the past".

There have been reports that Verstappen believes Perez crashed deliberately at the end of qualifying at the Monaco Grand Prix, an incident that prevented Verstappen completing his final lap, which would have given him a position on the front row.

As it was, Perez and Verstappen qualified third and fourth and the Mexican went on to win the race.

A number of sources have told BBC Sport that Red Bull investigated the incident after the race and that Perez admitted he had crashed on purpose.

But Perez rejected that claim, saying it was "wrong", adding: "That's just speculation, and people creating rumours. We are all aware what is going on and we want to keep it within the team."

Verstappen again refused to expand on his reasons for his actions in Brazil, saying it would "stay between me and the team" but he admitted Red Bull had made mistakes in their management of the race weekend.

"It was about something that happened earlier in the season," he said. "I already explained that in Mexico, and the team understood and agreed.

"We went to Brazil and I thought we were just going go to race and get the best possible result. We had a bit of a miscommunication on Saturday and Sunday. Nothing had been said to me about a potential swap or whatever. It only came into that last lap that it was said on the radio.

"And they should have known my response already from what I said the week before.

"After the race we had some good discussion and put everything on the table and everything has been solved.

"In hindsight, we should have had that conversation earlier. I have never been a bad team-mate, I have always been very helpful. The team knows that. I always put the team up front because it is a team effort at the end of the day. What we learned is we have to be a little more open and we just have to communicate better to each other."

However, Perez said that the conversation after the race in Brazil only covered the events of that day.

Asked how long Verstappen had had a problem with his past actions, Perez said: "I don't know how long it is there. We haven't discussed about it."

Red Bull issued a statement on Thursday admitting they had "made some mistakes in Brazil" and that the team "accepted Max's reasoning".

The statement added: "Max was only informed at the final corner of the request to give up position without all the necessary information being relayed. This put Max, who has always been an open and fair team player, in a compromising situation with little time to react which was not our intention."

On-board camera footage makes it clear that Verstappen was first asked to let Perez by into sixth place after Turn Four on the final lap, and again three times as he exited the final corner.

Perez had earlier in the race been told "don't fight Max" when the race resumed after a final safety-car period so he could try to pass cars ahead.

Verstappen moved ahead of Perez but did not manage to overtake Alpine's Fernando Alonso for fifth place, and was told: "If we don't pass Fernando on the exit of 12, can we let Checo through, please, let Checo back through."

When he did not comply, he was asked: "What happened?"

He replied: "I told you already last time you guys, don't ask that again to me. OK? Are we clear about that? I gave my reasons and I stand by it."

BBC

 

[MenInG]

Formula 1's governing body the FIA is prepared to investigate whether Sergio Perez deliberately crashed during Monaco Grand Prix qualifying in May.

The question is at the heart of a row over team orders at Red Bull that erupted in Brazil last weekend.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said: "I didn't have anyone who said we want to investigate it from our side.

"But if there is something to be investigated, we are more than happy. I am not shy or afraid of going into it."

Ben Sulayem added that he would speak to world champion Max Verstappen about the matter.

Verstappen has not publicly revealed his reasons for refusing an order to let team-mate Perez by for sixth place at Interlagos last Sunday.

But multiple sources have said that the Dutchman believes Perez deliberately crashed on his final qualifying run in Monaco in May, preventing Verstappen from improving and taking a place on the front row of the grid.

As it was, Perez qualified third ahead of Verstappen and went on to win the race after Ferrari made a strategy error with race leader Charles Leclerc.


On Thursday, Perez described the claim as "speculation" and "rumours", adding: "That rumour is wrong."

F1 rules forbid unsporting actions, and leave the FIA a range of options in terms of punishment if it discovers them.

Red Bull are considered unlikely to volunteer any information on the matter as it would further disrupt team harmony, which has already been badly affected by the row in Brazil.

Ben Sulayem became FIA president a matter of days after former race director Michael Masi failed to apply the rules correctly in last year's title decider in Abu Dhabi, after which Lewis Hamilton lost the race win and the world title to Verstappen.

The FIA later fired Masi and issued a report into the race that was published at the start of this season.

There have been criticisms that the report did not satisfactorily address what went wrong in Abu Dhabi.

Ben Sulayem said: "Maybe the report was not enough but it was a good attempt at the transparency and now you see every time we have an issue, transparency."

He pointed to the controversy at the Japanese Grand Prix over the deployment of a recovery vehicle on track in heavy rain and poor visibility, and his intervention to address the dangerous "bouncing" or porpoising of some cars earlier this year that was affecting driver health.

Japan led to a report that said only one of the two race directors who have been rotating the role this year would fill the position until the end of the season.

And the FIA introduced a measurement for the level of bouncing as well as other rule changes aimed at addressing it before the second half of the season.

"The issue we had [in Japan], we did a thorough report and it was on the FIA website before the next race after consultation," Ben Sulayem said.

"Even porpoising, I called 20 drivers. I called 10 team principals. We listened to them and came up with the amendment that was effected in Belgium."

The FIA has said it made mistakes in the deployment of a recovery vehicle on track during the Japanese Grand Prix in October
There has been widespread dissatisfaction within F1 this year about the way the governing body has administered the sport.

And the actions of race directors Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas have been under scrutiny after a series of incidents and interventions that have angered drivers and teams.

Ben Sulayem said that he was in a "restructuring" process.

He said he had instigated a programme aimed at improving F1 race direction that was put in place after Abu Dhabi.

He said "phase one" of this programme would finish "soon - hopefully at the beginning of next year we will have something if not before".

He insisted his relationship with the drivers was good, and said the same about that with F1, after repeated claims from insiders that the commercial rights holder was unhappy with the FIA's actions this season.

"It's a marriage," Ben Sulayem said. "It's going to last, and strongly."

Pointing to his decision to delay F1's plan to increase the number of 'sprint' events to six from three next year, he said: "People assumed when I said about the three sprint races that there was a split. I laughed about it."

Sources have said Ben Sulayem initially asked for extra funding for the FIA from F1 in return for his agreement. But he said he had merely wanted to investigate whether it would impose an extra load on FIA officials.

"People don't understand sometimes the pressure that goes into the officials of the FIA," he said.

That process took six months, and Ben Sulaymen said: "I am in a very good professional and personal relationship [with F1]."

Meanwhile, a meeting of the F1 Commission on Friday agreed to "undertake a comprehensive review of the sporting regulations for 2024".

It also started a study aimed at reducing the spray from cars in wet weather, potentially with the use of removable wheel arches that would be fitted in extreme conditions.

In the wake of criticism of the FIA's handling of Red Bull's breaching of the budget cap last season, Ben Sulaymen said a "big review" was being undertaken into what had happened this season.

"If you don't have the manpower to police it, what is the use of having this regulation?" he said.

"We learned a lot. Who knows in the first year what is going to be the outcome? The other teams will say we have been light on them, some of them want them to be hanged. Where do you draw [the line]? Do we want to get rid of them or straighten up and not do it?

"What we did in September/October, it should be earlier, but as the first year we learned a lot from it and we are still learning.

Ben Sulaymen's appointment of former Mercedes employee Shaila-Ann Rao as the FIA's interim secretary general for sport has angered Red Bull this year.

Sources have told BBC Sport that Rao will lose her position in the coming days.

Ben Sulayem did not directly address a question on her future but said: "Her position is interim secretary general. What does interim mean? Shaila-Ann has been supportive a lot to me and I see her intelligence on big decisions. I will defend my people."

BBC

 

[MenInG]

Red Bull's Max Verstappen had a comfortable advantage over Mercedes' George Russell in second Friday practice at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

As the final race weekend of the season began, Verstappen was 0.341 seconds quicker than Russell, who won the Sao Paulo Grand Prix last weekend.

Verstappen did not take part in the first session, in which Lewis Hamilton headed Russell to a Mercedes one-two.

Hamilton was fourth in FP2, behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

World champion Verstappen sat out the first session so Red Bull could comply with the rules governing young driver testing and give Liam Lawson a run but was immediately up to pace in the second.

He was fastest both on the single-lap qualifying simulation runs and on the later race simulations, when cars run with full tanks.

In those, Russell was about 0.3secs off Verstappen, with Leclerc's Ferrari a further 0.5secs adrift. Hamilton's run was disrupted by traffic but appeared on a similar performance level to Russell's.

"The car was in a good window - no real problems," said Verstappen. "We tried as few things and also in the long run the car was working quite well. I am pretty happy with that."

Hamilton said it was "expected" that Red Bull would be quicker than them this weekend, adding: "We didn't expect this to be our strongest race. But we are generally right there and hopefully we can put on a good fight."

Russell echoed his team-mate's view, saying: "It felt fast but Red Bull just had the legs on us - 0.2secs ahead on single lap and on the long run maybe further. But compared to Ferrari we look reasonable.

"I'd like to think we can fight for the top three in qualifying and who knows where that can take us on Sunday?"

BBC

 

[James]

<b>Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Max Verstappen beats Sergio Perez to pole position</b>

Max Verstappen led team-mate Sergio Perez to a Red Bull one-two in qualifying at the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi.

Verstappen took pole by 0.228 seconds as Perez pipped Ferrari's Charles Leclerc by 0.04secs in their fight for second in the championship.

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz was fourth, as Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell filled the third row.

Aston Martin's Sebastian Vettel will start his final grand prix in ninth.

The German drove a strong session as his team-mate Lance Stroll could manage only 14th.

McLaren's Lando Norris was seventh, ahead of Alpine's Esteban Ocon in eighth, with McLaren's Daniel Ricciardo completing the top 10.

Ricciardo has a three-place grid penalty for causing an accident in Brazil last weekend and will start 13th, behind Alpine's Fernando Alonso, Alpha Tauri's Yuki Tsunoda and Mick Schumacher, in his final race after being dropped by Haas for 2023 in favour of Nico Hulkenberg.

Red Bull had a rare off weekend in Brazil, and the team have admitted they made mistakes with set-up from which they could not recover because it was a sprint weekend, with only one practice session before the car's set-up is locked.

But they have been flying in Yas Marina and even Verstappen losing first practice as the team gave young driver Liam Lawson a run in his car did not affect him. And in the end, he did two laps good enough for pole.

Perez looked like he might have a chance to beat Verstappen after the world champion struggled for grip in the second part of qualifying and could manage only fourth fastest, behind Perez, Sainz and Leclerc.

But Verstappen found the car more to his liking in the final session, despite what he described as a "scare" when the car switched off as he tried to leave the garage for his first run and he had to reset all the systems.

Despite that, Verstappen threw down the gauntlet with an exceptional first lap as Perez had a slide out of the final corner and was more than 0.3secs behind.

Verstappen improved again on his final lap by just over 0.15secs and he gave Perez a helping hand with a tow on the main straight, which might have been enough to make the difference between a place on the front row or third.

Verstappen said: "Q3 was good, before that it was all a bit up and down.

"I was supposed to drive out in front of Checo but the engine shut off and we had to reboot the car. We managed to keep everything under control and do a good lap.

"The second run was more straightforward but it wasn't easy to find more lap time, just a bit more in the final sector.

"The car has been good all weekend - back to normal. We knew we had a quick car but we we made a few mistakes in Brazilian hindsight.

"I could see in P1 with Checo quite happy and Liam straight on it, and in P2 it was just about fine-tuning a few things."

Perez is tied on points with Leclerc but will start the grand prix as strong favourite to take second as Ferrari have struggled for pace in recent races.

Leclerc said he expected it to be "close" with Perez in the race.

The team have struggled with tyre degradation in recent races but Leclerc said the team had "put quite a lot of attention on that this weekend" so he hoped it would not be a problem.

Mercedes came to Abu Dhabi warning that they were likely to face a more difficult weekend after Russell's victory in Brazil and a competitive showing in Mexico, and so it proved.

The car was very quick through the slow corners in the final sector, but was struggling with its high drag on the straights and Hamilton ended up 0.684secs off the pace, with Russell just 0.03secs behind.

"In terms of the result, it's probably where we expected to be," said Russell. "The pace may have been a little bit further away that we would have liked.

"We know we don't have the most efficient car, and on the long straights we are just getting mullered by Red Bull. But I think we've got a much faster race car and the long-run pace looked really strong compared to Ferrari."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/63689427

 

[Firebat]

Lewis Hamilton says he is "looking forward" to the last time he drives this year's Mercedes - or "this thing", as he put it after qualifying at the final race of the season.

 

[Saj]

Red Bull's Max Verstappen won the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi as Ferrari's Charles Leclerc beat the Dutchman's team-mate Sergio Perez to secure second in the championship.

Leclerc, who was Verstappen's title rival earlier this year before Ferrari's season imploded in a flood of errors and reliability failures, held off Perez on divergent strategies to take second place.

Sebastian Vettel's final race ended in disappointment, the four-time champion bemoaning when he felt was a poor strategy from Aston Martin.

Vettel took the final point for 10th place after Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes retired from fourth place with three laps to go.

The fight between Leclerc and Perez made for a tense finish to a race that Verstappen dominated.

Ferrari chose a one-stop strategy for Leclerc, the same as Red Bull with Verstappen, while Perez stopped twice.

That left the Mexican to come back from a 23-second deficit in the final 24 laps if he was to beat Leclerc in a fight that would be decided on whoever finished ahead as they went into the race tied on points.

Perez closed at a second a lap and more for a while, but Leclerc measured his tyres with skill to secure second place in both race and championship - a result many will feel he deserves given he has had an inferior car to Perez for the vast majority of the year.

BBC

 

[Firebat]

Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff says that their difficult 2022 season was "absolutely necessary" for the team's future success.

Mercedes, who had won the last eight constructors' championships, finished the season third and won only one race.

Wolff said: "I am sure this a difficult year was necessary to re-motivate and re-energise the organisation.

"This has made us come back down to the ground, made us appreciate how it feels when you win."

 

[Firebat]

The final standings for the 2022 Drivers and Constructors Championship:

 

[Firebat]

Max Verstappen has already established himself as one of Formula 1's "best of all time" after delivering "one of the greatest driving seasons ever seen", according to former world champion Nico Rosberg.

 

[MenInG]

Formula 1's governing body has split with its interim secretary general Shaila-Ann Rao less than six months after appointing her.

Rao, who joined the FIA from Mercedes in June, was at the centre of the controversy over Red Bull breaching F1's budget cap regulations in 2021.

An FIA statement said Rao had joined to assist new president Mohammed Ben Sulayem in his "transition period".

It said she was leaving because "this period is now coming to an end".

However, senior sources have told BBC Sport that the decision to leave the FIA was hers - she resigned because the job was not what she expected.

Sulayem, who took over as FIA president in December last year, said: "Shaila-Ann has provided me with great support in respect to Formula 1, always acting with professionalism and integrity."

Rao joined the FIA in June from her previous post as special adviser to Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff.

Her links to Mercedes caused concern at both Ferrari and Red Bull.

BBC

 

[MenInG]

Mattia Binotto is to leave his position as Ferrari team principal at the end of the year.

A statement from Ferrari on Tuesday said the 53-year-old had resigned from his role and that the process to identify a replacement was "underway".

Binotto, who has been with Ferrari since 1995, said: "With the regret that this entails, I have decided to conclude my collaboration with Ferrari.

"It is right to take this step, as hard as this decision has been for me."

Binotto worked his way up through the company to first head the engine department, then be technical director of the entire F1 team and finally to lead it.

He leaves at the end of a season in which Ferrari achieved their goals of returning to winning races, but which was marked by a series of reliability failures and operational errors.

Binotto said: "I am leaving a company that I love, which I have been part of for 28 years, with the serenity that comes from the conviction that I have made every effort to achieve the objectives set.

"I leave a united and growing team. A strong team, ready, I'm sure, to achieve the highest goals, to which I wish all the best for the future."

Ferrari chief executive officer Benedetto Vigna thanked Binotto and wished him well, adding that his work meant the team were "in a strong position to renew our challenge, above all for our amazing fans around the world, to win the ultimate prize in motorsport".

Alfa Romeo team principal Frederic Vasseur has been tipped as Binotto's replacement.

 

[ex-q-zit]

Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto Resigns

Mattia Binotto has resigned as team principal of Formula One giants Ferrari, the historic Italian manufacturer announced on Tuesday.
"Ferrari N.V. announces that it has accepted the resignation of Mattia Binotto who will leave his role as Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal on December 31," read the statement. The 53-year-old Swiss-born Italian had been with Ferrari for almost three decades, stepping up to the role of team principal in 2019.

Rumours had been swirling about Binotto's future ahead of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix earlier this month as the team failed to mount a serious challenge to Red Bull after a promising start to the campaign.

"With the regret that this entails, I have decided to conclude my collaboration with Ferrari," Binotto said in the statement.

"I am leaving a company that I love, which I have been part of for 28 years, with the serenity that comes from the conviction that I have made every effort to achieve the objectives set.

"I leave a united and growing team. A strong team, ready, I'm sure, to achieve the highest goals, to which I wish all the best for the future."

Benedetto Vigna, CEO of Ferrari Group, said Binotto had achieved many things in his role, including making Ferrari competitive again.

"I would like to thank Mattia for his many great contributions over 28 years with Ferrari and particularly for leading the team back to a position of competitiveness during this past year," said Vigna.

"As a result, we are in a strong position to renew our challenge, above all for our amazing fans around the world, to win the ultimate prize in motorsport."

Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport had broken the original story about Binotto's future -- though the team said the story was without foundation -- and claimed that Ferrari were considering recruiting Alfa Romeo team chief Fred Vasseur.

After a dreadful season in 2020 and a lacklustre year of recovery in 2021, Ferrari began this season with two wins in the opening three races, but were then swept aside by the runaway success of Red Bull as Max Verstappen powered to his second world title.

The team claimed further victories in July, but failed to win any of the remaining 11 races.

Numerous pitlane missteps damaged number one driver Charles Leclerc's attempt to keep tabs on Verstappen. Leclerc finished second in the title race but almost 150 points adrift of the Dutchman.

Ferrari also finished runners-up in the constructors' championship, but over 200 points behind Red Bull.

Kimi Raikkonen delivered Ferrari's last drivers' crown in 2007, with the team winning their last constructors' championship the following year.

NDTV