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Formula 1 - 2023 Season
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There is a storm brewing in Formula 1.
On the face of it, the dispute has blown up over the potential entry of the US-based Andretti team with car company Cadillac.
But this is just the medium through which it is being played out. In reality, it's about the usual - power, money and influence.
And while the debate could have been handled behind closed doors, the governing body's president Mohammed Ben Sulaymen has gone public.
In doing so, he has provided a window into the latest in a series of disagreements between the FIA, commercial rights holder F1 and the teams that have marked his tenure since he took office at the end of 2021.
Read more
https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/64210632
On the face of it, the dispute has blown up over the potential entry of the US-based Andretti team with car company Cadillac.
But this is just the medium through which it is being played out. In reality, it's about the usual - power, money and influence.
And while the debate could have been handled behind closed doors, the governing body's president Mohammed Ben Sulaymen has gone public.
In doing so, he has provided a window into the latest in a series of disagreements between the FIA, commercial rights holder F1 and the teams that have marked his tenure since he took office at the end of 2021.
Read more
https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/64210632
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Williams have appointed former Mercedes head of strategy James Vowles as their new team principal.
The 43-year-old was a central figure at Mercedes during their domination of Formula 1 from 2014 to 2021.
As motorsport strategy director, Vowles was one of a small set of key senior people who ran Mercedes under team principal Toto Wolff.
Vowles said it was "an honour to join a team with such an incredibly rich heritage".
He replaces Jost Capito, who was sacked by Williams in December after just two years with the team.
BBC
The 43-year-old was a central figure at Mercedes during their domination of Formula 1 from 2014 to 2021.
As motorsport strategy director, Vowles was one of a small set of key senior people who ran Mercedes under team principal Toto Wolff.
Vowles said it was "an honour to join a team with such an incredibly rich heritage".
He replaces Jost Capito, who was sacked by Williams in December after just two years with the team.
BBC
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Lewis Hamilton says he was racially abused at school
Lewis Hamilton says he had bananas thrown at him and was regularly the subject of racial abuse at school.
The Mercedes driver, 38, says his school days were "probably the most traumatising and most difficult part of my life".
Hamilton said: "I was already being bullied at the age of six.
"At that particular school, I was one of three kids of colour and just bigger, stronger, bullying kids were throwing me around a lot of the time."
Speaking to the On Purpose podcast, the seven-time Formula 1 champion detailed a number of racially abusive terms that he was referred to at school.
Hamilton added: "Not knowing where you fit in, that for me was difficult.
"When you go into history classes and there are no people of colour in the history they were teaching us. I was thinking, 'Where are the people who look like me?'
"In my [secondary] school there were six or seven black kids out of 1,200 kids and three of us were put outside the headmaster's office all the time. The headmaster just had it out for us - and particularly me.
"I really felt the system was up against me and I was swimming against the tide. There were a lot of things I suppressed.
"I didn't feel I could go home and tell my parents that these kids kept calling me [racist terms], or I got bullied or beaten up at school today. I didn't want my dad to think I was not strong."
In recent years, Hamilton has embarked on a campaign to increase diversity in motorsport.
He set up a commission to study why ethnic minorities are under-represented in the sport, established his Mission 44 campaign to look at ways of supporting young people from under-served backgrounds, and is working with Mercedes on increasing diversity within their team, and in F1.
Hamilton embarks on his 17th season in F1 in March and is entering the final year of his latest Mercedes contract.
Team principal Toto Wolff said earlier this month that he was confident Hamilton would agree a new contract to continue racing beyond the end of this year.
"We have a full year to go," Wolff said. "We are so aligned - in the last 10 years our relationship has grown.
"It's just a matter of him physically being back in Europe, sticking our heads together, wrestling a bit, and then leaving the room with white smoke after a few hours."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/64376968
Lewis Hamilton says he had bananas thrown at him and was regularly the subject of racial abuse at school.
The Mercedes driver, 38, says his school days were "probably the most traumatising and most difficult part of my life".
Hamilton said: "I was already being bullied at the age of six.
"At that particular school, I was one of three kids of colour and just bigger, stronger, bullying kids were throwing me around a lot of the time."
Speaking to the On Purpose podcast, the seven-time Formula 1 champion detailed a number of racially abusive terms that he was referred to at school.
Hamilton added: "Not knowing where you fit in, that for me was difficult.
"When you go into history classes and there are no people of colour in the history they were teaching us. I was thinking, 'Where are the people who look like me?'
"In my [secondary] school there were six or seven black kids out of 1,200 kids and three of us were put outside the headmaster's office all the time. The headmaster just had it out for us - and particularly me.
"I really felt the system was up against me and I was swimming against the tide. There were a lot of things I suppressed.
"I didn't feel I could go home and tell my parents that these kids kept calling me [racist terms], or I got bullied or beaten up at school today. I didn't want my dad to think I was not strong."
In recent years, Hamilton has embarked on a campaign to increase diversity in motorsport.
He set up a commission to study why ethnic minorities are under-represented in the sport, established his Mission 44 campaign to look at ways of supporting young people from under-served backgrounds, and is working with Mercedes on increasing diversity within their team, and in F1.
Hamilton embarks on his 17th season in F1 in March and is entering the final year of his latest Mercedes contract.
Team principal Toto Wolff said earlier this month that he was confident Hamilton would agree a new contract to continue racing beyond the end of this year.
"We have a full year to go," Wolff said. "We are so aligned - in the last 10 years our relationship has grown.
"It's just a matter of him physically being back in Europe, sticking our heads together, wrestling a bit, and then leaving the room with white smoke after a few hours."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/64376968
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A human rights group says Formula 1's governing body the FIA is "suppressing drivers' freedom of speech" with a rule that was introduced this year.
The Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (Bird) questions the FIA's commitment to human rights.
Bird says it is preventing "drivers from making their voice heard on issues including human rights and racism".
It says the rule "appears to be a reaction" to Lewis Hamilton raising such concerns.
The Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (Bird) questions the FIA's commitment to human rights.
Bird says it is preventing "drivers from making their voice heard on issues including human rights and racism".
It says the rule "appears to be a reaction" to Lewis Hamilton raising such concerns.
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Formula 1's owners have accused the head of motorsport's governing body of making "unacceptable" remarks about the championship's value.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem on Monday described $20bn (£16.2bn) as an "inflated price tag being put on F1".
A letter sent by F1 and owner Liberty Media to the FIA says the remarks "overstep the bounds of both the FIA's remit and its contractual rights".
It added that the FIA "may be liable" for any damage to Liberty's value.
The letter, sent on Tuesday, which has been seen by BBC Sport, is co-authored by F1's chief legal officer Sacha Woodward Hill and Renee Wilm, who performs the same role for F1's owner Liberty Media.
F1 holds the commercial rights to the category under a 100-year lease agreement signed by the FIA at the start of this century. US group Liberty Media bought F1 in 2017.
The letter constitutes an explosive response to remarks by Ben Sulayem on Twitter on Monday, which came in reaction to a report by Bloomberg that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) had tried and failed to buy F1 for that figure.
Ben Sulayem described the valuation as an "alleged inflated price tag" and said: "Any potential buyer is advised to apply common sense, consider the greater good of the sport and come with a clear, sustainable plan - not just a lot of money."
He added: "It is our duty to consider what the future impact will be for promoters in terms of increased hosting fees and other commercial costs [in the event of any such sale]."
The letter from Woodward Hill and Wilm was addressed to the FIA Executive and its World Motorsport Council, the sport's legislative body.
It marks a dramatic escalation in the strained relationship between F1 and the FIA that has been evident during Ben Sulayem's 13-month presidency.
The letter states that under the 100-year contract, F1 has "the exclusive right to exploit the commercial rights in the FIA F1 World Championship".
It adds: "The FIA has given unequivocal undertakings that it will not do anything to prejudice the ownership, management and/or exploitation of those rights."
It says Ben Sulayem's remarks, "made from the FIA president's official social media account, interfere with our rights in an unacceptable manner".
Woodward Hill and Wilm write: "The circumstances in which the FIA would have any role in a change of control of the F1 group are very limited.
"Any suggestion or implication to the contrary, or that any potential purchaser of the F1 business is required to consult with the FIA, is wrong."
The letter adds that any "commenting on the value of a listed entity, especially claiming or implying possession of inside knowledge while doing so, risks causing substantial damage to the shareholders and investors of that entity, not to mention potential exposure to serious regulatory consequences.
"To the degree that these comments damage the value of Liberty Media Corporation, the FIA may be liable as a result."
It concludes that F1 and Liberty "hope and trust that it will not be necessary to address this issue again".
The FIA has declined to comment.
BBC
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem on Monday described $20bn (£16.2bn) as an "inflated price tag being put on F1".
A letter sent by F1 and owner Liberty Media to the FIA says the remarks "overstep the bounds of both the FIA's remit and its contractual rights".
It added that the FIA "may be liable" for any damage to Liberty's value.
The letter, sent on Tuesday, which has been seen by BBC Sport, is co-authored by F1's chief legal officer Sacha Woodward Hill and Renee Wilm, who performs the same role for F1's owner Liberty Media.
F1 holds the commercial rights to the category under a 100-year lease agreement signed by the FIA at the start of this century. US group Liberty Media bought F1 in 2017.
The letter constitutes an explosive response to remarks by Ben Sulayem on Twitter on Monday, which came in reaction to a report by Bloomberg that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) had tried and failed to buy F1 for that figure.
Ben Sulayem described the valuation as an "alleged inflated price tag" and said: "Any potential buyer is advised to apply common sense, consider the greater good of the sport and come with a clear, sustainable plan - not just a lot of money."
He added: "It is our duty to consider what the future impact will be for promoters in terms of increased hosting fees and other commercial costs [in the event of any such sale]."
The letter from Woodward Hill and Wilm was addressed to the FIA Executive and its World Motorsport Council, the sport's legislative body.
It marks a dramatic escalation in the strained relationship between F1 and the FIA that has been evident during Ben Sulayem's 13-month presidency.
The letter states that under the 100-year contract, F1 has "the exclusive right to exploit the commercial rights in the FIA F1 World Championship".
It adds: "The FIA has given unequivocal undertakings that it will not do anything to prejudice the ownership, management and/or exploitation of those rights."
It says Ben Sulayem's remarks, "made from the FIA president's official social media account, interfere with our rights in an unacceptable manner".
Woodward Hill and Wilm write: "The circumstances in which the FIA would have any role in a change of control of the F1 group are very limited.
"Any suggestion or implication to the contrary, or that any potential purchaser of the F1 business is required to consult with the FIA, is wrong."
The letter adds that any "commenting on the value of a listed entity, especially claiming or implying possession of inside knowledge while doing so, risks causing substantial damage to the shareholders and investors of that entity, not to mention potential exposure to serious regulatory consequences.
"To the degree that these comments damage the value of Liberty Media Corporation, the FIA may be liable as a result."
It concludes that F1 and Liberty "hope and trust that it will not be necessary to address this issue again".
The FIA has declined to comment.
BBC
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Formula 1: Sexist comments 'do not reflect' FIA boss Mohammed Ben Sulayem's beliefs
Motorsport's governing body the FIA says sexist remarks attributed to its president "do not reflect his beliefs".
Mohammed Ben Sulayem is quoted on an archived version of his old website saying he does "not like women who think they are smarter than men".
An FIA spokesperson said: "He has a strong record on promoting women and equality in sport, which he is happy to be judged on. It was a central part of his manifesto and actions taken this year and the many years he served as vice-president for sport prove this."
The existence of Ben Sulayem's old website, and the fact it contained misogynistic views, had been discussed by senior figures within F1 since the 61-year-old Emirati became FIA president in December 2021.
But the website's contents had not become public until they were revealed by The Times on Friday.
The newspaper reported that on the site Ben Sulayem says his likes and dislikes are "basically simple", adding: "I love the desert and I love meeting real people."
The website goes on to say that he does not like talking "about money, nor do I like women who think they are smarter than men, for they are not in truth".
The FIA spokesperson said: "The remarks in this archived website from 2001 do not reflect the president's beliefs."
Questions as to whether the website was Ben Sulayem's, whether it accurately reflected his views at the time, and why he had changed his position in the intervening period did not receive a response.
The incident is the latest in a series of controversies that have embroiled Ben Sulayem since he became FIA president.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/64432277
Motorsport's governing body the FIA says sexist remarks attributed to its president "do not reflect his beliefs".
Mohammed Ben Sulayem is quoted on an archived version of his old website saying he does "not like women who think they are smarter than men".
An FIA spokesperson said: "He has a strong record on promoting women and equality in sport, which he is happy to be judged on. It was a central part of his manifesto and actions taken this year and the many years he served as vice-president for sport prove this."
The existence of Ben Sulayem's old website, and the fact it contained misogynistic views, had been discussed by senior figures within F1 since the 61-year-old Emirati became FIA president in December 2021.
But the website's contents had not become public until they were revealed by The Times on Friday.
The newspaper reported that on the site Ben Sulayem says his likes and dislikes are "basically simple", adding: "I love the desert and I love meeting real people."
The website goes on to say that he does not like talking "about money, nor do I like women who think they are smarter than men, for they are not in truth".
The FIA spokesperson said: "The remarks in this archived website from 2001 do not reflect the president's beliefs."
Questions as to whether the website was Ben Sulayem's, whether it accurately reflected his views at the time, and why he had changed his position in the intervening period did not receive a response.
The incident is the latest in a series of controversies that have embroiled Ben Sulayem since he became FIA president.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/64432277
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Mick Schumacher to be McLaren reserve driver in 2023
Mick Schumacher will be reserve driver for McLaren during the 2023 season.
The German lost his race seat for this year when the Haas team dropped him for Nico Hulkenberg.
Mercedes signed Schumacher as reserve driver in December and they have agreed that he can also be used by McLaren, who are powered by the Silver Arrows.
The 23-year-old, son of seven-time world champion Michael, will deputise for Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri if either are unavailable to race.
His best result in two seasons at Haas was sixth at the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix.
The new F1 season starts in Bahrain on 5 March.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/64489311
Mick Schumacher will be reserve driver for McLaren during the 2023 season.
The German lost his race seat for this year when the Haas team dropped him for Nico Hulkenberg.
Mercedes signed Schumacher as reserve driver in December and they have agreed that he can also be used by McLaren, who are powered by the Silver Arrows.
The 23-year-old, son of seven-time world champion Michael, will deputise for Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri if either are unavailable to race.
His best result in two seasons at Haas was sixth at the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix.
The new F1 season starts in Bahrain on 5 March.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/64489311
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American car giant Ford is returning to Formula 1 with Red Bull after more than 22 years out of the sport.
The company will part-fund Red Bull's engine from 2026, replacing Honda.
The deal was announced shortly after Red Bull revealed their new car livery for the 2023 F1 season at a launch event in New York on Friday.
"It's fantastic to be welcoming Ford back into Formula 1 through this partnership," said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.
Ford, which was last in F1 in 2004, will work to develop the power unit for Red Bull and sister team AlphaTauri from 2026 to at least 2030.
Ford says one of the key reasons for its return is its "commitment to sustainability", which aligns with F1's pledge to be carbon neutral by 2030 and to introduce sustainable fuels in F1 cars from 2026.
The company will part-fund Red Bull's engine from 2026, replacing Honda.
The deal was announced shortly after Red Bull revealed their new car livery for the 2023 F1 season at a launch event in New York on Friday.
"It's fantastic to be welcoming Ford back into Formula 1 through this partnership," said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.
Ford, which was last in F1 in 2004, will work to develop the power unit for Red Bull and sister team AlphaTauri from 2026 to at least 2030.
Ford says one of the key reasons for its return is its "commitment to sustainability", which aligns with F1's pledge to be carbon neutral by 2030 and to introduce sustainable fuels in F1 cars from 2026.
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Red Bull boss Christian Horner says sport 'should never be political tool' and calls for 'balance'
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says sport "should never be used as a political tool" but it has to find a "sensible balance" regarding freedom of speech.
Formula 1's governing body the FIA added a new rule this year that states drivers need written permission to express political or religious views.
Horner said sport's first objective should be to "entertain".
The 49-year-old added: "You have that element of escapism within it."
The Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (Bird) accused the FIA of "suppressing drivers' freedom of speech" with the changes to the sporting code and questioned its commitment to human rights.
Speaking at Red Bull's 'season launch' in New York to reveal the car's updated livery and the new partnership with Ford, Horner stressed his team had always been open to drivers voicing their opinions.
"We certainly at Red Bull have never constrained our drivers of their freedom of speech, or the ability to speak their minds because they do have a voice," he said.
"I think it's a matter of finding a balance. In the world that we live in today, everybody has a voice and that shouldn't be supressed.
"But of course, it does have to be done responsibly. So, we don't want a load of robots that are without a opinion going racing.
"Like with all things, it just has to be a sensible balance."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/64514913
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says sport "should never be used as a political tool" but it has to find a "sensible balance" regarding freedom of speech.
Formula 1's governing body the FIA added a new rule this year that states drivers need written permission to express political or religious views.
Horner said sport's first objective should be to "entertain".
The 49-year-old added: "You have that element of escapism within it."
The Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (Bird) accused the FIA of "suppressing drivers' freedom of speech" with the changes to the sporting code and questioned its commitment to human rights.
Speaking at Red Bull's 'season launch' in New York to reveal the car's updated livery and the new partnership with Ford, Horner stressed his team had always been open to drivers voicing their opinions.
"We certainly at Red Bull have never constrained our drivers of their freedom of speech, or the ability to speak their minds because they do have a voice," he said.
"I think it's a matter of finding a balance. In the world that we live in today, everybody has a voice and that shouldn't be supressed.
"But of course, it does have to be done responsibly. So, we don't want a load of robots that are without a opinion going racing.
"Like with all things, it just has to be a sensible balance."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/64514913
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Alex Albon says Formula 1 drivers are "all concerned" about an apparent clampdown on their ability to speak out on social and political issues.
The Williams driver says the FIA's decision to prohibit "personal, religious and political statements" without written consent is "confusing".
"We need clarity from the FIA on what they are trying to tell us," he said.
"It is hard to see as drivers what they are trying to say. We need to be able to speak freely to a certain extent."
Albon, speaking at Williams' 2023 season launch event where a new livery and title sponsor were unveiled, said the impression was that governing body the FIA was "trying to go away from" the pro-diversity 'We Race As One' campaign F1 as a sport had promoted since 2020.
"Politics and stances - it is a very sensitive area," the Britain-born Thai said. "We were very much for We Race As One. We need clarity and I am sure we are going to get clarity.
"With who we are, and the media, and the engagement we have to our fans and the people who watch, a lot of people look to us as spokespeople for issues around the world and I do feel it is a responsibility for drivers to make people aware of these situations."
Albon said the subject of freedom of speech had been discussed between the drivers but "not too much".
He referenced the concerns that have emerged in F1 around the conduct of the FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem on a number of issues in the past year.
"We are all concerned," said Albon. "I know that between F1 and the FIA they are trying to get everything together in the same form of communication. At the minute there is a little bit of confusion."
BBC
The Williams driver says the FIA's decision to prohibit "personal, religious and political statements" without written consent is "confusing".
"We need clarity from the FIA on what they are trying to tell us," he said.
"It is hard to see as drivers what they are trying to say. We need to be able to speak freely to a certain extent."
Albon, speaking at Williams' 2023 season launch event where a new livery and title sponsor were unveiled, said the impression was that governing body the FIA was "trying to go away from" the pro-diversity 'We Race As One' campaign F1 as a sport had promoted since 2020.
"Politics and stances - it is a very sensitive area," the Britain-born Thai said. "We were very much for We Race As One. We need clarity and I am sure we are going to get clarity.
"With who we are, and the media, and the engagement we have to our fans and the people who watch, a lot of people look to us as spokespeople for issues around the world and I do feel it is a responsibility for drivers to make people aware of these situations."
Albon said the subject of freedom of speech had been discussed between the drivers but "not too much".
He referenced the concerns that have emerged in F1 around the conduct of the FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem on a number of issues in the past year.
"We are all concerned," said Albon. "I know that between F1 and the FIA they are trying to get everything together in the same form of communication. At the minute there is a little bit of confusion."
BBC
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Formula 1 president Stefano Domenicali says the sport will "never put a gag on anyone" amid ongoing controversy over freedom of speech.
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Lando Norris says he has the patience to wait for McLaren to rebuild themselves into a championship-winning team in Formula 1.
Fernando Alonso says he is convinced the Aston Martin team he has joined this year will become winners in Formula 1 in the future.
Fernando Alonso says he is convinced the Aston Martin team he has joined this year will become winners in Formula 1 in the future.
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Charles Leclerc sets sights on winning Ferrari's first F1 drivers' title for 16 years
Charles Leclerc has set his sights on trying to win Ferrari's first Formula 1 drivers' title for 16 years this season.
Leclerc, who finished second to Red Bull's Max Verstappen last year, said he believed Ferrari had done a "great job" on their new car, which was unveiled on Tuesday.
"The goal is to win, clearly," said the 25-year-old from Monaco. "I am really looking forward to getting back in the car and trying to win that championship."
Leclerc drove the car for the first time at the Fiorano test track during the launch.
He said: "Last year was a good step forward. We need to do just the same this year and hopefully get that championship. That is the target for the team and for me, too - get more wins, hopefully be more consistent from the first race to the last race."
His team radio was transmitted on the broadcast and he said the car "feels good".
Team-mate Carlos Sainz is due to drive the car later on Tuesday.
The last Ferrari driver to win the World Championship was Kimi Raikkonen in 2007, and the team's history since then has been one of near misses - they came closest with Fernando Alonso in 2010 and 2012 - and disappointment.
Their season in 2022 was a major step forward compared with their lack of competitiveness in the two previous years.
But although Leclerc established a comfortable championship lead after the first three races, the team quickly fell away, their year torpedoed by strategy errors and reliability problems.
The repeated mistakes on race management led to former team principal Mattia Binotto leaving his post and he has been replaced by Frederic Vasseur, formerly of Alfa Romeo-Sauber.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/64637122
Charles Leclerc has set his sights on trying to win Ferrari's first Formula 1 drivers' title for 16 years this season.
Leclerc, who finished second to Red Bull's Max Verstappen last year, said he believed Ferrari had done a "great job" on their new car, which was unveiled on Tuesday.
"The goal is to win, clearly," said the 25-year-old from Monaco. "I am really looking forward to getting back in the car and trying to win that championship."
Leclerc drove the car for the first time at the Fiorano test track during the launch.
He said: "Last year was a good step forward. We need to do just the same this year and hopefully get that championship. That is the target for the team and for me, too - get more wins, hopefully be more consistent from the first race to the last race."
His team radio was transmitted on the broadcast and he said the car "feels good".
Team-mate Carlos Sainz is due to drive the car later on Tuesday.
The last Ferrari driver to win the World Championship was Kimi Raikkonen in 2007, and the team's history since then has been one of near misses - they came closest with Fernando Alonso in 2010 and 2012 - and disappointment.
Their season in 2022 was a major step forward compared with their lack of competitiveness in the two previous years.
But although Leclerc established a comfortable championship lead after the first three races, the team quickly fell away, their year torpedoed by strategy errors and reliability problems.
The repeated mistakes on race management led to former team principal Mattia Binotto leaving his post and he has been replaced by Frederic Vasseur, formerly of Alfa Romeo-Sauber.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/64637122
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Lewis Hamilton says the ban on drivers' free speech will not prevent him from speaking out on key issues.
Hamilton is the latest driver to voice concerns about a new rule prohibiting "personal, religious and political statements" without written consent.
Governing body the FIA says it will clarify the meaning of the new rule it introduced this year.
"Nothing will stop me from speaking on the things I am passionate about," said Hamilton.
"The sport has a responsibility to speak out and create awareness on important topics, particularly as we are travelling to different places. So nothing changes."
Hamilton is the latest driver to voice concerns about a new rule prohibiting "personal, religious and political statements" without written consent.
Governing body the FIA says it will clarify the meaning of the new rule it introduced this year.
"Nothing will stop me from speaking on the things I am passionate about," said Hamilton.
"The sport has a responsibility to speak out and create awareness on important topics, particularly as we are travelling to different places. So nothing changes."
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Brazil's triple Formula One champion Nelson Piquet must pay £780,000 in damages for making racist and homophobic comments about Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.
In an interview in November 2021, Piquet used a racial slur referring to the seven-time world champion, when commenting on Hamilton's British Grand Prix crash with Max Verstappen. Piquet's daughter Kelly is the partner of Hamilton's rival, Verstappen.
The 70-year-old former racer was said to have used language that's equivalent or similar to the N-word.
In another clip that surfaced later, Piquet used racist and homophobic language about Hamilton in a podcast interview when describing how Hamilton missed out on the 2016 championship to Nico Rosberg.
Hamilton called for action to change "archaic mindsets" after footage of the interview surfaced on social media last June. Piquet apologised to the British driver but said his comments had been mistranslated.
"What I said was ill thought out, and I make no defence for it, but I will clarify that the term used is one that has widely and historically been used colloquially in Brazilian Portuguese as a synonym for 'guy' or 'person' and was never intended to offend," he said at the time.
"I would never use the word I have been accused of in some translations. I strongly condemn any suggestion that the word was used by me with the aim of belittling a driver because of his skin colour."
But a Brazilian court disagreed and has ruled he must pay five million Brazilian reals (£780,000) in "moral damages" for the comments.
Hamilton, who was awarded honorary Brazilian citizenship last June, is the sport's only black driver.
In his decision, Judge Pedro Matos de Arrudo said the amount of compensation was given "in the sense that one should not only appreciate the reparative function of civil liability but also (and perhaps mainly) the punitive function so that, as a society, we can someday be free from the pernicious acts that are racism and homophobia".
The charges were brought by four human rights groups, including Brazil's National LGBT+ Alliance, which wanted Piquet to pay 10 million Brazilian Reals for alleged moral damages.
Sky Sports News understands that Piquet will not be allowed back into the F1 paddock after his comments.
After Piquet's remarks initially came to light, Formula 1's governing body and Hamilton's team Mercedes immediately condemned "in the strongest terms any use of racist or discriminatory language of any kind".
Hamilton also responded, tweeting: "It's more than language. These archaic mindsets need to change and have no place in our sport. I've been surrounded by these attitudes and targeted my whole life. There has been plenty of time to learn. Time has come for action."
SKY
In an interview in November 2021, Piquet used a racial slur referring to the seven-time world champion, when commenting on Hamilton's British Grand Prix crash with Max Verstappen. Piquet's daughter Kelly is the partner of Hamilton's rival, Verstappen.
The 70-year-old former racer was said to have used language that's equivalent or similar to the N-word.
In another clip that surfaced later, Piquet used racist and homophobic language about Hamilton in a podcast interview when describing how Hamilton missed out on the 2016 championship to Nico Rosberg.
Hamilton called for action to change "archaic mindsets" after footage of the interview surfaced on social media last June. Piquet apologised to the British driver but said his comments had been mistranslated.
"What I said was ill thought out, and I make no defence for it, but I will clarify that the term used is one that has widely and historically been used colloquially in Brazilian Portuguese as a synonym for 'guy' or 'person' and was never intended to offend," he said at the time.
"I would never use the word I have been accused of in some translations. I strongly condemn any suggestion that the word was used by me with the aim of belittling a driver because of his skin colour."
But a Brazilian court disagreed and has ruled he must pay five million Brazilian reals (£780,000) in "moral damages" for the comments.
Hamilton, who was awarded honorary Brazilian citizenship last June, is the sport's only black driver.
In his decision, Judge Pedro Matos de Arrudo said the amount of compensation was given "in the sense that one should not only appreciate the reparative function of civil liability but also (and perhaps mainly) the punitive function so that, as a society, we can someday be free from the pernicious acts that are racism and homophobia".
The charges were brought by four human rights groups, including Brazil's National LGBT+ Alliance, which wanted Piquet to pay 10 million Brazilian Reals for alleged moral damages.
Sky Sports News understands that Piquet will not be allowed back into the F1 paddock after his comments.
After Piquet's remarks initially came to light, Formula 1's governing body and Hamilton's team Mercedes immediately condemned "in the strongest terms any use of racist or discriminatory language of any kind".
Hamilton also responded, tweeting: "It's more than language. These archaic mindsets need to change and have no place in our sport. I've been surrounded by these attitudes and targeted my whole life. There has been plenty of time to learn. Time has come for action."
SKY
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Lewis Hamilton says "it could take a long time" before Mercedes can compete again with Red Bull.
Mercedes have started a process of redesigning their car having started a second consecutive season off the pace.
But the seven-time champion said: "It is going to take us the rest of the year to potentially close that gap."
His team-mate George Russell added: "I am not going to say we are terribly optimistic. We recognise Red Bull are a second down the road at the moment."
Red Bull have dominated the start of the season, taking two one-two finishes in the first two races, and are clear favourites again at this weekend's Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
Briton Hamilton said: "If you look at the Red Bull, it is just going to continue to evolve most likely.
"Some cars do plateau in terms of performance. At some point it can't just keep going. But maybe it can.
"They have a great team around them and I am sure they will continue to add downforce.
"We just have to make sure when we do make the change hopefully the drop isn't too far and hopefully it is going to take us the rest of the year for sure to potentially close that gap."
Mercedes have started a process of redesigning their car having started a second consecutive season off the pace.
But the seven-time champion said: "It is going to take us the rest of the year to potentially close that gap."
His team-mate George Russell added: "I am not going to say we are terribly optimistic. We recognise Red Bull are a second down the road at the moment."
Red Bull have dominated the start of the season, taking two one-two finishes in the first two races, and are clear favourites again at this weekend's Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
Briton Hamilton said: "If you look at the Red Bull, it is just going to continue to evolve most likely.
"Some cars do plateau in terms of performance. At some point it can't just keep going. But maybe it can.
"They have a great team around them and I am sure they will continue to add downforce.
"We just have to make sure when we do make the change hopefully the drop isn't too far and hopefully it is going to take us the rest of the year for sure to potentially close that gap."
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Sergio Perez says he "fully believes" that he has Red Bull's backing to challenge Max Verstappen for the world championship this year.
The Red Bull drivers have one win each this year and Verstappen leads Perez in the championship by just a point ahead of Sunday's Australian Grand Prix.
"When I first came to the team, things were very different," said Perez, who joined for the start of 2021.
"Basically, they were just going racing with two cars because they had to."
The Red Bull drivers have one win each this year and Verstappen leads Perez in the championship by just a point ahead of Sunday's Australian Grand Prix.
"When I first came to the team, things were very different," said Perez, who joined for the start of 2021.
"Basically, they were just going racing with two cars because they had to."
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Fernando Alonso set the early pace in second practice at the Australian Grand Prix before rain affected the majority of the session.
The Aston Martin driver was 0.445 seconds quicker than Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. Red Bull's Max Verstappen was third fastest, 0.615secs off the pace.
Verstappen topped the first session, run in dry conditions, ahead of Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton was only 13th in the second, with team-mate George Russell fourth.
The Aston Martin driver was 0.445 seconds quicker than Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. Red Bull's Max Verstappen was third fastest, 0.615secs off the pace.
Verstappen topped the first session, run in dry conditions, ahead of Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton was only 13th in the second, with team-mate George Russell fourth.
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Red Bull's Max Verstappen took pole position for the Australian Grand Prix ahead of the Mercedes of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen beat Russell by 0.236 seconds as Mercedes had their best qualifying of the season. Hamilton was 0.136secs further adrift in third.
Fernando Alonso was fourth in the Aston Martin ahead of Carlos Sainz's Ferrari.
Sergio Perez crashed the second Red Bull on his first lap of qualifying and will start the race at the back.
It is a major blow to the Mexican, who is just one point behind Verstappen in the championship after his victory in the last race in Saudi Arabia and who started the weekend saying he had confidence he had Red Bull's backing to challenge his team-mate.
Lance Stroll was fifth for Aston, ahead of Charles Leclerc's Ferrari and the impressive Williams of Alex Albon.
Alpine's Pierre Gasly and the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg completed the top 10. McLaren's difficult start to the season continued with Lando Norris in 13th place.
Albon and Hulkenberg produced eye-catching performances to be in the top 10 in their normally uncompetitive cars but it was the Mercedes that produced the surprise of qualifying.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/65146373
Verstappen beat Russell by 0.236 seconds as Mercedes had their best qualifying of the season. Hamilton was 0.136secs further adrift in third.
Fernando Alonso was fourth in the Aston Martin ahead of Carlos Sainz's Ferrari.
Sergio Perez crashed the second Red Bull on his first lap of qualifying and will start the race at the back.
It is a major blow to the Mexican, who is just one point behind Verstappen in the championship after his victory in the last race in Saudi Arabia and who started the weekend saying he had confidence he had Red Bull's backing to challenge his team-mate.
Lance Stroll was fifth for Aston, ahead of Charles Leclerc's Ferrari and the impressive Williams of Alex Albon.
Alpine's Pierre Gasly and the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg completed the top 10. McLaren's difficult start to the season continued with Lando Norris in 13th place.
Albon and Hulkenberg produced eye-catching performances to be in the top 10 in their normally uncompetitive cars but it was the Mercedes that produced the surprise of qualifying.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/65146373
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What a race!
So many Red Flags and ending on a red flag on the 58th and final lap
FIA: Race resumption behind safety car in the order of the previous start minus cars out. There will be a rolling start and as there will be only one lap left, the chequered flag will be out as they come back across the line.
So many Red Flags and ending on a red flag on the 58th and final lap
FIA: Race resumption behind safety car in the order of the previous start minus cars out. There will be a rolling start and as there will be only one lap left, the chequered flag will be out as they come back across the line.
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Chequered flag
Lap 58/58
The Red Bull, Mercedes and Aston reach the final corner and the crowds applaud.
Max Verstappen wins a very eventful Australian Grand Prix!
Lap 58/58
The Red Bull, Mercedes and Aston reach the final corner and the crowds applaud.
Max Verstappen wins a very eventful Australian Grand Prix!
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==
Max Verstappen won a chaotic and controversial Australian Grand Prix that finished under a safety car after a controversial crash-affected restart.
The Red Bull driver led Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso home to set the podium.
That was despite Alonso being tagged into a spin at a restart with two laps to go and dropped to the back.
Under FIA regulations, the finishing positions were taken from the last restart, with the cars then having to complete a final lap behind the safety car.
To add to the controversy, Ferrari's Carlos Sainz was given a five-second penalty for causing the decisive crash at the first corner by tagging Alonso's car, dropping him from fourth to 12th and out of the points.
An emotional Sainz described that decision as "unacceptable", adding: "They need to wait until after the race and discuss with me. Clearly the penalty is not deserved. It is too severe."
The Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon were the other big losers from the official decisions - they took the penultimate restart fifth and 10th but crashed into each other and retired at the second corner.
The unprecedented events will lead to controversy that F1 is putting showbusiness before sport.
There is a direct line from the final laps of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2021 - when officials made errors that changed the course of the world championship fight between Verstappen and Hamilton - to these events, as the final red flag was thrown to try to ensure the grand prix would finish under racing conditions.
Ironically, that desire led to the final, bizarre and confusing climax, and a race that did actually end under a safety car.
The first-corner crash led the FIA to make a decision that a lap had taken place but that most of the events during it had had no effect, other than the crash between the Alpines.
The extraordinary events at the end of a race that had already had two safety cars and a previous red flag were triggered when Kevin Magnussen's Haas ran wide at the first chicane and tagged the wall.
The impact broke the Dane's wheel rim, caused a puncture and left debris strewn across the track.
The timing of the incident meant that, according to the rules, there would be two racing laps after the restart.
Sainz tagged Alonso's rear wheel and tipped the Aston Martin into a spin, triggering chaos behind.
Perez ran wide across the grass and then Gasly, appearing not to see Ocon on his outside, pushed his team-mate into the wall, taking both cars out.
The red flag was immediately thrown again and the rules dictated that the order had to be that at the restart because the field had not covered enough ground for there to be any other reference to set the start order.
That reinstated Alonso to third, despite his being dropping to the back after his collision, and Perez to fifth, after losing a lot of ground.
The Aston Martin of Lance Stroll was fourth, followed by Perez, McLaren's Lando Norris and Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg. McLaren's Oscar Piastri, Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu and Alpha Tauri's Yuki Tsunoda completed the points positions.
What happened before the controversy?
Before the final climax, Verstappen had dispensed with an early challenge from Mercedes' George Russell and Hamilton to dominate the race.
An incident-packed start to the grand prix featured two safety-car periods - the first on the opening lap and the second on lap six - and a first red flag.
The first safety car was caused by a crash between Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Stroll at Turn Three on lap one, the second by a heavy crash by Alex Albon's Williams at Turn Six.
Leclerc, disappointed by a third consecutive difficult race, described it as "the worst start to a season ever".
Verstappen, who had made a bad start and dropped behind the Mercedes cars, ran third for a while but once in front was in total control.
Russell was taken out of contention for the lead by a pit stop hoping to benefit from the safety car for Albon's crash, only to see the race stopped for the first time soon after. He described the decision to stop the race at that point as "totally unnecessary".
Verstappen passed Hamilton two laps after the restart for his second win of the year.
Russell retired from fourth place a few laps after the restart with an engine failure, a weekend that had started with a superb second place on the grid ending in frustration.
Sainz benefited, promoted to fourth place by Russell's problem and slowly pushing up to challenge Hamilton and Alonso but unable to pass them.
Gasly went with the Ferrari and was on course to take fifth in an impressive performance for the French team before the late drama.
Verstappen in cruise control
Verstappen rarely needed to use his pace, but the advantage the Red Bull has over the rest of the field was clear as he homed in on Hamilton to take the lead after the restart.
Verstappen made his second poor start of the weekend. He lost places to both Mercedes at the first start, and was challenged by third-placed Alonso at the second, but once up and running was in a class of his own.
Within two laps of the restart, the Red Bull was right with Hamilton and Verstappen blasted past the Mercedes on the straight up to the fast Turn Nine/10 chicane, displaying the huge advantage the Red Bull has on the straights with the DRS overtaking aid open.
There were just four corners left before the end of the lap, but through them Verstappen pulled out a two-second advantage before beginning to manage his pace, edging ever further ahead without ever extending a car that currently has a reliability vulnerability in the gearbox/driveshaft area.
His only problem was when he ran wide at the penultimate corner on lap 47, with 11 to go, after which he complained that he kept locking his front wheel into that corner.
It cut his lead from 11 seconds to seven, but Verstappen was able to continue untroubled thereafter.
The race behind Verstappen
While Verstappen circulated serenely up front, Hamilton was left to try to hold off a determined challenge from Alonso.
Hamilton constantly radioed his concern back to the pits that his tyres would not make the distance, as the gap to his old rival oscillated between a second and two.
He was warned by his race engineer Peter Bonnington that Alonso was trying to trick him into over-using his tyres, and "not to fall for it".
And as so many times in the past, he was able to manage his tyres with expertise as Alonso did the same and the two circulated close together to the flag.
Following Russell's retirement, Sainz closed in on Alonso, but he, too, was unable to get the gap down to under 1.5secs. And in the final 10 laps or so and he began to drop back.
And Gasly drove an excellent race to stay within the second margin that ensured he could use the advantage provided by the DRS overtaking aid to track the Ferrari to the flag, a promising sign for Alpine.
BBC
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Carlos Sainz has hit out at the FIA after he was handed a five-second time penalty for a crash with Fernando Alonso at the Australian Grand Prix, calling it the "most unfair penalty" he has seen in his life.
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Australian Grand Prix organisers have promised to investigate after fans invaded the track before Sunday's race had officially finished.
Footage showed a "large group" of the 131,000-strong crowd squeezing through barriers and climbing fences just metres from speeding cars.
Some reached the stranded Haas of Nico Hulkenberg on the exit of turn two.
The sport's governing body, the FIA, said the incident was a serious breach of the sporting code.
Australian Grand Prix Corporation chief executive Andrew Westacott said the outcome at Melbourne's Albert Park "could have been horrific".
The FIA said "security measures and the protocols which were expected to be in place for the event were not enforced resulting in an unsafe environment for the spectators, drivers and race officials".
It has demanded that organisers "urgently present a formal remediation plan".
Westacott said officials would trawl security cameras to try and find out how the breach occurred at the end of an incident-packed race which was won by Red Bull's Max Verstappen and ended under a safety car after a crash-affected restart.
"There's a controlled allowance of people to come on to the track after the race has concluded and after the safety car passes," he told ABC.
BBC
Footage showed a "large group" of the 131,000-strong crowd squeezing through barriers and climbing fences just metres from speeding cars.
Some reached the stranded Haas of Nico Hulkenberg on the exit of turn two.
The sport's governing body, the FIA, said the incident was a serious breach of the sporting code.
Australian Grand Prix Corporation chief executive Andrew Westacott said the outcome at Melbourne's Albert Park "could have been horrific".
The FIA said "security measures and the protocols which were expected to be in place for the event were not enforced resulting in an unsafe environment for the spectators, drivers and race officials".
It has demanded that organisers "urgently present a formal remediation plan".
Westacott said officials would trawl security cameras to try and find out how the breach occurred at the end of an incident-packed race which was won by Red Bull's Max Verstappen and ended under a safety car after a crash-affected restart.
"There's a controlled allowance of people to come on to the track after the race has concluded and after the safety car passes," he told ABC.
BBC
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Max Verstappen called it "a bit of a mess". Fernando Alonso used the word "stupid". George Russell said one of the decisions was "totally unnecessary". The Formula 1 drivers did not mince their words about the Australian Grand Prix.
One of the most dramatic, chaotic and bizarre races in memory ended with a predictable win for Verstappen in his Red Bull, a car that is on another planet from the rest of the field.
But that was about the only unsurprising aspect of an event that will be added to the increasingly long list of those which have been defined by controversial decisions by the sport's officials.
A capacity crowd of more than 130,000 people in Melbourne's Albert Park witnessed a remarkable race packed with entertainment but also one that raised questions about the direction in which F1's stakeholders have taken the sport in recent years.
Was it sport, or entertainment? Had decisions taken for perfectly reasonable reasons created a perfect demonstration of the law of unintended consequences?
One of the most dramatic, chaotic and bizarre races in memory ended with a predictable win for Verstappen in his Red Bull, a car that is on another planet from the rest of the field.
But that was about the only unsurprising aspect of an event that will be added to the increasingly long list of those which have been defined by controversial decisions by the sport's officials.
A capacity crowd of more than 130,000 people in Melbourne's Albert Park witnessed a remarkable race packed with entertainment but also one that raised questions about the direction in which F1's stakeholders have taken the sport in recent years.
Was it sport, or entertainment? Had decisions taken for perfectly reasonable reasons created a perfect demonstration of the law of unintended consequences?
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Charles Leclerc has asked fans to respect his privacy and stop turning up outside his Monaco apartment.
The 25-year-old said his address has recently become public, leading to fans gathering outside and ringing the bell.
The Ferrari driver said he would still greet fans in public places or at the track, but gathering at his house is "a boundary that should not be crossed".
Leclerc had his watch stolen in Italy last year as he posed for a selfie with two people wearing scooter helmets.
Italian police said last week they had arrested four people wanted in connection with the theft in the seaside resort of Viareggio last April.
"For the past few months, my home address has somehow become public, leading to people gathering beneath my apartment, ringing my bell, and asking for pictures and autographs," Leclerc wrote on his Instagram stories.
"While I'm always happy to be there for you and I truly appreciate your support, please respect my privacy and refrain from coming to my house.
"I'll make sure to stop for everyone when you see me on the streets or at the track, but I won't be coming downstairs if you visit my home.
"Your support, both in person and on social media, means the world to me, but there is a boundary that should not be crossed."
Leclerc has endured a difficult start to the 2023 Formula 1 season, crashing out of two of the first three races to sit 10th in the driver standings.
BBC
The 25-year-old said his address has recently become public, leading to fans gathering outside and ringing the bell.
The Ferrari driver said he would still greet fans in public places or at the track, but gathering at his house is "a boundary that should not be crossed".
Leclerc had his watch stolen in Italy last year as he posed for a selfie with two people wearing scooter helmets.
Italian police said last week they had arrested four people wanted in connection with the theft in the seaside resort of Viareggio last April.
"For the past few months, my home address has somehow become public, leading to people gathering beneath my apartment, ringing my bell, and asking for pictures and autographs," Leclerc wrote on his Instagram stories.
"While I'm always happy to be there for you and I truly appreciate your support, please respect my privacy and refrain from coming to my house.
"I'll make sure to stop for everyone when you see me on the streets or at the track, but I won't be coming downstairs if you visit my home.
"Your support, both in person and on social media, means the world to me, but there is a boundary that should not be crossed."
Leclerc has endured a difficult start to the 2023 Formula 1 season, crashing out of two of the first three races to sit 10th in the driver standings.
BBC
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Toto Wolff says Mercedes are now on 'right trajectory' with W14 car but prepared for more setbacks
Toto Wolff believes Mercedes are now on the "right trajectory" with their car although acknowledges there will likely be further setbacks in 2023.
Mercedes had hoped over the winter their W14 would return them to title contention after seeing their dominance of the sport ended in 2022 as they struggled for performance under F1's new regulations.
But it has been another disappointing start to the year with Wolff describing the season opener in Bahrain as "one of his worst days in racing" and promising radical changes, while Lewis Hamilton has also been critical of the car's design.
However after an improved display at the Australian GP, in which Hamilton finished second to claim the team's first podium of the year, Wolff believes the team now know what is required to improve the W14.
"In terms of car development, it is encouraging to see that within three races, we understand the car much better, we have defined a clear direction where we need to go and I believe we are on the right trajectory," Wolff told Mercedes' website.
"We need to consolidate our understanding and hopefully over the next few races we can make another step.
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"It's also important to keep on track and not oscillate too much between exuberance and depression; to stay rational and believe in our trajectory, believe in the capability of the team.
"There will be setbacks but there will also be upgrades and plenty of work that will help us get closer to the front."
Following a four-week break due to the cancellation of the Chinese GP, F1 enters a period of five races in six weeks. Next week's Azerbaijan GP is immediately followed by the Miami GP before the first triple-header of the season as the sport heads to Imola, Monaco and Barcelona.
Wolff says Mercedes will be adding new bits to the W14 throughout that period but is not expecting a sudden transformation.
"We will consistently be bringing upgrades to the car over the next few races, which is something to look forward to," he said.
"But there is no such thing as a magic bullet that transforms the car, and it's about being realistic with your expectations. Hopefully we will see a steady improvement."
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/1...y-with-w14-car-but-prepared-for-more-setbacks
Toto Wolff believes Mercedes are now on the "right trajectory" with their car although acknowledges there will likely be further setbacks in 2023.
Mercedes had hoped over the winter their W14 would return them to title contention after seeing their dominance of the sport ended in 2022 as they struggled for performance under F1's new regulations.
But it has been another disappointing start to the year with Wolff describing the season opener in Bahrain as "one of his worst days in racing" and promising radical changes, while Lewis Hamilton has also been critical of the car's design.
However after an improved display at the Australian GP, in which Hamilton finished second to claim the team's first podium of the year, Wolff believes the team now know what is required to improve the W14.
"In terms of car development, it is encouraging to see that within three races, we understand the car much better, we have defined a clear direction where we need to go and I believe we are on the right trajectory," Wolff told Mercedes' website.
"We need to consolidate our understanding and hopefully over the next few races we can make another step.
Twitter Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this Privacy Options
"It's also important to keep on track and not oscillate too much between exuberance and depression; to stay rational and believe in our trajectory, believe in the capability of the team.
"There will be setbacks but there will also be upgrades and plenty of work that will help us get closer to the front."
Following a four-week break due to the cancellation of the Chinese GP, F1 enters a period of five races in six weeks. Next week's Azerbaijan GP is immediately followed by the Miami GP before the first triple-header of the season as the sport heads to Imola, Monaco and Barcelona.
Wolff says Mercedes will be adding new bits to the W14 throughout that period but is not expecting a sudden transformation.
"We will consistently be bringing upgrades to the car over the next few races, which is something to look forward to," he said.
"But there is no such thing as a magic bullet that transforms the car, and it's about being realistic with your expectations. Hopefully we will see a steady improvement."
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/1...y-with-w14-car-but-prepared-for-more-setbacks
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Formula 1 is to introduce a new format for 'sprint' races, starting at this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The 'sprint' - a shorter race held on Saturday - has been made independent of the grand prix and will have its own qualifying session, known as the 'sprint shootout'.
Qualifying to set the grid for the main Grand Prix will be held on Friday.
There will then be a shorter qualifying session, to the same knockout format, on Saturday to set the sprint grid.
The 'sprint' qualifying will have three sessions, with the slowest five cars eliminated at the end of the first two, but the sessions will be cut to just 12, 10 and eight minutes. The three sessions in a standard qualifying run for 18, 15 and 12 minutes, respectively.
While tyre use in a standard qualifying session is free, it will be mandated by the rules for the sprint race qualifying - teams will have to use new tyres in each session: the 'medium' compound in the first two and 'soft' in the final top-10 contest.
The new format was agreed unanimously on Tuesday at a meeting of the F1 Commission - a rule-forming body that consists of governing body the FIA, commercial rights holder F1 and the teams - before being rubberstamped by legislative body the FIA world council.
The idea behind the changes is to introduce more jeopardy into the 'sprint' by encouraging drivers to take more risks.
Formula 1 sprint races: Six events chosen to host in 2023
The previous format for sprint weekends, which were introduced in 2021, had the Friday qualifying session setting the grid for the sprint and the result of the sprint establishing the grid for the main grand prix.
That meant drivers were reluctant to take chances in the sprint because any errors or accidents would disproportionately harm their chances in the grand prix.
It remains to be seen whether the new format makes any significant difference, as it remains the case that the point rewards for the sprint are much lower than for the grand prix.
As before, the top eight finishers in the sprint will score points, from eight for first place down to one for eighth.
The new format, which will be used at all six of the sprint weekends this season, also has the benefit of eliminating a Saturday practice session in which teams ran only with race fuel loads and as a result was a meaningless spectacle for the audience.
This session has been replaced by the new qualifying session for the sprint event.
It was also agreed to increase the permitted number of specific engine components this season from three to four.
The components in question are the internal combustion engine, turbo-charger and the MGU-K and MGU-H, the two parts of the hybrid system that recover energy.
The decision is a boost for Ferrari and Mercedes, both of whom have drivers on their second examples of some of these components after just three races of the season, and are thus now further from suffering grid penalties for excessive parts usage than they were.
BBC
The 'sprint' - a shorter race held on Saturday - has been made independent of the grand prix and will have its own qualifying session, known as the 'sprint shootout'.
Qualifying to set the grid for the main Grand Prix will be held on Friday.
There will then be a shorter qualifying session, to the same knockout format, on Saturday to set the sprint grid.
The 'sprint' qualifying will have three sessions, with the slowest five cars eliminated at the end of the first two, but the sessions will be cut to just 12, 10 and eight minutes. The three sessions in a standard qualifying run for 18, 15 and 12 minutes, respectively.
While tyre use in a standard qualifying session is free, it will be mandated by the rules for the sprint race qualifying - teams will have to use new tyres in each session: the 'medium' compound in the first two and 'soft' in the final top-10 contest.
The new format was agreed unanimously on Tuesday at a meeting of the F1 Commission - a rule-forming body that consists of governing body the FIA, commercial rights holder F1 and the teams - before being rubberstamped by legislative body the FIA world council.
The idea behind the changes is to introduce more jeopardy into the 'sprint' by encouraging drivers to take more risks.
Formula 1 sprint races: Six events chosen to host in 2023
The previous format for sprint weekends, which were introduced in 2021, had the Friday qualifying session setting the grid for the sprint and the result of the sprint establishing the grid for the main grand prix.
That meant drivers were reluctant to take chances in the sprint because any errors or accidents would disproportionately harm their chances in the grand prix.
It remains to be seen whether the new format makes any significant difference, as it remains the case that the point rewards for the sprint are much lower than for the grand prix.
As before, the top eight finishers in the sprint will score points, from eight for first place down to one for eighth.
The new format, which will be used at all six of the sprint weekends this season, also has the benefit of eliminating a Saturday practice session in which teams ran only with race fuel loads and as a result was a meaningless spectacle for the audience.
This session has been replaced by the new qualifying session for the sprint event.
It was also agreed to increase the permitted number of specific engine components this season from three to four.
The components in question are the internal combustion engine, turbo-charger and the MGU-K and MGU-H, the two parts of the hybrid system that recover energy.
The decision is a boost for Ferrari and Mercedes, both of whom have drivers on their second examples of some of these components after just three races of the season, and are thus now further from suffering grid penalties for excessive parts usage than they were.
BBC
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Charles Leclerc: Ferrari driver fuels Mercedes speculation with 'not yet' denial
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc insists he has not held talks with Mercedes - but fuelled claims of a potential move by adding "not yet" to his denial.
The 25-year-old is under contract to Ferrari until the end of 2024.
Asked whether he had had any conversations with Mercedes, he said: "No, there have not been any conversations. Not yet. Not for the moment."
Leclerc added that he was "fully committed to Ferrari".
He continued: "I love Ferrari," and said a move was "not something in my mind".
Asked if Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had called him, Leclerc replied: "No. Zero. Zero. Really zero. You all smile because you don't believe me, but I promise."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/65419863
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc insists he has not held talks with Mercedes - but fuelled claims of a potential move by adding "not yet" to his denial.
The 25-year-old is under contract to Ferrari until the end of 2024.
Asked whether he had had any conversations with Mercedes, he said: "No, there have not been any conversations. Not yet. Not for the moment."
Leclerc added that he was "fully committed to Ferrari".
He continued: "I love Ferrari," and said a move was "not something in my mind".
Asked if Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had called him, Leclerc replied: "No. Zero. Zero. Really zero. You all smile because you don't believe me, but I promise."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/65419863
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Azerbaijan first practice
Top 10
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 1:42.315
2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
3. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
5. Lando Norris (McLaren)
6. Nyck de Vries (Alpha Tauri)
7. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
9. Alex Albon (Williams)
10. Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo)
Top 10
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 1:42.315
2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
3. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
5. Lando Norris (McLaren)
6. Nyck de Vries (Alpha Tauri)
7. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
9. Alex Albon (Williams)
10. Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo)
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Charles Leclerc takes pole position for Sunday's #AzerbaijanGP
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Ferrari's Charles Leclerc became the first non-Red Bull driver to take a pole position this year with a stunning lap at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Leclerc beat Red Bull's Max Verstappen by 0.188 seconds. Sergio Perez was third in the second Red Bull ahead of Leclerc's team-mate Carlos Sainz.
Lewis Hamilton took fifth ahead of Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso.
Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate George Russell failed to make it into the final session and will start 11th.
Leclerc, who excels at street tracks, has now set pole position at the Baku street circuit for the last three years and this one could be the best of the lot.
Underlining the quality of his performance, he was 0.813secs quicker than Sainz in fourth place.
Leclerc said: "For sure I'm surprised. We came into the weekend thinking it would be a great weekend if we are in front of Mercedes and Aston in qualifying and in the end we are on pole. I was very happy with the lap.
"We must not forget our race car is still behind the Red Bulls so it will be difficult to keep the lead but that is the target."
Asked whether it was his best pole position in F1, Leclerc said: "I feel like whenever you have the excitement of pole you want to say: 'Yes.' I feel like 2021 it was even more of a surprise but it was definitely a really good lap."
BBC
Leclerc beat Red Bull's Max Verstappen by 0.188 seconds. Sergio Perez was third in the second Red Bull ahead of Leclerc's team-mate Carlos Sainz.
Lewis Hamilton took fifth ahead of Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso.
Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate George Russell failed to make it into the final session and will start 11th.
Leclerc, who excels at street tracks, has now set pole position at the Baku street circuit for the last three years and this one could be the best of the lot.
Underlining the quality of his performance, he was 0.813secs quicker than Sainz in fourth place.
Leclerc said: "For sure I'm surprised. We came into the weekend thinking it would be a great weekend if we are in front of Mercedes and Aston in qualifying and in the end we are on pole. I was very happy with the lap.
"We must not forget our race car is still behind the Red Bulls so it will be difficult to keep the lead but that is the target."
Asked whether it was his best pole position in F1, Leclerc said: "I feel like whenever you have the excitement of pole you want to say: 'Yes.' I feel like 2021 it was even more of a surprise but it was definitely a really good lap."
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Red Bull's Sergio Perez overtook Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to win the sprint at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The Mexican, who qualified second to Leclerc in the sprint shootout earlier on Saturday, passed the Ferrari shortly after an early safety-car period.
Championship leader Max Verstappen finished third, after his car suffered damage in an early collision with George Russell's Mercedes.
Russell took fourth, from Ferrari's Carlos Sainz.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was sixth. Lewis Hamilton was seventh, losing out when Alonso made an opportunistic overtake as he took advantage of the seven-time champion failing to pass Sainz into the first corner at the restart.
Leclerc, who has taken two pole positions in two days in Baku and will also start the grand prix at the front on Sunday, feared he would struggle to hold off at least one of the Red Bulls over a race - and so it proved.
This is the first 'sprint' weekend of the year and it runs to a new format to those events in the last two years. The Friday qualifying session decided the grid for the grand prix on Sunday.
Saturday is a whole separate day, starting with a qualifying session - known as the 'sprint shoot-out' - that sets the grid for this shorter 'sprint' race later on.
BBC
The Mexican, who qualified second to Leclerc in the sprint shootout earlier on Saturday, passed the Ferrari shortly after an early safety-car period.
Championship leader Max Verstappen finished third, after his car suffered damage in an early collision with George Russell's Mercedes.
Russell took fourth, from Ferrari's Carlos Sainz.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was sixth. Lewis Hamilton was seventh, losing out when Alonso made an opportunistic overtake as he took advantage of the seven-time champion failing to pass Sainz into the first corner at the restart.
Leclerc, who has taken two pole positions in two days in Baku and will also start the grand prix at the front on Sunday, feared he would struggle to hold off at least one of the Red Bulls over a race - and so it proved.
This is the first 'sprint' weekend of the year and it runs to a new format to those events in the last two years. The Friday qualifying session decided the grid for the grand prix on Sunday.
Saturday is a whole separate day, starting with a qualifying session - known as the 'sprint shoot-out' - that sets the grid for this shorter 'sprint' race later on.
BBC
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Max Verstappen fumes at George Russell after damaging car on opening lap of Azerbaijan GP Sprint
Max Verstappen was left fuming at George Russell after the pair made contact on the opening lap of the Azerbaijan GP Sprint.
Verstappen's Red Bull was left with a huge hole in its left sidepod after Russell's Mercedes made contact as the pair battled through Turn Two before the Briton claimed third place at the next corner.
Championship leader Verstappen quickly reclaimed the position on a Safety Car restart, but the damage left him unable to mount a challenge on Charles Leclerc or race winner Sergio Perez.
Verstappen and Russell then had words in parc ferme post-race.
"I had no grip," Russell was heard saying to Verstappen.
The Dutchman replied: "We all have no grip, we all need to leave a little bit of space.
"I'd expect next time the same you know!" before calling Russell a "d*******"
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 afterwards, Verstappen said: "I respect all the drivers a lot. It's a bit of common sense what you do on the first lap.
"You just have to picture yourself. They are off the pace and to risk that much on lap one, I think it's not very rewarding anyway because I would get him anyway within a few laps.
"There is potential to damage your car as well, not only my car. Of course, I had a hole in my sidepod, but he could also get a puncture and then his race is over as well.
"I thought I was fair in Turn Two. I gave him enough space. I think he locked up. He tells me 'I had cold tyres'. Well we all have cold tyres, that's not an excuse.
"I don't like it when somebody has that kind of reaction: 'I didn't do anything wrong' and just walks off. It is what it is.
"I was not overtaking him. He was overtaking me. I'm just trying to stay out of trouble. It's two views. It's my views, it's his view, whatever…
"[In his position] I would try to fight but not run into someone because that's not what you want to do.
"That's something you maybe learn over time. I had my moments as well when I first started in Formula 1 where you make some silly mistakes - a lock-up or potential damage. Maybe it's just part of the learning curve."
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/1...ng-car-on-opening-lap-of-azerbaijan-gp-sprint
Max Verstappen was left fuming at George Russell after the pair made contact on the opening lap of the Azerbaijan GP Sprint.
Verstappen's Red Bull was left with a huge hole in its left sidepod after Russell's Mercedes made contact as the pair battled through Turn Two before the Briton claimed third place at the next corner.
Championship leader Verstappen quickly reclaimed the position on a Safety Car restart, but the damage left him unable to mount a challenge on Charles Leclerc or race winner Sergio Perez.
Verstappen and Russell then had words in parc ferme post-race.
"I had no grip," Russell was heard saying to Verstappen.
The Dutchman replied: "We all have no grip, we all need to leave a little bit of space.
"I'd expect next time the same you know!" before calling Russell a "d*******"
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 afterwards, Verstappen said: "I respect all the drivers a lot. It's a bit of common sense what you do on the first lap.
"You just have to picture yourself. They are off the pace and to risk that much on lap one, I think it's not very rewarding anyway because I would get him anyway within a few laps.
"There is potential to damage your car as well, not only my car. Of course, I had a hole in my sidepod, but he could also get a puncture and then his race is over as well.
"I thought I was fair in Turn Two. I gave him enough space. I think he locked up. He tells me 'I had cold tyres'. Well we all have cold tyres, that's not an excuse.
"I don't like it when somebody has that kind of reaction: 'I didn't do anything wrong' and just walks off. It is what it is.
"I was not overtaking him. He was overtaking me. I'm just trying to stay out of trouble. It's two views. It's my views, it's his view, whatever…
"[In his position] I would try to fight but not run into someone because that's not what you want to do.
"That's something you maybe learn over time. I had my moments as well when I first started in Formula 1 where you make some silly mistakes - a lock-up or potential damage. Maybe it's just part of the learning curve."
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/1...ng-car-on-opening-lap-of-azerbaijan-gp-sprint
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Top five
Lap 16/51
1. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
4. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
Lap 16/51
1. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
4. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
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Red Bull's Sergio Perez wins the Azerbaijan Grand Prix!
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Sergio Perez drove a consummate race with help from the safety car to beat Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen and win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Perez and Verstappen fought along, flat out battle after the Mexican leapfrogged ahead by being able to save time by making his pit stop under the safety car.
Perez had Verstappen's measure, holding him at just over a second behind for a long time before beginning to edge further ahead in the closing stages, and his second win of the year reduced the Dutchman's championship lead to six points.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc - who started the race from pole, was soon dispatched by both Red Bulls after the start, and by Verstappen for a second time after the safety-car period - won a similtight battle with Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso for the final podium position.
It was a much-needed fillip for Leclerc and Ferrari after a disappointing and difficult start to the season.
The Monegasque's team-mate Carlos Sainz took fifth, succeeding in holding off Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes, which dropped out of the top 10 after the safety car.
Perez and Verstappen fought along, flat out battle after the Mexican leapfrogged ahead by being able to save time by making his pit stop under the safety car.
Perez had Verstappen's measure, holding him at just over a second behind for a long time before beginning to edge further ahead in the closing stages, and his second win of the year reduced the Dutchman's championship lead to six points.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc - who started the race from pole, was soon dispatched by both Red Bulls after the start, and by Verstappen for a second time after the safety-car period - won a similtight battle with Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso for the final podium position.
It was a much-needed fillip for Leclerc and Ferrari after a disappointing and difficult start to the season.
The Monegasque's team-mate Carlos Sainz took fifth, succeeding in holding off Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes, which dropped out of the top 10 after the safety car.
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Toto Wolff says Sunday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix was "boring" and Formula 1 needs look at what to do about it.
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Miami Grand Prix: Sergio Perez needs to be 'perfect' to beat team-mate Max Verstappen to title
Sergio Perez says he will have to be "perfect" if he is to have a chance of beating Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen to the title this year.
Perez is six points behind Verstappen heading into this weekend's Miami Grand Prix and each has two wins.
Perez said: "The only chance I have to beat Max is by perfect and being able to deliver when it matters."
He said battling for the title was "a massive enjoyment - it's what you have been working your whole life for".
Verstappen is Red Bull's number one driver, earns many times more than Perez and has a contract until 2028 rather than 2024.
But Red Bull have said the two are free to race as long as they put the team's interests first and the Mexican said he was confident that the team would give him the backing he needed to challenge Verstappen.
"I do believe that the team will give me as much support as they do with Max and what they have been doing since the start of the season," Perez said.
"In that regard, we have to appreciate that a lot from Red Bull. It would be very easy to implement orders from lap 20 and [say] look after the cars and make sure we have reliable cars.
"But in Jeddah and Baku we pushed flat out throughout the race and in Baku we each hit the wall a few times because we were so on the limit. It could easily [cause] damage and we could easily have a problem."
https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/65489468
Sergio Perez says he will have to be "perfect" if he is to have a chance of beating Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen to the title this year.
Perez is six points behind Verstappen heading into this weekend's Miami Grand Prix and each has two wins.
Perez said: "The only chance I have to beat Max is by perfect and being able to deliver when it matters."
He said battling for the title was "a massive enjoyment - it's what you have been working your whole life for".
Verstappen is Red Bull's number one driver, earns many times more than Perez and has a contract until 2028 rather than 2024.
But Red Bull have said the two are free to race as long as they put the team's interests first and the Mexican said he was confident that the team would give him the backing he needed to challenge Verstappen.
"I do believe that the team will give me as much support as they do with Max and what they have been doing since the start of the season," Perez said.
"In that regard, we have to appreciate that a lot from Red Bull. It would be very easy to implement orders from lap 20 and [say] look after the cars and make sure we have reliable cars.
"But in Jeddah and Baku we pushed flat out throughout the race and in Baku we each hit the wall a few times because we were so on the limit. It could easily [cause] damage and we could easily have a problem."
https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/65489468
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Miami Grand Prix: World champion Max Verstappen sets rapid pace in second practice
Max Verstappen set an imposing pace in Friday practice at the Miami Grand Prix as he headed the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.
The world champion was 0.385 seconds quicker than Sainz, with Leclerc just 0.083secs further adrift.
Leclerc crashed late in the session during the race-sim runs, causing a red flag and limiting teams' abilities to assess their cars on heavy fuel loads.
Red Bull's Sergio Perez was fourth, 0.489secs off team-mate Verstappen.
The Mexican, who is six points adrift of Verstappen in the championship and said on Thursday that he would have to be "perfect" to have a chance of challenging for the title this year, said he had had a difficult day.
"We tried some new parts in FP1 that didn't work here," Perez said. "I have a lot to improve. We'll make changes and I hope to get back in front. It's going to be a difficult track."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/65504543
Max Verstappen set an imposing pace in Friday practice at the Miami Grand Prix as he headed the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.
The world champion was 0.385 seconds quicker than Sainz, with Leclerc just 0.083secs further adrift.
Leclerc crashed late in the session during the race-sim runs, causing a red flag and limiting teams' abilities to assess their cars on heavy fuel loads.
Red Bull's Sergio Perez was fourth, 0.489secs off team-mate Verstappen.
The Mexican, who is six points adrift of Verstappen in the championship and said on Thursday that he would have to be "perfect" to have a chance of challenging for the title this year, said he had had a difficult day.
"We tried some new parts in FP1 that didn't work here," Perez said. "I have a lot to improve. We'll make changes and I hope to get back in front. It's going to be a difficult track."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/65504543
Red Bull's Sergio Perez took pole position for the Miami Grand Prix while team-mate and title rival Max Verstappen will start only ninth.
Verstappen made a mistake on his first run in the final session and when Ferrari's Charles Leclerc crashed on his final lap there was no time to resume the session.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso will join Perez on the front row.
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz is third, with Kevin Magnussen scoring a sensational fourth place for the US-based Haas team.
Verstappen made a mistake on his first run in the final session and when Ferrari's Charles Leclerc crashed on his final lap there was no time to resume the session.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso will join Perez on the front row.
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz is third, with Kevin Magnussen scoring a sensational fourth place for the US-based Haas team.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen was in a class of his own as he carved through the field to win the Miami Grand Prix from ninth place on the grid.
It was a masterful performance from the world champion, using an off-set tyre strategy to beat team-mate Sergio Perez, who started from pole position.
Verstappen ran a long first stint on hard tyres, pitting 25 laps later than Perez, rejoining a second behind and passing for the lead a lap later.
It was a humiliating defeat for Perez and raised serious questions about his claims to be able to challenge Verstappen for the title this year.
Fernando Alonso continued his superb season for Aston Martin to take his fourth podium finish in five races with an outstanding performance of his own.
George Russell was a strong fourth for Mercedes while Ferrari had a dispiriting afternoon.
Carlos Sainz challenged Alonso in the first stint but earned a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane at his pit stop and then dropped away in the second stint to finish fifth.
Team-mate Charles Leclerc had a race to forget after crashing in qualifying and starting seventh.
He fought a long battle with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen, who drove an outstanding race, before finally getting past with 20 laps to go and taking seventh place behind Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes, which was on the same off-set strategy as Verstappen and passed Leclerc in the closing stages.
It was a masterful performance from the world champion, using an off-set tyre strategy to beat team-mate Sergio Perez, who started from pole position.
Verstappen ran a long first stint on hard tyres, pitting 25 laps later than Perez, rejoining a second behind and passing for the lead a lap later.
It was a humiliating defeat for Perez and raised serious questions about his claims to be able to challenge Verstappen for the title this year.
Fernando Alonso continued his superb season for Aston Martin to take his fourth podium finish in five races with an outstanding performance of his own.
George Russell was a strong fourth for Mercedes while Ferrari had a dispiriting afternoon.
Carlos Sainz challenged Alonso in the first stint but earned a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane at his pit stop and then dropped away in the second stint to finish fifth.
Team-mate Charles Leclerc had a race to forget after crashing in qualifying and starting seventh.
He fought a long battle with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen, who drove an outstanding race, before finally getting past with 20 laps to go and taking seventh place behind Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes, which was on the same off-set strategy as Verstappen and passed Leclerc in the closing stages.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">DRIVER STANDINGS<br><br>Max opens up the gap to Checo 
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MiamiGP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MiamiGP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://t.co/KNUziMMS16">pic.twitter.com/KNUziMMS16</a></p>— Formula 1 (@F1) <a href="https://twitter.com/F1/status/1655338523157753857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MiamiGP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MiamiGP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://t.co/KNUziMMS16">pic.twitter.com/KNUziMMS16</a></p>— Formula 1 (@F1) <a href="https://twitter.com/F1/status/1655338523157753857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Charles Leclerc says Ferrari are "struggling like crazy" with a car they do not understand this year.
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The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix has been called off this weekend because of major flooding in the region.
Discussions on Wednesday between local authorities and organisers of the race at Imola in Italy concluded that the event could not proceed safely.
In addition, there was a desire not to dilute the efforts of emergency services dealing with problems across the area.
F1 said calling off the race was "the right and responsible thing to do".
F1 president and chief executive officer Stefano Domenicali said: "It is such a tragedy to see what has happened to Imola and Emilia Romagna, the town and region that I grew up in, and my thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the flooding and the families and communities affected.
"The decision that has been taken is the right one for everyone in the local communities and the F1 family as we need to ensure safety and not create extra burden for the authorities while they deal with this very awful situation."The decision comes after a red weather warning was issued for the region on Tuesday and Wednesday.
There has been widespread flooding across the Emilia Romagna region. At least three people have been killed and authorities have warned people to move to higher ground.
Red Bull's Alpha Tauri team, who are based in nearby Faenza, said in a statement they were "very concerned about events unfolding over the past hours in the whole Emilia Romagna area, with flooding and heavy rain causing considerable damage".
The statement added: "The team's factory is currently unaffected and everything is being done to ensure the safety of our employees and their families."
The Ferrari factory in Maranello is just over 50 miles north-west of Imola and also in the affected region.
The track was evacuated on Tuesday as a result of the risk of flooding from the Santerno river, which runs next to the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari.
F1 personnel were forbidden from entering the circuit on Wednesday as heavy rain had continued overnight and into the morning.
The Emilia Romagna GP had been scheduled to be the sixth race of the season and was the first of three events on consecutive weekends, followed by Monaco and Spain.
F1 will look at options for rescheduling the race but it is considered unlikely to make a return because of the crowded schedule.
There had been plans for a record 23-race calendar in 2023 but the cancellation of Imola means that the schedule will be reduced to 22, the same as last year.
BBC
Discussions on Wednesday between local authorities and organisers of the race at Imola in Italy concluded that the event could not proceed safely.
In addition, there was a desire not to dilute the efforts of emergency services dealing with problems across the area.
F1 said calling off the race was "the right and responsible thing to do".
F1 president and chief executive officer Stefano Domenicali said: "It is such a tragedy to see what has happened to Imola and Emilia Romagna, the town and region that I grew up in, and my thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the flooding and the families and communities affected.
"The decision that has been taken is the right one for everyone in the local communities and the F1 family as we need to ensure safety and not create extra burden for the authorities while they deal with this very awful situation."The decision comes after a red weather warning was issued for the region on Tuesday and Wednesday.
There has been widespread flooding across the Emilia Romagna region. At least three people have been killed and authorities have warned people to move to higher ground.
Red Bull's Alpha Tauri team, who are based in nearby Faenza, said in a statement they were "very concerned about events unfolding over the past hours in the whole Emilia Romagna area, with flooding and heavy rain causing considerable damage".
The statement added: "The team's factory is currently unaffected and everything is being done to ensure the safety of our employees and their families."
The Ferrari factory in Maranello is just over 50 miles north-west of Imola and also in the affected region.
The track was evacuated on Tuesday as a result of the risk of flooding from the Santerno river, which runs next to the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari.
F1 personnel were forbidden from entering the circuit on Wednesday as heavy rain had continued overnight and into the morning.
The Emilia Romagna GP had been scheduled to be the sixth race of the season and was the first of three events on consecutive weekends, followed by Monaco and Spain.
F1 will look at options for rescheduling the race but it is considered unlikely to make a return because of the crowded schedule.
There had been plans for a record 23-race calendar in 2023 but the cancellation of Imola means that the schedule will be reduced to 22, the same as last year.
BBC
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Mercedes have confirmed they will run the new upgrades on their car at next week's Monaco GP following the cancellation of the Emilia Romagna GP.
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Honda is to return to Formula 1 in a formal capacity in 2026 as engine partner for the Aston Martin team.
The company officially pulled out of F1 at the end of 2021 but its engines are still used by the two Red Bull teams and are called Hondas again in 2023.
Honda said on Wednesday that F1's pursuit of carbon-neutrality by 2030 was the "key factor" behind its decision to re-enter officially.
New rules for 2026 will increase the electrical performance of F1 engines.
The sport's governing body the FIA is mandating the use of fully sustainable synthetic fuels at the same time.
Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe said: "In pursuit of its goal in achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, starting in the 2026 season the FIA will mandate the use of 100% carbon-neutral fuel and the deployment of electrical power will be increased significantly by three times from the current regulations.
"With this massive increase in electrical power, the key to winning in F1 will be a compact, lightweight and high-power motor with a high-performance battery that is capable of swiftly handling high power output as well as the energy-management technology.
"We believe this know-how gained from this new challenge has the potential to be applied directly to a future mass-production electric vehicle."
BBC
The company officially pulled out of F1 at the end of 2021 but its engines are still used by the two Red Bull teams and are called Hondas again in 2023.
Honda said on Wednesday that F1's pursuit of carbon-neutrality by 2030 was the "key factor" behind its decision to re-enter officially.
New rules for 2026 will increase the electrical performance of F1 engines.
The sport's governing body the FIA is mandating the use of fully sustainable synthetic fuels at the same time.
Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe said: "In pursuit of its goal in achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, starting in the 2026 season the FIA will mandate the use of 100% carbon-neutral fuel and the deployment of electrical power will be increased significantly by three times from the current regulations.
"With this massive increase in electrical power, the key to winning in F1 will be a compact, lightweight and high-power motor with a high-performance battery that is capable of swiftly handling high power output as well as the energy-management technology.
"We believe this know-how gained from this new challenge has the potential to be applied directly to a future mass-production electric vehicle."
BBC
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Lewis Hamilton says he has not been in talks with Ferrari and he and Mercedes are close to agreeing a new contract to keep him at the team beyond this season.
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Lewis Hamilton says he "felt the improvements" of his upgraded Mercedes after finishing sixth fastest in practice at the Monaco Grand Prix.
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Verstappen pips Alonso to pole position in Monaco
Max Verstappen put his Red Bull on pole position with a time of 1:11.365, beating Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin by just 0.084 seconds.
Top 10
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
4. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
6. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
7. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
8. George Russell (Mercedes)
9. Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri)
10. Lando Norris (McLaren)
Max Verstappen put his Red Bull on pole position with a time of 1:11.365, beating Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin by just 0.084 seconds.
Top 10
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
4. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
6. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
7. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
8. George Russell (Mercedes)
9. Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri)
10. Lando Norris (McLaren)
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Red Bull's Max Verstappen survived a mid-race downpour to win the Monaco Grand Prix from Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso.
Verstappen appeared to be cruising at the front but his race was given added jeopardy by his team delaying his pit stop in an attempt to coincide it with the rain.
And Aston Martin appeared to miss a chance to beat Verstappen by pitting Alonso for a set of dry tyres as the rain was intensifying.
Had Alonso been given treaded tyres, his stop - while Verstappen was still on untreaded slicks - could have led to the Spaniard taking the lead.
But Alonso had to stop again for intermediate tyres on the following lap, when Verstappen did the same, and his victory chances were gone.
Verstappen's win, his fourth in six races this year, moves him 39 points clear of team-mate Sergio Perez in the championship.
The Mexican had a nightmare race after starting from the back following his crash in qualifying and finished down in 17th place.
Verstappen appeared to be cruising at the front but his race was given added jeopardy by his team delaying his pit stop in an attempt to coincide it with the rain.
And Aston Martin appeared to miss a chance to beat Verstappen by pitting Alonso for a set of dry tyres as the rain was intensifying.
Had Alonso been given treaded tyres, his stop - while Verstappen was still on untreaded slicks - could have led to the Spaniard taking the lead.
But Alonso had to stop again for intermediate tyres on the following lap, when Verstappen did the same, and his victory chances were gone.
Verstappen's win, his fourth in six races this year, moves him 39 points clear of team-mate Sergio Perez in the championship.
The Mexican had a nightmare race after starting from the back following his crash in qualifying and finished down in 17th place.
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Carlos Sainz says he wants to avoid being left to drive on an expiring Ferrari contract in 2024, amid continued speculation over his future with the team.
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Max Verstappen says it "looks like" Red Bull could win every race this season but insists that it is "very unlikely to happen".
Red Bull have won all six races so far in 2023, with four for Verstappen, and look set to dominate this year.
Verstappen said: "How it looks at the moment, I think we can. But there are always thing that go wrong.
"We will always have tracks where it doesn't work out exactly, bad luck in qualifying, mistakes, whatever."
Mercedes driver George Russell, who said at the beginning of the year that Red Bull could win every race, said: "On pure pace, they have the potential, but I'd like to think we can fight at some point and take advantage of some misfortune."
A number of teams are bringing car updates to this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix that they hope will improve the performance of their cars.
Red Bull are among them, but Aston Martin, second in the championship, also have a car development, as do Ferrari, while Mercedes are continuing with the major redesign they introduced in Monaco last weekend.
Russell said he believed Mercedes would have one of their stronger weekends so far this season in Barcelona, partly because it was their best race of a very difficult start to last season.
"We are not going to judge anything just on this weekend," Russell said. "Last year, we had a really competitive weekend in Barcelona. I was on the podium and Lewis [Hamilton] was really strong in the race after a puncture, and we came away thinking all our problems are solved. And we got to the following couple of races and learned that wasn't the case.
"I am sure we will have a slightly more competitive weekend see in Barcelona but that doesn't mean we are definitely back."
Russell said that the run of temporary tracks at the start of the year - five of the first six races have been held on street circuits of one kind or another - had made it "a really challenging start of the season".
Barcelona marks the start of a run dominated by more conventional tracks, excluding the street circuit in Canada in two weeks' time, that he said would give "a better picture of where the car truly is and the order will be in a bit more of a settled position".
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz said it would take some time before any team was in a position to challenge Red Bull, so strong is their car.
The Spaniard said Ferrari's upgrade was "a new direction into what we think will be the right path into making the car more drivable and more consistent in the race".
He added: "We have been struggling but with this first step into this direction we try to correct the [deficiencies] we have. But is the first step of many steps to come. It is not going to change our life overnight."
Verstappen said the best way to ensure the field closes up would be to leave the technical regulations the same for as long as possible.
"If you keep on tweaking things," Verstappen said, "some team will always find something and then it takes a bit of time for everyone to catch up."
He added that dominance was a natural state for F1.
"We have always seen this in F1, it is nothing new,' Verstappen said. "The longer you leave the regs the same, the closer people will get. Maybe this is something we need to look at.
"You have the odd year for two where maybe two teams are fighting but overall from the 1980s, through the 1990s to now it is has been pure dominance of a certain team."
Verstappen heads into this weekend's race with a 39-point lead over team-mate Sergio Perez, whose failure to score points after a difficult weekend in Monaco has allowed Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, who finished second to Verstappen for his fifth podium in six races, to close to just 12 points behind the Mexican.
BBC
Red Bull have won all six races so far in 2023, with four for Verstappen, and look set to dominate this year.
Verstappen said: "How it looks at the moment, I think we can. But there are always thing that go wrong.
"We will always have tracks where it doesn't work out exactly, bad luck in qualifying, mistakes, whatever."
Mercedes driver George Russell, who said at the beginning of the year that Red Bull could win every race, said: "On pure pace, they have the potential, but I'd like to think we can fight at some point and take advantage of some misfortune."
A number of teams are bringing car updates to this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix that they hope will improve the performance of their cars.
Red Bull are among them, but Aston Martin, second in the championship, also have a car development, as do Ferrari, while Mercedes are continuing with the major redesign they introduced in Monaco last weekend.
Russell said he believed Mercedes would have one of their stronger weekends so far this season in Barcelona, partly because it was their best race of a very difficult start to last season.
"We are not going to judge anything just on this weekend," Russell said. "Last year, we had a really competitive weekend in Barcelona. I was on the podium and Lewis [Hamilton] was really strong in the race after a puncture, and we came away thinking all our problems are solved. And we got to the following couple of races and learned that wasn't the case.
"I am sure we will have a slightly more competitive weekend see in Barcelona but that doesn't mean we are definitely back."
Russell said that the run of temporary tracks at the start of the year - five of the first six races have been held on street circuits of one kind or another - had made it "a really challenging start of the season".
Barcelona marks the start of a run dominated by more conventional tracks, excluding the street circuit in Canada in two weeks' time, that he said would give "a better picture of where the car truly is and the order will be in a bit more of a settled position".
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz said it would take some time before any team was in a position to challenge Red Bull, so strong is their car.
The Spaniard said Ferrari's upgrade was "a new direction into what we think will be the right path into making the car more drivable and more consistent in the race".
He added: "We have been struggling but with this first step into this direction we try to correct the [deficiencies] we have. But is the first step of many steps to come. It is not going to change our life overnight."
Verstappen said the best way to ensure the field closes up would be to leave the technical regulations the same for as long as possible.
"If you keep on tweaking things," Verstappen said, "some team will always find something and then it takes a bit of time for everyone to catch up."
He added that dominance was a natural state for F1.
"We have always seen this in F1, it is nothing new,' Verstappen said. "The longer you leave the regs the same, the closer people will get. Maybe this is something we need to look at.
"You have the odd year for two where maybe two teams are fighting but overall from the 1980s, through the 1990s to now it is has been pure dominance of a certain team."
Verstappen heads into this weekend's race with a 39-point lead over team-mate Sergio Perez, whose failure to score points after a difficult weekend in Monaco has allowed Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, who finished second to Verstappen for his fifth podium in six races, to close to just 12 points behind the Mexican.
BBC
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Spanish GP, P2: Max Verstappen fastest ahead of Fernando Alonso and Nico Hulkenberg as Mercedes remain off pace
Max Verstappen completed a Friday practice double at the Spanish GP as he edged out Fernando Alonso and the impressive Nico Hulkenberg at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
After being seven tenths of a second clear of the field in Practice One, Verstappen stretched his legs once again in Practice Two to be the only driver to dip below 1:14, posting a best time of 1:13.907.
Alonso ensured Verstappen's advantage was smaller in qualifying trim however, finishing 0.170s off the world championship leader as Aston Martin showed their pace in the afternoon after using the first session to gather data on their upgrades for this weekend.
"Fernando we thought would have his best chance of giving the Red Bulls a go in Monaco, but he's only a tenth slower here so that's positive and we potentially have a race on our hands," said Sky Sports F1's Naomi Schiff.
Hulkenberg, driving at the Barcelona circuit for the first time since 2019, was a very impressive third for Haas, only two tenths off Verstappen's lead time and ahead of Sergio Perez in the sister Red Bull.
Esteban Ocon continued his fine form to pick up the fifth fastest time just ahead of the two upgraded Ferraris, with Charles Leclerc sixth and Carlos Sainz seventh.
Less than a tenth of a second covered Hulkenberg to Sainz to offer encouragement that Saturday's qualifying session could be closely fought even if Verstappen looks the man to beat for pole position.
But Mercedes will need to improve overnight to be involved in the battle for the front three rows on the grid after a disappointing day in the upgraded W14.
Having been more than a second off the pace in the opening session, George Russell could only manage the eighth best time of Practice Two and was 0.485s off Verstappen's benchmark.
Lewis Hamilton meanwhile was 11th, nearly a further two tenths of a second back, and the seven-time world champion is envisioning a tough ask to get into Q3 on Saturday.
"From the pace that I had today it's a struggle for me currently to get into the top 10 (in qualifying)," he said.
"Hopefully we'll do some changes overnight. I think it's very, very close between us and that middle after P5 back to P10 - it's really, really close between us all."
Schiff said of Mercedes: "It hasn't started very well for them this weekend and I think none of them will be happy to see that - these upgrades were so highly anticipated.
"They aren't the groundbreaking updates that are really going to bring them to the front of the pack but I think they were hoping for more than just that."
Russell was also forced to take evasive action into the gravel early in the session after coming up to the slow-moving McLaren of Oscar Piastri while on a fast lap.
Valtteri Bottas was ninth fastest to offer encouragement to Alfa Romeo for the rest of the weekend, with Pierre Gasly wrapping up the top 10.
And while Alonso was keeping close to the pace of Verstappen out front, it was another difficult session for his Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll who finished 18th in the timesheet with only the two Williams cars behind the Canadian.
Less than a second covered the top 17 cars to suggest Saturday will see plenty of battles in Qualifying to get into Q2 and Q3.
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/1...d-nico-hulkenberg-as-mercedes-remain-off-pace
Max Verstappen completed a Friday practice double at the Spanish GP as he edged out Fernando Alonso and the impressive Nico Hulkenberg at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
After being seven tenths of a second clear of the field in Practice One, Verstappen stretched his legs once again in Practice Two to be the only driver to dip below 1:14, posting a best time of 1:13.907.
Alonso ensured Verstappen's advantage was smaller in qualifying trim however, finishing 0.170s off the world championship leader as Aston Martin showed their pace in the afternoon after using the first session to gather data on their upgrades for this weekend.
"Fernando we thought would have his best chance of giving the Red Bulls a go in Monaco, but he's only a tenth slower here so that's positive and we potentially have a race on our hands," said Sky Sports F1's Naomi Schiff.
Hulkenberg, driving at the Barcelona circuit for the first time since 2019, was a very impressive third for Haas, only two tenths off Verstappen's lead time and ahead of Sergio Perez in the sister Red Bull.
Esteban Ocon continued his fine form to pick up the fifth fastest time just ahead of the two upgraded Ferraris, with Charles Leclerc sixth and Carlos Sainz seventh.
Less than a tenth of a second covered Hulkenberg to Sainz to offer encouragement that Saturday's qualifying session could be closely fought even if Verstappen looks the man to beat for pole position.
But Mercedes will need to improve overnight to be involved in the battle for the front three rows on the grid after a disappointing day in the upgraded W14.
Having been more than a second off the pace in the opening session, George Russell could only manage the eighth best time of Practice Two and was 0.485s off Verstappen's benchmark.
Lewis Hamilton meanwhile was 11th, nearly a further two tenths of a second back, and the seven-time world champion is envisioning a tough ask to get into Q3 on Saturday.
"From the pace that I had today it's a struggle for me currently to get into the top 10 (in qualifying)," he said.
"Hopefully we'll do some changes overnight. I think it's very, very close between us and that middle after P5 back to P10 - it's really, really close between us all."
Schiff said of Mercedes: "It hasn't started very well for them this weekend and I think none of them will be happy to see that - these upgrades were so highly anticipated.
"They aren't the groundbreaking updates that are really going to bring them to the front of the pack but I think they were hoping for more than just that."
Russell was also forced to take evasive action into the gravel early in the session after coming up to the slow-moving McLaren of Oscar Piastri while on a fast lap.
Valtteri Bottas was ninth fastest to offer encouragement to Alfa Romeo for the rest of the weekend, with Pierre Gasly wrapping up the top 10.
And while Alonso was keeping close to the pace of Verstappen out front, it was another difficult session for his Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll who finished 18th in the timesheet with only the two Williams cars behind the Canadian.
Less than a second covered the top 17 cars to suggest Saturday will see plenty of battles in Qualifying to get into Q2 and Q3.
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/1...d-nico-hulkenberg-as-mercedes-remain-off-pace
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Lewis Hamilton said he will struggle to qualify in the top 10 for the Spanish Grand Prix if Mercedes cannot improve his car after Friday practice.
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Spanish GP Qualifying: Max Verstappen takes pole as Lando Norris claims surprise third in dramatic session
Max Verstappen took a convincing pole position for Red Bull at the Spanish Grand Prix amid several shock early exits in a wild Qualifying session.
The world championship leader maintained his impressive form to top the timesheet with a 1:12.272 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, and was even able to abort his final flying lap with no other drivers capable of beating his first Q3 effort.
Carlos Sainz will start his home Grand Prix on the front row for Ferrari, while Lando Norris took a surprise third for McLaren.
Pierre Gasly finished fourth for Alpine, but was later demoted six places for twice impeding other cars during a frantic and highly entertaining session.
Having momentarily appeared to be in contention for pole position after topping Q1, Lewis Hamilton could only manage fourth - after Gasly's demotion - in his upgraded Mercedes.
Lance Stroll claimed fifth to out-qualify Aston Martin team-mate Fernando Alonso for the first time as the Spaniard came eighth after appearing to be hindered by floor damage suffered when he went off track in Q1.
The only consolation for Alpine was that Gasly's team-mate Esteban Ocon was one of the beneficiaries of the demotion, while Haas' Nico Hulkenberg and McLaren's Oscar Piastri also each moved up a place to seventh and ninth, respectively.
Rain at the start of the session created challenging conditions, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc making a surprise exit in Q1, before Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez went out in Q2 as his world championship challenge continued to fade.
George Russell also exited in Q2 amid struggles with tyre temperature, and was involved in a dangerous collision with Mercedes team-mate Hamilton.
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/1...ris-claims-surprise-third-in-dramatic-session
Max Verstappen took a convincing pole position for Red Bull at the Spanish Grand Prix amid several shock early exits in a wild Qualifying session.
The world championship leader maintained his impressive form to top the timesheet with a 1:12.272 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, and was even able to abort his final flying lap with no other drivers capable of beating his first Q3 effort.
Carlos Sainz will start his home Grand Prix on the front row for Ferrari, while Lando Norris took a surprise third for McLaren.
Pierre Gasly finished fourth for Alpine, but was later demoted six places for twice impeding other cars during a frantic and highly entertaining session.
Having momentarily appeared to be in contention for pole position after topping Q1, Lewis Hamilton could only manage fourth - after Gasly's demotion - in his upgraded Mercedes.
Lance Stroll claimed fifth to out-qualify Aston Martin team-mate Fernando Alonso for the first time as the Spaniard came eighth after appearing to be hindered by floor damage suffered when he went off track in Q1.
The only consolation for Alpine was that Gasly's team-mate Esteban Ocon was one of the beneficiaries of the demotion, while Haas' Nico Hulkenberg and McLaren's Oscar Piastri also each moved up a place to seventh and ninth, respectively.
Rain at the start of the session created challenging conditions, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc making a surprise exit in Q1, before Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez went out in Q2 as his world championship challenge continued to fade.
George Russell also exited in Q2 amid struggles with tyre temperature, and was involved in a dangerous collision with Mercedes team-mate Hamilton.
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/1...ris-claims-surprise-third-in-dramatic-session
Red Bull's Max Verstappen cruised to a third consecutive victory, his fifth in seven races, to win the Spanish Grand Prix and take control of the season.
The Dutchman's 40th career victory extended his championship lead over team-mate Sergio Perez to 53 points.
Verstappen was followed home by Lewis Hamilton and George Russell on an encouraging day for Mercedes.
Russell faced a charge from Perez in the closing laps but held on for his first podium finish of the year.
Carlos Sainz slipped from second on the grid to fifth at the finish in the upgraded Ferrari, losing fourth to Perez in the closing stages.
Fernando Alonso charged up from 10th place after his final pit stop to pass three drivers to take seventh at the flag.
Alonso could have also passed Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll for sixth, but backed off and held position behind the Canadian, even going on to the radio to tell the team to let Stroll know there was "no risk" that he would try to overtake him.
The Dutchman's 40th career victory extended his championship lead over team-mate Sergio Perez to 53 points.
Verstappen was followed home by Lewis Hamilton and George Russell on an encouraging day for Mercedes.
Russell faced a charge from Perez in the closing laps but held on for his first podium finish of the year.
Carlos Sainz slipped from second on the grid to fifth at the finish in the upgraded Ferrari, losing fourth to Perez in the closing stages.
Fernando Alonso charged up from 10th place after his final pit stop to pass three drivers to take seventh at the flag.
Alonso could have also passed Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll for sixth, but backed off and held position behind the Canadian, even going on to the radio to tell the team to let Stroll know there was "no risk" that he would try to overtake him.
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Lewis Hamilton will hold talks with Toto Wolff today over his future at Mercedes.
Hamilton's current contract expires at the end of this year and there was speculation he could leave Mercedes for Ferrari in 2024.
However, both parties denied the reports last month and Hamilton will negotiate a new deal with team principal Wolff.
Hamilton's current contract expires at the end of this year and there was speculation he could leave Mercedes for Ferrari in 2024.
However, both parties denied the reports last month and Hamilton will negotiate a new deal with team principal Wolff.
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The helmet worn by Charles Leclerc at the Monaco Grand Prix has sold for a record 306,000 euros (£262,700) to help raise funds for flood victims in Italy.
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Lewis Hamilton could sign new Mercedes deal before Canadian GP, says Toto Wolff
Lewis Hamilton's Formula 1 future could be resolved before this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix, according to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
Hamilton has six months to run on his £40m-a-season deal with Mercedes, but Wolff said his superstar driver is on the brink of agreeing new terms.
"It is going to happen soon, and we are talking more days than weeks," Wolff told CNBC's Squawk on the Street programme in New York when asked about Hamilton's contract negotiations.
"We are trying hard [to get it done before the Canadian Grand Prix]. I will see him today and maybe we will talk about it.
"We have such a good relationship that we dread the moment that we need to talk about money."
Hamilton, 38, met with Wolff the day after the last round in Spain, in the hope of rubber-stamping a fresh contract with the Silver Arrows.
It is anticipated that the British driver's extension will be a multi-year deal, extending his stay in F1 beyond his 40th birthday.
"Lewis is the most important personality in the sport," added Wolff.
"He is so multi-faceted, not only with the racing, but also off track, so we need to keep him in the sport for as long as possible.
"From a team's perspective, Lewis and Mercedes have gone back a long time. He has never raced for any other brand than Mercedes.
"We both joined the team in 2013 together, and from a professional relationship, we now have a friendship. It has been a wonderful time."
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/1...cedes-deal-before-canadian-gp-says-toto-wolff
Lewis Hamilton's Formula 1 future could be resolved before this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix, according to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
Hamilton has six months to run on his £40m-a-season deal with Mercedes, but Wolff said his superstar driver is on the brink of agreeing new terms.
"It is going to happen soon, and we are talking more days than weeks," Wolff told CNBC's Squawk on the Street programme in New York when asked about Hamilton's contract negotiations.
"We are trying hard [to get it done before the Canadian Grand Prix]. I will see him today and maybe we will talk about it.
"We have such a good relationship that we dread the moment that we need to talk about money."
Hamilton, 38, met with Wolff the day after the last round in Spain, in the hope of rubber-stamping a fresh contract with the Silver Arrows.
It is anticipated that the British driver's extension will be a multi-year deal, extending his stay in F1 beyond his 40th birthday.
"Lewis is the most important personality in the sport," added Wolff.
"He is so multi-faceted, not only with the racing, but also off track, so we need to keep him in the sport for as long as possible.
"From a team's perspective, Lewis and Mercedes have gone back a long time. He has never raced for any other brand than Mercedes.
"We both joined the team in 2013 together, and from a professional relationship, we now have a friendship. It has been a wonderful time."
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/1...cedes-deal-before-canadian-gp-says-toto-wolff
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Canadian Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton leads Mercedes one-two in Friday practice
Lewis Hamilton led George Russell to a Mercedes one-two in Friday practice at the Canadian Grand Prix.
The Mercedes drivers took advantage of setting their fastest times later than the other top drivers to pip early pacesetter Carlos Sainz of Ferrari.
Hamilton was 0.027 seconds quicker than Russell in Montreal.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was fourth, ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Red Bull's Max Verstappen, 0.424secs slower than Hamilton.
The day was disrupted by three separate red-flag stoppages over two sessions, and the first session was wrecked by a technical problem with the track closed-circuit television system, which is part of F1's safety apparatus.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/65935962
Lewis Hamilton led George Russell to a Mercedes one-two in Friday practice at the Canadian Grand Prix.
The Mercedes drivers took advantage of setting their fastest times later than the other top drivers to pip early pacesetter Carlos Sainz of Ferrari.
Hamilton was 0.027 seconds quicker than Russell in Montreal.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was fourth, ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Red Bull's Max Verstappen, 0.424secs slower than Hamilton.
The day was disrupted by three separate red-flag stoppages over two sessions, and the first session was wrecked by a technical problem with the track closed-circuit television system, which is part of F1's safety apparatus.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/65935962
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Canadian Grand Prix: Max Verstappen takes pole ahead of Nico Hulkenberg
Red Bull's Max Verstappen took pole position in a wet qualifying session at the Canadian Grand Prix that produced a series of shocks.
He will start ahead of the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg, a car that is usually in the midfield but in which the veteran German excelled in the conditions.
There will be an all-star second row, with Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin ahead of Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Red Bull's Sergio Perez are 10th and 12th.
They were knocked out in the second session after waiting too long to switch to slick tyres before the rain returned.
The second Mercedes of George Russell was fifth, ahead of Alpine's Esteban Ocon and McLaren's Lando Norris.
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz qualified eighth but was later given a three-place grid penalty for impeding Alpine's Pierre Gasly in the first part of qualifying.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri crashed early in the final session to secure Hulkenberg's place on the front row because it brought out a red flag during which the rain intensified.
However, Hulkenberg has been called to the stewards for going too fast after the red flag.
Piastri will start eighth, ahead of Williams driver Alex Albon. The British-born Thai was another to put in an outstanding performance, finishing the second session fastest after gambling on starting it on dry-weather tyres.
He was unable to repeat the heroics in the final session but a ninth-place start is Williams' best of the season so far.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/65940603
Red Bull's Max Verstappen took pole position in a wet qualifying session at the Canadian Grand Prix that produced a series of shocks.
He will start ahead of the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg, a car that is usually in the midfield but in which the veteran German excelled in the conditions.
There will be an all-star second row, with Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin ahead of Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Red Bull's Sergio Perez are 10th and 12th.
They were knocked out in the second session after waiting too long to switch to slick tyres before the rain returned.
The second Mercedes of George Russell was fifth, ahead of Alpine's Esteban Ocon and McLaren's Lando Norris.
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz qualified eighth but was later given a three-place grid penalty for impeding Alpine's Pierre Gasly in the first part of qualifying.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri crashed early in the final session to secure Hulkenberg's place on the front row because it brought out a red flag during which the rain intensified.
However, Hulkenberg has been called to the stewards for going too fast after the red flag.
Piastri will start eighth, ahead of Williams driver Alex Albon. The British-born Thai was another to put in an outstanding performance, finishing the second session fastest after gambling on starting it on dry-weather tyres.
He was unable to repeat the heroics in the final session but a ninth-place start is Williams' best of the season so far.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/65940603
Red Bull's Max Verstappen equalled Ayrton Senna's career total of 41 victories with a dominant win at the Canadian Grand Prix.
The Dutchman's sixth triumph in eight races this season gave him a 69-point lead in the championship and was the 100th victory for his Red Bull team.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso passed Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes on track to win a battle for third place.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc recovered from qualifying 11th to take fourth.
Verstappen's winning margin of 9.5 seconds was the smallest a Red Bull has had over another team so far this season, giving encouragement to the chasing pack.
But it was clear that 25-year-old Verstappen had not needed to extend himself and could almost certainly have won by a far larger margin.
And his achievement in already matching Senna's career achievement at an age nine years younger than the legendary Brazilian was when he was killed in a crash at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix underlined the way he and Red Bull have dominated F1 for the past two seasons.
It also raises the question of where Verstappen's career statistics may end - only Alain Prost, Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher and Hamilton are ahead of him in victories and Prost's mark of 51 and even Vettel's 54 may be reachable during this season, depending on the level of his dominance.
Verstappen converted a brilliant pole position won in the wet, 1.2 seconds clear of the field, into a lead at the first corner and never looked back as he measured his pace to the intense battles behind him.
The Dutchman's sixth triumph in eight races this season gave him a 69-point lead in the championship and was the 100th victory for his Red Bull team.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso passed Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes on track to win a battle for third place.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc recovered from qualifying 11th to take fourth.
Verstappen's winning margin of 9.5 seconds was the smallest a Red Bull has had over another team so far this season, giving encouragement to the chasing pack.
But it was clear that 25-year-old Verstappen had not needed to extend himself and could almost certainly have won by a far larger margin.
And his achievement in already matching Senna's career achievement at an age nine years younger than the legendary Brazilian was when he was killed in a crash at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix underlined the way he and Red Bull have dominated F1 for the past two seasons.
It also raises the question of where Verstappen's career statistics may end - only Alain Prost, Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher and Hamilton are ahead of him in victories and Prost's mark of 51 and even Vettel's 54 may be reachable during this season, depending on the level of his dominance.
Verstappen converted a brilliant pole position won in the wet, 1.2 seconds clear of the field, into a lead at the first corner and never looked back as he measured his pace to the intense battles behind him.
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Mercedes will bring a large upgrade to the British Grand Prix, team principal Toto Wolff has confirmed.
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Toto Wolff says Mercedes to make 'fundamental' design changes for 2024 Formula 1 car
Toto Wolff has confirmed Mercedes will be making "fundamental" changes to their car for 2024 and is confident their plans will not be constrained by F1's cost cap.
The Silver Arrows are also hopeful their imminent upgrades to their 2023 car will put them in a position to challenge Red Bull for victories later in the season.
Since introducing a major upgrade to the W14 in Monaco, Lewis Hamilton has finished on the podium at the Spanish and Canadian GPs and George Russell was alongside his team-mate on the rostrum in Barcelona.
But having changed car concept mid-season, Mercedes have not yet optimised their design with Sky Sports F1's Martin Brundle describing the W14 as a "Frankenstein" car and Ted Kravitz explaining how the Brackley-based team have had to make a "compromise" given structures that were already on the original car.
F1's yearly cost cap of $135m (£105.6m) gives teams less flexibility on large developments, but Wolff says Mercedes have the margin to make the big changes they want for their 2024 W15 car.
"We have set up a huge organisation in our financial department of 46 people, that monitors the cost cap down to the last screw," Wolff said at the Canadian GP.
"We look at that trend of our spend during all of the year and what we've done is basically allocate resource to various projects.
"We've stayed below that line all year last year, and we're still below that line this year and that is considering a normal development switch for next year. This is still pretty much on track.
"The good thing is that we are constantly learning about what the car is doing. There are going to be some fundamental design changes for next year, but it's not that we're building stuff. It's more like what are we simulating? That is not measured in money, or teraflops or wind tunnel hours."
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/1...amental-design-changes-for-2024-formula-1-car
Toto Wolff has confirmed Mercedes will be making "fundamental" changes to their car for 2024 and is confident their plans will not be constrained by F1's cost cap.
The Silver Arrows are also hopeful their imminent upgrades to their 2023 car will put them in a position to challenge Red Bull for victories later in the season.
Since introducing a major upgrade to the W14 in Monaco, Lewis Hamilton has finished on the podium at the Spanish and Canadian GPs and George Russell was alongside his team-mate on the rostrum in Barcelona.
But having changed car concept mid-season, Mercedes have not yet optimised their design with Sky Sports F1's Martin Brundle describing the W14 as a "Frankenstein" car and Ted Kravitz explaining how the Brackley-based team have had to make a "compromise" given structures that were already on the original car.
F1's yearly cost cap of $135m (£105.6m) gives teams less flexibility on large developments, but Wolff says Mercedes have the margin to make the big changes they want for their 2024 W15 car.
"We have set up a huge organisation in our financial department of 46 people, that monitors the cost cap down to the last screw," Wolff said at the Canadian GP.
"We look at that trend of our spend during all of the year and what we've done is basically allocate resource to various projects.
"We've stayed below that line all year last year, and we're still below that line this year and that is considering a normal development switch for next year. This is still pretty much on track.
"The good thing is that we are constantly learning about what the car is doing. There are going to be some fundamental design changes for next year, but it's not that we're building stuff. It's more like what are we simulating? That is not measured in money, or teraflops or wind tunnel hours."
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/1...amental-design-changes-for-2024-formula-1-car
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Lewis Hamilton says Formula 1 should consider further restrictions on car development to stop teams building long periods of domination.
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QUALI REPORT: Max Verstappen pips Charles Leclerc by just 0.048s to claim pole position for Sunday
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Dutch Grand Prix: Charles Leclerc says Red Bull will be 'difficult' to catch before 2026 rule changes
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc says it will be "very, very difficult" to catch Red Bull before the end of the 2025 season, when the current set of Formula 1 regulations will change.
Leclerc is one of only two non-Red Bull drivers to set a pole position this year, and Red Bull have won every race.
Two-time world champion Max Verstappen is also looking to secure his ninth consecutive race victory for the team.
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton said it was "very possible Charles could be right".
Leclerc, 25, said: "They have a really big margin and it's going to be very, very difficult to catch them before the change in regulations," Leclerc said at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton said it was "very possible Charles could be right".
F1's current rules were introduced last year and, after a challenge from Ferrari in the first half of the season, the team dominated the second half of the year. Their performance has been even stronger in 2023.
The next major change of rules is due for 2026, when there will be a new set of aerodynamic regulations in tandem with heavily revised engines with about 50% of the power produced by the hybrid part of the power-unit - up from 20% currently - as well as the introduction of fully sustainable synthetic fuels.
Hamilton said Red Bull likely had the advantage of a head start in working on next year's car.
"They are ahead and most likely have started developing next year's car already months before everyone else because they are 100, 200 points ahead in the championship," the seven-time champion said.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc says it will be "very, very difficult" to catch Red Bull before the end of the 2025 season, when the current set of Formula 1 regulations will change.
Leclerc is one of only two non-Red Bull drivers to set a pole position this year, and Red Bull have won every race.
Two-time world champion Max Verstappen is also looking to secure his ninth consecutive race victory for the team.
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton said it was "very possible Charles could be right".
Leclerc, 25, said: "They have a really big margin and it's going to be very, very difficult to catch them before the change in regulations," Leclerc said at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton said it was "very possible Charles could be right".
F1's current rules were introduced last year and, after a challenge from Ferrari in the first half of the season, the team dominated the second half of the year. Their performance has been even stronger in 2023.
The next major change of rules is due for 2026, when there will be a new set of aerodynamic regulations in tandem with heavily revised engines with about 50% of the power produced by the hybrid part of the power-unit - up from 20% currently - as well as the introduction of fully sustainable synthetic fuels.
Hamilton said Red Bull likely had the advantage of a head start in working on next year's car.
"They are ahead and most likely have started developing next year's car already months before everyone else because they are 100, 200 points ahead in the championship," the seven-time champion said.
WicketLord
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Red Bull's Max Verstappen set the pace in first practice at his home Dutch Grand Prix, ahead of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.
The two-time world champion was 0.278 seconds ahead of Alonso, whose Aston Martin has an upgrade.
But it was not all plain sailing for the Dutchman - he went off into the gravel at Turn 11 right at the end of the session.
Hamilton's Mercedes was third quickest, with Red Bull's Sergio Perez fourth.
The two-time world champion was 0.278 seconds ahead of Alonso, whose Aston Martin has an upgrade.
But it was not all plain sailing for the Dutchman - he went off into the gravel at Turn 11 right at the end of the session.
Hamilton's Mercedes was third quickest, with Red Bull's Sergio Perez fourth.
CerebralPatriot
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This has been one of the worst seasons ever. Max Verstappen is not even that good. He is just lucky he has a good car and Adrian Newey works for Red Bull. Even I could finish first in that car. It takes absolutely no skill at all. Put Sir Lewis in that car and he will win each race by at least 3 laps or more.
WicketLord
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Dutch Grand Prix: Max Verstappen survives losing lead to equal all-time consecutive wins record.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen survived losing the lead in early rain and a red flag for a late torrential downpour to win a chaotic Dutch Grand Prix.
Verstappen equalled the all-time record of nine victories in a row and took his 11th win of the season to extend his championship lead to 138 points.
A shower just as the race started dropped Verstappen to second behind team-mate Sergio Perez before he repassed on lap 13, while heavy rain with eight laps to go forced a red flag and a 45-minute delay.
But through it all Verstappen was always in control, as he has been for the entire season, and never really looked like losing the race.
Fernando Alonso starred in the Aston Martin to finish second after a typically combative race, while Alpine's Pierre Gasly took the final podium position after Sergio Perez, who finished third on the track, was penalised for speeding in the pit lane.
In the final seven racing laps, Perez did enough to prevent dropping behind Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, who fended off an attack from Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes.
McLaren's Lando Norris took seventh ahead of Williams' Alex Albon, outstanding in being the only driver to brave staying out on dry-weather tyres throughout the first rain period.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Alpine's Esteban Ocon completed the top 10 points positions, while Alonso deprived Verstappen of fastest lap by pushing hard as the final rain shower approached the track.
BBC
Red Bull's Max Verstappen survived losing the lead in early rain and a red flag for a late torrential downpour to win a chaotic Dutch Grand Prix.
Verstappen equalled the all-time record of nine victories in a row and took his 11th win of the season to extend his championship lead to 138 points.
A shower just as the race started dropped Verstappen to second behind team-mate Sergio Perez before he repassed on lap 13, while heavy rain with eight laps to go forced a red flag and a 45-minute delay.
But through it all Verstappen was always in control, as he has been for the entire season, and never really looked like losing the race.
Fernando Alonso starred in the Aston Martin to finish second after a typically combative race, while Alpine's Pierre Gasly took the final podium position after Sergio Perez, who finished third on the track, was penalised for speeding in the pit lane.
In the final seven racing laps, Perez did enough to prevent dropping behind Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, who fended off an attack from Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes.
McLaren's Lando Norris took seventh ahead of Williams' Alex Albon, outstanding in being the only driver to brave staying out on dry-weather tyres throughout the first rain period.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Alpine's Esteban Ocon completed the top 10 points positions, while Alonso deprived Verstappen of fastest lap by pushing hard as the final rain shower approached the track.
BBC
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Dutch Grand Prix: Max Verstappen's success underestimated, says Fernando Alonso
Max Verstappen's achievements in dominating this season are being "underestimated", according to two-time world champion Fernando Alonso.
The Red Bull driver's victory in the Dutch Grand Prix was his ninth in a row, equalling the all-time record set by Sebastian Vettel for the same team in the final events of the 2013 season.
It came in a chaotic, challenging wet-dry-wet race in which Verstappen yet again demonstrated his superiority over the rest of the field, including his team-mate Sergio Perez. It was his 11th victory in 13 races and moves him ever closer to a third consecutive world drivers' title.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said he believed Verstappen was "untouchable - I don't think there is any driver on the grid who would be able to achieve what he has been doing in that car".
But Horner is biased, of course.
Alonso drove an outstanding race himself at Zandvoort, including some stunning passing moves at the heavily banked Hugenholtz hairpin, on his way to second place.
And afterwards, Alonso was asked what he thought about Verstappen's achievements and whether he thought the Dutchman was driving at a level beyond everyone else, or whether someone like himself or Lewis Hamilton, could match him.
Alonso said: "It is underestimated sometimes what Max is achieving. To win in such a dominant manner in any sport is so complicated.
"So to be at the same level as him… we have a lot of self-confident drivers in general so I do believe that I can do it as well. I don't know (about) Lewis, but me yes. And Lewis as well.
"You need to enter in a mood in a state that you are connected to the car.
"Days like today, I felt like I was at my best and was giving 100% of my abilities in a racing car. But maybe (at the last race) in Spa, or in Austria (three races previously), I was not on that level.
"So you always feel there is room to improve and you are not 100% happy with yourself as I am today. And I think Max is achieving that 100% more often than us at the moment, than any other drivers, and that's why he's dominating."
www.bbc.com
Max Verstappen's achievements in dominating this season are being "underestimated", according to two-time world champion Fernando Alonso.
The Red Bull driver's victory in the Dutch Grand Prix was his ninth in a row, equalling the all-time record set by Sebastian Vettel for the same team in the final events of the 2013 season.
It came in a chaotic, challenging wet-dry-wet race in which Verstappen yet again demonstrated his superiority over the rest of the field, including his team-mate Sergio Perez. It was his 11th victory in 13 races and moves him ever closer to a third consecutive world drivers' title.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said he believed Verstappen was "untouchable - I don't think there is any driver on the grid who would be able to achieve what he has been doing in that car".
But Horner is biased, of course.
Alonso drove an outstanding race himself at Zandvoort, including some stunning passing moves at the heavily banked Hugenholtz hairpin, on his way to second place.
And afterwards, Alonso was asked what he thought about Verstappen's achievements and whether he thought the Dutchman was driving at a level beyond everyone else, or whether someone like himself or Lewis Hamilton, could match him.
Alonso said: "It is underestimated sometimes what Max is achieving. To win in such a dominant manner in any sport is so complicated.
"So to be at the same level as him… we have a lot of self-confident drivers in general so I do believe that I can do it as well. I don't know (about) Lewis, but me yes. And Lewis as well.
"You need to enter in a mood in a state that you are connected to the car.
"Days like today, I felt like I was at my best and was giving 100% of my abilities in a racing car. But maybe (at the last race) in Spa, or in Austria (three races previously), I was not on that level.
"So you always feel there is room to improve and you are not 100% happy with yourself as I am today. And I think Max is achieving that 100% more often than us at the moment, than any other drivers, and that's why he's dominating."
Verstappen's success underestimated - Alonso
Max Verstappen's achievements in dominating this season are being "underestimated", according to two-time world champion Fernando Alonso.
www.bbc.com
WicketLord
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Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will continue as Mercedes' driver line-up for at least the next two years.
Hamilton has signed a new contract that will extend his period with the team to 13 years and keep him in F1 well past his 40th birthday.
And Russell, who joined Mercedes in 2022, has also signed a two-year deal.
The move confirms pledges by Hamilton and team principal Toto Wolff that a new deal for the seven-time champion was only a matter of time this season.
For Hamilton, it allows him to continue a quest for a record eighth world drivers' title, which both driver and team believe was robbed from them at the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Hamilton lost out to Red Bull's Max Verstappen after former FIA race director Michael Masi ignored the rules in operating a late-race safety car period.
Hamilton has signed a new contract that will extend his period with the team to 13 years and keep him in F1 well past his 40th birthday.
And Russell, who joined Mercedes in 2022, has also signed a two-year deal.
The move confirms pledges by Hamilton and team principal Toto Wolff that a new deal for the seven-time champion was only a matter of time this season.
For Hamilton, it allows him to continue a quest for a record eighth world drivers' title, which both driver and team believe was robbed from them at the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Hamilton lost out to Red Bull's Max Verstappen after former FIA race director Michael Masi ignored the rules in operating a late-race safety car period.
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Lewis Hamilton says his decision to sign a new contract with Mercedes was motivated by the fact he and the team have "unfinished business" in Formula 1.
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Italian Grand Prix: Carlos Sainz fastest in second practice as Sergio Perez crashes
Sergio Perez crashed his Red Bull at the famous Parabolica corner in Friday practice at the Italian Grand Prix.
It was the latest in a series of errors by the Mexican, whose hopes of a title challenge to team-mate Max Verstappen faded earlier this year.
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz was fastest, by 0.019 seconds from McLaren's Lando Norris, with Perez third.
Verstappen's best lap was wrecked by traffic and he ended the session only fifth, behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri.
Perez's crash, from which he emerged unhurt and did only relatively light damage to his car considering the high speed at which he lost control, blotted what had otherwise been a strong day for him.
BBC
Sergio Perez crashed his Red Bull at the famous Parabolica corner in Friday practice at the Italian Grand Prix.
It was the latest in a series of errors by the Mexican, whose hopes of a title challenge to team-mate Max Verstappen faded earlier this year.
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz was fastest, by 0.019 seconds from McLaren's Lando Norris, with Perez third.
Verstappen's best lap was wrecked by traffic and he ended the session only fifth, behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri.
Perez's crash, from which he emerged unhurt and did only relatively light damage to his car considering the high speed at which he lost control, blotted what had otherwise been a strong day for him.
BBC
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Carlos Sainz has taken the pole at Monza but it would be interesting to see if he can stay at front for some laps in the race.
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