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Lewis Hamilton wins 7th Formula One championship to equal Michael Schumacher’s record

Sebastian Vettel fastest in Hungarian Grand Prix second practice

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel headed Valtteri Bottas' Mercedes in a wet second practice session at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Vettel was 0.272 seconds faster than Bottas, while Lewis Hamilton in the other Mercedes did not set a lap time.

McLaren's Carlos Sainz was third fastest, ahead of the Racing Points of Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll.

In the morning's dry first session, Hamilton was fastest, 0.086seconds quicker than Bottas.

Only 13 of the 20 drivers set times in the session.

The fastest times were all set on 'extreme' wet tyres. Several drivers - including Vettel, Bottas and Sainz - tried the 'intermediate' tyres but were not able to go faster.

The weather forecast is for intermittent rain for the rest of the weekend in Budapest.

A number of drivers ran wide, but there were no major incidents despite the difficult conditions.

The day offered no significant clues as to the true competitive order around the Hungaroring this weekend.

Red Bull, Mercedes' closest challengers so far this season, were off the pace in the dry first session, but their chief engineer Paul Monaghan later admitted they were running with their Honda engine turned down compared to the Mercedes.

Red Bull were also running on different tyres from Mercedes in the first session, preferring to focus on the 'soft' tyre, which they found wore out too quickly.

Mercedes technical director James Allison said that he expected a challenge from Red Bull over the weekend.

"It was a great first session," said Hamilton. "Got everything we needed to do. It's a shame it rained today. It didn't leave a lot for us to do in the second session.

"Don't take too much from the first session - everyone is doing a different programme. But it was going OK. I think it will be a lot closer when we get to P3 and qualifying."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/53449276
 
Lewis Hamilton on Hungarian Grand Prix pole position

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Lewis Hamilton beat team-mate Valtteri Bottas to lead a Mercedes one-two in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Mercedes were in a league of their own - Hamilton beat Bottas by 0.181 seconds while Racing Point's Lance Stroll in third was 0.93secs off the pace.

Stroll headed a Racing Point second row alongside team-mate Sergio Perez.

Ferrari locked out row three, Sebastian Vettel ahead of Charles Leclerc, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen seventh.

Lando Norris, third in the championship after two impressive opening races, was eighth for McLaren, while George Russell put in an impressive performance for the Williams team, recovering from a dismal 2019, in 12th.

Which way did they go?

It was a sobering day for Mercedes' rivals - the world champions have now shown unbeatable pace across two very different circuits in the opening three races of the season.

Hamilton's pole was the 90th of his career, and in the race on Sunday he will be going for a record-equalling eighth victory at one circuit.

"I have to pinch myself," Hamilton said. "It just doesn't register. It is quite humbling because I get to work with an incredible group of people without who I wouldn't have the opportunity to do so.

"Valtteri doesn't make it easy for me at all and it requires absolute perfection when it comes doing laps and qualifying when it is like that is one of the things I enjoy most.

"The car was really nicely hooked up today."

Bottas, who is six points ahead of Hamilton in the championship, said: "The last lap was really good. I just couldn't go any faster."

A Mercedes one-two-three-four?

The presence of the Racing Points on the second row emphasises their remarkable upturn in form this year, and will further antagonise their rivals who are suspicious of how they have done it.

The car has become known as the 'pink Mercedes' for its likeness to last year's title-winning car and is racing under protest after Renault officially lodged an objection to the team after last week's Styrian Grand Prix.

Regardless of the controversy over the car's origins, which the team insist are legal, Stroll performed well to out-qualify team-mate Perez by 0.168secs and the pair are in a strong position to battle it out for the final podium position.

Like Mercedes, they managed to set their fastest times in second qualifying on the medium tyre, which they can now use to start the race, as long as it does not rain. Both teams believe this will be an advantage.

What on Earth's wrong with Red Bull?

The third row was a step forward for Ferrari, whose previous best qualifying performance this year was Leclerc's seventh in the first race.

But the stand-out result in the top 10 was Red Bull's.

Verstappen started from pole in Hungary last year and challenged for the win, and Mercedes expected them to be tough opposition this weekend.

But not only was Verstappen 1.4secs off Hamilton's pace, but he was also 0.3secs slower than his qualifying time last year.

The car appears to have an aerodynamic instability problem, and this weekend the team have reverted to an earlier nose design after introducing upgrades at the two Austrian races.

Verstappen said: "I don't know why. Something is clearly not working here. The pace is all very close. We are also not starting on the best tyre, but we will see how we end up."

Team-mate Alexander Albon was even worse off, 0.8secs off Verstappen in second qualifying and not even making it into the top 10, he qualified 13th.

That underlined the quality of Russell's performance even further - the British rising star, who on Thursday said he would be staying at Williams in 2021, was 0.846secs quicker than rookie team-mate Nicholas Latifi.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/53456930
 
Lewis Hamilton says he is disappointed with the recent comments made by Mario Andretti and Sir Jackie Stewart after it was claimed he had become a "militant" and that there wasn't a "big problem" with diversity in Formula 1.
 
Four more of this year's Grand Prix have been cancelled by organisers because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Formula One has called off races in the US, Mexico and Brazil, countries that have among the worst infection rates in the world.

Officials have accepted that it will be impossible to hold the races, meaning there will be none in the Americas this year.

A race in Canada, originally due to be held in June and then postponed, has now been cancelled as well.

Dates have been added in Germany, Italy and Portugal in a revised 13-race season but organisers say they expect to have between 15 to 18 races in all, ending in the Gulf region in mid-December.

F1 said in a statement it will not be possible to race in Canada, USA, Mexico and Brazil this season "due to the fluid nature of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, local restrictions and the importance of keeping communities and our colleagues safe".

The Canadian GP in Montreal was due to be on 14 June and was originally postponed, while races in USA (Austin), Mexico (Mexico City) and Brazil (Interlagos) were set for 25 October, 1 November and 15 November.

Chase Carey, Chairman and CEO of Formula 1, said: "We are pleased that we continue to make strong progress in finalising our plans for the 2020 season and are excited to welcome Nurburgring, Portimao and Imola to the revised calendar."

They said final details of the calendar will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

The US reached an unwelcome milestone on Thursday, passing more than four million confirmed coronavirus cases, while more than 144,000 people have died after catching the illness there.

The number of cases in US states such as Texas and Florida have surged, prompting some governors to re-impose lockdown measures after easing them earlier in the summer.


Brazil has recorded more than 2.2m cases and suffered more than 84,000 deaths.

Almost 42,000 people in Mexico have lost their lives after becoming infected, from a total of more than 370,000 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University which is tracking the global spread of the virus.

Britain's Lewis Hamilton, the defending world champion, leads the driver standings by five points after three races.

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...o-and-brazil-cancelled-amid-pandemic-12035625
 
Formula 1 will organise an anti-racism protest before Sunday's British Grand Prix following criticisms of the sport's approach to the subject.

The move comes in the wake of Lewis Hamilton accusing F1 and governing body the FIA of "lacking leadership" on the issue after the last race in Hungary.

F1 is to specify a time in the schedule for the protest.

It will allow drivers and other personnel to demonstrate their opposition to racism.

Senior figures and drivers were concerned by poorly co-ordinated protests at the last two races.

The sport began the season proclaiming an anti-racism and inclusivity campaign - and at the opening race in Austria, a demonstration was organised at the front of the grid before the national anthem for drivers to show their support.

All drivers wore "end racism" T-shirts, other than Hamilton, whose said "Black Lives Matter".

Most drivers took the knee alongside Hamilton, employing a gesture that originated in American football's NFL as a protest against racism and police brutality. But six drivers who were not comfortable with what they saw as the political connotations of that action chose to remain standing.

At the subsequent two races, no time was allocated in the schedule and drivers ended up running to make it in time, some not managing it, and the protest not being effectively covered by the television broadcast.

Hamilton said after winning in Hungary: "F1 did an OK job at the first race. It's not good enough in terms of what you see in other sports, but still it was a step forwards. And then it's almost like it's gone off the agenda after that.

"It's lacking leadership - and ultimately, we perform in a sport. There needs to be leadership from the top. They need to come out with: 'This is what we're going to do and we want you all to be part of it.' And there is none of that."

Before the British Grand Prix, F1 and the FIA have told the drivers and teams that there will be a specific time for the anti-racism protest allocated in the pre-race schedule.

All drivers will be required to assemble and T-shirts will again be provided, but it will be left to each individual to demonstrate their support in their own way.

After winning in Hungary, Hamilton said part of the problem with the chaotic protests was that "from a drivers' point of view, many people seem to be of the opinion that they have done it once and they're not going to do it again".

Hamilton also implied that some of the objection to the protest in general - and taking the knee specifically - may be caused by personal animosity towards him.

"I try not to lean so much on the drivers because I don't want them to feel it's me who's doing it, because that probably could be in some cases the reason they don't want to do it - because they think I'm doing it," the Mercedes driver said.

"But I don't think it's being taken seriously. There are perhaps people who have not grown up around it so don't understand it, and there are those that think because of that, 'it doesn't affect me'. I have heard those comments: 'It doesn't do anything for me, so why should I do it?'

"But it's not about me and it's not about you. It's about this fight that the world… people out there who are experiencing discrimination. That's what we're fighting for - we're fighting for change in organisations."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/53557283
 
British Grand Prix: Nico Hulkenberg to stand in for Sergio Perez

Nico Hulkenberg is to stand in for Racing Point's Sergio Perez at the British Grand Prix, after the Mexican contracted coronavirus.

Perez tested positive on Thursday and revealed he flew back to Mexico after the previous race in Hungary to visit his mother, who had been in hospital.

He will miss at least the two races at Silverstone this weekend and next.

However, German Hulkenberg has not yet been confirmed for next weekend's 70th Anniversary Grand Prix.

Perez said: "I'm extremely sad, definitely one of the saddest days in my career. I knew I had a great car underneath me, and the team has done a fantastic job.

"But it just shows how vulnerable we all are to this virus. I follow all the instructions from FIA and my team.

"After Hungary, I took a private plane to go to Mexico to see my mum for two days because she had a big accident, so as soon as she left hospital I was able to see her.

"And then I came back to Europe, the same way with all the protocols in place. I just got it, I don't know from where.

"Tough moments for me but I am sure I will come back stronger."

Hulkenberg, who was out of F1 after being dropped by Renault at the end of last season, returns to the team he raced for in 2012 and between 2014 and 2016.

Racing Point chose Hulkenberg over Mexican Esteban Gutierrez, who is the Mercedes reserve driver for this weekend and they had a contractual right to call on had they wanted to because of their links with the world champions.

A Racing Point statement said: "Nico's experience of racing in contemporary Formula 1 and his strong track record ensure he is the ideal driver to stand in for Sergio Perez.

"In a bid to minimise disruption and ensure the best possible chance of building upon the team's strong start to the 2020 campaign, Nico's familiarity with the team will prove invaluable."

Racing Point team principal Otmar Szafnauer said: "In Nico we've got a fantastic super-sub who the team knows very well.

"He's certainly being thrown in at the deep end, but he's a fast learner and I'm sure he will get up to speed quickly."

Hulkenberg said: "I was on my way to the Nurburgring for another racing project when the call from Otmar came.

"That was less than 24 hours ago, so it feels a bit surreal for me right now - but I like a good challenge and this is certainly one.

"It's obviously a difficult situation for Racing Point and Checo. He's a buddy of mine, an old team-mate and I wish him a speedy recovery."

Isolation requirements for people who have coronavirus mean Perez will certainly miss the 70th Anniversary GP next weekend, and possibly the Spanish Grand Prix a week later.

Hulkenberg is expected to continue for the team as long as Perez is out, but they were not able to confirm that on Friday.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/53608989
 
Alexander Albon suffered a heavy crash in his Red Bull as Lance Stroll's Racing Point set the pace in second practice at the British Grand Prix.

Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton were only third and fifth, struggling with the windy conditions and balance on the 'soft' tyres.

Albon was second fastest, 0.090 seconds behind Stroll, but crashed at Stowe.

Albon has a new race engineer as Red Bull try to help the inexperienced driver cope with a difficult car.

The Anglo-Thai's crash was the umpteenth time either he or team-mate Max Verstappen have lost the rear of their car mid-corner this season as the team battle with an aerodynamic instability problem with their new design.

Red Bull brought Daniel Ricciardo's former engineer Simon Rennie back to the race team to try to help Albon out and the 24-year-old had looked like he was in decent shape before the crash.

Team-mate Max Verstappen was only 14th, after getting blocked by Haas driver Romain Grosjean on his sole flying lap on the soft tyre, but appeared to have similar pace to Bottas on the medium tyre on a long run.

Hamilton, split from his team-mate by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in fourth, looked very fast on the race-simulation runs later in the session, but the teams ran different programmes at different times so it was difficult to compare them as accurately as normal.

Leclerc's team-mate Sebastian Vettel had a difficult day, missing nearly all the first session with an intercooler problem and then being delayed in the second session by a need to change his pedals after he complained of something loose in the cockpit. He ended up 18th.

Temperatures were extremely high at Silverstone on Friday, hitting 35C during the course of the afternoon.

But conditions are expected to be significantly cooler over the weekend, which means the times from Friday are especially unrepresentative.

But Stroll's time underlines Racing Point's emergence as a contender close to the front this year, in a car that has been dubbed the 'pink Mercedes' as the team admit to copying last year's world title-winning car.

Behind the top five, McLaren's Carlos Sainz was sixth, ahead of Nico Hulkenberg, who is subbing for Sergio Perez at Racing Point after the Mexican contracted coronavirus.

Perez says he is asymptomatic but is forced to self-isolate and may miss next weekend's 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, again back at Silverstone.

Hulkenberg flew to Silverstone on Thursday night after Perez's test result and spent the evening learning about the car and having a seat fit.

He then was confirmed only minutes before the first session in the morning when his coronavirus test came back negative.

Toro Rosso's Pierre Gasly was eighth, ahead of Renault's Daniel Ricciardo, both running new parts on their cars.

Sainz's team-mate Lando Norris was 11th quickest, just over 0.3secs behind the Spaniard, while George Russell put the Williams 17th fastest.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/53609992
 
Lewis Hamilton set the fastest ever lap around Silverstone to beat Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas to pole position at the British Grand Prix.

Hamilton, faster on both runs in the final session, was 0.313 seconds clear of Bottas while Red Bull's Max Verstappen pipped Charles Leclerc's improved Ferrari to third.

McLaren's Lando Norris starred with fifth place, ahead of the so-called 'pink Mercedes' Racing Point of Lance Stroll.

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel could manage only 10th after struggling all weekend.

Mercedes untouchable

The Mercedes cars were expected to fly around the high-speed Silverstone sweeps and so it proved, with Hamilton ending qualifying 1.022secs quicker than Verstappen.

The black cars have such an advantage - exacerbated by Red Bull and Ferrari falling back compared to last year - that at this stage it seems hard to see them being beaten at all this year.

Hamilton's pole was his fifth at Silverstone in six years and he is aiming to extend his record of home victories to seven on Sunday.

But it was far from plain sailing - Hamilton was beaten by Bottas in the first two sessions of qualifying and even had a spin early in the second, but he pulled the laps out of the bag when it mattered in the top 10 shoot-out.

Hamilton said: "There is a relatively big gap between us and third place but it doesn't matter. Valtteri is pushing me right to the limit. He has been pushing me all weekend.

"I made some changes before qualifying and it was worse. It was a real struggle out there.

"This track is difficult with the wind and it is like juggling balls while spinning plates at high speed.

"I had that spin but with some deep breaths I managed to compose myself. It never gets old."

Bottas said: "I was just waiting for Q3 but then I started to drift bit more with the rear end. I don't know what happened, Lewis found more than me."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/53621534
 
The Mercs are on their own. A second over the next guy. Valteri isnt good enough to push Hamilton, need Max on that car there. He is the only who could make it a fight for the title.

Meanwhile in F2, Jehan Daruvala underperforming once again. He was the big hope, doesn't look like we are going to see an Indian F1 driver get there in the near future. The field is extremely tight this year but he is doing himself no favours with his starts.
 
Hamilton wins after puncture on last lap, Bottas and Sainz also suffer front-left punctures late onMagnussen & Kvyat out after crashes; Hulkenberg out before race starts
 
Lewis Hamilton took an extraordinary victory in a dramatic finish to the British Grand Prix despite suffering a puncture on the last lap.

The Mercedes driver's left-front tyre failed halfway around the last lap but he held on in front of Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

Verstappen would have won had he not stopped late for fresh tyres in a successful quest for the point for fastest lap.

Hamilton's team-mate Valtteri Bottas also punctured, two laps earlier, which dropped him out of the points.

The Finn finished 11th and dropped to 30 points behind Hamilton in the title race, a potentially devastating blow to his hopes so early in a season truncated by the coronavirus.

McLaren's Carlos Sainz was a third driver to suffer a left-front puncture, his like Hamilton's on the last lap, and he dropped from fourth place to 13th.

It was a remarkable finish to a race that had been soporific until that point, and Hamilton recognised that afterwards, saying over the radio, his voice drenched in relief: "That was close."
 
Racing Point fined and docked points for copying elements of Mercedes car

Racing Point have been docked 15 points and fined 400,000 euros (£361,000) for illegally copying parts of last year's Mercedes car.

The ruling came following a protest by Renault against the 2020 Racing Point, arguing that they had copied the brake ducts used by Mercedes in 2019.

F1's governing body the FIA upheld the protest in part in handing down the fine and points deduction.

Racing Point can appeal but have not indicated whether they will.

The ruling hangs on the stipulation in the rules that teams must design specific parts of the cars themselves.

Renault argued that the front and rear brake ducts of the Racing Point were too similar to those on the 2019 Mercedes to fit this description and that the information could not have been obtained other than by a transfer of intellectual property.

Brake ducts are key parts in the aerodynamics of an F1 car, as they help control the airflow off the front wing, increasing downforce.

Mercedes admitted they had supplied information about the front and rear brake ducts of their 2019 car, but this was allowed because these were not listed parts at the time.

The FIA decided that the front brake ducts of the Racing Point were legal as, although they had been copied from Mercedes, they had been used on the 2019 car.

But a rule change between 2019 and 2020 added brake ducts to the category of so-called "listed parts" that teams have to design themselves.

Stewards found that Racing Point had used computer design data legally supplied by Mercedes to Racing Point in 2019 to design their rear brake ducts with "minimal changes" and fit them to their 2020 car.

As the parts had not been used on the 2019 car, they were not permitted to be used in 2020, because they were a Mercedes design, not Racing Point's, and had not been an integral part of last year's car.

The FIA said that had Racing Point asked whether they could use the 2019 Mercedes rear brake ducts on their car this year, they would have been told they could not. But they did not ask whether this was allowed.

And the FIA found that "on a fair reading" of the rules, the rear brake ducts on the 2020 Racing Point "were designed in large part by Mercedes".

The FIA found that Racing Point "minimised the significance of the input it received from Mercedes and overstates the amount of work it actually did. Mercedes gave Racing Point a large proportion of their brake duct designs. Racing Point then made relatively minor changes to them."

The protest covered the first four grands prix of the season, and the FIA stewards said the points deduction was "intended to penalise the potential advantage Racing Point may have accrued in the design process".

Although the design process has been declared illegal, the stewards ruled that Racing Point are able to run the brake ducts for the rest of this season.

The penalty "covers the entire process of (non)-designing of the brake ducts and making them available for use during the whole 2020 season", even though their use "remains an infringement" of the regulations. The points deduction and fine are considered to be a sufficient punishment for the offence.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/53693249
 
Miracle Max at it again. What a talent this guy is. To beat the Mercedes when they are in reality about a second quicker was unthought of for this year. Only one comparable to Lewis on this grid. Great strategy executed perfectly.

Sad to see the Hulk go now, he proved he deserves a place. His performances should help him in negotiations for next year though.
 
Red Bull's Max Verstappen took a sensational surprise victory in the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix to bring Mercedes' domination to an end.

Verstappen's win was founded on his car being kinder to its tyres than the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas and the Dutchman capitalised brilliantly.

Hamilton fought back from early struggles to catch and pass Bottas for second place with two laps to go.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was outstanding in taking fourth on a one-stop strategy.

It was an unexpectedly thrilling race, a fitting testament to the occasion as F1 celebrated 70 years since the F1 championship started at Silverstone in 1950.

Verstappen's victory was a major upset and it was founded on a decision to use the hard tyres for the start of the race.

But the fact was that their car was simply faster than the Mercedes for the first time this season in the specific conditions created by the deliberate supply of a soft tyre range on a warm day around one of the most demanding tracks on the calendar.

"I didn't see that coming," Verstappen said afterwards.

The Mercedes had produced their usually dominant performance in qualifying, a second clear of the field, but Verstappen, choosing the hardest tyre for the start of the race, found he was able to follow them comfortably after he passed Racing Point's Nico Hulkenberg at the start from his fourth place on the grid.

Bottas led Hamilton away from pole and, while Verstappen tracked the Mercedes, the black cars, on the softer 'medium' tyres at the start, began to struggle.

By 10 laps into the race, the Red Bull was on Hamilton's tail and it was clear the Mercedes had a real race on their hands.

Bottas and Hamilton stopped within a lap of each other on laps 13 and 14, and fitted the hard tyres, but they continued to struggle.

Verstappen motored on out front and, surprisingly, despite older tyres, extended his lead as the Mercedes ran into problems with tyre blistering.

Verstappen pitted on lap 26 for medium tyres and was again able to hold the Mercedes, with Bottas two seconds behind.

Verstappen then stopped again six laps later to switch back to the hard tyre, and Bottas followed him in, the Finn's hopes of victory now over.

Hamilton, though, stayed out for another nine laps. His tyres were blistered badly but he drove well to maintain a gap of around 10 seconds over Verstappen and Bottas.

That meant when he finally came in on lap 41, with 11 to go, he had an abundance of grip compared to the cars in front.

He quickly passed Leclerc and then closed in on Bottas, passing him into Brooklands corner with two laps to go.

The result, with fastest lap for Hamilton, means he extends his championship lead over Bottas to 34 points, and Verstappen has slipped ahead of the Finn into second place, 30 behind the leader.

Leclerc took a superb third in the uncompetitive Ferrari last weekend at the British Grand Prix and he continued his excellent form this weekend.

Qualifying did not go so well for the 22-year-old - he could manage only eighth on the grid compared to fourth last time, but his race drive was every bit as good.

The Ferrari was running low downforce to try to off-set its straight-line speed disadvantage, so to make a one-stop strategy work was a remarkable achievement.

His team-mate Sebastian Vettel had a difficult day, almost losing control of his car at the first corner and lucky not to be tagged as he fish-tailed left and right in yet another unforced error from the German and struggling to 12th place.

Red Bull's Alex Albon drove well to take fifth, a drive that featured a number of bold overtaking moves, ahead of the Racing Points of Lance Stroll and Hulkenberg.

Renault's Daniel Ricciardo faded after a strong qualifying in fifth place, not helped by a spin between Turns Three and Four while battling with McLaren's Carlos Sainz and ended up 14th.

Lando Norris took ninth for McLaren, while George Russell was 18th in the Williams.

Another weekend, another race. This time in Spain, despite the rise in coronavirus cases there. A hot summer in Barcelona. Could Mercedes struggle again?

What they said

Max Verstappen: "I didn't see it coming, but after the first stint we seemed really good on tyres and we didn't have many tyres issues at all. It is a great result to win here and I am incredibly happy. We have not had an opportunity to push them so far this season. We need to use soft tyres that seems to suit our car."

Lewis Hamilton: "It was a massive challenge today but congrats to Red Bull and Max, they didn't have the problems we had. Unexpected to have blistering as hardcore as we experienced. I was managing the tyres like you couldn't believe. In the middle stint, one half was bald and the other half was OK. I was afraid it was going to explode."

Valtteri Bottas: "It was very frustrating - starting on pole and finishing third. As a team we were sleeping at some points, Red Bull's strategy was far better and we have to look at this. There was a chance to keep up with Max, but as soon as I pushed the tyres falls apart. When you have those blisters, you lose cornering grip."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/53714557
 
Toto Wolff challenges rivals to protest against Mercedes over Racing Point row

Team principal Toto Wolff has challenged rivals to protest if they believe Mercedes have broken the rules in the Racing Point 'copying' row.

Racing Point have been docked 15 points and fined 400,000 euros for illegally copying Mercedes' brake ducts.

Rivals have questioned whether Mercedes fully complied with rules that forbid the sharing of key parts.

Wolff said: "If someone thinks we have done something wrong, they should protest. We are happy to go to court."

Wolff said he believed both his team and Racing Point had fully complied with the rules.

"We have not been protested," he said. "We have done nothing wrong; I strongly believe Racing Point have done nothing wrong.

"I believe if it goes to the international court of appeal, the lawyers have a strong opinion that this is a case that has very solid pillars and therefore everybody's in a good place about that.

"Our reputation is important but it is intact."

Racing Point have lodged an intention to appeal against the verdict, as have four of their rivals, Ferrari, McLaren, Renault and Williams.

Racing Point hope to clear their name, while the four other teams are seeking to clarify issues that arise from the ruling.

Racing Point's punishment was based on the stewards' belief that they had broken a rule that says teams have to design certain key parts of the car, known as 'listed parts', themselves.

Brake ducts, which play an important role in the aerodynamics of Formula 1 cars, were added to this list of performance differentiators for this season.

Racing Point were legally supplied with the design details of Mercedes' 2019 brake ducts last year, but the stewards penalised them on the basis that they were not allowed to use the same design this year.

Stewards likened Racing Point's design process to "using tracing paper to copy a shape/drawing".

Team principal Otmar Szafnauer said the stewards were "wrong in that assessment".

Among the points of contention for rivals teams are that the rule changing the status of listed parts for 2020 was sanctioned by governing body the FIA in April last year, yet Mercedes kept supplying the data after that; and that Mercedes supplied Racing Point with a set of brake ducts in January this year, after the rule on their status had come into force.

The FIA ruling said giving the brake ducts to Racing Point in January this year "did not constitute a breach of the regulations worthy of censure as the parts in question were not used and did not expand the information that had previously passed from Mercedes to Racing Point quite legitimately".

But Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said: "I am sure those questions will get asked, because if the team in question are guilty of receiving, surely the team that has provided has been also in breach of the regulations. But that is something for the FIA to deal with."

Wolff said: "The rule came in place for the 2020 season. So you were allowed to supply drawings and data in 2018 and 2019; it was permitted."

He added that it was not Mercedes' responsibility to check how Racing Point used parts it had been legitimately supplied.

"I don't know what we should think what Racing Point does," Wolff said, "but I think even using them on the 2020 car was not something that was regulated."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/53722661
 
F1 delays deadline for teams in World Championship

Formula 1 has delayed the first of two deadlines for teams to sign up to be part of the championship from 2021.

Teams were in line to receive a bonus if they committed to F1 by 12 August, but that deadline has been moved back six days to allow time for more talks.

F1 said: "We have received some final small legal comments that are being considered so the early sign-on deadline has been moved to 18 August."

The final deadline for teams to commit remains the end of the month.

Ferrari, McLaren and Williams said at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix last weekend that they were ready to commit to the next contractual period from 2021-25 on the terms currently on offer.

However, Mercedes have made it clear there are still some outstanding issues it wants to resolve before it will sign up.

F1 has restructured the sport so that there will be a more equitable split in prize money between the teams. That will reduce the huge disparity between the big teams and less successful ones - created by former chief executive Bernie Ecclestone in the current contracts, which were negotiated in 2011.

Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff said last Friday that the company had "legal, commercial and sporting issues" with the new contracts.

He added that he had not seen any willingness to compromise from F1.

F1 responded by saying it had "engaged with all the teams in a collaborative and constructive way" and that the agreement would "not be delayed any further".

On Sunday, Wolff said: "What F1 wants to achieve is that it's not being dragged out any further.

"They have set the deadline and made it clear that we have to get on and sign the Concorde Agreement. I don't think that if anyone fails to meet the 12th or large corporations need more time, this is going to be an issue.

"This is a partnership; they need the teams and we need a strong commercial rights holder.

"I know why they put a line in the sand to get everyone acting, and they have been pretty successful with that.

"I would not pin it down to a day or two or a few weeks. It is a matter of getting the assurances and the buy-in and commitment from the teams to move on and settle it quickly."

Mercedes is committed to F1 and wishes to stay involved but Wolff's comments betray an unhappiness with the terms on offer.

Under the new agreement, the massive bonuses paid to the big teams have been removed.

These saw Ferrari last year earn about an additional $110m (about £84m), Mercedes and Red Bull more than $70m (£53.7m), McLaren about $30m (£23m) and Williams $10m (£7.7m).

The new system will see Ferrari earn $40m (£30.7m) for its long-term commitment to the sport as the only team that has been in the championship since its inception in 1950.

The engine manufacturers will each receive payments of $10m (£7.7m) a year in recognition of their support for the sport.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/53751104
 
Valtteri Bottas fastest in Spanish Grand Prix first practice

Valtteri Bottas headed Lewis Hamilton as Mercedes dominated first practice at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Bottas was 0.039 seconds quicker than Hamilton, while Red Bull's Max Verstappen in third was 0.939secs off.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel were fourth and fifth, separated by just 0.011secs.

Haas' Romain Grosjean was a surprise sixth. Racing Point's Sergio Perez was seventh on his return after missing two races because he caught coronavirus.

The pace of the Haas cars, with Grosjean's team-mate Kevin Magnussen in ninth place behind the second Red Bull of Alex Albon, was the big surprise of the day. They are usually towards the back of the field.

Perez and team-mate Lance Stroll, who was 10th, were slightly out of position but they were the only drivers in the top 10 to use the medium tyres to set their fastest time rather than the quicker softs.

Vettel showed improved form after struggling during the last two races at Silverstone. Ferrari discovered a crack in his chassis when stripping the car on Sunday night and have changed it for this weekend.

The teams will have spent the session assessing the durability of tyres in the hot weather, after the struggles that cost Mercedes victory at Silverstone on Sunday.

Pirelli has supplied the hardest of its three compounds for this weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, while each tyre was one grade softer last time.

Barcelona, like Silverstone, is tough on tyres because of its series of long-duration, medium- and high-speed corners, and the temperatures this weekend are forecast to be even higher than they were on 70th Anniversary GP race day.

But at least in this first session there were no major indications of problems for any team, although Hamilton did say his front-left tyre was showing some signs of problems when he did a long run late in the session.

McLaren's Lando Norris was down in 13th place, two behind team-mate Carlos Sainz, while George Russell sat out the session for Williams to give development driver Roy Nissany some practice.

The Israeli was slowest of all, 0.3secs slower than race driver Nicholas Latifi.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/53778059
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Career pole No. 92 for <a href="https://twitter.com/LewisHamilton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LewisHamilton</a> &#55357;&#56399;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpanishGP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SpanishGP</a> &#55356;&#56810;&#55356;&#56824; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://t.co/kuR74vV0nD">pic.twitter.com/kuR74vV0nD</a></p>— Formula 1 (@F1) <a href="https://twitter.com/F1/status/1294636065760960515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Spanish Grand Prix: Even Mercedes think Verstappen will win

Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas occupy their customary positions on the front row of the grid for the Spanish Grand Prix - but their team boss Toto Wolff believes the man who starts third is favourite to win the race.

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen arrived at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this weekend to be greeted by the same high temperatures that were partly responsible for making his victory at Silverstone last Sunday possible.

Verstappen lagged behind Mercedes over one lap on Saturday afternoon in Spain but on race pace it has looked a different story.

And after tyre problems brought Verstappen into play at Silverstone, both Wolff and Hamilton are extremely wary of the threat he poses on Sunday.

"The only similarity between Silverstone and Barcelona this week is the ambient and track temperatures," Wolff said on Saturday evening. "The track is very different so we don't expect the same blistering issues but more degradation and more overheating. And I believe Red Bull masters those conditions very well.

"Nevertheless, I believe the work that's been done during the week and from yesterday to today was good. We've improved and that is most important and I hope we can give him a run for his money. But definitely Max needs to seen as the favourite based on yesterday's long runs."

Hamilton's pole was the 92nd of his career and this will be his 150th front-row start, but it brings no guarantees of an 88th victory that would put him within three of Michael Schumacher's all-time record.

"It is going to really hard," Hamilton said. "The Red Bulls I think are a little bit quicker than us in race trim. It's strange how we're quick in qualifying but then in the race they close the gap massively and the tables turn a little bit. But we're ahead of them so hopefully we can still apply the pressure and hold position.

"I don't know what's going to happen on these tyres on the long run, whether blistering will happen or not. But it is going to be physically so demanding; it's so hot. But I will be ready."

Verstappen's Silverstone win - the first time a Mercedes has been denied victory this year - moved him into second place in the championship ahead of Bottas, a measure of his the high standard of his performances this season. And while he is 30 points behind Hamilton, it's worth remembering that Verstappen retired from the opening race of the season while running second.

The impression, then, of a season of total Mercedes domination is perhaps not as accurate as it might seem, at least not when it comes to the races.

"If I just keep driving behind them in the distance it's not going to happen," Verstappen said. "If I have the opportunity to be there, you have to push it. Yesterday [on the race runs in practice] I felt good. Let's hope it's going to be the same tomorrow and I hope we have an entertaining race at the end of the day."

Will Wolff stay or go?

Wolff has this weekend been open about the fact that he is contemplating his future with Mercedes beyond the end of this season.

His contract as F1 team principal and Mercedes motorsport boss is up at the end of the year, and his position with the company is complicated by the fact that he is a 30% shareholder.

Wolff has made it clear that he is weighing up the strains of the role, his longevity in it - he has held it since 2013 - its impact on his private life, with a wife who is also a team boss in Formula E, and the fact he continues to enjoy its challenges.

No decisions have been taken. But it could well be that, even if he concludes he does not want to be team principal and attend every race any more, he remains the most senior person in the team and its boss.

Wolff said on Saturday: "It is to take the right decision for the team, which is my highest priority. I enjoy the camaraderie and the ups and downs. I couldn't wish for a better group of people. And obviously I am discussing every millimetre with [Daimler boss] Ola Kallenius and Susie [Wolff, his wife].

"Hopefully I will be in the same place next year and discussing with you and if not I will be staying close to the team."

Whatever happens, Hamilton said it would not affect his decision over his new contract, which is also still to be concluded.

"You have to remember it is a team," said Hamilton, who joined Mercedes at the same time as Wolff. "There are almost 2,000 people in the team. It's not just down to one individual. That does not determine whether or not I stay.

"I have been a part of growing with this team and the strength is there and it's not just one individual.

"Everyone has to do what's best for them and their career and happiness. And everyone needs to take a moment and evaluate what they want to do moving forwards, whether it suits them and their families and their future dreams.

"We have done so much already together. But I hope he stays because it's fun working with him and negotiating with him and having the ups and downs. Truly grateful to Toto. But I will be supportive in whatever he decides to do."

A small step forward for Vettel

The last two races at Silverstone were particularly sobering experiences for Sebastian Vettel, a man who once bestrode F1 much as Hamilton does now, but who has looked a pale shadow of his previous self for some time.

Vettel was way off the pace of team-mate Charles Leclerc in the UK, and made another of his unforced errors in the second race, too.

The regularity with which these mistakes are appearing, by the way, can be judged by the fact that Renault's Daniel Ricciardo described his own error at Silverstone as a "Seb spin". Ouch.

Vettel admitted to being flummoxed as to why he was struggling so at Silverstone, so when Ferrari announced that they had found a crack in his chassis and were giving him a new one for Spain, it seemed a possible explanation.

Vettel said on Thursday, though, that he didn't "expect miracles" and so it has turned out.

He has been closer to Leclerc this weekend, but was still 0.215 seconds off in qualifying, and still failed to make it into the top 10 shootout, while Leclerc did.

Now, to be 0.215secs off a man who it is already clear will be one of the stars of the next decade and more is no shame.

On average over all the races, Vettel was just over 0.1secs slower in qualifying than Leclerc in 2019. So it is far from impossible that 0.2secs could be a typical and expected margin between the two this year, with Leclerc now in his second season with Ferrari, and very much designated as their future focus, and Vettel entering this season having been told he would be leaving at the end of it.

But Vettel is a proud man and his highly impressive career statistics mean a lot to him. And he will very much not see this as a situation he will have to accept for the rest of the year, not least with his future still up in the air.

Vettel complained after qualifying of a nervous rear on his car - exactly the opposite of comments from Leclerc, who said his "just didn't have enough front end to rotate the car and we lost quite a bit of time because of this. It is something we regularly have with this car, struggling with the front in mid-corner".

Two drivers reporting exactly the opposite problem with their cars, and both more than a second slower than the Mercedes. This is going to be a long and difficult year for Vettel and Ferrari.

It remains to be seen whether Vettel will still be in F1 next year - he does not exactly have a lot of options.

But he can at least console himself with some supportive words from his former team boss at Red Bull.

"Sebastian is a great driver," Christian Horner said in an interview with 5 Live Sport this weekend, "the third most successful driver in the world and still holds numerous records and it's sad to see him struggling as he is at the moment.

"Whatever he chooses to do will be his choice. If he decides to take a year out, he will still be attractive to teams in a year's time. He is one of the few drivers who could afford to take a year out.

"It's all about the environment you're in and that's something he's obviously finding tough at the moment."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/53793811
 
Hamilton wins the Spanish GrandPrix, Verstappen 2nd, Bottas 3rd

Lewis Hamilton is now four wins away from surpassing Michael Schumacher's total of 91 wins, which means he could become the most successful driver in the history of the sport by the end of September.
 
Lewis Hamilton wins Spanish Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton dominated the Spanish Grand Prix to take his fourth victory in six races so far this year.

The Mercedes driver led every lap from pole position and was simply too fast for Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who was unable to challenge.

Hamilton's team-mate Valtteri Bottas took third, failing to catch Verstappen despite Mercedes' efforts on strategy.

Hamilton's win extended his World Championship lead to 37 points over Verstappen, who is six ahead of Bottas.

It was the 88th victory of Hamilton's career and he is now just three from Michael Schumacher's all-time record of wins.

It was also his 156th podium finish, a new record, beating the previous mark, also held by Schumacher.

Total control for Hamilton

In temperatures of 30C, the race was gruelling physically for all the drivers, but there was no sign of the expected challenge to Hamilton from Verstappen.

Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff had said on the eve of the race that Verstappen was favourite because he had shown stronger pace when the teams were doing their race preparation in practice.

But once converting his pole position into a lead at the first corner, Hamilton was always in command.

He took it easy in the opening laps, to ensure he could make his required pit-stop schedule but after 10 laps started to increase the pace and Verstappen could not keep up.

"I was just in a daze out there," Hamilton said. "It felt really good. It was a surprise because we had this problem with the tyres [at the last race] and the work we did was what meant we could do this."

With Hamilton in control, Red Bull's focus now became ensuring Verstappen held on to second place from Bottas, who made a poor start and dropped to fourth on the first lap, behind Verstappen and Racing Point's Lance Stroll.

Bottas was past Stroll within five laps but Verstappen was able to hold the Finn just out of range through the first pit stops.

Mercedes decided to run Bottas longer than Verstappen in the second stint, in an attempt to give him a tyre off-set in the final stint.

But although stopping seven laps later than Verstappen and switching on to the soft tyre compared to the Red Bull's mediums, Bottas was unable to gain any ground.

Bottas' consolation was the point for fastest lap, but with a 43-point deficit to Hamilton - a gap edging close to two clear wins - the Finn's title hopes are already effectively almost over.
Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/53799077
 
All 10 teams have signed up to the new Concorde Agreement which will govern Formula 1 from 2021 to 2025.

The contract, which sets out the commercial terms of the sport, was first introduced in 1981.

Ferrari, McLaren and Williams announced their support of the revised terms of racing on Tuesday, with the other seven constructors now following suit.

World champions Mercedes had reached an impasse with F1 over the new proposals, but they have now been resolved.

The new deal is designed to end what many consider to be an unfair revenue system, whereby the top teams earn disproportionately more prize money, a system that has created a disparity in competitiveness down the grid and locked in an advantage for Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.

"This year has been unprecedented for the world and we are proud that Formula 1 has come together in recent months to return to racing in a safe way," F1 chairman Chase Carey said in a statement.

"We said earlier in the year that due to the fluid nature of the pandemic, the Concorde Agreement would take additional time to agree and we are pleased that by August we have been able achieve agreement from all 10 teams on the plans for the long-term future of our sport."

Carey added that the new agreement would "create an environment that is both financially fairer and closes the gaps between teams on the race track".

Jean Todt, president of motorsport's governing body the FIA, said the announcement marked "an exciting new chapter" for the sport.

"The conclusion of the new Concorde Agreement between the FIA, Formula 1 and all 10 of the current teams assures a stable future for the FIA Formula 1 World Championship," he added.

Mercedes team boss had previously stated that the German manufacturer would be "the biggest victim in terms of revenue loss" but recent talks with Carey produced a breakthrough on "the clarifications that we wanted to achieve".

Speaking on Tuesday, Ferrari chief executive Louis Camilleri said the new deal was "an important step to ensure the stability and growth of the sport", while McLaren chief executive Zak Brown said it was "the right deal at the right time".

Claire Williams, deputy team principal of Williams, added: "This next era will be characterised by closer and more exciting racing as a result of the new platform of regulations, which include more equitable revenue distribution and a first ever cost cap for our sport."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/53827538
 
Formula 1 has named the races that will conclude the 2020 season.

Four Grands Prix in three countries - Turkey, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi - will bring the calendar to a total of 17 races, the lowest number since 2009.

The Turkish Grand Prix on 15 November marks a return for the Istanbul Park track for the first time in nine years.

Bahrain will host two races, on 29 November and 6 December, before the season concludes at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina track on 13 December.

F1 had been working on plans to hold races in China and Vietnam in November but those hopes have now been dashed.

The Chinese Grand Prix has been officially cancelled and while there is no official word on the Vietnamese race, that will not happen either.

Officials in Vietnam needed more time to formalise arrangements internally, but an official cancellation is expected soon.

An F1 spokesman said: "We are working closely with our partner in Vietnam and will provide an update on this shortly."

F1 said it was working on having "a limited number of fans" at some of the races, without providing details.

The Russian GP at the end of September has already said it plans to allow some spectators to attend.

F1 has been battling to finalise its calendar in the face of the challenges posed by coronavirus for some months as travel restrictions and virus outbreaks around the globe caused an ever-changing situation.

A statement said: "Due to the ongoing fluidity of the Covid-19 pandemic, we continue to maintain close dialogue with all promoters and local authorities to ensure we operate in the safest way possible and monitor each national situation closely - including travel restrictions and local health procedures."

This will be the first season since the inception of the F1 world championship in 1950 that will have no race in the Americas, and the first time since 1970 that there has been none in South America.

And it will be the first season since 1986 that there has been no Grand Prix in Asia, and the first since 1984 that Australia has not held a race.

F1 chairman and chief executive officer Chase Carey said: "This year has presented F1 and the world with an unprecedented challenge and we want to pay tribute to everyone across F1, the FIA, the teams, and our partners who have made this possible.

"While we are all disappointed that we have not been able to return to some of our planned races this year we are confident our season has started well and will continue to deliver plenty of excitement with traditional, as well as new, races that will entertain all our fans."

The first 10 races of the season were either postponed or cancelled, starting with the Australian Grand Prix in March, which was called off on the Friday before the race with all teams already in Melbourne after a member of the McLaren team tested positive for coronavirus.

The problems caused by the spread of Covid-19 has meant F1 has been forced to reconstitute an almost entirely European calendar, with many of the races on tracks that had either not held a Grand Prix before or had fallen off the schedule some years ago.

The three events concluding the season are the only races on the 2020 calendar outside geographical Europe.

The Istanbul Park track is on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. Sochi, which hosts the Russian Grand Prix on 27 September, is on the Black Sea coast in the European part of the federation.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/53906067
 
Belgian GP: Mercedes F1 ready to tackle 'unfinished business' at Spa

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says the Belgian GP represents "unfinished business" for the world champions as they look for a first win at legendary Spa-Francorchamps in three years this weekend.

Unusually by their relentless winning standards, the world champions have only won half the races at Spa in the hybrid engine era they have dominated - three victories and three race-day defeats - with Ferrari taking each of the last two victories.

Although the Scuderia's form means a hat-trick for them is unlikely this time, Wolff is expecting the usual challenges and variables of the Belgian weekend to make the outcome far from a foregone conclusion.

"Our next race takes us to Spa where we haven't won since 2017, so it feels like there's unfinished business as we head to Belgium," he said.

"It's an iconic track and one of the fans' favourites, but finding the right set-up can be difficult because of the variety of characteristics; on the one hand you want as little drag as possible on the long straights, but on the other hand, you need a certain level of downforce to be quick through the corners.

"It's also forecast to be rainy in the Ardennes, which won't make the job any easier."

Mercedes impressively rebounded from the tyre blistering problems that let in Red Bull's Max Verstappen at F1's 70th Anniversary GP, which ended their winning start to 2020, by taking a dominant victory with Lewis Hamilton last time out at Barcelona.

"Winning in Spain was a great reward for all the smart work in the days before and it makes me very proud to see how this team just keeps raising the bar," said the Mercedes team principal.

Read more: https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/1...f1-ready-to-tackle-unfinished-business-at-spa
 
Belgian GP: Lewis Hamilton rules out race boycott

World champion Lewis Hamilton "stands with" US sports stars boycotting events to fight racism but does not think his missing a race would have an effect.

Basketball, baseball and football games have been postponed in the US after police shot Jacob Blake, a black man, seven times in the back on Sunday.

Hamilton said: "It's a shame that is what's needed over there to get a reaction. But that is in America and I don't know really if me doing anything here will particularly have any effect."

Sebastian Vettel said drivers' pre-race anti-racism protests would continue.

Hamilton, F1's only black driver, said in the build-up to this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix: "It's incredible what many out there in the States are doing within their sports, all the way down to the people who are hosting.

"So many people are standing with the players and really pushing for change.

"I haven't spoken to anyone about it but I am really proud of so many out there and I do stand unified with them.

"I don't really know how us not doing the race is a thing. But I will try and speak to F1 to see what else we can do to continue to raise awareness and help push.

"And as a sport we all need to be aligned and supporting one another, even though it is a different sport."

Hamilton has been at the forefront of F1's support for anti-racism and diversity this year, which has led to demonstrations by the drivers and the sport before every race.

Vettel, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, said all 20 F1 drivers were united in their desire to keep pressing the message home.

"We sent a strong message after the first event and our feeling was very clear that we wanted to continue sending that message," he said.

"It is one of those things that does not go away overnight.

"How long will we continue? There is no answer to that. It is important to keep sending the message and that's what we will continue to do."

The Ferrari driver added: "We know it is does not change things overnight and it is only a very small contribution, but hopefully everyone who tunes in and sees it gets the point and takes a little bit of that for the next steps he is facing in life.

"Because one thing is to take action in public but more importantly is how everyone is acting and confronting it once the cameras are off. That is true for us and it is true for everyone else."

Read more:

Hamilton sees Verstappen as a threat

Hamilton has won four of the first six races this season and has opened a 37-point championship lead over Red Bull's Max Verstappen, with the Briton's Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas a further six points adrift.

Hamilton said he saw Verstappen as a genuine threat in the championship.

"If you take away Max's DNF (retirement) in race one away, we would be very close in points," he said. "They have had very strong results. Maybe in qualifying we do have the edge. But in races we are a lot closer.

"We are not even halfway through the season. I absolutely keep my eye on them. They are absolutely still a title runner and we need to stay on our toes."

Memories of Hubert

This weekend's race is a year on from the death of Formula 2 driver Anthoine Hubert at last year's event.

On Thursday, Alpha Tauri driver Pierre Gasly, a childhood friend and rival of Hubert, lay flowers beside the track at the spot where Hubert was killed, the high-speed Raidillon left-hander, which is the final part of the infamous Eau Rouge swerves.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, winner in Belgium last year and another close friend of Hubert, said many drivers would be thinking of him this weekend.

"Last year was very difficult on the Saturday night," Leclerc said. "We all learned about Anthoine passing away and on the Sunday I spoke with Pierre. We were all good friends and Pierre said 'You have to win for Anthoine on Sunday'.

"I wanted to do that, too. It was very special but also very difficult. It was the first time I had experienced driving around the same track when you have lost someone close.

"Coming back doesn't change that but it doesn't change my targets for the weekend, which is to do the best I can in the car."

Ferrari, however, are expecting a difficult weekend, as a result of the lack of speed they have shown on the straights this year following a series of rule clarifications over the winter.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/53936911
 
Belgian Grand Prix: Verstappen quickest ahead of Renault's Ricciardo

Red Bull's Max Verstappen was fastest in second practice at the Belgian Grand Prix, with Daniel Ricciardo's Renault also ahead of the Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton was third fastest as the top three were separated by only 0.096 seconds.

Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas was down in sixth, behind Red Bull's Alexander Albon and Racing Point's Sergio Perez.

The times are unlikely to be representative of real performance.

Ferrari, in particular, were out of position, with Charles Leclerc 15th and Sebastian Vettel 17th.

The Italian team were always expected to be off the pace around the high-speed Spa-Francorchamps circuit, given their straight-line speed deficit this season, but it is unlikely they will be that slow come qualifying on Saturday.

Even the Alfa Romeos, which have been significantly slower than Ferrari so far this season, were ahead of them in this session, and there is no obvious reason why the form of the two teams, who use the same engines, would have switched so dramatically.

The same is likely to be the case for Mercedes, who have dominated qualifying so far this season and would not be expected to be in third and sixth places.

But Hamilton said he believed the field had closed up on Mercedes.

"It has been a good day," Hamilton said. "I love driving around this track, it's incredible. Got plenty of running in.

"It is very close out there. I think the Red Bulls are just a little bit quicker at the moment but even the Racing Point is right with us and Daniel Ricciardo in the Renault was very close. That makes it exciting. We have some work to do to try to dial in the car a bit more.

"We are only in the seventh race. The field is going to get closer and closer and it is already showing that. We seem to be so close with everyone and we have to understand why, whether they have taken a step or we have taken a step back or downforce levels, who knows? But I am excited for an interesting race."

Verstappen said: "I think they are still struggling a bit with the balance. I expect them to be stronger tomorrow. You can see in the long runs they are very competitive, I am not expecting to fight for pole position but if we can be a bit closer that would be good."

The fragmented nature of the race-simulation runs made it even harder to divine a clear picture of relative pace.

Hamilton, who leads the championship by 37 points after six races, did only one lap on soft tyres on his race-simulation run before a virtual safety car caused by Ricciardo's Renault stopping out on track with a loss of hydraulic pressure.

That one lap by the Mercedes was almost identical to the first time set by Verstappen on his race-simulation run.

After that, Hamilton switched to the hard tyre, but managed only one lap on that before the session was stopped because of debris on track from a sponsorship hoarding.

It restarted but only in time for a final seven minutes of running.

Behind Bottas, McLaren's Lando Norris was seventh fastest, ahead of Renault's Esteban Ocon, McLaren's Carlos Sainz and Alpha Tauri's Pierre Gasly.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/53949953
 
Lewis Hamilton welcomes closer Formula 1 field at Belgian GP

Lewis Hamilton insists the closely-packed field in Friday practice at the Belgian GP does serve as evidence the field are closing on Mercedes.

Hamilton trailed Red Bull's Max Verstappen and, in the unexpected result of the opening day at Spa-Francorchamps, Renault's Daniel Ricciardo on the Practice Two timesheet.

Less than half a second separated the fastest eight drivers and quickest five teams on the longest lap of the season.

"It's very close out there," said Hamilton, who was 0.096s slower than Verstappen.

"I think the Red Bulls are just a little bit quicker at the moment, but even like Racing Point are right with us. Then also Daniel Ricciardo in the Renault was very close.

"So that makes it exciting. We've got some work to do to, that's for sure, to dial in the car a bit more. But it doesn't feel bad at all."

Hamilton had said on Thursday that Verstappen, 37 points adrift of him in second place in the championship, could not be discounted from the title race.

"As I anticipated coming into this weekend - we're only into the seventh race - the field is going to get closer and closer as the whole of Formula 1 develops. It's already showing that this weekend," added the six-time champion.

"We seem to be so close with everyone and we've got to understand why. Whether they have taken a step, or we have taken a step back, or it's just the track layout or downforce level, who knows.

"We'll work on that but I'm excited for an interesting race, that's for sure."

Read more: https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/1...welcomes-closer-formula-1-field-at-belgian-gp
 
Hamilton takes sixth pole at Spa, Bottas 2nd, Verstappen 3rd

Ferraris out in second session, Verstappen could spring surprise

Top 10
Hamilton (Mercedes)
Bottas (Mercedes)
Verstappen (Red Bull)
Ricciardo (Renault)
Albon (Red Bull)
Ocon (Renault)
Sainz (McLaren)
Perez (Racing Point)
Stroll (Racing Point)
Norris (McLaren)
 
Hamilton in imperious form as he takes pole in Belgium

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton is on pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix, finishing half a second clear of Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas.

Hamilton was fastest on both laps in the final qualifying session and beat Bottas by 0.511secs. Red Bull's Max Verstappen was 0.015secs off the Finn.

Daniel Ricciardo excelled with fourth place on the grid, ahead of the second Red Bull of Alexander Albon.

Ferrari struggled, Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel down in 13th and 14th.

Hamilton's performance was one of his most impressive, as he took his 93rd pole with two laps in another dimension to what Bottas could manage.

On his first, Hamilton was 0.578secs clear of his team-mate, and although Bottas improved on his second run, so did the Briton.

Over team radio after the lap on Saturday, he dedicated his performance to the actor Chadwick Boseman, most famous as the star of the Black Panther film, who died of colon cancer overnight.

Hamilton said: "Very clean session. Every lap was getting better and better.

"It is a really important pole to me. I woke up to the saddest news of Chadwick passing away. It has been such a heavy year for all of us and that news really broke me.

"It was not easy to get back in focus with that hanging in my heart but I wanted to get back up there because what he has done for our people will be remembered forever.

"Q3 first lap was ace and I thought I was not going to be able to beat that. But then I have been struggling in Turn One all weekend, I got that and then eked it out for the rest of the lap. That was a very, very good lap.

"I remember when Black Panther came out. I'm a huge Marvel fan, and knowing how Hollywood has been for a long time, and seeing the first black superhero come out, everyone was so proud.

"This under-representation is such a common thing and to see someone make it like him, it was incredible and such an honour and inspiring young kids. I can imagine a young black kid looking up and thinking he could become a superhero now. His legacy will always live on."

Bottas said he felt he had done a good lap and could not explain the gap to Hamilton. In fact, his bigger concern was Verstappen, who was brilliant again in the Red Bull and came so close to edging on to the front row.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/53958516
 
Hamilton claims 5th win in 7 races with success in Belgium

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton dominated the Belgian Grand Prix to take his fifth victory in seven races this year and the 89th of his career.

Hamilton headed team-mate Valtteri Bottas to a Mercedes one-two, from Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

The victory puts Hamilton 47 points - almost two clear wins - ahead of Verstappen in the championship.

The Briton is two victories away from Michael Schumacher's all-time record and set to equal his seven titles.

It was another imperious performance from Hamilton, his fifth win in the last six races.

He took pole position from Bottas by more than half a second on Saturday, held on in front on the first lap, always a challenge at Spa with the long run from the La Source hairpin up the hill to Les Combes, and never looked back.

He is turning the season into one of total domination and looks unbeatable as he seeks to make Formula 1 history.

It was a staid race at the front, Hamilton too quick for Bottas and the Finn with enough to hold off Verstappen, as all three measured their pace to ensure their tyres held on for a long final stint after being forced into an early pit stop because of a safety car.

That was triggered on lap 10 when Antonio Giovinazzi lost control of his Alfa Romeo at the exit of the Fagnes chicane and bounced back onto the track, a stray front wheel from his car also wiping out George Russell's Williams.

It was the second Belgian Grand Prix in succession in which the Italian has crashed out on his own.

That meant a stop for all the leaders, and as the race ticked on Hamilton began to express his concerns about his right front tyre, his mind on the blow-out on the final lap that almost cost him victory at Silverstone last month.

In the end, though, he had everything under control, as he seems to have for the season as a whole.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/53966581
 
Lewis Hamilton knows how frustrating winning every week can be for fans

On Sunday, after his fifth win in seven races this year, Lewis Hamilton recalled how, as a teenager, he responded to watching Michael Schumacher's seemingly endless series of victories with Ferrari in the early 2000s.

Hamilton says he "would have woken up, had my bacon sarnie and watched the start and gone to sleep and woken up at the end, then watched the highlights because it's much shorter".

So the Mercedes driver has sympathy with those who may feel the same way about his success now, which will before too long see him break the records Schumacher set 15 or so years ago.

"I can't speak for the fans but, having been a fan growing up and lived in different eras and watching the Schumacher era, of course I know what it's like," Hamilton said.

"I enjoy myself in the car. I am still able to enjoy the battle, looking where Valtteri (Bottas, his team-mate) is, what times he's doing, the gaps, trying to get the perfect balance every lap. That is still a massive challenge for me but it is just not as fun for people to watch.

"When you're in it, it's a bit different. But of course I would love a wheel-to-wheel race. I hope the next races… the Red Bulls have improved, I really hope we have more of a race. Everyone wants to see us all battling together."

The 89th victory of Hamilton's career, in Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix, will not go down as a classic, despite the grandeur of the surroundings.

Spa-Francorchamps is one of the greatest race tracks ever built, and to a man the drivers love it. But Red Bull's Max Verstappen described his race to third place behind the two Mercedes as "boring" - largely because of the amount of tyre management needed by the front-runners to make the end on a long stint after an early safety car period - and Hamilton agreed.

But a soporific race and another Hamilton victory should not distract from the fact that something special is happening here. It might not always be exciting to watch, but history is being made in front of our eyes.

Before the end of this season - quite some time before the end, the way he is going - Hamilton will become the most successful driver in the history of the sport.

It is as much of a privilege to watch a sportsman operate at the rarefied levels Hamilton is achieving as it is to see Lionel Messi score a wonderful solo goal, playing at a level of which other footballers can only dream.

Of course, Hamilton has the best car, but so does Bottas.

In qualifying on Saturday in Belgium, Hamilton was on pole from the Finn by 0.511 seconds. Verstappen was just 0.015secs further behind in third.

In the championship, Bottas is trailing Verstappen by three points, while Hamilton is leading the Dutchman by 47 - almost two clear wins.

It is not, whatever anyone says, all about the car.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/53968606
 
Carlos Sainz: Ferrari need 'very big step' next season after Spa failure

Carlos Sainz has acknowledged his future team Ferrari have a long way to go before catching up to the field and being competitive in F1 again.

Sainz, 25, will join Charles Leclerc at Ferrari next season as Sebastian Vettel departs, but the constructor has been plagued by consistent underperformance and disappointing races so far this campaign.

They are heading into their home Monza race, which Leclerc won last year, off the back of their worst finishing result in a decade in Belgium.

And the McLaren racer, who did not start the Belgian GP on Sunday due to exhaust failure as he approached the grid, told Sky F1's Simon Lazenby and Karun Chandhok the Scuderia have a lot of room for improvement.

He said: "Of course I want [Ferrari to improve], I'll be the first one in the factory pushing to find more power and I'll be pushing everyone as soon as I get there.

"Ferrari has a lot of resources, a lot of power benches, so I'm sure they're there at the factory working hard to get the power they've lost.

"It's a long way - they need to do a very, very, very, very big step to get back to where we all are but if anyone can do it, it's Ferrari."

The Spaniard also acknowledged how hard it was seeing his future employers struggle and expressed the need for change.

He added: "Obviously, not good. They're not happy with their performance this year.

"When you lose so much power from one year to the other - which is not the normal trend in F1, normally you expect to stay the same or gain - you know at Spa you're going to get in trouble.

“You need to accept 2021 is going to be a tough year for everyone. Every team needs a fresh start to try to trouble Mercedes because at the moment Ferrari or Red Bull are just too far off.

“They are doing a better job and we need to reconsider how we approach F1 and what kind of team you want to have a chance."

Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto has admitted the sport's most successful outfit's revival may take "many years" as they wait for the next major rules overhaul in 2022, with limited engine upgrade opportunities until then.

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/1...d-very-big-step-next-season-after-spa-failure
 
Formula 1 must do more for the environment, says Sebastian Vettel

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel says Formula 1 faces "big challenges" to secure its future in the context of the world's environmental problems.

"Being critical, you could ask where F1 is and what place it fills - you need to be serious about that," Vettel said.

"There are some big questions to be answered to make sure this sport is still around in years to come."

Lewis Hamilton said F1 would "have have to continue moving in the direction of going electric at some stage".

F1 last year launched a plan to become carbon neutral by 2030, and among the sport's plans are a move towards synthetic fuels when the next engine formula is introduced later this decade. These use carbon captured from the atmosphere in their manufacture.

The turbo-hybrid engines introduced into F1 in 2014 have led to a revolutionary step forward in efficiency. Normal road-car engines are in the region of 30% thermal efficiency - the conversion of fuel-energy to power - and F1 engines are above 50%.

But Vettel believes F1 should move further in this direction.

"F1 is held around the globe every year and in many different countries and as a global sport we should act responsibly," the four-time champion said.

"F1 should be setting examples rather than reacting to pressure from the outside.

"When it comes to the environment, we are burning fuel which is a very small amount of the total carbon footprint but still we need to start acting more and more setting the right example, not just on carbon footprint, but on other things.

"Small things - but I do think every little bit makes a difference - the amount of plastic bottles we consume during the weekends there are solutions to that, how we power some panels in the paddock, there are solutions to that.

"F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport in terms of the development of the cars, and when you talk about the cars there is more than can be done to have a greater relevance in the future."

Hamilton also backed Vettel's views on consumables, pointing out that before the coronavirus pandemic stopped anyone but essential personnel attending races there was "a huge amount of waste that comes away from the weekend in terms of food, for hospitality services, plastic bottles. I can't imagine how many thousands of plastic bottles come from each weekend".

"F1 should definitely be working with organisers - and I am sure they are - to make sure they operate as cleanly as possible and minimise waste," he added.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/54014313
 
Formula 1: Sir Frank Williams and Claire Williams step down from Williams team

The Williams family will leave the team founded by Sir Frank Williams more than 40 years ago after this weekend's Italian Grand Prix.

Sir Frank founded Williams in 1977 and turned it into one of the sport's most successful teams.

But after a series of difficult years, the team was sold to US investment group Dorilton Capital last month.

Williams and his daughter Claire, the deputy team principal, are stepping down.

The team have won nine constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles, and dominated large portions of the 1980s and 1990s.

But their last win at a Grand Prix was in 2012 and for the past two seasons they have finished last in the championship. Financial losses last year led to the Williams family seeking new investment, and that in turn has led to them leaving the team to make way for new management.

Claire Williams said: "With the future of the team now secured, this feels like the appropriate time for us to step away from the sport.

"As a family, we have always prioritised Williams. We have demonstrated that by our recent actions with the strategic review process and we believe now is the right time to hand over the reins and give the new owners the opportunity to take the team into the future.

"We have been in this sport for more than four decades. We are incredibly proud of our track record and the legacy we leave behind.

"We have always been in it for the love of it, for the pure pleasure of going motor racing, so this is not a decision that we have taken lightly but after much reflection and as a family.

"We are greatly appreciative of Dorilton's encouragement to continue, but in them we know the team will be in good hands and the Williams name will live on.

"This may be the end of an era for Williams as a family-run team, but it is the beginning of a new era for Williams Racing and we wish them much success in the future."

Matthew Savage, chairman of Dorilton Capital and the team, said: "We fully respect the very tough decision of Claire and the Williams family to step away from the team and the business after securing new resources for its future.

"Claire's achievement in sustaining Williams Racing's heritage, relevance and commitment to innovation in a difficult environment since taking charge in 2013 has been nothing short of monumental.

"She has also been hugely instrumental in shaping a more level technical and financial playing field for F1, which will help to ensure the team's return to the front of the grid in seasons to come.

"We are proud to carry the Williams name into the next exciting phase for the sport."

Savage, Dorilton Capital chief executive Darren Fultz and James Matthews - a former British racing driver and current chief executive of investment advisory firm Eden Rock Group - now make up the team's board of directors.

British driver George Russell, who is driving for the Williams team this season, said: "It's sad to see the Williams family step aside, but the history of Williams will still remain.

"We'll still remain under Williams Racing, and still continue to fight and represent the family name."

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/54014306
 
Italian GP: Lewis Hamilton fastest in second practice at Monza

Lewis Hamilton was fastest in second practice at the Italian Grand Prix as Mercedes dominated yet again.

Hamilton was 0.262 seconds quicker than team-mate Valtteri Bottas after they completed laps in line astern, each trying to benefit from a slipstream.

Daniel Ricciardo was third in the Renault but had his lap time deleted for running off track at Parabolica.

McLaren's Lando Norris took the place with a lap set late on after engine problems.

Alpha Tauri's Pierre Gasly was fourth from Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

Charles Leclerc was the quickest Ferrari in ninth, but bemoaned the traffic over the radio after completing his lap.

The Monegasque, who took pole and won the race in 2019, was one of the few drivers who managed to secure a final lap in qualifying last year as drivers tripped over each other trying not to be the first in the slipstreaming queue.

Returning to Monza a year later, in a much less competitive position, Leclerc described the traffic as "a disaster", although admitted: "It's good training for qualifying."

His team-mate Sebastian Vettel was 12th, and had a spin at the first Lesmo on his race-simulation run later in the session, the most serious of a number of off-track or out-of-control incidents for the four-time champion through the day.

Leclerc had what was close to a similar moment at the same corner shortly afterwards, but managed to catch it without spinning, although he did run off the track.

"The car is so difficult to drive," Leclerc said on the radio immediately afterwards.

Hamilton heads into the weekend 48 points clear of Verstappen in the championship and just two wins away from equalling Michael Schumacher's all-time record of 91 victories.

"It felt like we made some improvements from P1 to P2," Hamilton said. "P1 it didn't feel great. It's all low downforce so a lot of sliding around. It is going to be close between a bunch of people, I think.

"It is quite a bumpy track so it is about trying to get the right balance with the bumps and the balance between high and low speed, we have a few more steps to make and it will be where I need it to be."

Hamilton added that he expected qualifying to be "a nightmare" with regards to traffic and everyone trying to create the right space for themselves for their lap.

Verstappen crashed in first practice in the morning and was just over a second slower than Hamilton in the afternoon, while Gasly was 0.107secs ahead of the Red Bull with his time.

Verstappen said: "Not a good day. Struggling with balance and grip in general. Still quite a bit of work to do."

His team-mate Alex Albon was 14th fastest after having his best lap time deleted for running wide at Parabolica.

Ricciardo's pace, despite the deletion of his lap time, underlines the expectation that Renault are in the running for a position close to the front of the grid, after the Australian qualified and finished fourth last weekend at Spa-Francorchamps.

Behind Verstappen, McLaren's Carlos Sainz set the fifth quickest time, shortly before an off-track moment at the first Lesmo corner, ahead of the second Alpha Tauri of Daniil Kvyat and Racing Point's Lance Stroll.

McLaren's Norris, sporting a helmet with two separate types of pizza on it as his own left-field tribute to Italy, had a troubled session, hampered by engine problems, apparently with the hybrid energy recovery system.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/54027443
 
Lewis Hamilton edged out Valtteri Bottas for pole position at the Italian GP as Mercedes dominated qualifying, while Carlos Sainz was a surprise third for McLaren and Sebastian Vettel fell at the first Monza hurdle.

After claiming the new-for-Italy engine rules were introduced to "slow us down", Mercedes comfortably handled the lack of 'party mode' and the near-constant traffic to crush the competition- and it was Hamilton who sealed his 94th pole with a track record around F1's fastest track.

Hamilton out-paced team-mate Bottas by just 0.069s, and eight-tenths faster than the nearest non-Silver Arrow rival.

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/1...le-for-lewis-hamilton-ferrari-problems-worsen
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&#55357;&#57001; RED FLAG &#55357;&#57001;<br><br>The race is suspended after Leclerc's accident at the final corner<br><br>Cars will line up in the pit lane in race order<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItalianGP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ItalianGP</a> &#55356;&#56814;&#55356;&#56825; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://t.co/uS5RLkQA44">pic.twitter.com/uS5RLkQA44</a></p>— Formula 1 (@F1) <a href="https://twitter.com/F1/status/1302607149261115394?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Lap 34/53: How they stand

Gasly
Raikkonen +3.2
Sainz +3.2
Stroll +4.6
Norris +6.5
Bottas +7.1
Ricciardo +7.7
Ocon +8.9
Kvyat +9.4
Perez +10.6
 
First win for Gasly...Couldnt have happened to a nicer bloke. Feeling chuffed for him.
 
Pierre Gasly took a stunning upset win in the Italian Grand Prix for Red Bull's Alpha Tauri team in one of the most remarkable races in history.

Lewis Hamilton was dominating until he was penalised for being called into the pit lane for a stop when it was closed.

Two safety cars in quick succession mixed up the order and Gasly took the lead after Hamilton served his penalty.

McLaren's Carlos Sainz closed him down but the Frenchman just held him off to take his first grand prix victory.

Hamilton fought back from last place, 18 seconds off the back of the pack, to seventh, just two places behind team-mate Valtteri Bottas.

Gasly's win sealed an amazing turnaround in fortunes for the likeable 24-year-old, who just over a year ago was demoted from the senior Red Bull team to what was Toro Rosso and was renamed over the winter.

Gasly has been outstanding ever since, including taking a second place in Brazil last year, and few will begrudge him this win.

It is the junior team's second grand prix victory - their first also at Monza, with Sebastian Vettel in 2008.

But it was a cruel twist of fortune for Sainz, who had been running in a superb second place to Hamilton and should have been in a position to benefit from the world champion's penalty.

But the timing of the pit stops around two mid-race safety cars effectively ended Sainz's hopes.

He, along with all the leaders, pitted during the first safety-car period, triggered by a breakdown for Kevin Magnussen's Haas.

This was when Mercedes made the error that cost Hamilton his 90th Grand Prix win, calling him in as soon as the safety car was thrown and not noticing that race director Michael Masi had closed the pit lane because marshals were dealing with Magnussen's car close to the entry.

Gasly had made his stop a couple of laps before the first safety car so did not stop again, and this promoted him to third behind Hamilton and Racing Point's Lance Stroll for a mixed-up field at the restart.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was soon into fourth place, passing both Alfa Romeo cars into the first chicane on the first lap of racing, but the Monegasque then lost control at the Parabolica and crashed heavily, causing the race to be reflagged for repairs to be made to the barriers.

The race was re-started with a standing start with Hamilton ahead of Stroll, Gasly, the Alfa Romeos of Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi and Sainz.

Stroll threw away his opportunity for a maiden win with a poor start, and Gasly moved into second behind Hamilton, who pitted at the end of the first lap of racing to serve his penalty.

By the time Sainz had passed Raikkonen, Gasly had a four-second lead.

The Spaniard closed that down to be right on his tail at the start of the last lap but Gasly managed to hold him off.

He is the first Frenchman to win a race since Olivier Panis won the Monaco Grand Prix for Ligier in similarly unlikely circumstances in 1996.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/54048534
 
Lewis Hamilton has launched a team to compete in the new electric off-road racing series, Extreme E, which aims to shed light on environmental issues.
 
Mercedes have shouldered responsibility for the pit-lane penalty that cost Lewis Hamilton victory at last weekend's dramatic Italian GP.

Hamilton dropped to the back of the field from the lead after collecting a 10-second stop-and-go penalty when he pitted when the service road was closed to cars. He finished only seventh, with Pierre Gasly instead taking an against-the-odds maiden F1 win.
 
Sebastian Vettel has signed to join Racing Point to spearhead their new Aston Martin era in a move that prolongs the four-time world champion's Formula 1 career into 2021.
 
Formula 1: Sebastian Vettel's move to Aston Martin is ideal, says Lewis Hamilton

Sebastian Vettel has made the "ideal" choice in moving to Aston Martin next season, says Lewis Hamilton.

Vettel's move to the team currently known as Racing Point was announced on Thursday, one day after current driver Sergio Perez said he was leaving.

Hamilton said: "I was really pleased to hear it, the team has new ownership and has already taken huge steps forward."

The world champion feels Vettel's nous will "help steer that team in a better direction in terms of car development".

The world champion, speaking on the eve of the Tuscan Grand Prix weekend at Mugello, added that he was "sorry for Sergio" but said the Mexican was a "great driver and hopefully he will other options".

Vettel said joining Aston Martin, as the team will be called next year, "wasn't an easy call" and that he had come "close" to retiring before deciding on a route he believed was "best for me".

The German said the fact new regulations are being introduced in 2022 in an attempt to close up the field, his new team's strong performances with a small budget in previous years and their development this year under the new ownership of Lawrence Stroll - who bought the team in 2018 - were all factors in his decision.

"The last weeks and months have been quite intense," Vettel said. "I felt like I wanted to remain if something really attracted me. The team's performances this year are very encouraging.

"If you are fair, Mercedes has the edge over everyone and that's not just valid for next year but also probably the years after that.

"But it is an exciting challenge. I want to race at the front not the back so I think the team is giving me that chance.

"The team is ready to grow and I am happy to do those together. Next year is the first year with the budget cap, but the team is in a much better place than in the past.

"It is a team that is growing. Other teams have to go down in size (next year). So lots of things make me confident and happy. It is a good step and an exciting project and I am sure we will fight for some good results in the near future."

Perez had previously insisted he had a contract and the team had indicated to him he would be staying.

He said the team had not told him anything about their plans to recruit Vettel until he was called by Stroll on Wednesday to be told he was dropped - but added he had an inkling something was happening in the background.

Perez, who has been linked with moves to the Alfa Romeo and Haas teams, said: "I have been long enough in this business. It is part of this crazy world called F1.

"The team will be stronger next year than this year, so it hurts a bit more knowing you will be leaving a good car.

"There is no secret. I put a lot of effort into this team in many ways. But at the same time they gave me a great opportunity to continue with my career.

"In the end, it didn't work out, a better opportunity came to the team, to the brand and there is nothing I can do.

"My priority will be to carry on and try to do at least a two-year contract and try to be here for 2022 because once you go out, you might never come back. I'd rather retire than take a sabbatical."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/54073867
 
Hamilton on pole at Mugello, Mercedeas team-mate Bottas in P2
 
Lewis Hamilton took the honour of claiming the first Formula 1 pole position at Mugello as Mercedes kept Red Bull's Max Verstappen at bay in Tuscan GP qualifying.

Valtteri Bottas had topped all three practice sessions and repeated that result in Q1, but Hamilton yet again came to the fore when it mattered most for his 95th career pole.

After heading a closely-fought Q2 from Bottas and Verstappen, the six-time champion won out from his team-mate in the decisive final phase with a 1:15.144 lap.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&#55357;&#56384; A long view and a close-up of the crash that's brought the remaining drivers back into the pits <br><br>It's the first time that we've had a Red Flag in consecutive races since 2011 - Monaco followed by Canada<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TuscanGP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TuscanGP</a> &#55356;&#56814;&#55356;&#56825; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://t.co/Z2QT1k1ckE">pic.twitter.com/Z2QT1k1ckE</a></p>— Formula 1 (@F1) <a href="https://twitter.com/F1/status/1305138260017111040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Drivers who are still in this race are out of their cars and talking with engineers and other team members in the pit lane <br><br>To confirm, the following drivers are OUT ❌<br><br>Verstappen<br>Gasly<br>Giovinazzi<br>Sainz<br>Latifi<br>Magnussen<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TuscanGP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TuscanGP</a> &#55356;&#56814;&#55356;&#56825; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://t.co/eSm9TOou84">pic.twitter.com/eSm9TOou84</a></p>— Formula 1 (@F1) <a href="https://twitter.com/F1/status/1305141297590697984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Another driver is OUT of this race - <a href="https://twitter.com/OconEsteban?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OconEsteban</a> is the seventh driver to retire <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TuscanGP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TuscanGP</a> &#55356;&#56814;&#55356;&#56825; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://t.co/XSuEfxTBzX">https://t.co/XSuEfxTBzX</a></p>— Formula 1 (@F1) <a href="https://twitter.com/F1/status/1305141878527062017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Feeling aghast for Russell. Was so comfortably going to finish ahead of the Ferraris and in the points for the first time if not for the restart, which he blew with just a few laps remaining. Such a shame.
His mate Albon scoring his first podium. Terrific effort from the guy under so much pressure
 
Tuscan Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton claims 90th win after incredible race

Lewis Hamilton took his 90th career victory by beating Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas in a chaotic, incident-strewn Tuscan Grand Prix.

The race was punctuated by two red flags, the first caused by a pile-up on the pit straight, the second by a high-speed crash for Lance Stroll.

In one of the most dramatic races for years, six cars had retired before a lap of racing had completed.

Red Bull's Thai-British driver Alex Albon took a maiden podium in third.

Hamilton's win was his sixth in nine races this season and, coupled with a fastest lap secured on the penultimate tour, it extended his championship lead to 55 points as the season passes halfway, and puts him just one behind Michael Schumacher's all-time record of wins.

At the pre-race anti-racism demonstration, as he did his post-race interviews, and on the podium, Hamilton wore a T-shirt saying: "Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor."

It refers to one of a number of controversial cases in the US in which police officers have shot and killed black civilians.

What caused the huge pile-up?

Amid the sequence of incidents and crashes, the victory hinged on three standing starts between the Mercedes drivers.

In the first, Hamilton got away poorly from pole position and lost the lead to Bottas, but racing lasted only three corners because of a crash between Kimi Raikkonen's Alfa Romeo, Alpha Tauri's Pierre Gasly and Haas driver Romain Grosjean.

The incident also took out Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who had been struck by engine problems as he accelerated away from third on the grid.

That led to a safety car, and at the restart, as Bottas bunched up the field down the pit straight, there was a massive crash towards the back of the field.

Haas' Kevin Magnussen accelerated and then slowed, he said because of cars doing the same in front of him. Williams driver Nicholas Latifi swerved to avoid him and Alfa Romeo's Antonio Giovinazzi then cannoned into Magnussen.

McLaren's Carlos Sainz then hit the back of the cars of both Giovinazzi and Magnussen, pitching the Alfa 90 degrees into the air before it came down on all four wheels.

How Hamilton got the lead

At the restart, the positions of the Mercedes drivers was reversed. Hamilton drafted Bottas down to Turn One and took the lead around the outside, controlling the race from there.

The Mercedes drivers disappeared off into the distance and appeared untroubled, but Bottas developed problems with excessive wear of his front tyres and began to drop dramatically away from Hamilton.

Bottas had to pit earlier than expected for fresh tyres. Hamilton followed him in next time around and the two drivers were instructed to stay off the kerbs to protect their tyres.

The race appeared done, but that was counting without another development.

Racing Point's Stroll was in the middle of a three-way fight for third with Renault's Daniel Ricciardo in front and Albon behind when his left rear tyre exploded as he entered the second of the two 170mph Arrabbiata corners.

That led to a second red flag, to repair the barrier.

The final part of the race

At the restart, with just 12 laps remaining, Bottas again got away slowly and lost second place to Ricciardo.

But the Finn was able to pass the Renault next time around and secure second place.

That left Ricciardo defending from Albon for third, which would have been the first podium for Renault since they returned to the sport in 2016.

But Albon had too much pace in the Red Bull and passed the Renault with a lovely move around the outside of the first corner with three laps to go to take his maiden F1 podium.

Albon made hard work of the result. Starting fourth, he dropped back to seventh at the second start and had to fight his way back up, which he did with some excellent passes.

Ricciardo took fourth, ahead of Racing Point's Sergio Perez and McLaren's Lando Norris.

Williams driver George Russell just missed out on his first points, finishing 11th, behind Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel.

Ferrari had a difficult day as they celebrated their 1,000th F1 Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc was running third early on, but dropped down the field, lacking pace and straight-line speed and finished eighth.

Driver of the day

What's next
A welcome two-week break after nine races in 11 weeks before the Russian Grand Prix, where Hamilton can equal a record some felt might never be broken - Schumacher's haul of 91 victories.

What they said
Lewis Hamilton: "It was all a bit of daze. It was like three races in one day. Just incredibly tough today. This track is phenomenal and the heat and keeping Valtteri behind was not easy. All those restarts total focus was needed. It was really, really hard. Valtteri appeared out of nowhere when I saw Danny was behind. I didn't want him to have DRS. My heart is racing. It is crazy to be here and to have 90 grands prix wins."

Valtteri Bottas: "Disappointing. It was a dream start for me. The start was really good and I managed to hold my position at the safety car restart. It seemed like there was never an opportunity once I lost the position at the second start. That is how it goes. I will just keep pushing and keep trying to get better. It has to turn out well for me at some point."

Alex Albon: "It was good obviously it is a while to get here but it was a tough one. I had to work for it. I am happy. I can breathe. It is nice to be here. It was brutal, especially the high-speed in sector two. It is more adrenaline going in my body than anything else. I am happy."
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Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/54138847.
 
The FIA are investigating Lewis Hamilton for wearing a T-shirt with a message about the shooting of Breonna Taylor both before and after his win at the Tuscan GP.
 
Formula 1 bosses are looking into whether Lewis Hamilton broke rules at the Tuscan Grand Prix by wearing a T-shirt highlighting police brutality.

A spokesman for the FIA said the matter was "under active consideration".

He said the FIA was a non-political organisation and was considering if Hamilton's T-shirt broke its statutes.

The T-shirt said: "Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor" - a black woman shot eight times in her Louisville, Kentucky home by US police in March.

Hamilton's shirt, which he wore during the pre-race anti-racism demonstration and on the podium, also said: "Say her name."

It was not immediately clear which statute from governing body the FIA was at issue.

Asked whether the FIA considered the T-shirt to be bearing a political message, the spokesman said: "That's the consideration we are looking into."

Taylor was one of a number of victims of incidents involving police violence in the US whose names have become rallying cries for equality and justice.

Hamilton said after winning the race on Sunday: "I've been wanting to bring awareness to the fact there are people being killed on the street.

"And someone was killed in her own house and they were in the wrong house and those guys are still walking free."

F1 and the FIA have mounted an anti-racism and pro-diversity campaign this year, which includes anti-racism demonstrations before every race.

Hamilton has been at the centre of the demonstrations, as the sport's most high-profile figure and its only black driver.

The spokesman said that the FIA had been working with Hamilton on its diversity programme this year.

Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff said on Saturday that Hamilton had the organisation's full support in his desire to highlight racial injustice and that it was up to him what T-shirts he wished to wear to demonstrate that.

Wolff said: "No question - it is entirely his decision. Whatever he does, we will support.

"The team is fighting against any kind of racism and discrimination and it is Lewis's personal fight for Black Lives Matter and with all the support we can give him. It's his call."

After the race, Mercedes responded to a Twitter user who asked that Hamilton "keep politics out of F1", saying: "We're not bringing politics into F1; these are human rights issues that we're trying to highlight and raise awareness of."

Wolff added: "Black Lives Matter is something that is important to all of us and we have supported Lewis all the way.

"The much broader movement is obviously the fight against any kind of racism and discrimination - and we as a team and as a corporate have always put an emphasis to fight against that injustice."

The only reference to politics in the statutes is a requirement on the FIA to "refrain from manifesting discrimination on account of race, skin colour, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic or social origin, language, religion, philosophical or political opinion, family situation or disability in the course of its activities".

The sporting code forbids competitors from "affixing to their automobiles advertising that is political or religious in nature or that is prejudicial to the interests of the FIA".
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Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/54152046.
 
Lewis Hamilton says he "won't let up" in his fight against injustice as the FIA decided not to investigate his actions at the Tuscan Grand Prix.

Formula 1's governing body had been considering whether Hamilton broke its rules in wearing a T-shirt highlighting police brutality at Sunday's race.

An FIA spokesman told BBC Sport an investigation had been ruled out.

Hamilton said: "Want you to know I won't stop using this platform to shed light on what I believe is right."

The Mercedes driver, writing on Instagram, thanked "those of you who continue to support me and show love, I am so grateful".

He added: "This is a journey for all of us to come together and challenge the world on every level of injustice, not only racial."

Hamilton's T-shirt, which he wore for the pre-race anti-racism demonstration and on the podium afterwards, said: "Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor" and "Say her name".

Taylor was a black woman who was shot eight times in her home in Louisville, Kentucky, by US police in March.

She was one of a number of victims of incidents involving police violence in the US whose names have become rallying cries for equality and justice.

The FIA was caught by surprise by Hamilton's actions - previously he had worn a T-shirt saying "Black Lives Matter", while those of all other drivers have said "End Racism".

It had been considering whether Hamilton had breached article 1.2 of the FIA statutes, which says: "The FIA shall refrain from manifesting discrimination on account of race, skin colour, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic or social origin, language, religion, philosophical or political opinion, family situation or disability in the course of its activities and from taking any action in this respect."

The FIA is also a signatory of the Olympic charter, which forbids any "kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda".

Hamilton said after winning the race on Sunday: "I've been wanting to bring awareness to the fact there are people being killed on the street.

"And someone was killed in her own house and they were in the wrong house and those guys are still walking free."

F1 and the FIA have mounted an anti-racism and pro-diversity campaign this year, which includes anti-racism demonstrations before every race.

Hamilton has been at the centre of the demonstrations, as the sport's most high-profile figure and its only black driver.

His stance has been backed by his Mercedes team, who painted their cars black this year to represent their support for anti-racism and diversity.

Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff said on Saturday that Hamilton had the organisation's full support in his desire to highlight racial injustice and that it was up to him what T-shirts he wished to wear to demonstrate that.

"No question - it is entirely his decision," Wolff said. "Whatever he does, we will support. The team is fighting against any kind of racism and discrimination and it is Lewis's personal fight for Black Lives Matter and with all the support we can give him. It's his call."

Wolff added: "Black Lives Matter is something that is important to all of us and we have supported Lewis all the way.

"The much broader movement is obviously the fight against any kind of racism and discrimination and we as a team and as a corporate have always put an emphasis to fight against that injustice."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/54161846
 
Stefano Domenicali: Ex-Ferrari boss to head Formula 1

Former Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali is to become the new boss of Formula 1 next year.

The Italian, who left Ferrari early in 2014, is the chief executive of sports car manufacturer Lamborghini.

The 55-year-old's appointment has not been announced by F1, but has been confirmed to the BBC by senior sources.

Chase Carey, CEO and chairman of F1 since US group Liberty Media took over the sport in 2017, will stay as chairman in a form still to be decided.

A spokesman for F1 declined to comment on Domenicali's new position. Domenicali himself did not immediately respond to a request to comment.

The news has been communicated to team bosses.

Domenicali's appointment means the sport’s commercial rights holder and governing body will both be led by former Ferrari team bosses.

Domenicali took over at Ferrari from Jean Todt, the current FIA president, at the end of 2007.

Todt has said he will not stand for re-election when his third term ends next year.

Domenicali is a highly respected and well-liked figure in F1, a charismatic and genial character with a strong track record in management.

He is the last team principal under whom Ferrari won a world title - the constructors’ championship in 2008.

He resigned in 2014 after refusing to comply with then-president Luca di Montezemolo’s wish for him to sack Ferrari's engine head after the team badly underestimated the requirements of the new turbo-hybrid engine regulations.

Domenicali then took up a senior management role at Audi, before being appointed chief executive of Lamborghini, which is also part of the VW Audi Group.

He also has a senior role at the FIA as head of the single-seater commission.
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Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/54259817.
 
Lewis Hamilton: Commission members named for motorsport diversity push

Lewis Hamilton has vowed to increase the number of black people in motor racing, naming a group to analyse the causes of a lack of diversity.

The British Formula 1 world champion said members of his Hamilton Commission "together will make a change".

Hamilton will lead the group alongside Dr Hayaatun Sillem, the chief executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

The 14 members include former sports minister Tracey Crouch and ex-McLaren Formula 1 boss Martin Whitmarsh.

Mercedes driver Hamilton, 35, has set the commission the target of identifying the "key barriers to the recruitment and progression of black people in UK motorsport" and providing "actionable recommendations to overcome them".

A statement said the composition of the commission had been chosen to "represent a wide range of expertise spanning critical areas of influence, including motorsport, engineering, schools, colleges and universities, community/youth groups, as well as major UK political parties".

Other members include Professor Alice Gast, the president of Imperial College London and Chi Onwurah, the Labour MP for Newcastle-upon-Tyne and shadow minister for digital, science and technology.

Hamilton is F1's first and so far only black driver. The sport's only other non-white competitor is Red Bull's Alexander Albon, a Britain-born Thai.

Six-time world champion Hamilton said: "What is more concerning is that there are still very few people of colour across the sport as a whole.

"In F1, our teams are much bigger than the athletes that front them, but representation is insufficient across every skill set - from the garage to the engineers in the factories and design departments.

"Change isn't coming quickly enough and we need to know why.

"This is why I wanted to set up the commission and I'm proud to be working with the Royal Academy of Engineering and our incredible board of commissioners to identify the barriers facing young black people to take up STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) careers in motorsport.

"We are dedicated to this cause and, together, we will make a change."

Sillem said: "This is a truly unique opportunity to drive transformational change on this crucial issue and, in the process, to learn more about how we can enrich diversity in other parts of engineering and society."

Gast said the commission would "not only strengthen Formula 1 and motorsport, but will help bring needed talent into engineering".

"Inclusion and excellence go hand in hand. Lewis is a role model for future stars of engineering and innovation as much as he is a sporting icon and I'm very pleased to be working with him," she added.

Hamilton has been at the forefront of F1's attempts this year to promote an anti-racist and pro-diversity agenda, which includes demonstrations before every grand prix.

His Mercedes team have painted their cars black for this season, instead of their trademark silver, as a signal of their commitment to greater diversity and inclusion.

Hamilton called the move "an important statement we are willing to change and improve as a business".

The team admitted that "just 3% of our workforce identify as belonging to minority ethnic groups and only 12% of our employees are women".

Mercedes have pledged to increase those numbers and Hamilton has called on all other teams to match that commitment.

F1 as a sport has launched an equality and diversity taskforce to increase opportunity for minority groups and has pledged to work with the Hamilton Commission.

Hamilton will publish the findings and recommendations of his commission and take it "directly to key stakeholders who can help implement change".

A statement added: "Commissioners will also support this effort by applying their personal influence to champion the insights and recommendations from the project."
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Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/54273775.
 
Fernando Alonso: Formula 1 return down to love of the sport

Fernando Alonso says he decided to return to Formula 1 because he loves the sport.

The two-time F1 champion, 39, said he had completed his “check list” of other things to do in his two years away.

Alonso said: “It’s not I was missing it or want a rematch. The two years outside there were things I wanted to do more than driving an F1 car.

“I did them and now it’s time to return. I love to have a racing car in my hands every two weeks.”

He said he felt Mercedes’ domination of the sport was a good opportunity to fulfil some other ambitions.

Alonso has signed to race for at least the next two years for Renault, which will be renamed Alpine from 2021 after the French manufacturer’s sporting brand.

In his two years away from F1, Alonso won Le Mans twice and the World Endurance Championship, and competed in the Dakar Rally and the Indianapolis 500.

He said the one-year delay until 2022 in the introduction of new regulations aimed at closing up the field had given him pause for thought but that ultimately he felt it was a good idea to come back for a year of preparation in 2021.

“All those things I did have helped me to liberate my mind from the desires I had and F1 is still in a time there is no great competition,” he said.

“So I thought this was a good time to do the things I wanted to do and then return now with the new regulations in force for 2021.

“That has been postponed to 2022 and I had a time when I didn’t know what to do - do I wait until 2022 and wait for the new regs or return next year and start with a warming up and working with the team? That’s what I went for.”

Alonso was speaking at a news conference timed to coincide with the launch of a new fly-on-the-wall documentary series on Amazon Prime charting his life over the past year.

He deflected questions about whether he could win a third title, a long-time ambition.

“I would love to and my return is not to visit the restaurants of every city,” Alonso said.

“You go for a specific purpose and try to win. Being fifth is better than sixth but it doesn’t change things that much. Either you win or you don’t.

“The goal is to try and win. We know in 2021 it will only be for [Lewis] Hamilton and Mercedes.

"So Renault Alpine, Fernando, Ferrari, Carlos [Sainz], Red Bull, [Max] Verstappen, many people have high hopes. But in one and half years we will all be in the same situation to get on track and see if we can raise the game and be up to the task.

“I am going to train a lot but it is difficult to make such a statement. There is hope, they change the regulations and we hope the Mercedes domination stops.”

The documentary team spent a year with Alonso filming his life, both personal and professional, and he said he hoped the series - of which a second season has already been commissioned - would “show normal people what a driver’s life is like”.

He revealed that he was “afraid of the coronavirus”, and that he still cleans his groceries when he returns from shopping, and that he is uncomfortable about flying, despite the immense amount of travelling he has to do.

“To step on a plane is not something I am thrilled about,” Alonso said. “I have to do it. But when the plane takes off I am not at ease.”

Alonso said the greatest challenge of his return was “getting back into the mindset of F1”. He has this week been at the Renault factories in the UK and France reacquainting himself with the team and spending time in the simulator.

“It’s very demanding and you have to be a perfectionist like in no other category,” Alonso said.

“You have to talk to the engineers, I have my computer where I can listen to the team radio - I am very much involved in what is happening each weekend and that is helping me get up to speed.”

He pointed out that restrictions on testing meant that he would have only a day and a half in the car before the start of the 2021 season.

“There are three days [of pre-season testing] in Barcelona so one and a half days for me. Imagine what it is like to train for three days and then go into the World Championship. Everything has to be ready beforehand.”

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/54281852
 
Formula 1 drivers mostly opposed to idea of reverse-grid races

Most Formula 1 drivers are opposed to the idea of holding reverse-grid sprint races in place of qualifying next year.

Formula 1 has canvassed fans on the idea, which managing director Ross Brawn has been pushing for some time.

But the majority of drivers asked about the topic at the Russian Grand Prix on Thursday said they disliked it.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen said: “It’s artificial and trying to create a show, which is not what F1 stands for. The cars will end in the same position.”

The Dutchman added: “The fastest car should be in the front. That’s what everyone works for. F1 is about pure performance.”

Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel have consistently expressed their opposition to the idea, and at the last race Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff said it was turning the sport into a wrestling-style show.

Mercedes vetoed the idea when Brawn tried to introduce it at some races this year but new rules for 2021 make it more likely to happen.

The idea was given fresh momentum by the Italian Grand Prix earlier this month, when a series of incidents led to a mixed-up grid for a restart and a shock victory for Alpha Tauri driver Pierre Gasly.

F1 has asked fans to vote on trying the proposal out at four races next season.

The grid for the sprint race would be based on reverse championship order and the result would set the grid for the Grand Prix.

McLaren’s Lando Norris said: “I don’t think if you swap everyone it will necessarily lead to a better race.”

Racing Point’s Sergio Perez added: “I saw Toto Wolff said F1 is not WWE and I agree. The problem F1 has is the difference across teams. They are working hard to fix that for 2022 [with new technical rules].

“I don’t think it is a good idea for the sport. Saturdays are very special in F1 as well as Sundays. You would be taking quite a bit away from the Saturday.”

And Williams driver George Russell said: “I still think the Mercedes would win. It would be interesting in the midfield because the pace of those cars are so close. The cars behind wouldn’t be able to overtake.

“We have to try things. It might exciting, it might a bit of a joke. Maybe we could try it once.”

Renault's Daniel Ricciardo said: "[Monza was] exciting but it was organic. I'm just worried if we kind of add it in an artificial way and mix-up the field and every driver is getting an F1 win, does the value of an F1 win hold what it does today? That is the fine line and balance."

Drivers want to discuss Tuscany re-start crash
The F1 drivers have written to FIA race director Michael Masi asking how re-starts can be made safer after a multi-car pile-up at the Tuscan Grand Prix.

The drivers felt that the way the re-start was organised at Mugello made a crash more likely and Hamilton described the situation as “not particularly safe”.

The drivers have asked Masi to explain the FIA’s perspective and the matter will be discussed at the drivers’ briefing in Russia on Friday.

Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, said: Vettel: “Something went wrong, so we have to look at it and do something better.

“We can’t be happy with some of the things that happened but I would like to keep the dialogue between Michael and ourselves.”

McLaren's Carlos Sainz, one of the drivers involved in the crash, said: “We need to take some lessons from it. We didn’t make our lives easy by some people second-guessing the start and we are definitely going to discuss that.

“We need to analyse together with the FIA what we can do better because the crash was huge and it could have been a lot worse if the cars I took with me or in the concertina effect were at different angles when you take them.

“It was a serious accident and we need to try to avoid a repeat of it. It needs to be discussed privately but we need to have a proper look and a brainstorm about how to avoid it next time.”
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Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/54287382.
 
Russian GP, Practice One: Valtteri Bottas fastest, Lewis Hamilton 19th, in crash-heavy session

Valtteri Bottas topped the timesheets ahead of surprise closest rival Daniel Ricciardo in a crash-heavy Russian GP first practice, while Lewis Hamilton finished down in 19th on a quiet start to his potentially record-equalling weekend.

Hamilton can match Michael Schumacher's all-time win record of 91 this weekend but, as well as being was one of many drivers who struggled for grip around Sochi's Olympic Park on Friday morning, appeared to be on a much different run-plan to his team-mate.

Bottas, fastest in six consecutive P1s, set the pace with a 1:34.923 - half a second clear of the in-form Ricciardo, who impressively beat former Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen by a tenth in the Renault.

Hamilton, meanwhile, didn't post a representative time on the soft tyres and finished almost three seconds off the pace, faster than only Nicholas Latifi, who had a big shunt in the Williams.

Latifi's crash at Turn 10 led to a red flag but he wasn't the only man who found the barriers on a dusty and green Sochi Autodrom, with Carlos Sainz also having a spin and shunt in the McLaren earlier in the disrupted session.

Mercedes, who are undefeated in Russia, also had issues, with Bottas and Hamilton both having big lock-ups and the Englishman suffering a flat spot to his tyres. But they still appear the team to beat.

Red Bull insisted coming into the weekend that they feared dropping back into the midfield and the very early signs suggest that may well be the case, with Renault in particular a threat on a high-speed circuit.

Racing Point also had a good first practice, with Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll both in the top five.

Esteban Ocon was sixth in the other Renault, while AlphaTauri's Daniil Kvyat out-paced Red Bull's Alex Albon, who comes into the weekend off the back of his maiden F1 podium at Mugello.

Sebastian Vettel ensured Ferrari had a car in the top-10, although Charles Leclerc was two places back in 11th - beaten by Monza race-winner Pierre Gasly.

As well as having a disrupted session thanks to Sainz's shunt, McLaren also didn't have a particularly competitive one, with neither Sainz, who didn't post a time on the soft tyres, or Lando Norris in the top-10.

Read more: https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/12081098/bottas-fastest-hamilton-19th-in-crash-heavy-p1
 
Valtteri Bottas fastest in second Russia practice


Valtteri Bottas set the pace ahead of Lewis Hamilton in second practice at the Russian Grand Prix despite scruffy sessions for both Mercedes drivers.

The Finn was top by 0.267secs despite sliding wide at the final corner, while Hamilton abandoned what would have been his own best lap after an error.

Hamilton locked a front wheel into Turn 13 and just avoided the barrier.

Bottas was a second ahead of Renault's Daniel Ricciardo in third and McLaren's Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris.

Red Bull appeared to be struggling. Max Verstappen was only seventh fastest after a spin, behind Racing Point's Sergio Perez and 1.5secs off the pace, while his team-mate Alex Albon was a further 0.5secs back in 12th place.

Behind Verstappen, the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel were eighth and 10th, sandwiching Renault's Esteban Ocon.

Mercedes appeared to be in a league of their own, while Red Bull, usually their closest rivals, have work to do.

Mercedes' advantage was also pronounced on the long runs later in the session.

Hamilton and Bottas were well over 0.5secs a lap faster than any other car on average over their race-simulation runs - and again Ricciardo was faster than Verstappen, at least on the soft tyre, although the Dutchman looked more competitive on his second set of tyres at the end of practice, when he was next quickest after the Mercedes.

Hamilton and Bottas both had difficult first sessions, losing much of their running after locking front wheels and damaging their tyres but recovered well in the afternoon.

Hamilton said: "I didn't feel like I was particularly quick today. P1 was pretty poor. Had a lock-up at Turn One on the soft tyre and then went out on the hard and completely destroyed the tyres, so P1 was scrap.

"P2 started a lot better. A bit down in the first and second sector but the last one was nice. I haven't put them all together yet. It's a work in progress, just some things I need to improve from the driving side and set-up-wise.

"Even for us, it doesn't feel that great out there, so surprised to see that gap. It must be even worse for those behind. But the track will grip up and things might close up."

While the session was running, F1 announced that the sport is to have a new boss, confirming the appointment of former Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali as president and chief executive officer, starting in January.

Chase Carey, the chairman and chief executive since January 2017 when the sport was taken over by US group Liberty Media, will become non-executive chairman.

"I know Stefano really well and he's one of the nicest guys I know," said Hamilton. "I don't think they could have chosen someone better to replace some big shoes with Chase, whose done an amazing job.

"Stefano has a great heart, a good family and good morals. The future's positive."
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Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/54298801.
 
Stefano Domenicali: Ex-Ferrari boss confirmed as new head of F1

Former Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali has been named the new president and chief executive officer of Formula 1.

The 55-year-old Italian, currently the chief executive of Lamborghini, will take up his role in January.

Chase Carey, F1's chairman and CEO since January 2017, will become non-executive chairman.

Domenicali was Ferrari team principal from 2008-14 and has since worked with the Volkswagen Group.

Domenicali has also been head of the single-seater commission of F1's governing body the FIA, a role he continues to hold.

The appointment comes shortly after Carey has sealed the future of the sport for the next five years, having successfully signed up the teams to new contracts and overseen the introduction of a series of new rules, including a budget cap that is being introduced next year.

Greg Maffei, the president of F1 owners Liberty Media, said: "Chase has done a phenomenal job leading F1.

"He assembled a first-class commercial and sporting organisation that has a long list of achievements, including broadening the appeal of the sport, growing its digital presence, establishing new technical regulations, securing a cost cap for the first time and reaching a new, more equitable Concorde Agreement with the teams.

"His actions have reinforced F1 as the pinnacle of motorsport.

"We are excited to welcome Stefano Domenicali as President and CEO of Formula 1. Stefano brings a rich history of success in F1 at Ferrari and the broader auto industry at Audi and Lamborghini."

Carey said: "It has been an honour to lead F1. I'm proud of the team that's not only navigated through an immensely challenging 2020 but returned with added purpose and determination in the areas of sustainability, diversity and inclusion.

"I'm confident that we've built the strong foundation for the business to grow over the long term."

Domenicali said: "I am thrilled to join the Formula 1 organisation, a sport that has always been part of my life.

"I was born in Imola and live in Monza. I've remained connected to the sport through my work with the single-seater commission at the FIA and I look forward to connecting with the teams, promoters, sponsors and many partners in F1 as we continue to drive the business ahead.

"The past six years at Audi and then leading Lamborghini [both part of the Volkswagen Group] have given me broader perspective and experience that I will bring to Formula 1."

Domenicali's appointment has been widely welcomed by F1 teams. McLaren said in a statement: "He is the right person to lead the sport into its new era.

"Stefano has a rounded view and broad experience at team, manufacturer, regulator, brand and senior leadership levels that equip him well to build on the strong foundations Chase and his team have laid for the sport's continued development and growth."
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Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/54296779.
 
Mick Schumacher says his father's Formula 1 records are "there to be broken" and - while outlining his own big racing aims - has praised the "very influential" Lewis Hamilton on a potentially milestone weekend.

Mick is the son of the legendary Michael Schumacher, whose famed total of 91 F1 victories could be equalled by Hamilton at this weekend's Russian GP.

As he looks to build on his title lead in F2, F1's feeder series, Mick has discussed Hamilton and a record that seemed unassailable not long ago.

"One sentence my dad always used to say was records are there to be broken," said the 21-year-old.

"It's everybody's aim in the sport to do that. I think Lewis had a very, very good run - he had a very consecutive and positive run."

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/2...scusses-lewis-hamilton-and-fathers-f1-records
 
Lewis Hamilton takes Russian Grand Prix pole

Lewis Hamilton took a dramatic pole position at the Russian Grand Prix despite coming within a second of qualifying down in 15th.

The Briton had no time in the second knockout session when it stopped after Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel crashed.

It was restarted with just two minutes and 15 seconds left and Hamilton made it to the line with a second to spare.

But in the final session Hamilton was flawless as Red Bull's Max Verstappen pipped Valtteri Bottas to second.

Hamilton was 0.652 seconds quicker than team-mate Bottas, while Verstappen took his place on the front row 0.563secs behind the world champion.

Hamilton can equal Michael Schumacher's all-time record of 91 grand prix victories this weekend.

The dramatic

Hamilton described the session as "one of the worst qualifyings - it was horrible, heart in mouth the whole way".

His problems started when he ran wide at the final corner on his first lap in the second session and had what was at the time the fastest lap deleted.

Hamilton asked to stay out and do a second lap, but was overruled and returned to the pits.

He went out for a second run and was three corners from the end of a lap that would again have been fastest when Vettel lost control at Turn Four and spun into the wall, bringing out the red flag with just over two minutes remaining. He will start 15th.

The session was stopped to clear up the debris and repair the barrier, and when it restarted Hamilton found himself eighth in the queue at the end of the pit lane.

He had to overtake a couple of cars to make it to the line in time - and as he slowed at the final corner to give himself some space after failing to pass a Renault into the last corner, his engineer Peter Bonnington was urging him on the radio: "You need to go. Go now."

He crossed the line just before the red lights came on to indicate the end of the session and did a lap good enough for fourth place at the time.

But the drama meant he had to switch to soft tyres rather than the mediums he had been on - a decision on which the team again overruled him. This means Hamilton will have to start on the softs, while Verstappen and Bottas have the mediums, a better race tyre, so Hamilton suspects he will be up against it on Sunday.

The sublime

After the drama of the second session, Hamilton showed the presence of mind that is one of the many aspects that mark him out as great when he produced a superlative lap at the start of the final session, nearly 0.8secs quicker than Bottas.

The Finn improved on his second run but so did Hamilton and the Briton was in a world of his own.

But as well as his tyre deficit, he is also concerned about the long run down to the first corner, where the pole man is always vulnerable to being slipstreamed.

"I am starting on the soft tyre, which is not good," Hamilton said. "It's nice being on pole but here is probably the worst place to be on pole and undoubtedly I am probably going to get drafted by the cars behind me and they are starting on the medium and that is definitely the better tyre."

Hamilton had also faced a potential penalty for ignoring the race director's instructions when he ran wide at Turn Two in the first qualifying session and not rejoining in the correct manner, but no further action was taken.

Bottas said: "It has been looking pretty good all weekend but Q3 I found some gains but the others found more.

"Here it is pretty sensitive with the tyres getting it right. The first run, the tyres were too cold and the second one, I don't know. It's a pretty good place to start third here and I am on the right tyre as well."

Verstappen's pace was unexpected after Red Bull had appeared to struggle through practice.

"It felt really good," he said. "Just trying to find the right balance. Second run, made a few changes and that gave me more grip. You really need good entry grip on this track and it was a really nice lap to drive."

Verstappen was nearly 1.2secs quicker than team-mate Alex Albon, who qualified 10th.

Renault's Daniel Ricciardo was an impressive fourth, ahead of the Racing Point of Sergio Perez, whose team-mate Lance Stroll had an engine problem in the restart queue in the second session and is 13th, and McLaren's Carlos Sainz in sixth.

The Spaniard's team-mate Lando Norris, using a new nose and front wing, was eighth, while Williams driver George Russell made it into the second session and will start 14th.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/54308739
 
Russian Grand Prix: 'Lewis Hamilton has job on to equal Michael Schumacher's record'

Lewis Hamilton starts the race in which he could equal the all-time record for grand prix victories from pole position on Sunday - but that 91st win is very far from the near certainty it might be in other circumstances.

After a dramatic qualifying session at the Russian Grand Prix, in which the Mercedes driver nearly ended up 15th after a combination of mistakes and bad luck, Hamilton has two major concerns going into the race - the tyres he is on, and the fact pole might be more of a handicap than an advantage.

First, track position. Pole gives Hamilton a seven-metre advantage over Max Verstappen's Red Bull in second place. But the run from the grid down to the first corner at Sochi is the longest on the calendar and the slipstream effect is huge.

In 2017, Hamilton's team-mate Valtteri Bottas used this from his third place on the grid to tow past the two Ferraris in front of him and into a lead he was never to lose on the way to his maiden victory.

Last year, when Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was on pole, ahead of Hamilton, Ferrari used team tactics to ensure Leclerc allowed his team-mate - Sebastian Vettel, who started third - to tow past him into the lead, so they ran one and two ahead of Hamilton. That led to a big falling out at Ferrari, but that's another story.

Inevitably, then, Hamilton is worried about being passed down the straight after the start by at least one of Verstappen and Bottas, who is third on the grid.

"It's not a good place to start at all," he said. "And this year our cars are more draggy and there is more tow than we have seen in other years. I genuinely expect one of these two to come flying by at some point."

Hamilton has some defence against this because he is starting on the soft tyres, which give the best grip off the line, while Verstappen and Bottas have the mediums.

Whether that is enough to offset the effect of the tow remains to be seen, but even if it is, Hamilton's problems will be far from over, because the soft tyre is very much not the best on which to start the race. It wears too quickly.

Even if he maintains the lead at the start, Hamilton will have to fend off Bottas and Verstappen as long as he can - not easy with such a long straight.

"I am on the worst tyre," Hamilton said. "It is a good tyre to do an actual start, but it has the biggest degradation - 10 times more than any other tyre, I think it is - so that's going to be a struggle.

"I don't know if that puts me on to a two-stop [strategy]. Unlikely, because the pit lane is too slow so I am just going to have to nurse those tyres as far as I can."

If he can hang on, and Mercedes' strategists can find a window of clear air into which he can exit after his pit stop, he might still be OK. But the team do not sound that optimistic.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said: "It is not the optimum strategy because after some laps the soft is clearly going to suffer and that means it compromises your whole race because you probably need to pit into traffic and that is not a great situation.

"But Lewis is the best overtaker in the field and I hope he can make his way back because he was the quickest driver on track today."

How did Hamilton get in this position?

The quickest driver Hamilton certainly was - he took pole by more than 0.5 seconds and Bottas was 0.652secs adrift, and admitted he did not know why. But the session was anything but smooth sailing for Hamilton. In fact, there were dramas from the off.

In the first knockout session, Hamilton ran wide on his first lap at Turn Two - the de facto first corner - and failed to comply with guidelines about how to rejoin the track.

That meant he had to do a second lap to make it into the next session - and led to a stewards' inquiry, though no further action was taken.

Then, in the second session, which defines the start tyres, Hamilton went out on the favoured mediums and set a blistering first lap, 0.4secs quicker than Bottas. However, that time was deleted because he had run too wide out of the last corner and exceeded track limits.

He wanted to do another lap straight away and had an argument with the team when they called him in to the pits instead. Wolff said they had no choice - he did not have enough fuel in the car to stay out.

There was still plenty of time for another lap on the medium tyres at the end of the session, and Hamilton was about three corners from the end of one that would have put him fastest when Vettel crashed at Turn Four and brought out the red flag.

Now, there was jeopardy.

There were only two minutes 15 seconds left in the session. In theory, there was still time to do an out lap and start a flying lap before the chequered flag ended the session, but now Hamilton had another problem.

Time was tight, so there was going to be a rush to get out. Other cars lined up at the end of the pit lane and waited in a queue, with their engines switched off. Hamilton could not do that because the Mercedes engine cannot be restarted by the driver using electrical energy from the hybrid system, whereas those of the other three manufacturers can.

So Mercedes sent him out only when they knew there was sufficiently little time left before the restart for him to sit in a queue with the engine idling without damaging it.

But that still meant waiting a couple of minutes - and that meant the engineers insisted he switched to the soft tyres. Hamilton wanted the mediums again, but they overruled him because they were concerned the harder mediums would lose too much heat while he waited in the queue and that he would never be able to warm them up again.

Even on the softs, he still nearly lost it at the first corner before gathering it up again after driving through the run-off area. The out lap that followed was a tense one.

Knowing he was tight on time, Hamilton asked halfway around it how he was doing for time and was told he was 20 seconds behind schedule.

He picked up the pace and forced his way past Racing Point's Sergio Perez and McLaren's Carlos Sainz before the last two corners. He was then blocked by a Renault into the final turn.

As Hamilton backed off to give himself some space, engineer Peter Bonnington came over the radio, his voice urgent: "Need to go, need to go, need to go." Hamilton floored it and crossed the line with a second to spare.

Can he do it?

Hamilton spent the eight-minute break between the sessions clearing his mind of the stress and composing himself again.

"Just having to calm myself down and find my centre, you know, calm my heart down and wanting to deliver in Q3," he said.

"I was adamant. I had no choice. I had to deliver on those two laps. Valtteri had been doing great all weekend. Nothing new in that respect, but I knew I needed to have a perfect lap, particularly on the first run, to get the pole.

"Obviously pole position is not great here; it never has been. Still, going for pole is what we do.

"The first lap was really great. I thought it was going to be very difficult to improve on it, but I think I managed to improve just a tiny bit, I think, on the second lap.

"I'm super grateful to everyone for just about keeping their cool. And it could be a lot, lot worse. I could be out of the top 10, so I'm really grateful I got to compete."

Having dragged himself out of a hole partly of his own making on Saturday, Hamilton now somehow has to find a way to do it again in the race.

"I am just going to focus on my race and try to run the fastest race I can," Hamilton said.

"If these guys get by they are going to be pulling away, so I am going to sit down and work out if there is a different kind of race I can do to keep my position."

The record he will not be bothered about, not of itself anyway. As he has so often said, he is not one for numbers, and as he pointed out on Thursday: "It will happen at some stage. I'm not quitting any time soon."

But he still wants the win, for the sake of it - because that's why he's there and because it would be another giant step on the way to equalling another Schumacher record: seven World Championships.
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/54308744.
 
Formula 1 drivers have been told they cannot wear clothing bearing any slogans or messages while doing official duties after grands prix.

The move is a reaction to Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton wearing a T-shirt at the last race in Tuscany referencing the case of a woman killed by US police.

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The FIA said podium finishers "must remain attired only in their driving suits done up to the neck".

This must be the case throughout the podium ceremony and interviews.

The requirements include a "medical face mask or team-branded face mask".

The move had been expected after talks between the FIA, Mercedes and Hamilton's representatives before this weekend's Russian Grand Prix.

At Mugello, Hamilton wore a T-shirt saying: "Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor" at the official pre-race anti-racism demonstration and on the podium and during the post-race interviews.

He had previously worn a Black Lives Matter T-shirt for the demonstration, but not after the race, while other drivers wore the FIA official "End Racism" T-shirts.

FIA to clarify rules on anti-racism shirts

The FIA looked into whether they should investigate Hamilton on the grounds of breaking any rules, but decided against it.

Political messages have long been banned on the podium in F1.

Hamilton said at the Russian Grand Prix: "I did something that has never really happened in F1 and obviously they will stop it from happening moving forwards."

Taylor was a black woman shot multiple times as officers raided her home in Louisville, Kentucky, in March. The case is one of a number that has been at the centre of civil rights protests in the US.

On Wednesday, authorities in the US decided not to change any of the police officers involved with her killing, a decision that led to sports stars across the world, including Hamilton, expressing their anger and disappointment.

Hamilton said in Sochi on Thursday: "I don't regret a single moment of it. I usually follow my heart and do what I feel is right.

"People talk about sport not being a place for politics. Ultimately, it's a human rights issues and in my opinion that is something we should be pushing towards.

"We have a huge collective group of amazing people who watch our sport from multiple different backgrounds and cultures. We should definitely be pushing positive messages towards them, especially for equality.

"We push towards road safety and you could say that is human rights."
 
Bottas wins, Verstappen 2nd, Hamilton 3rd

Hamilton penalised for practice start in wrong position

Sainz and Stroll out in separate first-lap crashes
 
Lewis Hamilton's quest for the all-time record of Formula 1 wins was put on hold when he was hit with penalties at the Russian Grand Prix.

Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas dominated after the world champion was given a 10-second penalty for doing two illegal practice starts.

Hamilton's transgressions put him on the verge of a one-race ban because of accumulated licence penalty points.

Bottas' win means he cuts Hamilton's championship lead to 44 points.

Hamilton and the Mercedes team made the victory easy for Bottas with their collective failure to know the rules on practice starts before the race.

Bottas was on the better strategy - starting on the medium tyres while Hamilton was on softs after a chaotic qualifying session for the Briton - and was tracking Hamilton in the early laps waiting for the race to play out.

Had the race played out, Hamilton would have made his pit stop first and been leading in the closing stages but with a grip deficit on older tyres trying to hold off Bottas and Verstappen.

But two five-second penalties, each for practice starts in the wrong place on the reconnaissance laps before the cars go to the grid, took Hamilton out of the equation.
 
Lewis Hamilton's record must wait after he falls fouls of Russian GP stewards

In the end, the record will have to wait. An uncharacteristically error-strewn weekend from Lewis Hamilton at the Russian Grand Prix meant Michael Schumacher still stands alone in Formula 1's history books - for one more race at least.

Things had started to unravel for Hamilton in a chaotic qualifying session on Saturday, in which the Mercedes driver took his 96th career pole, but came within a second of qualifying 15th as a result of a series of errors.

But it was in the build-up to the race that things really fell apart and delayed the 91st win with which Hamilton will match Schumacher, before surely going on to surpass him.

Hamilton asked his team if he could do his practice starts from further up the pit lane than the usual spot, and they said he could.

The stewards disagreed, and Hamilton was given a 10-second penalty. Initially, they also gave him two penalty points that moved him within two of an automatic one-race ban. But that decision was later rescinded, giving him a bit more breathing space over the next four races, although he will still have to be careful.

Hamilton thought his punishment for what he regarded as a relatively harmless error was "ridiculous" and provocatively added: "It is to be expected. They're trying to stop me, aren't they?"

He rowed back on that a few minutes later, saying: "I don't necessarily think it's for me. Whenever a team is at the front, they are under a lot of scrutiny. Everything we have on our car is being triple checked and triple checked. They are changing rules, such as the engine regs. Lots of things to keep the racing exciting, I assume.

"I don't know if the rules in terms of what happened today was anything to do with it, but naturally that's how it feels. It feels we're fighting uphill.

"But that's OK. It's not like I haven't faced adversity before."

How did Hamilton get it wrong?
The rules Hamilton was determined to have broken were in two separate places - the race director's event notes and the sporting regulations.

The event notes say that "practice starts may only be carried out on the right-hand side after the pit exit lights" and that "cars may not stop in the fast lane at any time the pit exit is open without a justifiable reason (a practice start is not considered a justifiable reason)".

The sporting regulations add that in the pre-race period drivers must "use constant throttle and constant speed in the pit exit".

As he approached the spot where drivers do their practice starts, Hamilton told engineer Peter Bonnington over the radio that there was a lot of rubber down there.

He had been told to try to find a spot a little further forward, with minimal rubber, to better reflect conditions on the grid, so the car's electronics could be tuned more accurately.

So he asked if he could find somewhere else with less rubber and was told he could. The pit lane in Sochi is particularly long, and Hamilton drove right to the end of it, just before it joins the track, before stopping to do his practice start.

This was not quite what the engineers had intended. Chief engineer Andrew Shovlin said: "Lewis asked if he could go a bit further. We hadn't realised quite how far he was he was going to go."

They did not see the first start, Shovlin said, adding: "When we saw the second one, we thought: 'They're not going to like that.'"

But team boss Toto Wolff said he felt that it was not in breach of the event notes, not only because it still complied with the letter, in that it was after the lights and on the right-hand side, but also because "there is no mention of what the right place is". That is, there is a conventional place drivers do their practice starts, but no specific start box marked out.

Wolff and sporting director Ron Meadows argued Hamilton's case, but their arguments were dismissed.

"I am not happy with the penalty because it's far-fetched," Wolff said. "I will always respect the stewards in their job but on that one we agree to disagree."

What particularly annoyed Mercedes was that Hamilton was given an in-race penalty for an offence that happened before the race. This, they felt, was contrary to precedent.

"There are rules that can be interpreted in two ways," Wolff said. "There is common sense. There is the fact that two in-race penalties were given for an infringement that happened before the race.

"There was an argument he gained an advantage by doing the starts there. There was not an advantage because there was no grip, so much less than he would have on the starting positions.

"But it is what it is. We are all emotional about that but the emotion should be geared towards Valtteri, who deserved a race win for a long time and that makes me happy.

"Finishing one and three is reason to make us cheer and fly home and say we can be satisfied with how it went. We need to learn from the incident, look at the procedures and communications. And, as every time, we will not blame the person but target the problem."

A win that got away

Hamilton, though, will not be satisfied with how the weekend went. Not at all.

He took a brilliant pole position more than 0.6 seconds faster than Bottas, but only after narrowly escaping what would have been an embarrassing foul-up.

He had not set a time in second qualifying when the red flags came out following a crash by Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari. There were two minutes and 15 seconds left when the season was re-started, and Hamilton crossed the line to start the lap that got him into the top 10 shoot-out with only a second to spare before the chequered flag ended the session.

Had he got that wrong, he would have been starting the race 15th.

The qualifying mix-ups left Hamilton starting the race on the soft tyre, when he had wanted to be on the medium - as were Verstappen and Bottas behind him.

Hamilton made a big deal out of that after qualifying and before the race, saying how much harder it was going to make it to win the race.

Had he lost out to Bottas at the start, it would have done - because the Finn would have been in front and on a better tyre. As it was, without the penalty, Hamilton probably would have won.

Bottas did come close to overtaking Hamilton at the first corner, taking advantage of the powerful slipstream effect, as Hamilton feared. But he went in a little too deep and that enabled Hamilton to get back in front.

From there, Hamilton led to his pit stop. Without the penalty, he would have come out behind Bottas and Verstappen but on new tyres that would have had more pace than the older rubber on their cars.

Hamilton would have had to clear a bit of traffic, but his performance advantage over those slower cars would have been so big that should have been easy.

So when Bottas and Verstappen pitted, they would have come out behind Hamilton. They would have had better tyres, but the pace disparity would not have been so great that Hamilton would have been easy to pass. In that scenario, Hamilton would probably have held on to win - as did Bottas in similar circumstances in a fight with Vettel in Sochi in 2017.

The penalty put paid to that, though, and led to an uneventful race, with the top seven all spaced out and what little action there was between cars vying for the minor points positions.

A fillip for Bottas
Bottas needed the win. He had not taken the chequered flag since the first race of the season, and has watched as his title hopes evaporated once again in the face of Hamilton's relentless success.

"Valtteri was overdue to win a race," Wolff said. "He was very close in several qualifyings, he was in the lead (at the last race) in Mugello, and in that respect he deserved the win. He drove a brilliant race, he kept his cool, and just cruised home."

The relief that his drought had ended prompted Bottas to reprise his famous expletive-laden radio message to his doubters after the race, first issued at the opening race of the 2019 season. "To those it may concern, stuff you." Except the word he used wasn't "stuff".

This, he said, was directed at criticisms he had received on social media.

"It has not been playing on my mind," he said. "But I just don't get the people who have the need to criticise people. There have been people telling me I should not bother, I should give up. I will never do that. I just wanted to send my best wishes to them. It just came out."

In reality, it's questionable how much this victory really was vindication for Bottas.

Hamilton was taken out of the equation by his penalty, and had again come out comfortably on top in qualifying. Hamilton's average pace advantage over one lap this year is 0.191 seconds, even if you discount the massive 1.6-second gap the world champion had in the wet in the second race in Austria. Count it, and it's 0.315secs.

Russia provided plenty of drama and intrigue - if not in the race itself. But ultimately it is not likely to count for much.

Hamilton is still in total control of this championship, and he will win it sooner or later. And Schumacher's win record won't be standing much longer either.
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Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/54319543.
 
Lewis Hamilton: Mercedes driver admits he 'may not always get it right'

Lewis Hamilton has admitted he "may not always get it right" after accusing Formula 1 bosses of "trying to stop him" at the Russian Grand Prix.

Hamilton lost the lead of the race as a result of a 10-second penalty for making two practice starts in the wrong place.

"I may not always react the way you want me to when tensions are high," Hamilton posted on social media.

"But I am only human and I am passionate about what I do."

He went on: "I'll take my lessons and keep fighting on to the next one. I may not always get it right in the face of adversity."

Hamilton was initially also given two penalty points on his licence for the incident, although these were later rescinded after Mercedes and Hamilton gave evidence that the team had instructed him that it was acceptable not to do his starts in the usual place.

Immediately after the race, Hamilton was asked whether he thought the penalty was excessive. He told Sky Sports: "It's to be expected. They're trying to stop me, aren't they?"

A few minutes later, asked in the news conference for written media whether he felt F1 bosses really were trying to hold him back, Hamilton said: "I don't necessarily think it's for me.

"Whenever a team is at the front, they are under a lot of scrutiny. Everything we have on our car is being triple checked and triple checked. They are changing rules, such as the engine regs, lots of things to keep the racing exciting, I assume.

"I don't know if the rules in terms of what happened today was anything to do with it, but naturally that's how it feels. It feels we're fighting uphill. But that's OK. It's not like I haven't faced adversity before."

In his message on social media on Tuesday, Hamilton said he was "learning and growing every day".

Hamilton posted the message of his own volition, BBC Sport has been told. He had not been contacted by F1 bosses over his remarks.

Hamilton went into the race 55 points - more than two clear wins - ahead of team-mate Valtteri Bottas in the World Championship.

Bottas won the race and cut Hamilton's lead to 44 points with seven races remaining.

Read more:

Drivers criticise penalty system

Although Hamilton's penalty points were removed, the incident highlighted dissatisfaction among the drivers as to the manner in which the system is applied.

Hamilton, Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel all said that the points were being issued for the wrong reasons.

The penalty points system was introduced in a bid to stamp down on dangerous and reckless driving after current Haas driver Romain Grosjean was involved in a series of first-lap crashes in 2012.

But the incidents involving Hamilton in Sochi were the latest in a series of situations in which points have also been handed to drivers for incidents where there was no risk involved.

Hamilton said: "[Penalty points] from a driver's point of view should be if you put somebody else in danger, if you crash into somebody. Of course [then] you should be getting penalty points. I did not harm anybody, didn't put anyone in harm's way."

Verstappen added: "If it's a crash you caused, I can understand they want to hand penalty points to calm you down.

"But things like this; Lewis didn't do anything on purpose to create an issue. He just wanted to practise a start.

"Maybe it was not allowed there. OK. But he was already penalised enough by the penalty in the race. You don't need to hand out penalty points for that. I guess we will talk about it in the next [drivers'] briefing we have and see if something will happen or not."

Vettel said: "If you really do some crazy moves on the track and some dangerous driving, then they're justified. But if you're speeding in the pit lane or minor infringements, it's probably not the point to apply penalty points."
https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/54343060
 
Jolyon Palmer column: Five lessons from the Russian GP

Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer, who left Renault during the 2017 season, is part of the BBC team and offers insight and analysis from the point of view of the competitors.

The Russian Grand Prix will not go down as a classic.

Lewis Hamilton's penalties killed off what could have been an intriguing battle for the race win, and there was precious little action down the field.

But a boring race on a bland track has nevertheless brought to the fore a number of key themes emerging in Formula 1 as the season heads towards its final phase.

Hamilton simply punished for breaking rules - again
Hamilton feels like public enemy number one with governing body the FIA right now, after receiving a penalty that cost him a probable race win for the second time in three races.

With his lead at the top of the championship seemingly unassailable even at this early stage, Hamilton came out after the race with the bold claim that the race stewards were "trying to stop me".

The reality is that Hamilton and Mercedes have simply broken the rules both times.

In Monza, Mercedes and Hamilton pitted when the pit lane was closed and received a penalty for it - the same one as Antonio Giovinazzi's Alfa Romeo was given for the same infringement.

None of Hamilton's immediate rivals made the same mistake in Monza and nobody else in the field broke the rules by doing a practice start at the exit of the pit lane in Sochi.

The regulations stated that drivers must do practice starts on the right after the pit-lane exit lights. Mercedes argued that there was no designated spot - in terms of anything delineated by markings - but they know the rules define a specific place, and everyone else managed to use it.

I do sympathise with Hamilton, because it is not necessarily his fault in both of these instances.

His Mercedes team let him down by telling him to pit in Monza, and when Hamilton asked on the team radio whether he could do a practice start from further down the pit lane in Russia, his race engineer Pete Bonnington gave Hamilton the green light to do it. The problem was, Hamilton went a lot further down the pit lane than the team had expected.

It's harsh for him to lose two races in this manner, and the fact that he picked up penalties for both infringements (doing a practice start in the wrong place on consecutive laps) will only grate that bit more, and perhaps seem over the top.

The fact is, though, that Hamilton wanted to do a practice start there, rather than in the designated practice start box, because it was less grippy than the practice area, and therefore more like the grid slot he would be starting on in the race. It would give him a better feel for the start.

If this was allowed, everyone would do it. The practice-start box has more rubber down because that is the place drivers can practise their starts. So every other driver who complies with the regulations does their starts there and little by little rubber from their rear tyres is deposited on to the asphalt.

Sure, it's not always ideal for race-start preparation, but they are the rules and Hamilton was the only one to do something different. He did it twice, and he was penalised accordingly.

In summary, I don't think the FIA stewards are against Hamilton, they are simply applying penalties for breaches of the rules.

Sometimes they seem harsh, but I'm sure Haas were arguing the same in Hungary when both drivers were given the same penalty as Hamilton for being told to pit on the formation lap.

All these instances are procedural infringements which leave little wriggle room in terms of application of the rules. In that sense, they are unlike racing incidents, which can be argued against as they aren't always black and white.

A bad track gives a bad race
The Sochi Autodrom winds its way around the 2014 Winter Olympic park. Combined with its location on the shores of the Black Sea, with mountains as a backdrop, it should create a nicely atmospheric setting.

But looks can be deceptive. The reality is that it's a circuit that lacks much character. It's almost entirely flat, and every corner seems almost the same - an approximately 90-degree turn. The only exceptions are the slightly trickier - but still 90-degree - chicanes of Turns 13-16.

It's certainly not any driver's favourite venue.

This year, Sochi followed on from the debut of Italy's Mugello track, which I praised in my last column for its old-school characterful feel. In that context, I'd argue the new-school sanitised feel of Sochi did little to help the excitement.

There have been seven Russian Grands Prix at Sochi now, and it has yet to produce a properly decent race. Overtaking is tricky and cars often spread out, despite the track having a high chance of a safety car.

Statistically, that safety-car probability will be even higher next year, after first-lap crashes for McLaren's Carlos Sainz and Racing Point's Lance Stroll. But the safety car on Sunday did little to spice up the action - unlike in Mugello.

Turn Two at Sochi has come under some scrutiny, specifically for the way the policing of track limits and rules about rejoining the track led to incidents and penalties.

Britain's George Russell labelled the corner "one of the worst on the calendar". And with a combination of track-limits madness and a lack of overtaking it's a thought that many share.

Sainz hit the wall in the run-off area trying to go too fast though the bollards before rejoining the track, and Renault's Daniel Ricciardo and Red Bull's Alex Albon received penalties for not going through the run-off in the correct manner. Drivers are meant to lose heaps of time by swerving left to go through the bollards next to the wall Sainz hit, even if they slide off track by only a few millimetres.

Race director Michael Masi admitted after the race that there was room for improvement here.

At the end of Sochi's kilometre-long main straight, a tighter corner may help overtaking and also perhaps reduce the corner-cutting issue that the following kink causes. Several drivers have spoken about this, and perhaps a change here can produce some better Russian Grands Prix in the future.

In defence of this year's race, without Hamilton's penalty, it may have been set up for a good race with offset tyre strategies between the Mercedes drivers, but we were denied a chance to see that play out.

Perez shining in adversity
Sergio Perez is on the back foot because his seat at Racing Point has been taken by Sebastian Vettel for next season and he is looking for a drive in 2021.

But he is putting in some good performances in the face of adversity to solidify his reputation and plant himself firmly on the radar of other teams.

For the second race in a row, Perez has had to race a car without new upgrades, after they were once again given to team-mate Lance Stroll following his crash in Mugello.

Despite that, Perez was best of the rest in both qualifying and the race in Russia, and well ahead of Stroll. He beat fifth-placed Ricciardo by 22 seconds - pretty much a full pit stop.

He has had a public falling out with the team after being dropped at the end of the season, despite having a contract in place. He has clearly felt poorly treated by a team he helped save a couple of years ago by taking them into administration and forcing a sale to Lawrence Stroll.

In spite of this, Perez is capable of delivering good results, and his fourth place is a demonstration that he does deserve a place in a decent car next season as well.

Vettel counting down the days

Next season can't come soon enough for Vettel. Ferrari have a poor car this season and the four-time champion has never looked comfortable in it.

Team-mate Charles Leclerc has pulled a few star performances out of the Ferrari and on Sunday he finished a very credible sixth from 11th on the grid.

In contrast, Vettel had another weekend to forget. He crashed in qualifying while trying to make up a 0.4-second deficit to Leclerc, and then never made an impact in the grand prix after a long first stint.

The Ferrari is certainly a handful with which Vettel is struggling to make any progress, but on top of that his relationship with the team has soured in a similar way to Perez's at Racing Point.

There has been needle between Vettel and team principal Mattia Binotto all season long since it was confirmed Vettel hadn't retained his drive.

Vettel doesn't seem to trust the Ferrari strategists at all this year - and this is not the first season in which that has been apparent. He is debating and often overriding some of their in-race calls. But more importantly he seems to have lost his usual mojo for racing and performance. It almost looks as if he is seeing out this year in a holding pattern.

I'm sure a fresh challenge at Aston Martin will reinvigorate Vettel and he probably can't wait for it to come around already.

Ricciardo puts heat on Ocon
Ricciardo has been outstanding this season, and produced another excellent drive in Russia.

When he was given a five-second penalty for exceeding the track limits at Turn Two, his radio message spoke volumes for his confidence. "Yeah, that's my bad; I'll make up for it," he said, adding: "I'll drive faster."

He is driving the wheels off his Renault and has been unlucky not to be on the podium already this season with fourth places at Silverstone, Spa and Mugello.

Ricciardo is making it a very tough return season for Esteban Ocon, a young French star who has seemed destined for greatness.

Ocon was seen as a man of the future by many after beating Max Verstappen to the European Formula Three title on their way up through the ranks, and he impressed for Force India against Perez in the first phase of his F1 career.

Ricciardo is showing top-class driving in a midfield team, but if Ocon was thinking things might get easier when it was announced the Australian would be off to McLaren for next year, he may have been mistaken.

Fernando Alonso is returning to Renault to fill Ricciardo's shoes in 2021, and with the Spaniard's recent visit to the team's factories and insistence on being closely in the loop through the remainder of this year as well, it seems he could be at least as stiff competition for Ocon.

If Alonso comes back at somewhere near the level he left F1 a couple of years ago, then Ocon will need to raise his game in the remaining races and through the winter to not be left behind.

He only has to look at the podium interviewer last weekend to see the risks. Stoffel Vandoorne was the man with the microphone. He was dropped from F1 after a tough season in 2018 against Alonso

Ocon has had promising moments but is yet to look fully on top of things in 2020.
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/54340678.
 
Honda: Red Bull engine partner to leave F1 at end of 2021

Red Bull's engine partner Honda is to leave Formula 1 at the end of 2021.

The move leaves Red Bull and Alpha Tauri needing to find an engine supplier and the sport with just three engine companies.

Honda said the move was a result of the transformation of the car industry away from internal combustion engines.

They are pursuing "carbon neutrality by 2050" through "future power-unit and energy technologies, including fuel-cell vehicle and battery technologies".

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said: "The shifting focus within the automotive industry has led to Honda's decision to re-deploy their resources and we understand and respect the reasoning behind this.

"Their decision presents obvious challenges for us as a team but we have been here before and with our strength in depth we are well prepared and equipped to respond effectively, as we have proven in the past.

"Our joint focus for the remainder of the 2020 and 2021 seasons are unchanged, to fight for victories and challenge for the championship."

Red Bull said they "remained committed to the sport in the long term" having signed a new contract with F1 last month.

"We look forward to embarking on a new era of innovation, development and success," said Horner. "As a group, we will now take the time afforded to us to further evaluate and find the most competitive power-unit solution for 2022 and beyond."

Honda returned to F1 in 2015 and spent a difficult three years with McLaren, with both engine and car not at a competitive level.

The company switched to Red Bull's junior team Toro Rosso for 2018 and then Red Bull itself for 2019, and have won a total of five grands prix over the last two years.

However, Red Bull and Honda have been unable to provide a consistent challenge to world champions Mercedes, who this year have increased their margin on the field.

Honda president Takahiro Hachigo said that despite the decision, it would press ahead with plans for a new power-unit design for 2021, with the aim of challenging for the world championship.

Read more:

What do Red Bull do now?

Honda's decision puts Red Bull in a difficult position when it comes to engine supply.

Mercedes will already be supplying three teams alongside their factory team in 2021 - McLaren, Racing Point and Williams - and have previously refused to supply engines to Red Bull.

And Red Bull split with Renault on acrimonious terms at the end of 2018, after years of the team criticising the company for the lack of performance of their engines.

Renault, which in 2016 re-entered F1 as a constructor, is unlikely to be especially keen on resuming that partnership, even though the pair won four consecutive world title doubles together from 2010-13.

Ferrari supply engines to Haas and Alfa Romeo in addition to their works team, and last supplied engines to a Red Bull-branded team with Toro Rosso in 2013.

However, Ferrari's engine is the least competitive in the field this year after a series of rule clarifications, while Renault's appears to be the next best after Mercedes. So Red Bull may feel their best option is to try to repair relations with the French company and pursue a supply deal with it.

What are the ramifications for F1?

Honda's decision underlines the complex and sensitive situation faced by F1 as it considers how to move forward with a new engine formula from the middle part of the 2020s.

The engines the sport currently uses are 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrids, an architecture arrived at after consultation with global car manufacturers, and they have produced a revolutionary step forward in efficiency.

An F1 engine's thermal efficiency - its rate of converting fuel-energy to power - is more than 50%, compared with just over 30% for a typical road-car engine.

However, what Honda described on Friday as "a once-in-100-years period of great transformation" for the road-car industry has seen a huge shift in focus towards electrification, as manufacturers seek to respond to the challenge of the climate crisis and legislative restrictions on internal combustion engines in many countries.

Electric technology is not sufficiently developed to power a vehicle at F1 speeds for the duration of a grand prix, so the sport's highest category cannot go fully electric.

F1 bosses are pursuing other ways of reducing carbon consumption within the current hybrid technology and are aiming to promote synthetic fuels, which capture carbon from the atmosphere in their manufacture and are therefore carbon neutral.

But Honda's decision raises the question of how long other manufacturers will consider that hybrid engines - mixing internal combustion with electrification - will remain relevant for them as a method of promotion and development, although Mercedes insist that hybrid engines will be a major part of their road-car range for years to come.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/54383259
 
Turkish Grand Prix: Plans for fans to attend scrapped amid rising coronavirus cases

Organisers of the Turkish Grand Prix have abandoned plans to invite fans to November's race because of Covid-19.

A statement from the Istanbul governor's office on Monday said the event at the Istanbul Park track on 13-15 November would be held without spectators.

The decision was made on the recommendation of the coronavirus provincial pandemic committee.

Coronavirus cases are rising in Turkey, as in many European countries.

Organisers of the race, which was last held in 2011, had hoped to attract a crowd of up to 100,000.

An F1 spokesperson said: "Our season has been guided by a safety first approach and that will continue to be our priority.

"In Turkey we had hoped to welcome fans, but the situation in the country means this is no longer possible and we fully understand and respect the decision."

The first eight races of the season were held behind closed doors, but the past two grands prix have been held with spectators.

The first was the Tuscan Grand Prix, when 2,800 spectators a day were allowed into the Mugello track over the weekend of 11-13 September.

The Russian Grand Prix in Sochi, the most recent event held, also invited spectators, while this weekend's Eifel Grand Prix at Germany's Nurburgring will allow up to 20,000 fans.

The following events in Portugal and Imola in Italy are also planning to allow fans, as long as cases do not rise in a concerning fashion in those countries.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/54422223
 
Sebastian Vettel on Ferrari failure, and 'fights I shouldn't have picked'

Sebastian Vettel has opened up on why he has "failed" on his Ferrari F1 mission, admitting there were "fights I shouldn't have picked".

In an interview with the F1 Beyond The Grid podcast, Vettel also revealed what convinced him to join a "fun" Aston Martin project for 2021.

Vettel has been the subject of debate for much of the season, thanks largely to Ferrari deciding back in May that they wouldn't renew the four-time champion's contract. With the Scuderia currently uncompetitive, the much-fancied link-up between F1's most successful team and one of its most successful drivers will therefore end without a title after six years.

While Vettel insisted he has "no regrets" about leaving Red Bull to chase his dream in red, he confessed that "it is true that I have failed, because I set myself the mission to win the championship with Ferrari."

Detailing why, Vettel explained: "There's things that I should have done better, things I probably should have seen earlier, fights I shouldn't have picked. But then I think everything that happened brought me to where I am now.

"I'm generally not talking about stuff happens on the track. Losing the car in Hockenhem [2018] in half-wet, half-dry conditions, many people point that one out as a low point.

"But I'm not talking about things like that, more about what's going on. If I am fair, and harsh, then I have failed. Were there reasons? Probably yes. But I don't accept them as excuses."

Vettel, who had big title opportunities against Lewis Hamilton in 2017 and 2018, said he had picked fights which "maybe looking back, weren't worth fighting".

"But then again part of it is probably my nature and it was natural to do so," he added. "And I think I had a point as well in some of these some of these little fights and battles. But I think ultimately that's how you mature and how you learn."

Read more:

Vettel can concentrate on 'racing' at Aston Martin

Following plenty of speculation, Vettel's next F1 move was confirmed in September - with the German to replace Sergio Perez at the Racing Point team who will become Aston Martin for 2021.

Vettel admitted the team's owner Lawrence Stroll convinced him, along with their scope for on and off-track growth.

"[There were] a lot of factors," he said. "Those boxes were quite easy to tick in terms of the performance - the racing side of things, where the team is, where the might team might be, the potential and so on.

"But more so I think it was the mindset and the will to really do something and bring something good together. It sounds like a fun project and ultimately something I want to be part of.

"It is very different to Ferrari, obviously Racing Point as it stands today and in the future Aston Martin will be growing, there will be a lot of things happening for the first time and I think it's an incredible challenging journey for the whole team, and me joining... I hope I can contribute a lot of things and do good in the car, and outside the car."

Racing Point have vowed to bring back Vettel's best form from 2021, when he will be removed from the pressure cauldron that is Ferrari.

And Vettel continued: "I love racing and I'm looking forward to go racing.

"I don't regret the last years and I learned a lot in my time with Ferrari - a different team, a different culture - but yes, certainly Ferrari is a special team in many ways and I guess where I'm going will be different. I'm looking forward to it."
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/2...ari-failure-and-fights-i-shouldnt-have-picked
 
Mercedes team member tests positive for Covid-19 before Eifel Grand Prix weekend

A member of the Mercedes team has tested positive for coronavirus before this weekend’s Eifel Grand Prix.

Mercedes said the team would not reveal the identity of the person affected but it is not one of the two drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.

A spokesperson said the situation was “being handled in line with FIA protocols, working closely with the FIA”.

Mercedes have won eight of the 10 races so far in 2020.

The team also say they will make the necessary adjustments to ensure the weekend at Germany’s Nurburgring runs smoothly.

The F1 season resumed in July with an extensive set of protocols in place to minimise the risk of personnel contracting coronavirus.

These include keeping teams away from each other, and operating within teams using a series of ‘bubbles’, regular testing, and mandatory mask wearing in the paddock.

Last week, F1 announced the highest number of positive tests in a week since the season resumed, with 10 personnel involved with the sport contracting the virus in the wake of the Russian Grand Prix.

Local restrictions are looser in Russia than in many countries in western Europe, with the locals generally not wearing masks or practising social distancing.

A number of European countries are facing a fresh rise in coronavirus cases, including the UK, where Mercedes’ chassis and engine factories are located.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/54468026
 
Formula 1: Fog prevents Eifel Grand Prix first practice

Formula 1 was unable to run first practice at the Eifel Grand Prix because of bad weather.

The Nurburgring was cloaked in fog and damp weather and the medical helicopter was unable to fly.

The nearest suitable hospital is too far away by road for F1 officials to run the session in the context of the risk of an accident and potential driver injury.

The second session is due to start at 14:00 BST but is also under threat.

The lack of running meant Mick Schumacher and Callum Ilott were unable to have their first run in an F1 car on a grand prix weekend.

Schumacher, the son of German seven-time champion Michael, was due to drive the Alfa Romeo in place of Antonio Giovinazzi, while Briton Ilott was in Romain Grosjean's Haas.

The pair are members of the Ferrari Driver Academy and both are potential candidates for a seat in F1 next season.

World champion Lewis Hamilton enters the weekend with the chance to equal Schumacher's all-time record of 91 grand prix victories.

He leads Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas by 44 points in the championship with seven races remaining.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/54478369
 
Mercedes confirm another team member has tested positive for Covid-19, with five more in isolation

Mercedes have confirmed that another member of their team has returned a positive coronavirus test ahead of the Eifel GP, with five others now in isolation.

The Silver Arrows, who have worked in "close collaboration" with the FIA and F1 after a first Covid-19 case was detected on Thursday, say six replacements have travelled from the UK to fill roles for this weekend's race in Germany.

The entire Mercedes team was retested following Thursday's positive result - which resulted in one further positive, and one inconclusive that will be retested.

Those two staff members have been isolated, along with four others who returned negative tests in line with the sport's protocols.

It is understood that the cases do not involve either of the team's race drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, and will not disrupt the running of F1's world champions' race weekend at the Nurburgring.

On Thursday, Hamilton said the positive case was "definitely a concern" and a coronavirus reminder for the F1 paddock.

"It is [fragile] - not only here but also around the world," Hamilton said "We're entering winter, we've seen cases rising around the world and I know it's very easy to get back into some sort of normality and forget the seriousness of it.

"I think it's important as a sport to raise awareness of how serious it is and how important it is for people to stay safe out there. While the number of deaths I think has reduced, people are still at risk and I think it's only fair for us to keep ourselves safe and those around us safe."

F1 and the FIA have stringent measures in place to combat Covid-19, with thorough isolation and track-and-trace procedures enacted for any positive cases.

In the most recent round of results, issued by the sport last Friday, there was a small rise to 10 positive cases over the previous week from a total of 1,822 tests.

The positive cases were said to be among ancillary personnel and not those involved in teams, with F1 also making clear there was no link to the attendance of fans at the Russian GP.

Racing Point driver Sergio Perez missed the two grands prix at Silverstone in August after returning two positive results, in the only other case thought to directly impact team personnel since the delayed F1 season began in July.

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/1...tive-for-covid-19-with-five-more-in-isolation
 
Earlier this year Nico Hulkenberg (dropped by Renault at the end of 2019) was called up by Racing Point for a two-race cameo after Sergio Perez became the first (and so far only) F1 driver this season to test positive for coronavirus at a race after he had made a trip to Mexico to see his mother.

Hulkenberg jumped in to the seat for the first of the two races at Silverstone. He qualified 13th for the British Grand Prix but the car let him down on race day and he was unable to start.

But he got a second chance a week later, stunned everyone to qualify third at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix and then came seventh to secure six championship points.

Will he get a chance to build on that this weekend?
 
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