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Renault marked the lifting of Saudi Arabia's women driving ban by inviting Aseel Al-Hamad to drive a Lotus Formula 1 car at Paul Ricard ahead of the French Grand Prix

As part of a pre-race 'passion parade' that featured several cars from Renault's varied motorsport history, Saudi Arabian Motorsport Federation board member Al-Hamad completed a lap of the circuit in Kimi Raikkonen's Abu Dhabi-winning E20 in Renault colours.It was the first time a Saudi Arabian has driven an F1 car, and arranged to coincide with the kingdom finally overturning the ... Keep reading

Sauber Formula 1 team principal Frederic Vasseur says the possibility of losing star driver Charles Leclerc to Ferrari in 2019 is a good problem to have

McLaren is "optimistic" Fernando Alonso will be driving for the team next season but needs to prove it will make progress to convince him to do so in Formula 1

The upgrade was scheduled to be introduced under the Phase 2 name across all six Mercedes-powered cars in Montreal, but it was postponed after last minute problems in dyno testing.Instead all six drivers had to use their first 2018 engines for a seventh and last consecutive race, instead of saving them for a final outing at the less power-sensitive Hungaroring, which was the original ... Keep reading

Ross Brawn has promised the Formula 1 organisation will work with the French Grand Prix promoter to address the traffic chaos that has blighted the championship's return to Paul Ricard

There have been huge queues entering and leaving the circuit each day, and many fans with tickets reported on social media that they have given up and turned back.Although some efforts were made by the police and local authorities to improve the situation for Saturday, the problems have persisted.“There are physical limitations, and it’s a question of whether within the physical ... Keep reading

The delay to Mercedes' upgraded 'phrase 2.1' Formula 1 engine became a blessing in disguise and gave the team more time to find performance, boss Toto Wolff now believes

Zak Brown lends his support to beleaguered team boss Eric Boullier.

McLaren boss Zak Brown has admitted that the team is having difficulty in finding the cause of aero issues with the MCL33 in wind tunnel testing.

World champions Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton both impressed as Charles Leclerc qualifies eighth.

As Red Bull splits set-up strategies, Daniel Ricciardo hopes for rain... or extreme heat.

Alonso, who won the Le Mans 24 Hours last weekend to leave just the Indianapolis 500 in his pursuit of motorsport’s triple crown, is weighing up whether to continue his grand prix career beyond 2018.He could chase victory at Indy with McLaren, which is tipped to enter IndyCar full-time next season in conjunction with either Andretti Autosport or Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. ... Keep reading

Charles Leclerc says reaching Q3 in French Grand Prix qualifying was an enormous shock given his Sauber Formula 1 team had what he termed a disastrous Friday

Leclerc followed up his recent run of good results by making Q3 and qualifying eighth at Paul Ricard, amid growing expectation he could replace Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari next season.Although Leclerc is clearly a key element in Sauber’s current revival, Vasseur says he has no concerns about the Monesgasque’s potential departure.“It’s a problem for the rich at the end of the day,” Vas ... Keep reading

Despite failing to get either car through to Q2, and at a time of increasing media pressure, Fernando Alonso has leapt to McLaren's defence.

Stewards decide to take no further action over incident involving Kimi Raikkonen and Kevin Magnussen.

Both layouts were discussed at length in Friday evening's drivers briefing, although there was no scope to make any changes within this weekend.The entry has aroused concerns because drivers have to make a tight left turn right in front of the Mercedes pit, potentially putting the Brackley team's crew members at risk.That led to race director Charlie Whiting cutting the speed limit ... Keep reading

We know where we are, and, unfortunately, need to keep improving...

Red Bull claims it was still losing seven tenths of a second on Paul Ricard's straights despite gambling on running Spa levels of downforce in qualifying for the French Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton calls for races that need more pit stops, McLaren's Eric Boullier not quitting, Charles Leclerc praised, plus more.

TRACK INTERVIEWS(Conducted by Jean Alesi and Franck Montagny)Jean ALESI: Lewis, your 75th pole position today. It was a good one?Lewis HAMILTON: Yeah, it wasn’t too bad. Impeccable.JA: And the weather? LH: The weather has been OK. It was much better obviously earlier in the week, but qualifying is always tough. Q3 has not been spectacular. Q1 and Q2 were good but then Q3 was ... Keep reading

Lewis Hamilton claimed his 75th Formula One pole position – and his first in France – by narrowly defeating team-mate Valtteri Bottas by one tenth of a second in tricky qualifying conditions at the Circuit Paul Ricard. Star of the day was Sauber’s Charles Leclerc, who progressed into the third part of qualifying for the […]

Mercedes upgrade aids Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas as they lock-out front row at Paul Ricard.

Fernando Alonso says he is doing "everything possible" with the equipment he has after a disastrous qualifying for McLaren at the French Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton beat Valtteri Bottas by 0.118 seconds to lead a Mercedes one-two in qualifying for the French Grand Prix on Formula 1's return to Paul Ricard

Alonso, returning to Formula 1 this weekend after winning the Le Mans 24 Hours with Toyota on Sunday, was knocked out in Q1 at Paul Ricard.It is the first time this year that Alonso failed to advance to Q2.The Spaniard qualified down in 16th position, two places ahead of teammate Stoffel Vandoorne, as McLaren endured its worst qualifying of the year.When asked how he felt to be out ... Keep reading

Full times from today's qualifying session for the Pirelli Grand Prix de France.

Lewis Hamilton wins a battle with Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas for pole position at the first French Grand Prix for 10 years.

Mercedes looked strong during practice, and had the advantage throughout a qualifying hour during which rain threatened and fell lightly but never seriously impacted conditions.Hamilton took control of the Q3 top 10 shootout by posting a 1m30.222s lap on ultrasofts on his first run, putting him a tenth ahead of Bottas and almost two tenths clear of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel.That was ... Keep reading

Ferrari deployed one of its two Formula 1 curfew 'jokers' by mistake on Saturday morning at Paul Ricard, potentially leaving it with just one for the rest of the season

However, Ferrari says that the staff member concerned is not connected with the operation of the F1 cars, and thus the FIA may yet return the joker to the team.Team personnel associated with the operation of the car – not including those involved with catering, media and marketing – are not allowed in the paddock within the overnight curfew hours on Thursday and Friday.Teams are ... Keep reading

Formula 1 chiefs have launched an investigation into the illegal broadcast of footage this season by Saudi Arabian channel beoutQ

A statement from F1's owner Liberty Media said it was ready to take "appropriate action" for what it considered was unauthorised transmission of its content this season.The statement said: "beoutQ has not acquired any rights from Formula 1 to transmit coverage of the FIA Formula One World Championship."Formula 1 takes intellectual property infringement of this nature extremely ... Keep reading

The Ferrari Formula 1 engine used by Haas driver Romain Grosjean in practice for the French Grand Prix has been sent back to Maranello to be investigated

In practice on Friday, Grosjean ran the upgraded Ferrari engine his team had been forced to change for the last race in Canada after a spectacular qualifying problem.Grosjean suffered a dramatic exit from qualifying in Montreal when an oil leak triggered a huge smoke cloud.Haas initially feared it damaged the engine's components and would be unavailable for us, but got the all-clear ... Keep reading

The Force India Formula 1 team has been fined after Sergio Perez lost a wheel during practice for the French Grand Prix

A €15,000 fine, and additional €85,000 penalty that is suspended for 12 months, was dished out by FIA stewards following a Saturday morning investigation into the incident that occurred in Friday’s second practice session. Perez lost his left-rear wheel at high speed in FP2 with the wheelnut and its retention device still attached to the wheel.The FIA’s initial analysis suggested ... Keep reading

As rain hits FP3, and more expected for qualifying and the race, rules limiting teams to three sets of wet tyres compromises running.

Mercedes Formula driver 1 Valtteri Bottas set the pace in final practice for the French Grand Prix, which was mostly devoid of action after unexpected rain

Bottas set a 1m33.666s in the first round of flying laps in the opening five minutes, more than a second slower than teammate Lewis Hamilton's Friday benchmark.A wet FP3 was not predicted after Friday practice took place in hot, sunny conditions, however rain started to fall at parts of the circuit shortly after Bottas's time and Sergio Perez skated off the road at Turn 4 as the track ... Keep reading

Full times from the final free practice session for the Pirelli Grand Prix de France.

Red Bull chief technical officer Adrian Newey will drive a Ferrari in a race supporting the Formula 1 French Grand Prix this weekend

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Aston Martin says the lack of a guarantee that Renault or Honda will commit to building Formula 1 engines from 2021 means it must still push on with its own power unit

Last year the Maranello team pushed the boundaries with a very innovative approach to the new regulations. It has continued to think outside of the box this season too.It has also been very aggressive with its development push, something that was not true during its recent past.The ... Keep reading

A number of drivers have called on the FIA to scrap the chicane on Paul Ricard's back straight in time for 2019.

Brendon Hartley will start the French GP from the back of the grid after Honda elected to change the engine in his Toro Rosso.

Brendon Hartley will take a grid penalty for the French Grand Prix after receiving a complete set of fresh Honda Formula 1 engine components

 The Toro Rosso driver was told to stop shortly before the end of Friday’s second practice session and said afterwards he feared needing an engine change. Honda has now confirmed that it has fit a new internal combustion engine, MGU-H, turbocharger, MGU-K, control electronics and energy store to his car. Hartley had already reached the limit of components he could use without ... Keep reading

Christian Horner feels it would be a "bold decision" for Daniel Ricciardo to leave a winning team for McLaren or Renault.

Ferrari's return to form in Formula 1 has come as the result of a change of attitude in how it develops its cars, something we can see when we look in detail at recent updates

Red Bull took four consecutive world championships with Renault power from 2010-13, but the partners have been at loggerheads for much of the hybrid era.In the run-up to this weekend's French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard, Red Bull announced that it would switch to Honda power units from the 2019 season onwards."We've gone through four different groups of management with our time at ... Keep reading

Since the Ferrari driver made his debut in 2001 F1 has introduced several rule changes to try to improve racing, including banning pitstops, introducing DRS and higher-degradation tyres, and varying the levels of downforce.The current generation of high-downforce cars have produced record-breaking lap times but also made overtaking harder. Asked by Motorsport.com about the impact the ... Keep reading

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says his team needed a "unique" relationship with its engine supplier, and that Renault having its own Formula 1 team was incompatible with that

Having tantalised fans by asking them to wait until the end of FP2 before confirming whether it was running its upgraded power unit in practice, Mercedes finally confirmed that it was shortly after the end of the second session.

Kimi Raikkonen believes the various overtaking initiatives he has experienced during his Formula 1 career "hasn't really changed" the problem of drivers not being able to "actually race" at times

Although Honda’s move to supply Red Bull for 2019 and 2020 has given the Milton Keynes-based team a potential partner for when new rules come in to play, there is no certainty yet about who will provide engines after 2020.With a major rules revamp on the cards, there remains a chance that current manufacturers could walk away – which would open for the door for new suppliers to come ... Keep reading

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Lewis Hamilton dominated the second free practice session for Formula 1's French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard, topping the times by seven tenths of a second

Lewis Hamilton continues to set the pace in second practice while teammate Valtteri Bottas is sidelined by water leak.

Changes will be made to the traffic management procedures implemented at Formula 1's French Grand Prix to try to avoid a repeat of the enormous queues that occurred on Friday

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says Daniel Ricciardo would be "fairly bold" to join McLaren or Renault when he has been lapping those teams in recent Formula 1 races

Ricciardo is yet to sign a new Red Bull deal for 2019 and beyond and admitted in the build-up to this weekend's French Grand Prix that both McLaren and Renault were options to consider.As Mercedes and Ferrari appear an unlikely destination for the Australian, Horner believes re-signing with Red Bull – which will use Honda engines from next season – is his best choice ... Keep reading

BBC News reporter Chris Partridge experiences what it takes to drive a Renault F1 car around the Paul Ricard circuit in France.

If you were given the chance to drive a Formula 1 car, would you floor it? or stall it?

Marcus Ericsson will miss today's second practice session after his team was unable to repair his car in time.

The 27-year-old spun late in the first free practice session and hit the barrier at Turn 11.Following the impact, a fire took hold at the rear of the car, burning away the right side of the engine cover and the parts below."For Marcus, it was a tough session this morning and he won't do FP2 this afternoon," said team principal Frederic Vasseur.Ericsson ended the first session 14th ... Keep reading

Marcus Ericsson will miss the second free practice session for the French Grand Prix thanks to damage to his Sauber Formula 1 car from his morning crash

All six Mercedes-powered cars are running new engines... but mystery surrounds whether they are the upgraded units or not.

Two-time F1 world champion Alonso made his debut in IndyCar's blue-riband event last year as he attempted to move closer to achieving the so-called triple crown - winning at Indianapolis, Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix.He took a step towards completing the feat following his victory in last weekend's Le Mans 24 Hours with Toyota, with just the Indy 500 win now missing.Alonso, the ... Keep reading

Lewis Hamilton set for new £120million Mercedes deal, No McLaren offer for Ricciardo plus more.

Lewis Hamilton heads a Mercedes 1-2 in opening practice for French GP as wind causes problems and Ericsson crashes.

Lewis Hamilton set the pace in first practice for Formula 1's returning French Grand Prix, as the opening session was ended early by a fiery crash for Marcus Ericsson

Hamilton edged Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas by just over a tenth at Paul Ricard, with Daniel Ricciardo third for Red Bull and the Ferraris considerably off the pace.A session filled with mistakes was ended a couple of minutes early when Ericsson suffered a heavy shunt at Turn 11.The rear of his Sauber seemed to snap away as the Swede downshifted for the looping right-hander, and ... Keep reading

The 1998 and 1999 F1 title winner will appear at the Goodwood, which takes place on July 12-15, and then just over a month later he will be a key guest at the second Californian event.At the FoS, Hakkinen will be joined by fellow F1 champions Emerson Fittipaldi and JensonButton, who is set to address fans from the balcony of Goodwood House.The world champions will be joined by ... Keep reading

Full times from today's opening free practice session for the Pirelli Grand Prix de France.

Lewis Hamilton is fastest in French GP practice as Marcus Ericsson suffers a big crash & engine fire.

Max Verstappen says the prospect of Honda designing its Formula 1 engine entirely around the requirements of Red Bull and Toro Rosso gives him faith in his team's 2019 decision

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Sirotkin has had issues throughout the 2018 season, reporting a “very painful” feeling during the Spanish Grand Prix, and had a different seat insert in Monaco as well as altered seatbelts.He revealed that he was happy with his comfort levels in the Canadian Grand Prix earlier this month, and though he has another new seat here, it is not linked to the problem.Asked by Motorsport.com ... Keep reading

Lewis Hamilton says he and everyone at the Mercedes Formula 1 team openly admitted their failings in no-holds-barred meetings after their "very, very average" Canadian Grand Prix

Hamilton insists the whole team, including himself, is well aware it needs to up its game following a 'very average" outing in Montreal, where the Briton lost the championship lead to Sebastian Vettel.“We as a team have all sat down and each and every person have been critical of themselves, including me,” Hamilton said.“We come here determined, each and every single one of us, to do ... Keep reading

Lewis Hamilton admits he will be watching England's World Cup match against Panama ahead of Sunday's French Grand Prix.

McLaren Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso feels he is leading a "revolution" in motorsport following his outing in the Indianapolis 500 and his victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours

Williams Formula 1 rookie Sergey Sirotkin has another new seat for this weekend's French Grand Prix but the discomfort he has suffered in his cockpit has already been solved

Red Bull announced earlier this week it would be ending a long-standing association with Renault to instead use Honda engines in 2019 and 2020.The Japanese manufacturer toiled as McLaren's power unit supplier in the three years prior, but has progressed enough since switching to Red Bull's B-team Toro Rosso to convince the Austrian drinks giant that it was ready to provide engines for ... Keep reading

McLaren employee describes atmosphere within team as "toxic" and their bosses as "clueless".

Since Renault returned as a works team in 2015, it has been able to judge its progress on the chassis side against the form of RBR, a team which has been able to challenge for wins on a regular basis.Next year McLaren will be the only Renault customer, but Sainz insists that the Enstone team already knows in what areas it needs to improve.“I think that the team is very conscious of ... Keep reading

Renault drivers Carlos Sainz Jr and Nico Hulkenberg believe the Formula 1 manufacturer will not miss Red Bull as a benchmark when it switches to Honda power next season

Daniel Ricciardo admits that he hopes to make a decision on his plans for next season and beyond by the end of July.

Red Bull Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo sees "some appeal" in a potential move to teams such as McLaren or Renault, especially given what Lewis Hamilton has accomplished at Mercedes

Ricciardo's current deal with Red Bull runs out at the end of the year, and while the team is keen to keep him on board, the Aussie has also been linked to F1's other powerhouses Mercedes and Ferrari.But the interest in Ricciardo is not limited to the top three teams, as Renault had tried to sign him as part of the engine deals reshuffle of last year, while a possible McLaren bid for ... Keep reading

Ferrari has given Haas the all-clear for Romain Grosjean to use the engine he used in qualifying in Canada.

Details of drivers power unit elements used prior to the Pirelli Grand Prix de France weekend.

Romain Grosjean will take part in French Grand Prix practice with the Ferrari Formula 1 engine that caused his smoky exit from qualifying in Canada

Grosjean had a new Ferrari engine fitted for the race in Montreal, which activated the final free combustion engine, MGU-H and turbocharger in his seasonal allocation.Haas feared that the spectacular problem had caused significant damage and would therefore cost it an available engine, and the components attached to it, from its pool.The team was informed by Ferrari last week that ... Keep reading

Max Verstappen's manager Raymond Vermeulen is back in the paddock at the French Grand Prix after both he and Max's father Jos missed the Canadian race

Vermeulen and Max's father Jos skipped the Montreal race weekend, leaving the Red Bull star on his own for the first time in his F1 career.Vermeulen is back in the paddock at the French GP this weekend.Verstappen enjoyed a strong weekend in Montreal, and some observers suggested that the absence of his management team had been a benefit for the Dutchman, perhaps allowing him to focus ... Keep reading

Leclerc recorded his third point-scoring finish of the season in Canada, as well as his fourth consecutive Q2 appearance.Ericsson says a lack of confidence in his qualifying set-up is restricting his potential, and he's ready to make major changes at Paul Ricard later this month.When asked if he felt the pressure building from Leclerc's performances, Ericsson replied: "He's done a ... Keep reading

When the Formula 1 paddock was packed up after the 2008 French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours, uncertainty surrounded the future of the race.But the event was on the following year's draft calendar, and few then seriously believed that 10 years would pass before there was another French GP.Motorsport was born in France, and it thrived there during its infancy. Irrespective of which ... Keep reading

Pirelli has announced the tyre compounds to be used in the Belgian and Japanese Grands Prix.

The "unknown" of Formula 1's first triple-header presents teams with an intense human and competitive challenge over the next three weeks

The mainstream media has gone overboard on a story that first appeared in the German media claiming that McLaren is on the verge of making Daniel Ricciardo the sort of offer few could refuse.

But while those tuning in at home will have plenty to get excited about, for those who keep the show on the road there has been a lot of extra preparation, and some trepidation, about the challenges that lie ahead.Building up and packing down garages and motorhomes three times on the bounce, making sure the cars are prepared as meticulously as ever, and moving equipment 2500km by road ... Keep reading

 In this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Mithila and Kunal wonder what would crack first in 2019 - the Honda engine or Max Verstappen? (But of course, we're kidding!).On a serious note, Red Bull Racing seem to have a made a sensible decision, let's see if Daniel Ricciardo thinks so too. Has Winnie Harlow triggered the FIA to replace all flags altogether and digitise ... Keep reading

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Formula 1's last visit to Paul Ricard produced an all-time classic giantkilling performance, as Ivan Capelli came within three laps of a shock victory for the tiny Leyton House team

Despite its Ferrari-powered car showing a great deal of promise, Haas is only eighth in the constructors' championship after an incident-packed campaign.Points have been lost through a mixture of errors, like the pitstop problems in Australia, or bizarre circumstance like Grosjean hitting a groundhog in Canada practice and suffering an engine problem leaving the pits in ... Keep reading

Gunther Steiner says Haas's Formula 1 rivals cannot believe how unlucky the team has been so far in 2018

Eric Boullier has dismissed claims that McLaren might switch its focus to its 2019 contender.

Formula 1 has extended its contract with the Belgian Grand Prix until 2021 as the future of several races remains up in the air.

Guenther Steiner admits Haas' spares situation is not critical, while expressing satisfaction with the update package introduced in Montreal.

The current deal for the Belgian track - which hosted its first F1 race in 1950 - was set to expire after this year's race."We are really pleased to have reached this agreement which means that the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix will stay on the calendar for a further three years," said Chloe Targett-Adams', F1's director of promoters and business relations."Formula 1 was born in ... Keep reading

For the first time since 2008, the French Grand Prix is back on the Formula 1 calendar and anyone with a feel for F1 history could be forgiven a faint smile at the the return of the fabled Paul Ricard circuit

Marcus Ericsson and Charles Leclerc look ahead to this weekend's French Grand Prix.

Renault may insist that there was no surprise with Red Bull's decision to team up with Honda in Formula 1 next year, but not everyone is so serene about what has happened.Plenty of voices emerged to question whether Red Bull's move is clever to swap a race-winning engine that could still yet clinch it this year's championship for a power unit that has never taken a car to a podium ... Keep reading

Daniel Ricciardo is going to Mercedes, Kimi Raikkonen is out of Ferrari, Max Verstappen is leaving Red Bull for Sauber, Formula 2 leader Lando Norris is headed to Toro Rosso, Charles Leclerc is moving to Renault and Artem Markelov is joining Force India.Something akin to this would be happening were the Formula 1 driver market as exciting as what's going on in MotoGP for 2019. Well ... Keep reading

The Paul Ricard Formula 1 circuit will feature two DRS zones this weekend for the return of the French Grand Prix

Fresh from his win at Le Mans, Fernando Alonso joins F1's three French hopefuls ahead of their home Grand Prix.

Although the long straights offer plenty of options for DRS, the FIA has elected to feature one of the start/finish straight and one in the first area of the long back straight.The back straight zone has a detection point 75 metres before Turn 7 – which is the left hander on to the Mistral Straight. The zone itself has an activation point 170m after the corner.The second zone has a ... Keep reading

Renault believes its ability to catch Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull is an important test for the future of Formula 1, which is split into "two worlds" at the moment

As F1 returns to Paul Ricard following an absence of 28 years, Mercedes explains how teams prepare for the challenge of a 'new' track.

Since its works team returned for the 2016 season Renault has made swift progress and has established itself as the fourth best team on the grid this season.However, it is a distant fourth behind F1's big three teams – both its drivers were lapped in last weekend's Canadian Grand Prix, while Renault has less than half the points tally of third-placed Red Bull in the constructors' ... Keep reading

Raise a glass of pastis to the man who built himself a race track. The French Grand Prix says "bonjour" once again to Paul Ricard.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says that the decision to switch from Renault to Honda power for the 2019 Formula 1 season was a "pretty clear cut" technical choice.

Teams show a wide variety of opinion in terms of how soft to go in Austria.

Pirelli's ultrasoft tyre dominates the 10 Formula 1 teams' choices for the Austrian Grand Prix, with Ferrari slightly more aggressive than Mercedes and Red Bull.

Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen will take nine sets of the softest-compound Pirellis to the Red Bull Ring, one more than the Mercedes and Red Bull drivers.Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas has the most supersofts of the leaders with four sets, compared to three for teammate Lewis Hamilton, Raikkonen and Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo.Vettel only has two sets of the ... Keep reading

In reaction to the news, F1 journalists Scott Mitchell and Ben Anderson join Glenn Freeman to discuss the thinking behind the decision.They also give their verdicts on if Red Bull made the right call, and what will be expected of the new partnership when the lights go out at the start of the 2019 season.  ... Keep reading