F1 Pickings

Today's post-qualifying press conference with Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen.

Many are excited by the prospect of Lewis Hamilton being courted by Ferrari, and he's not ruling out a move. Completely, at least.

Williams's George Russell will complete three days of testing for Mercedes before the end of 2019, starting with an outing in next week's post-season Abu Dhabi Formula 1 tyre test

It's fantastic to conclude qualifying for the season with a 1-2, a perfect result for us.

With a wide pit stop window, tomorrow is set to be a tactical race and the strategy has already begun with the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel taking a different approach to the other frontrunners.

We went for different strategies in order to make sure we'll have the most opportunities tomorrow.

Ferrari Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc had "no idea" how he ended up in the situation that stopped him from setting a final lap in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying

We elected to start the race on the harder compound whilst Ferrari went down a different route with the soft so that will make for an interesting and tactical race tomorrow.

We expect to start from P10 and P12, which gives us every chance to bring home good points tomorrow.

With solid sessions from both drivers and also the race crew in the garage, we can be pleased with that outcome. It's given us a good basis for the race tomorrow.

Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff says he would be "totally okay" with Lewis Hamilton speaking to Ferrari, amid reports that he had meetings with Fiat Chrysler's chairman John Elkann

The differences in tyre life across the compounds means that lining up outside of the top 10 with a free tyre choice potentially provides some extra chances to battle the cars ahead.

After such a positive weekend in Brazil, to lose two cars in Q1 falls definitely short of our expectations.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Hamilton – who, like most of his F1 peers, is out of contract at the end of 2020 – has met Elkann twice over the course of the campaign. And while the 34-year-old has tended to play down the possibility of racing for anyone but Mercedes in the future, Wolff had admitted that the appeal of a Ferrari seat for any F1 driver had come up as a topic during ... Keep reading

We made some small changes to the cars for qualifying, which enabled us to significantly close the gap to Alfa Romeo in Q1.

Mercedes Formula 1 driver Valtteri Bottas says he has been battling an illness during the entire Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend

The Finn, whose chances of a strong result were dashed before the weekend started when he needed an engine change, said after qualifying that he had started feeling worse since he landed in Abu Dhabi. Bottas finished qualifying in second place behind teammate Lewis Hamilton, but will start from the back of the grid following two power unit changes ahead of the grid-deciding session. "Well ... Keep reading

Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton says his Abu Dhabi Grand Prix pole position ended a drought that felt longer than the run stretching back to the German Grand Prix

Hamilton's pole at the Yas Marina circuit was his first in nine races, having last topped qualifying in Germany – a result aided by the Ferraris suffering mechanical problems. The Mercedes driver ends the season with five pole positions, level with teammate Valtteri Bottas, and has taken his career tally to 88. "It feels longer than the German Grand Prix," said Hamilton of his wait for ... Keep reading

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Lewis Hamilton rediscovers pole-winning form as Abu Dhabi pace sees him start from the coveted position for the first time since Hockenheim.

Lewis Hamilton claimed the final Formula 1 pole position of the 2019 season in qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

The Mercedes driver was fastest on the first runs in Q3 with a time of 1m34.828s. He then shaved a few hundredths off that time on the second run to post a 1m34.779s to consolidate his position at the top of the timesheets. Teammate Valtteri Bottas was second fastest, 0.194s slower, but has to serve a back-of-the-grid penalty for power unit changes. This means Max Verstappen will start ... Keep reading

Lewis Hamilton ends his season in style with a superb pole position at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Full times from today's qualifying session for the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Formula 1 engine manufacturers expect their performance to converge even further as the rulemakers are planning to freeze elements of development after 2021

While major new technical regulations will be introduced after next season they focus on the car itself, with the V6 turbo-hybrid formula that was introduced in 2014 remaining in place for the next rules cycle. The four manufacturers – Mercedes, Ferrari, Honda and Renault – successfully argued against dropping the MGU-H as had originally been considered, and Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto said ... Keep reading

Ferrari has confirmed it has retained its right to veto Formula 1 rules as part of the new Concorde Agreement that is being drafted for 2021

Max Verstappen tops FP3 timesheets by 0.074s, as Ferrari pair are the only drivers to stick with mediums for qualifying sims.

Max Verstappen topped the final practice session of the 2019 Formula 1 season as three drivers lapped within a tenth ahead of Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying

The Red Bull driver improved with less than five minutes to go to deny Mercedes a one-two in FP3, heading Lewis Hamilton by 0.074s and Valtteri Bottas by 0.089s. Ferrari was less competitive in terms of outright pace, as neither of its drivers lapped within four tenths of Verstappen’s benchmark, but used medium tyres instead of a second set of softs. Hamilton was quickest after the first ... Keep reading

Full times from the final free practice session for the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

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Valtteri Bottas will take a second new Mercedes Formula 1 engine of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend after a problem with his original unit was discovered following Friday practice

The Italian outfit’s right to block rules that it believes are not in its interests has long been a controversial aspect of its relationship with F1’s bosses. But while many, including FIA president Jean Todt, have previously suggested that Ferrari should lose the veto, the rules trigger has been retained as part of its demands to remain in F1. Ferrari chairman Louis C. Camilleri has ... Keep reading

The Finn was already going into the Yas Marina event facing a back-of-the-grid start after Mercedes had to fit his fourth engine of the campaign in the wake of the failure he suffered at the Brazilian Grand Prix. But that fourth power unit hit trouble in Friday practice when Mercedes discovered a pneumatic leak that could not be fixed. A decision was taken by Mercedes on Friday night to ... Keep reading

Former F2 driver, Roy Nissany, will join George Russell and Nicholas Latifi at Williams for the two-day Abu Dhabi test.

Clash with Valtteri Bottas leaves Romain Grosjean's Friday testing "in the bin".

As Lewis Hamilton's future in F1 beyond 2020 remains undecided, Mattia Binotto admits that Ferrari is "happy" that he might become available.

Pirelli is set to introduce a new, more durable, tyre in 2020, which will not only change the racing and strategy, it will also have an impact on the behaviour of the car and the surrounding airflow.  In this respect Red Bull is just one team looking to use the post-race test in Abu Dhabi as a way of finding a lasting advantage over their rivals, as it has outfitted its car with additional ... Keep reading

What looked like a good day to start off with, it came to an end just over an hour into FP2, so it didn't end as a good day.

It's going to be another close and competitive weekend with small margins making the difference in the midfield.

We looked strong in FP1, but tomorrow's qualifying conditions will look a lot more like FP2 when it was cooler.

Romain Grosjean says his Friday Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Formula 1 practice work wound up "all in the bin" due to the Valtteri Bottas clash that forces a spec change

Russell reported that he wasn’t feeling fit on Thursday evening, so the Grove team cast around the paddock for a replacement. Mercedes reserve Esteban Ocon had a seat fitting, but due to his long legs he was not able to fit comfortably in the car with Russell’s custom-made carbon seat – and there was no opportunity to make one for him. The team turned instead to its 2018 race driver ... Keep reading

Today's press conference with Claire Williams, Toto Wolff, Mattia Binotto, Zak Brown and Cyril Abiteboul.

Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto says current Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton's availability for 2021 "can only make us happy", with several top Formula 1 drivers out of contract next year

Valtteri Bottas set the pace in second Formula 1 free practice ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, although his evening was marred by a collision with Romain Grosjean

Valtteri Bottas and Romain Grosjean have been summoned to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix stewards over their bizarre clash in Friday's second Formula 1 practice session

The Mercedes driver was second fastest, a tenth slower than Red Bull's Max Verstappen, in the early running when both were using medium-compound Pirellis. He was the first of the frontrunners to post a qualifying simulation time, setting a time of 1m36.256s on his first flier in the floodlit session. That was enough to give him top spot by 0.310s from teammate Lewis Hamilton, with the ... Keep reading

Valtteri Bottas leads Lewis Hamilton to a Mercedes one-two in second practice at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Full times from today's second free practice session for the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Ahead of what could be the German's final Formula 1 race in Abu Dhabi, Hulkenberg was clear that the biggest moment that got away from him was at Interlagos seven years ago. In that race, Force India driver Hulkenberg was leading early on from Jenson Button, with the pair 50 seconds clear of the rest of the field, before a safety car period bunched everything up. Moments later, he lost the ... Keep reading

Vote for your moment of a what was an eventful Formula 1 season.

Mattia Binotto says there will be no public "answers" to how Ferrari has handled its Formula 1 drivers' crash in the Brazilian Grand Prix

Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc retired from the previous F1 race two weeks ago after clashing late on while fighting for position. Neither was punished by the FIA for the incident, although TV footage showed Vettel moving left towards his teammate, and Ferrari reviewed it in private at its Maranello headquarters, where team boss Binotto met with Vettel and Leclerc independently and as a ... Keep reading

Thursday's press conference with Charles Leclerc, Kevin Magnussen, Max Verstappen, Kimi Raikkonen, Carlos Sainz, Pierre Gasly and Daniil Kvyat.

Formula 1 teams have expressed their frustration at the delay over a final decision on Pirelli's 2020 tyre construction because of the impact on their aerodynamic development

The American-owned outfit has spent this year working with Dallara on creating a bespoke facility at the racing car constructor’s Italian headquarters that can be used on F1 weekends to help nail the best car setup. F1’s top outfits all regularly use simulators throughout the days and nights on race weekends to evaluate where car improvements can be made. Haas is now ready to  trial using ... Keep reading

Valtteri Bottas tops FP1 timesheets at Yas Marina as Daniel Ricciardo suffers engine failure and Sebastian Vettel clouts the barriers.

Valtteri Bottas set the pace in Formula 1's opening Abu Dhabi Grand Prix practice session, in which Daniel Ricciardo suffered an engine failure and Sebastian Vettel crashed late on

Bottas headed the order at the halfway mark of the session after switching to medium tyres, which elevated him 0.6s clear of Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton. It appeared the order would change with the usual late-session improvements, but with half an hour to go the session was interrupted for more than 10 minutes following Ricciardo's failure, and when it resumed, drivers were forced to go ... Keep reading

Sebastian Vettel crashes his Ferrari late in first practice at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Full times from today's opening free practice session for the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The McLaren Formula 1 team says its 2020 livery will be "quite special" as a result of an expanded sponsorship deal with British American Tobacco

Ferrari has trialled a split wastegate design at the rear of its Formula 1 car in free practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as it explores new powertrain developments

Having used just a single wastegate throughout 2019, Ferrari now falls in line with the other engine suppliers on the grid by branching the wastegate out into two distinct exits, as seen in Giorgio Piola's photographs. Mercedes, Renault and Honda have all used twin-exit wastegates this year, and Ferrari did so in 2018 in a shotgun style before opting for a larger-diameter single pipe this ... Keep reading

The Woking-based outfit began a partnership with BAT earlier this year to promote the company's electronic alternatives to cigarettes. With the tie-up having proved to be a success on the back of McLaren's push to fourth place in the constructors' championship, BAT announced ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that it will be increasing its financial commitment in 2020 as well as sponsoring the ... Keep reading

The Williams Formula 1 team has doubts over whether George Russell will be able to race this weekend, and Sergey Sirotkin is on standby in Abu Dhabi

Russell has a medical issue and underwent a check this morning. He was given the go ahead to drive in FP1, and a decision will be made later on whether he will be fit enough to continue. The team does not want to put reserve driver Nicholas Latifi in the car as he is focussing on his F2 programme this weekend, and there is also the issue with his superlicence. It has thus had to look outside ... Keep reading

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Ahead of the season finale, McLaren has announced that it has agreed to enhance its controversial partnership with British American Tobacco.

Norris let a charging Sainz through during the race, and when thanked for this by the team on the radio post-race he replied: "I don't do it out of choice, I do it because I am [expletive] slow." Sainz went on to take the chequered flag in fourth place, which became third when Lewis Hamilton was penalised post-race – marking Sainz's first podium in F1 and McLaren's first since ... Keep reading

With his Haas team's campaign having been hurt by an update it brought to the Spanish Grand Prix not working as expected, the Frenchman and his teammate Kevin Magnussen have recently gone back to a similar specification of car that they had at the beginning of the campaign. Speaking ahead of the season finale at the Yas Marina circuit, Grosjean has revealed that he is down to use the very same ... Keep reading

Charles Leclerc says Sebastian Vettel knows he should not have made the move that triggered their crash in the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Despite 'clear the air talks' and claims of great team spirit, Charles Leclerc still lays blame for Interlagos clash at the feet of his teammate.

Charles Leclerc says he and Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel will need to be less aggressive with each other to make sure that they never crash into each other again

In the wake of their clash at the Brazilian Grand Prix, the pair were summoned to talks at their Maranello factory last week to address what happened at Interlagos and how to move forwards. Leclerc says that a proper analysis of the crash was completed and the key lesson to emerge is that he and Vettel need to not race each other as hard in the future. “We looked at it and I particularly ... Keep reading

When the safety car came out in the closing laps at Interlagos, the team gave Hamilton the option to pit for fresh tyres. However, it miscalculated how many places he would lose by pitting, and also how many laps of racing would be left after the track went green. After the race, technical director James Allison said the decision to allow Hamilton to make the call himself without fully ... Keep reading

Alex Albon says he received further apologies from Lewis Hamilton for their Brazilian Grand Prix clash but the Formula 1 rookie has admitted he could have helped avoid the contact

Red Bull driver Albon was on course for his first podium in F1 but the rookie was tipped into a spin by Hamilton on the penultimate lap of the race after a late restart. Hamilton was on fresher tyres and dived inside Albon but hit him when Albon turned across to the apex, and the world champion took full responsibility after the race and was handed a penalty. Albon said the lost podium ... Keep reading

Charles Leclerc says he and Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel will be "less aggressive with each other" following their crash in Brazil.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc on winning, the dangers of racing and beating his illustrious team-mate Sebastian Vettel.

Mercedes Formula 1 driver Valtteri Bottas is to take part in the Rallycircuit Cote d'Azur event based at Paul Ricard next weekend

Robert Kubica says he has decided on his 2020 plans and confirmation will come "quite soon", as he looks to combine a Formula 1 role and a DTM race seat

Kubica, who made his comeback to grand prix racing this year after managing an unlikely recovery from a career-threatening injury, will be replaced by Nicholas Latifi in Williams' line-up for 2020. Instead, Kubica has sought an F1 test and simulator role going forward, and has been in talks with Haas, which confirmed earlier this month it had made him an offer. It is understood, however ... Keep reading

Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas will start the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from the back of the grid because of an engine-related penalty.

Details of drivers power unit elements used prior to the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend.

As he prepares for a grid penalty for the season finale, Valtteri Bottas also announces the end of his marriage.

Today's news that Nicholas Latifi will partner George Russell at Williams next season, competes the 2020 grid.

Mercedes technical director James Allison says Formula 1 teams are into the "fun" bit of the championship's 2021 rule changes are a negotiating period that got a "bit painful"

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen reckons Honda's breakthrough victories this season stopped the manufacturer questioning the point of being in Formula 1 after its difficulties since rejoining the championship

Scores of 22 points for Alfa Romeo and 19 apiece for McLaren and Toro Rosso in the Brazilian GP indicated just how one race can impact the final positions, with the last named leapfrogging Racing Point for seventh place. The significance of the final constructors’ championship rankings is that each position makes a difference of around $5m in 2020 payments from the Formula 1 organisation ... Keep reading

After a pole and podiums in the Sauber Junior Team this year, F2 rookie Callum Ilott will move to Virtuosi Racing, which is second in the teams' standings heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi this weekend. FIA F3 champion Shwartzman – also SMP Racing backed – and runner-up Armstrong will land in competitive seats immediately as they graduate to Prema and ART ... Keep reading

Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas will start the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from the back of the grid because of an engine-related penalty.

Valtteri Bottas will take a grid drop for the Formula 1 season finale in Abu Dhabi with Mercedes having elected to fit a brand new powerunit for this weekend

The Finn retired from the last race in Brazil with an engine problem that was triggered as the result of high oil consumption. The broken power unit was flown back to Mercedes’ engine headquarters in Brixworth for checks to see if it could be used again, but it was discovered that it could not be saved. With Bottas’ other power units at the end of their mileage so unable to get him ... Keep reading

Having held 'clear the air' talks with Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc, Ferrari team boss reveals that both drivers admit that their Interlagos clash was "not acceptable".

Robert Kubica's Williams replacement has been revealed, with Formula 2 frontrunner and the team's junior driver Nicholas Latifi taking the seat for 2020

Red Bull Formula 1 boss Christian Horner believes Alex Albon's career turnaround demonstrates his "great tenacity", and says his driver has earned a 2020 chance with the team on merit

Ferrari Formula 1 team principal Mattia Binotto has met with Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel over their Brazilian Grand Prix clash, believing the pair now know it was "not acceptable"

The pair clashed on the Interlagos circuit’s back straight late in the Brazil race, Vettel having moved over on Leclerc as he tried to get back ahead following an aggressive overtake from the Monegasque. Though the contact was relatively minor, both drivers retired as a result, leading Ferrari to leave the Brazilian Grand Prix empty-handed. Binotto refused to publicly apportion blame for ... Keep reading

With memories of Indianapolis 2005 in mind, Pirelli admits that it is limited in terms of how it deals with the banked corners at Zandvoort next year.

Lewis Hamilton’s charge to a sixth Formula 1 world championship this season was one of incredible results and consistency, but without many sensational moments. And there is a certain truth to the fact that the better you get as a sportsman the easier it can appear to be from the outside. But do not think for a second that Hamilton’s campaign has been a walk in the park, for he has found ... Keep reading

Admitting to Brazil being a "disappointing race" for his team, Mercedes boss, Toto Wolff says there is "a point to prove" at this weekend's season finale.

Red Bull and Toro Rosso will continue to be powered by Honda in 2021 as the Japanese manufacturer commits to F1 in new era.

Mercedes are heading to this weekend's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix "with a point to prove".

Honda will stay in Formula 1 at least until the end of 2021 after agreeing a one-year extension to its engine supply contract with Red Bull.

As reported by Motorsport.com earlier this week, Honda must cut its spending in order to secure the long-term future of its F1 programme. It was waiting for the publication of F1's range of new regulations for 2021 before pushing forward with a decision, so it could begin evaluating the cost of being part of the next rules cycle. Honda's longer-term commitment to F1 has still not been ... Keep reading

Honda has committed to staying in Formula 1 until at least the 2021 season after extending its deal with Red Bull by one more year

Ahead of his final race for Renault, team boss Cyril Abiteboul has paid tribute to Nico Hulkenberg.

Carlos Sainz Jr says there is "nowhere else to look around" for his next Formula 1 contract beyond McLaren, which he says has "very attractive" momentum on its side

Ferrari team boss, Mattia Binotto insists that finishing second isn't good enough for the Maranello outfit.

We enter the final race in Abu Dhabi with the pressure still firmly on. Fifth place is up for grabs in the Constructors' Championship and we face stiff competition to maintain our current position.

Red Bull Formula 1 boss Christian Horner believes his team's straightline speed advantage at high altitude is just as much down to downforce levels as it is engine power

With our Constructors' position confirmed, we are now targeting the best possible positions in the Drivers' Championship.

Finishing second will never be good enough for Ferrari and we are looking ahead to a very intense winter to keep building as a group.

McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl says his staff must not assume that its impressive 2019 Formula 1 campaign guarantees it will do even better next year

As part of a revamp needed to bring the venue up to Formula 1 standards, the final turn at the track is being reconstructed and will feature a 32% incline – with more than four metres of height difference between the top of the track and the bottom. The steepness of the banking will be twice that of the corners at Indianapolis, which famously caused problems in 2005 when all the Michelin ... Keep reading

We've dusted ourselves down after a tough race in Brazil and are determined to bounce back with a better result in Abu Dhabi.

Pirelli says it will have no choice but to increase its tyre pressures for Formula 1's Dutch Grand Prix in 2020 to cope with Zandvoort's 18-degree banked final corner

Pirelli is taking 4,500 tyres to Abu Dhabi this weekend for the race and subsequent test. More than double the usual quantity.

The Woking-based outfit sealed fourth place in the constructors' championship with a podium finish for Carlos Sainz in the Brazilian Grand Prix. Its target now is to make further progress and close down the gap to the top three teams ahead of the major rules shake-up that is coming for 2021. But with Renault having had similar ambitions this season before falling back thanks to a ... Keep reading

The curtain falls on the 2019 F1 season in Abu Dhabi where a sixth title will be handed over to Lewis Hamilton and a goodbye - for now - given to Nico Hulkenberg.

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton says his "gloves off" approach in Brazil as the Formula 1 title was already decided was an important time for him to make and learn from mistakes

Haas team boss, Guenther Steiner admits that he should have listened to his drivers in the wake of Barcelona upgrade.

It's the last race of the season so it's a special weekend. It's going to be very important for all of us at Toro Rosso as we want to finish as high as possible in the Constructors' Championship.

Carlos Sainz Jr says helping develop McLaren's 2020 Formula 1 car is better than the "quite weird" feeling of racing for Renault last year when he knew was leaving

Like most drivers on the F1 grid, Sainz's current deal takes him to the end of the 2020 season. Seats at F1's leading three teams Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull could become available for 2021, and Sainz could be a beneficiary of next year's driver market after starring in his first year with McLaren. The Spaniard has been the most impressive performance in the F1 midfield this season ... Keep reading

As Honda ponders its future in F1 beyond 2020, managing director Masashi Yamamoto admits that costs are the biggest factor the Japanese manufacturer must consider.

The Japanese company has had comfortably its best season since it returned to F1 in 2015, winning three races with Red Bull and claiming two pole positions. Honda is committed to the 2020 season with Red Bull but must decide by the end of this year if it wishes to sign up for 2021 and the next rules cycle, which features the same engine technology but greater research and development ... Keep reading