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Showing posts from August, 2020

Ferrari engine settlement still leaves "sour taste" with rivals

Ferrari has experienced a difficult start to the 2020 season after suffering a huge drop in straight-line speed performance compared to last year. Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc finished 13th and 14th respectively in Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix as Ferrari spent a total of five laps with a car running inside the top 10. The drop in performance has come following Ferrari’s ... Keep reading

Ten things we learned from the Belgian Grand Prix

In a Formula 1 season that has been anything but normal, there was a welcome sense of routine brought by the traditional late August trip at Spa. The Belgian Grand Prix may be a fan favourite, but this was a race that did little to thrill spectators at home as tyre management turned this into a slow burner. There were nevertheless plenty of storylines coming out of Spa both on- and ... Keep reading

McLaren awaiting analysis of Sainz engine that caused Spa DNS

Sainz was prevented from starting Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix after reporting an issue with his power unit en route to the grid, forcing him out of the race. McLaren said there had been an issue on Sainz's power unit which had caused an exhaust failure, leaving the Spaniard on the sidelines. Team principal Andreas Seidl said that McLaren needed to wait on analysis from engine supplier ... Keep reading

Ferrari struggles not just down to engine - Brawn

The red cars qualified in 13th and 14th places for the Belgian GP, and finished in the same positions, albeit with Sebastian Vettel moving ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc. In recent weeks there has been a focus on Ferrari's power unit performance and the degree to which the Maranello outfit has been reined in since last year, following a series of regulatory clarifications. Customer teams ... Keep reading

Steiner felt "no satisfaction" fighting Ferrari at Spa

At Spa, Romain Grosjean finished 15th, just 3.9s behind Sebastian Vettel, and 1.8s behind Charles Leclerc, having ceded a spot to the Monegasque driver in the late stages of the race. In the past, being that close to the works cars would be hugely encouraging for Maranello customer Haas, but Steiner says the circumstances give him no pleasure. "Obviously you get a little bit of satisfaction ... Keep reading

The upgrades that helped Mercedes step it up in Belgium

With main rival Red Bull appearing to have closed in recently, Mercedes responded to the potential threat with a raft of changes that have further improved the W11 and optimised it for low-downforce circuits. Mercedes F1 W11 fins comparison Photo by: Giorgio Piola Starting at the front of the car, the L-shaped fins beside the ‘S’ duct outlet, which Mercedes was one of the ... Keep reading

Ricciardo: Abiteboul should be "nervous" over tattoo bet

The pair have agreed to get matching tattoos if Ricciardo finishes on the podium for Renault before he leaves the team at the end of this year. With Ricciardo having delivered a strong fourth place finish in the Belgian Grand Prix, and believing his car can be even stronger in Italy this weekend, he is bullish about winning his bet. Asked by Motorsport.com about how worried Abiteboul should ... Keep reading

Hamilton: Only F1 bosses can do something to stop boring races

Hamilton eased to a dominant victory at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday, leading every lap of the race ahead of Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas. But a need for tyre management meant there was little action at the front of the field, with Hamilton, Bottas and Max Verstappen spending the entire race unchanged as the top three. Red Bull driver Verstappen called the race "boring" ... Keep reading

Binotto: Ferrari in the middle of a storm, but no crisis

The Italian outfit endured one of its least competitive showings for years at the Belgian Grand Prix as Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc failed to finish in the points on a weekend where the SF1000 had no pace. But while its Spa slump has put Ferrari on the backfoot, Binotto says the performance needs to be put in context, amid his belief that it was a one-off caused by track ... Keep reading

Ferrari "disappointed and angry" about Belgian GP showing

After slumping to its worst qualifying result of the season so far on Saturday, Ferrari's struggles continued into the race at Spa as both Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel finished outside of the top 10. Leclerc ran as high as eighth in the opening stages after making a good start, but quickly fell down the order as Ferrari's lack of straight-line speed left him powerless to keep cars ... Keep reading

Gasly thought he would hit wall in Perez fight at Spa

Gasly tried to pass the Mexican on the run down the hill from La Source to Eau Rouge, and just managed to squeeze through on the right as the gap between the Racing Point and the barrier closed. The move was one of several that Gasly made during a charging race to eighth place that also won him the Driver of the Day vote. He was the only driver to start on the hard tyres, and along with ... Keep reading

Mercedes clarifies Bottas overtake mode "miscommunication"

Mercedes swept to its sixth victory of the 2020 Formula 1 season as Hamilton led Bottas home for a 1-2 finish, extending its lead over Red Bull in the drivers' championship. Hamilton led every lap of the race at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, having kept Bottas at bay in the opening stages before controlling the gap at the front. Bottas was heard asking if he had "one push" available to ... Keep reading

Hamilton was "nervous" about repeat of tyre failure

Hamilton dominated proceedings at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday to record his fifth victory of the 2020 season, extending his lead in the Formula 1 drivers' championship to 47 points. The Mercedes driver made his sole pitstop of the race after just 11 laps following an early safety car period, requiring him to make his hard tyres last 33 laps to the end of the race. Hamilton ... Keep reading

Russell thankful for halo after "scary" Giovinazzi crash

Giovinazzi crashed at the exit of Les Fagnes on Lap 10 of the race, spinning into the barrier on the right-hand side of the track. The Alfa Romeo car bounced back towards the racing line, forcing Russell to take evasive action and crash his Williams into the wall on the left-hand side of the track. A loose wheel from Giovinazzi’s car hit the front-left wheel on Russell’s car during the ... Keep reading

Belgian GP: Hamilton cruises to win ahead of Bottas

Hamilton controlled the race from pole position and was never challenged by teammate Valtteri Bottas, who had to settle for second place ahead of the Red Bull of Max Verstappen. The world champion crossed the finish line over eight seconds ahead of Bottas, with Verstappen a further seven seconds behind. Daniel Ricciardo secured fourth position in the Renault ahead of teammate Esteban Ocon ... Keep reading

Sainz won't start Belgian GP after exhaust failure

Sainz reported that something had "broke" on his McLaren MCL35 car while completing his installation lap to the grid at Spa, saying over team radio there was "smoke coming out of the car". The Spanish driver returned to the pits and was wheeled back into the McLaren garage as the team got to work to try and resolve the issue ahead of the race start. But McLaren said shortly after Sainz ... Keep reading

Racing Point explains failed qualifying strategy at Spa

Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll attempted to get through Q2 on the medium tyre, a plan that worked for the Mercedes drivers and for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. However when Perez and Stroll didn’t show enough pace on the mediums the team switched both men to softs for their second runs in Q2, which got them through. That in turn left them with only one set of softs for Q3, which duly ... Keep reading

Strength shown by Hubert's family "phenomenal" - Ricciardo

Hubert was killed in a crash during last year’s Formula 2 feature race at Spa, and a minute’s silence took place ahead of the category’s event yesterday. A further ceremony is planned before the Belgian Grand Prix. Ricciardo was deeply affected by the death of the Renault junior driver 12 months ago, and admitted at the time that he even had doubts about carrying on racing after the ... Keep reading

Binotto: Ferrari's tyre struggles at Spa a one-off

The Italian outfit has endured its most difficult race weekend of the campaign so far, with neither Charles Leclerc (13th) nor Sebastian Vettel (14th) qualifying in the top ten. But even getting out of Q1 looked like it would be a struggle at times, after Vettel ended up last in final free practice a day after the team was blighted by an inability to get its tyres working. While the team’s ... Keep reading

Mugello to allow fans in at Tuscan Grand Prix F1

F1 has staged all of its races through 2020 so far behind closed doors as part of the COVID-19 event protocols, with reduced numbers of paddock personnel also permitted to attend. F1 officials had been hopeful of getting fans back to races from the autumn onwards, but both this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix and next week’s Italian Grand Prix take place behind closed doors. Mugello has now ... Keep reading

Sainz: McLaren could be in "trouble" if it rains at Spa

With the rain forecast on Sunday, some teams took a step back from the trimmed out levels they ran earlier in the weekend in an attempt to ensure their drivers have more grip for a wet race. McLaren chose not to do that, and Sainz qualified seventh in a dry session, three places ahead of teammate Lando Norris. “We elected to run super low downforce, which means if the rain comes, we might ... Keep reading

Mercedes wary of rapid Ricciardo at Belgian GP start

With Ricciardo’s Renault car coming alive in the low drag trim needed for Spa-Francorchamps, he helped the French car manufacturer deliver its best qualifying result since it returned to Formula 1 as a works team. Lining up fourth, just two places ahead of teammate Esteban Ocon, Ricciardo is well in the hunt for a podium finish if any of the cars ahead of him stumble. Mercedes boss Toto ... Keep reading

Wolff: Ferrari must question decisions by "certain members"

Ferrari slumped to its worst qualifying performance of the season in Belgium on Saturday as Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel finished 13th and 14th respectively. It left Ferrari as the seventh-fastest team in qualifying, continuing its disappointing start to the season after a huge drop in performance over the winter. Ferrari managed to lock out the front row of the grid at Spa last ... Keep reading

Hamilton’s qualifying lap "extra-terrestrial" - Wolff

Hamilton charged to the 93rd pole position of his F1 career after dominating all three stages of qualifying at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, beating teammate Valtteri Bottas by 0.511 seconds in Q3. It continued Hamilton's impressive form at the start of the 2020 season, with the six-time world champion already enjoying a 37-point lead over Red Bull's Max Verstappen at the top of the ... Keep reading

Ricciardo says Renault F1 car "happier" in low-downforce trim

Just two weeks after Renault endured a tough time in Spain as both drivers failed to make it into Q3, Ricciardo qualified fourth at Spa-Francorchamps with teammate Esteban Ocon two places further back. The duo's pace in the first and third sectors at Spa have highlighted Renault has opted for a lower downforce solution than other teams here – and it's one that Ricciardo suggests has made the ... Keep reading

Williams "hopeful" of fighting Ferrari in race

The team's head of vehicle performance, Dave Robson, said Williams was encouraged after Ferrari appeared to show poor form during the long runs in FP2. Ferrari had both of its cars knocked out in Q2 for the first time in 2020 during qualifying at Spa on Saturday, while Russell reached the middle segment of qualifying for a fifth time this season, ending up 0.207s behind Vettel in P15. The ... Keep reading

Albon welcomes "more predictable" Red Bull F1 car

Albon struggled at points earlier in the season with the unpredictable and skittish 2020 Red Bull car, and has failed to match teammate Max Verstappen's pace so far this year, scoring less than half as many points. But after reporting greater confidence with the RB16 in practice on Friday, Albon put in one his best qualifying displays of the season so far by taking fifth on the grid, finishing ... Keep reading

Verstappen thinks running out of energy didn't cost him P2

Shortly after completing his lap, Verstappen was told on the team radio that he had missed out on beating Valtteri Bottas by just 0.015 seconds. In response, Verstappen expressed his frustration and then said: "I ran out of energy a bit too early." But while aware that having more energy at the end of the lap could have made a difference, the Red Bull driver thinks that the way the battery ... Keep reading

Q2 exit 'not a surprise' for Ferrari - Vettel

Ferrari slumped to its worst qualifying performance of the 2020 season so far at Spa on Saturday as both Charles Leclerc and Vettel were eliminated in Q2, finishing 13th and 14th respectively. The team has struggled throughout the race weekend, with Leclerc scraping through Q1 by less than one tenth of a second. It meant Ferrari ended qualifying as the seventh-fastest team, only beating the ... Keep reading

Hamilton: Hard to regain focus after Chadwick Boseman's death

Boseman's death at the age of 43 was announced on Saturday morning, sparking an outpouring of tributes to the star of the celebrated Black Panther film. Mercedes F1 driver Hamilton said on social media ahead of Saturday's running at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps that he was "devastated" by the news of Boseman's death, writing: "Our superhero passed away". Hamilton charged to the 93rd pole ... Keep reading

Belgian GP: Hamilton beats Bottas to pole by 0.5s

Both Mercedes and Verstappen will start the race on the medium tyres as they were able to get through Q2 on what is a better race tyre than the red-walled softs the rest of the top 10 will start on in a dry race. Ferrari managed to avoid losing a driver in Q1, but Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel were both eliminated in the next segment, one year on from the former taking pole at ... Keep reading

Wolff: Mercedes didn't get all it wanted in Concorde talks

Wolff had openly spoken out recently against the way that Mercedes had been treated in the discussions over the new Concorde Agreement, as he especially felt the German car manufacturer’s contribution to the sport had not been recognised by F1. But despite his clear unease as the negotiations entered their final phase, in the end Mercedes joined all the other teams in committing to F1 for the ... Keep reading

Pirelli denies that it ignores views of F1 drivers

Lewis Hamilton has expressed his frustration about the current tyres, noting that they don’t fulfill the requirements set out in the target letter that was given to Pirelli, and to which he says the drivers had no input. The world champion has asked for a change of tyre philosophy when the new 18-inch format comes in 2022. Hamilton said after the Spanish GP that there is too much tyre ... Keep reading

Horner: Mercedes move proves high rake concept works

There has been intense debate this year about whether or not high rake solutions have reached the end of the line, with Red Bull struggling with some balance issues at the start of the season. But while lower rake cars like Mercedes and Racing Point are doing well, Horner thinks there is not actually much of a difference now between the different concept solutions. “I think Mercedes have ... Keep reading

F1 simulations predicts Sakhir GP pole time of 53.9s

The track, which has never been used for racing, will host the penultimate round of the 2020 World Championship on December 6. Symonds leads the group of engineers at the F1 organisation that ran simulations of the short, high-speed circuit before deciding that it could host a Grand Prix. He says that the numbers indicate a pole lap time of 54.3s if two DRS zones are used, which will fall to ... Keep reading

Wolff: Hamilton’s tyre dream a ‘physical impossibility'

Mercedes F1 driver Hamilton aired concerns about the current quality of Pirelli’s tyres following his Spanish Grand Prix victory, saying that fans did not want to see races based on tyre management alone. Hamilton expanded on his comments earlier this week, calling on Pirelli to offer a tyre with similar grip levels to the hypersoft compound previously used, while also making the construction ... Keep reading

Binotto: Ferrari's Spa woes not just down to engine

The Italian outfit endured a hugely difficult Friday at Spa-Francorchamps, with Charles Leclerc ending up 15th overall in second practice, two places ahead of Sebastian Vettel. While the team had been expecting a tough time because the long Spa straights were set to expose its power deficit, Binotto has revealed that the main factor hurting it so far has been the inability to get its tyres ... Keep reading

Tsunoda set for AlphaTauri F1 test in Abu Dhabi

Tost also suggested that the Japanese driver is in the frame for a race seat next year, should he qualify for a superlicence and Red Bull decide to promote him. Tsunoda, who currently lies fourth in the F2 championship standings in his rookie season, will start Saturday’s feature race at Spa from pole position, having previously taken pole at the second Austrian event. As a protege of both ... Keep reading

Belgian Grand Prix qualifying – Start time, how to watch, channel & more

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton leads the drivers' standings with 132 points after four victories in the opening six rounds of the season, and is also the favourite for victory at Spa - a track where he has won thrice before. 70th Anniversary GP winner Max Verstappen (Red Bull) sits 37 points behind Hamilton in second place in the standings, with Valterri Bottas (Mercedes) another six points adrift in ... Keep reading

Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix – how to watch, start time & more

While Mercedes set the pace in the opening practice on Friday, Max Verstappen put Red Bull on top in the more representative FP2 session, potentially setting up the foundation of a thrilling two-way battle between the two F1 giants. Lewis Hamilton said after practice that Red Bull has the edge over Mercedes, while Verstappen on the other hand downplayed his chances, saying Red Bull may not be ... Keep reading

Brawn: Not using outer Bahrain layout would have been wrong

Following months of evaluation, F1 announced on Friday that the second Bahrain race in December will take place on the unique outer loop layout one week after it uses the regular track. The shorter circuit – which features three straights and a flowing upper section – is very different to other venues on the calendar and its addition has already been welcomed by fans and F1 ... Keep reading

Renault too fast "for comfort" at Spa, says Sainz

With Ricciardo having set the second fastest time in the second free practice session, Sainz believes that the Spa-Francorchamps circuit appears better suited to Renault than his own McLaren team. "It's a very different track and the car is behaving differently in a much lower downforce configuration," said Sainz, who ended the afternoon session in ninth spot. "You can see some things ... Keep reading

Leclerc surprised Ferrari is so far off the F1 pace

Ferrari had expected to "suffer" at the Belgian Grand Prix due to its ongoing straight-line speed struggles that have led to a difficult start to the 2020 season. But the team was left fighting with the lower-midfield runners during Friday's practice running at Spa as Leclerc and Vettel ended the day in 15th and 17th place respectively. Leclerc finished 1.6 seconds down on pace-setter Max ... Keep reading

Leclerc surprised Ferrari is so far off the pace

Ferrari had expected to "suffer" at the Belgian Grand Prix due to its ongoing straight-line speed struggles that have led to a difficult start to the 2020 season. But the team was left fighting with the lower-midfield runners during Friday's practice running at Spa as Leclerc and Vettel ended the day in 15th and 17th place respectively. Leclerc finished 1.6 seconds down on pace-setter Max ... Keep reading

Verstappen doubts he can fight Mercedes for pole

Verstappen finished just eight-hundredths of a second behind Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas in opening practice before setting the fastest time in the afternoon session. Verstappen was able to pip Renault's Daniel Ricciardo to top spot by 0.048 seconds, with Lewis Hamilton finishing 0.096 seconds off the pace in third for Mercedes. But the Red Bull driver did not think his run to top spot was a ... Keep reading

Verstappen doubts he can fight Mercedes for pole

Verstappen finished just eight-hundredths of a second behind Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas in opening practice before setting the fastest time in the afternoon session. Verstappen was able to pip Renault's Daniel Ricciardo to top spot by 0.048 seconds, with Lewis Hamilton finishing 0.096 seconds off the pace in third for Mercedes. But the Red Bull driver did not think his run to top spot was a ... Keep reading

Ricciardo's engine undamaged after FP2 stoppage

Ricciardo stopped on track with some 15 minutes left on the clock and marshals had to push his car behind the barriers. Prior to the issue, Ricciardo set what would stand as the second fastest time in the session, behind only Red Bull's Max Verstappen. He also logged the best sector time in S3, while his team mate Esteban Ocon was fastest in S1. Abiteboul cautioned that it's still early ... Keep reading

Hamilton feels Red Bull has the edge over Mercedes at Spa

Although the world champion ended up just behind teammate Valtteri Bottas in the first session at Spa-Francorchamps, he was only third fastest in the second session. Max Verstappen ended the afternoon running on top, with Renault's Daniel Ricciardo taking second spot. The form of the cars has left Hamilton convinced that Red Bull has the edge right now, with Mercedes needing to find ... Keep reading

2020 F1 Belgian Grand Prix practice results

Mercedes dominated the first practice session, with Valtteri Bottas outpacing Lewis Hamilton by 0.069s with a lap time of 1m44.493s. Verstappen was best of the rest, but 0.375s off the pace for Red Bull, ahead of the Racing Points of Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll. The Ferrari-powered Haas pairing and Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi failed to set times in this session, with both Romain ... Keep reading

2020 F1 Belgian Grand Prix practice results

Mercedes dominated the first practice session, with Valtteri Bottas outpacing Lewis Hamilton by 0.069s with a lap time of 1m44.493s. Verstappen was best of the rest, but 0.375s off the pace for Red Bull, ahead of the Racing Points of Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll. The Ferrari-powered Haas pairing and Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi failed to set times in this session, with both Romain ... Keep reading

Belgian GP: Verstappen tops FP2 from Ricciardo

After rain had fallen during the Formula 3 qualifying session shortly before F1's second practice got underway at Spa, the 90 minutes took place in dry conditions. The damp track early in the session meant it was a while before any running took place, but by the end of the session Verstappen led the way, with neither Mercedes troubling the top of the times in the first and third sectors ... Keep reading

McLaren goes experimental to get 2021 F1 head start

The proof that teams are still working flat out in preparation for next year came in Friday practice at Spa-Francorchamps, when McLaren ran what it described as some ‘experimental’ parts to get a head start on its 2021 efforts. With the FIA expecting gains in downforce to come, and F1 using the same tyres for the third year in a row, some rule changes have been agreed to cut back on car ... Keep reading

New Williams F1 team owner has no links to Ecclestone

Williams announced last week that American private investment firm Dorilton Capital had bought the team in its entirety, and is currently completing a strategic review of the British squad’s future. The New York-based fund completed the deal for €152 million, and confirmed the team would be retaining its identity as Williams moving forward and had no plans to relocate. The filings made ... Keep reading

Horner: F1 not seeing the "real" Vettel in 2020

Horner said F1 is not seeing the “real Sebastian Vettel” at the moment, suggesting that he is struggling in his current environment. Vettel won four world championships with Red Bull in 2010-13 before joining Ferrari in 2015. Since then he has won 14 races with the Italian team, and was runner-up in the championship in both 2017 and 2018. However, he has not be retained for 2021, and ... Keep reading

How Sakhir GP will smash a 46-year-old record

F1 has estimated that qualifying times for the race on Bahrain’s outer circuit will be under 55 seconds, which will ensure that the track will provide the lowest pole time in history. The all-time list is dominated by poles recorded at Dijon, the former home of the French GP. The circuit was first used for the 1974 race with its original 2.0-mile layout ... Keep reading

F1 to use outer Bahrain 'oval' layout for second grand prix

F1 announced earlier this week that Bahrain would be hosting two races in the closing stages of the 2020 season after finalising the 17-race calendar for this year. F1 managing director of motorsports Ross Brawn said back in June that the series could take advantage of the alternative layouts that could be used in Bahrain, including the "almost oval track".  It has now been confirmed by ... Keep reading

Belgian GP: Bottas pips Hamilton, Verstappen in FP1

After seeing Max Verstappen set the initial pace on Friday morning at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on the medium tyre, Bottas jumped to the top of the standings after switching to the soft compound Pirellis. Bottas recorded a fastest time of 1m44.493s to claim P1 in first practice and narrowly beat Hamilton, who set his lap just moments after his teammate but fell 0.069 seconds ... Keep reading

Verstappen: Red Bull "definitely overachieved" in 2020

Red Bull has struggled to match Mercedes for outright pace through the opening six races of the 2020 season, especially over one lap in qualifying. But Verstappen has been able to get closer to Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas in the races, finishing in the top two at each of the last four rounds, including a victory in the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix. Reflecting on the opening six races ... Keep reading

Bottas in "good spirits" over 2020 F1 title fight

After finishing third in Barcelona behind teammate Lewis Hamilton and Red Bill's Max Verstappen, a despondent Bottas said he could already see the 2020 world championship “drifting away”. He currently lies third in the title race, 43 points behind championship leader Hamilton and six adrift of Verstappen. However the Finn, who turns 31 on Friday, says that he has taken time out and has ... Keep reading

Haas F1 stay "almost impossible" without cost cap

Following months of uncertainty about the future of the American-owned outfit, with Haas admitting he was unsure about whether or not he would remain in F1, the team last week announced that it had signed up to the new Concorde Agreement. That effectively means Haas is committed to stay in grand prix racing for the next five years. Steiner is convinced, however, that without the radical cost ... Keep reading

Leclerc expects Ferrari F1 car to “suffer” on Spa straights

Ferrari has experienced a difficult start to the 2020 Formula 1 season after technical directives introduced for this year caused its power unit to lose performance.  It has left Ferrari a lowly fifth in the constructors’ championship after the opening six races, with Leclerc scoring its only podium finishes so far this year at the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone. Leclerc claimed his ... Keep reading

Belgian Grand Prix qualifying – Start time, how to watch, channel & more

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton leads the drivers' standings with 132 points after four victories in the opening six rounds of the season, and is also the favourite for victory at Spa - a track where he has won thrice before. 70th Anniversary GP winner Max Verstappen (Red Bull) sits 37 points behind Hamilton in second place in the standings, with Valterri Bottas (Mercedes) another six points adrift in ... Keep reading

Why TV gives old F1 laps an illusion of speed

But despite the likelihood of lap records being broken, and drivers raving about the flat-out challenges of some of the greatest corners in grand prix racing, it will not stop those who think F1 is missing something. Indeed, Carlos Sainz recently sparked some debate on social media about whether TV images were not doing a good enough job in showing just how great current F1 cars are. Having ... Keep reading

Bottas: No changes to black overalls despite Spain complaints

Mercedes switched from its traditional white overalls to a black design as part of a pre-season rebrand that saw its car change to a black livery in an anti-racism message. Bottas reported during the Spanish Grand Prix that the black overalls were "f**king hot" as track temperatures neared 50ºC through the race. The Finn said after the race that he had lost 3kg through the grand prix, and ... Keep reading

Gasly still finding Hubert's death "hard to accept"

Hubert died as the result of injuries sustained in a high-speed crash during an F2 race at last year’s Belgian Grand Prix, and his loss hit Gasly especially hard after the pair had lived together for many years. Gasly paid tribute to Hubert during his track walk of Spa-Francorchamps on Thursday afternoon, when he laid flowers at the Raidillon corner where Hubert’s crash took place ... Keep reading

Haas: All options open for 2021 F1 driver line-up

With the America-owned outfit having just committed to stay in F1 beyond the end of this year, it can now start focusing on what line-up it wants to have next season. And while Grosjean and Magnussen have worked well together since they first teamed up from the start of 2017, Steiner is not ruling out doing something totally differently – even including taking a complete rookie ... Keep reading

Marko reveals Albon is as quick as Verstappen in fast corners

Although the Thai driver's average qualifying position of P9 is five places further back than teammate Max Verstappen, and in races it is P7 v P2, Marko says Red Bull's analysis offers a better insight into his form. Marko cites the fact that at Silverstone, Albon was the quickest man on track at some points of both races – which shows the potential to do well is there if he can lift his ... Keep reading

Haas: All options open for 2021 F1 driver line-up

With the America-owned outfit having just committed to stay in F1 beyond the end of this year, it can now start focusing on what line-up it wants to have next season. And while Grosjean and Magnussen have worked well together since they first teamed up from the start of 2017, Steiner is not ruling out doing something totally differently – even including taking a complete rookie ... Keep reading

Bottas: No changes to black overalls despite Spain complaints

Mercedes switched from its traditional white overalls to a black design as part of a pre-season rebrand that saw its car change to a black livery in an anti-racism message. Bottas reported during the Spanish Grand Prix that the black overalls were "f**king hot" as track temperatures neared 50ºC through the race. The Finn said after the race that he had lost 3kg through the grand prix, and ... Keep reading

Hamilton not planning Belgian GP boycott amid US protests

A number of black athletes in the United States led boycotts of sporting events this week after Blake - an unarmed, black man - was shot by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Sunday. Blake's shooting sparked a fresh wave of protests across the world amid ongoing activism against racism and racial injustice. Fixtures in the NBA, WNBA, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer were ... Keep reading

Gasly still finding Hubert's death "hard to accept"

Hubert died as the result of injuries sustained in a high-speed crash during an F2 race at last year’s Belgian Grand Prix, and his loss hit Gasly especially hard after the pair had lived together for many years. Gasly paid tribute to Hubert during his track walk of Spa-Francorchamps on Thursday afternoon, when he laid flowers at the Raidillon corner where Hubert’s crash took ... Keep reading

F1 teams to trial new low-downforce wings at Spa

The Spa-Francorchamps is traditionally one of the lower-downforce circuits of the year, only eclipsed by Monza, which often requires a bespoke aerodynamics package to make the most of the car down the litany of straights. Spa, however, has a few more lower-speed sections, requiring a little more downforce than Monza throughout the lap. This means that aero packages for the circuit nestled ... Keep reading

Perez not talking to rival Formula 1 teams

Perez and Racing Point teammate Lance Stroll are both under contract at Racing Point for 2021, when the team will be rebranded as Aston Martin. But the team is known to have held talks with Sebastian Vettel about joining next year following the four-time world champion's exit from Ferrari.  Perez previously said it would be "obvious" that he would leave the team if Vettel signed, given ... Keep reading

New Williams owners conducting “full review” - Russell

Russell also admitted that it was “slightly nervy time” before the team’s future was secured. Last week Williams announced that the company had been sold to US investment firm Dorilton Capital, although few details have been forthcoming other than the fact that the team’s name will not change. Mercedes protege Russell is committed to staying with the Grove outfit until the end of ... Keep reading

Raikkonen hasn't decided if he'll stay in F1 after 2020

The 40-year-old is currently in his second season with Alfa Romeo, and neither the Finn nor his teammate Antonio Giovinazzi has yet been confirmed for 2021. Asked if he will race in 2021, Raikkonen said simply: "I haven't decided yet." Pressed on whether he could see himself driving for a team other than Alfa, he made it clear that first he would make a call on whether he will stay in the ... Keep reading

FIA toughens up F1 track limits policing for Belgian GP

While the kerb on the apex of Raidillon has long been a focus of the FIA, with drivers pushing the limits in cutting the corner to try to gain time, F1 has now also made clear it will not allow drivers to abuse track limits at two other places. It has now imposed clampdowns on the exit of the downhill left hander after Rivage and the exit of the final chicane that leads on to the start-finish ... Keep reading

McLaren to pull out of cycling venture after 2020

The Woking-based outfit tied up with the Bahrain Merida outfit for the start of 2019 with a move where it hoped to bring its Formula 1 expertise to the cycling world.  But despite long-term intentions, and some high-profile signings including rider Mark Cavendish, it is understood the financial difficulties that have hit McLaren as a result of the coronavirus pandemic have forced a change ... Keep reading

FIA toughens up track limits policing for Belgian GP

While the kerb on the apex of Raidillon has long been a focus of the FIA, with drivers pushing the limits in cutting the corner to try to gain time, F1 has now also made clear it will not allow drivers to abuse track limits at two other places. It has now imposed clampdowns on the exit of the downhill left hander after Rivage and the exit of the final chicane that leads on to the start-finish ... Keep reading

Albon doing better than results suggest - Red Bull

Although the Thai driver's average qualifying position of P9 is five places further back than teammate Max Verstappen, and in races it is P7 v P2, Marko says Red Bull's analysis offers a better insight into his form. Marko cites the fact that at Silverstone, Albon was the quickest man on track at some points of both races – which shows the potential to do well is there if he can lift his ... Keep reading

Zandvoort open to later 2021 slot so fans can attend F1 race

Formula 1 had been due to return to Zandvoort earlier this year after a 35-year absence, only for the COVID-19 pandemic to force the race to be cancelled. The pandemic also caused a delay in the track being awarded its FIA Grade 1 licence, which is required for a circuit to host F1 races. In an event at Zandvoort on Wednesday, the track was formally presented with its Grade 1 licence, which ... Keep reading