F1 Pickings

The seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner will start the two-day sprint event as one of the outright favourites, the Dallara he'll be driving having won the event last year. That was in the hands of circuit owner Sam Shahin who lapped the West layout in 1m13.542s in the decisive Top 10 Shootout. While Lowndes is best known for his touring car work, he does have experience in powerful open-wheelers ... Keep reading

Visibility rather than potential loss of control was the major reason why Sunday's Belgian GP could not be run, with drivers reporting that they couldn't see the red lights of the cars ahead even when running at safety car speeds. The race was stopped after the two laps necessary to qualify it for points had been completed. "Unfortunately, I don't think there was any other option possible ... Keep reading

The more technical middle portion of the circuit is sandwiched between two high-speed sectors that in normal conditions require the teams to make a trade-off between downforce and drag levels. But with the long straights good for overtaking, most edge towards a lower downforce rear wing arrangement. They take the gains that come from this in the faster parts of the circuit, then deal with the ... Keep reading

Amid wide-scale unease about the way that F1's rules meant that championship points were handed out after drivers completed just three behind a safety car in Belgium last weekend, Todt has confirmed that the regulations will be looked at. In a statement issued on Twitter, Todt that he will table talks regarding the situation at the next meeting of the F1 Commission which takes place in just ... Keep reading

Verstappen was declared the winner of the race at Spa following almost three hours of delays because of heavy rain, limiting the field to completing just two full laps behind the safety car that counted towards the race. By meeting the minimum two-lap distance requirement for a grand prix, half points could be awarded, with Verstappen scoring 12.5 points for victory. The ... Keep reading

The controversial decision to award points for last weekend's Belgian Grand Prix washout after two safety car laps drew inevitable comparisons with Formula 1's infamous visit to Spa in 1985. As in 2021, the cars did at least take to the track, and a qualifying session took place. But whereas F1 last weekend tied itself in knots and pressed on in the forlorn hope of getting some running in ... Keep reading

Norris disagrees with the principle of points being handed out with no proper racing laps completed, while acknowledging that the six earned by his McLaren teammate Daniel Ricciardo for fourth place were useful in the ongoing battle with Ferrari. Norris had a shot pole at Spa having been fastest in Q1 and Q2 on Saturday, before crashing in Q3. That left him in 10th place, before a gearbox ... Keep reading

Red Bull had run the low-drag specification of rear wing it had trialled at Baku in a bid to capture more straightline performance from its RB16B at Spa-Francorchamps and overturn any disadvantage it runs with its high-rake philosophy. The slotted endplate was hence removed for Belgium, and the upper wing flap featured its turned-down outer edges to limit the overall drag while keeping the ... Keep reading

FIA president, Jean Todt has apologised to race fans for Sunday's shambles, revealing that the F1 Commission will discuss how events unfolded in October.

Formula 1 is to make rule changes to prevent a recurrence of the events surrounding the controversial abandonment of the Belgian Grand Prix.

Amid wide-scale unease about the way that F1's rules meant that championship points were handed out after drivers completed just three behind a safety car in Belgium last weekend, Todt has confirmed that the regulations will be looked at. In a statement issued on Twitter, Todt that he will table talks regarding the situation at the next meeting of the F1 Commission which takes place in just ... Keep reading

Amid wide-scale unease about the way that F1's rules meant that championship points were handed out after drivers completed just three behind a safety car in Belgium last weekend, Todt has confirmed that the regulations will be looked at. In a statement issued on Twitter, Todt that he will table talks regarding the situation at the next meeting of the F1 Commission which takes place in just ... Keep reading

Zak Brown has called for an easing of the current COVID restrictions... in order that teams can entertain sponsorship guests.

Zandvoort is a cool place to go to.

Last weekend's Spa-Francorchamps event turned into a farcical three-lap race behind the safety car after heavy rain and poor visibility prevented F1 to get any green running in on Sunday. The weather had already played havoc earlier in the weekend, when the W Series was shaken up by a six-car pile-up on Friday. Saturday's F1 qualifying session was also disrupted by the weather. In worsening ... Keep reading

Mercedes has been weighing up for some time who will partner Hamilton at the team in 2022, considering current Williams driver Russell as a replacement for Bottas. Russell has been part of Mercedes' young driver programme since 2017, and has starred throughout his time at Williams in F1 since debuting for the team in 2019. Russell and Bottas were coy about any decision ahead of last ... Keep reading

Visibility rather than potential loss of control was the major reason why Sunday's Belgian GP could not be run, with drivers reporting that they couldn't see the red lights of the cars ahead even when running at safety car speeds. The race was stopped after the two laps necessary to qualify it for points had been completed. "Unfortunately, I don't think there was any other option possible ... Keep reading

Qualifying will be especially important and, as we seem to perform quite well in that respect, it could turn out to be a good thing for us.

Last weekend's Spa-Francorchamps event turned into a farcical three-lap race behind the safety car after heavy rain and poor visibility prevented F1 to get any green running in on Sunday. The weather had already played havoc earlier in the weekend, when the W Series was shaken up by a six-car pile-up on Friday. Saturday's F1 qualifying session was also disrupted by the weather. In worsening ... Keep reading

The controversial decision to award points for last weekend's Belgian Grand Prix washout after two safety car laps drew inevitable comparisons with Formula 1's infamous visit to Spa in 1985. As in 2021, the cars did at least take to the track, and a qualifying session took place. But whereas F1 last weekend tied itself in knots and pressed on in the forlorn hope of getting some running in ... Keep reading

The controversial decision to award points for last weekend's Belgian Grand Prix washout after two safety car laps drew inevitable comparisons with Formula 1's infamous visit to Spa in 1985. As in 2021, the cars did at least take to the track, and a qualifying session took place. But whereas F1 last weekend tied itself in knots and pressed on in the forlorn hope of getting some running in ... Keep reading

The ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic has left F1 in a tricky situation of having to be flexible with its calendar over the second half of the year. Although events in Singapore and Australia have had to be ditched because travel restrictions have made it impossible for them to go ahead, F1 chiefs were able to find replacements. A second race in Austria was held in July to take one ... Keep reading

Mercedes has been weighing up for some time who will partner Hamilton at the team in 2022, considering current Williams driver Russell as a replacement for Bottas. Russell has been part of Mercedes' young driver programme since 2017, and has starred throughout his time at Williams in F1 since debuting for the team in 2019. Russell and Bottas were coy about any decision ahead of last ... Keep reading

The ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic has left F1 in a tricky situation of having to be flexible with its calendar over the second half of the year. Although events in Singapore and Australia have had to be ditched because travel restrictions have made it impossible for them to go ahead, F1 chiefs were able to find replacements. A second race in Austria was held in July to take one ... Keep reading

Verstappen was declared the winner of the race at Spa-Francorchamps following almost three hours of delays because of heavy rain, limiting the field to completing just two full laps behind the safety car that counted towards the race. By meeting the minimum two-lap distance requirement for a grand prix, half points could be awarded, with Verstappen scoring 12.5 points for ... Keep reading

The more technical middle portion of the circuit is sandwiched between two high- speed sectors that in normal conditions require the teams to make a trade-off between downforce and drag levels. But with the long straights good for overtaking, most edge towards a lower downforce rear wing arrangement. They take the gains that come from this in the faster parts of the circuit, then deal with the ... Keep reading

Visibility rather than potential loss of control was the major reason why Sunday’s Belgian GP could not be run, with drivers reporting that they couldn’t see the red lights of the cars ahead even when running at safety car speeds. The race was stopped after the two laps necessary to qualify it for points had been completed. “Unfortunately, I don't think there was any other option ... Keep reading

Verstappen was declared the winner of the race at the Spa following almost three hours of delays because of heavy rain, limiting the field to completing just two full laps behind the safety car that counted towards the race. By meeting the minimum two-lap distance requirement for a grand prix, half points could be awarded, with Verstappen scoring 12.5 points for victory. The ... Keep reading

Since taking office at F1 Towers in St James's Market, Ross Brawn has come out with some tripe but his reaction to Sunday's events takes the biscuit.

While the FIA and F1 race director Michael Masi have been commended for not pushing on and allowing racing in the dangerous wet conditions at Spa on Sunday, there is unease about the way a result was declared and points handed out after just three laps behind a safety car. World champion Lewis Hamilton was one of many drivers to express his unhappiness about the situation, suggesting F1 had put ... Keep reading

Going into the Belgian Grand Prix, McLaren’s Mika Hakkinen led the championship by seven points, with only Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard (Hakkinen’s teammate) still in title contention with him. There was drama right from the start, as Coulthard crashed in soaking wet conditions, sparking a huge multi-car shunt on the downhill run towards Eau Rouge that took out 13 cars ... Keep reading

Conditions were better earlier in the day, when both the FIA F3 and Porsche Supercup races were successfully completed, albeit on a wet track. However, after intermittent showers in the morning, the rain then set in without a break from lunchtime onwards, leading to the delay of the scheduled 3pm start of the Grand Prix. It eventually officially got underway at 6.17pm behind the safety car ... Keep reading

The Swiss outfit was one of the big losers from the way that half points were awarded for the small number of laps that were completed behind the safety car as rain hit Spa-Francorchamps. Its mains rival in the constructors' championship, Williams, managed to take away 10 points from proceedings, with George Russell being classified second and Nicholas Latifi taking ninth. That double score ... Keep reading

With bad weather at Spa-Francorchamps making it too dangerous for cars to race, F1 drivers were only able to complete some slow laps behind the safety car before the event was called off. However, the two full laps and one lap into the pits were enough for the official result to be declared and half points handed out. It is a situation that has left many within F1 unhappy, and it has emerged ... Keep reading

Red Bull's Max Verstappen was declared the winner of Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix despite completing just two official laps behind the safety car, meeting the minimum requirement for points to be awarded. Verstappen scored 12.5 points for the win, taking five points out of Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton's lead at the top of the drivers' championship. Hamilton was classified third at Spa, meaning ... Keep reading

With heavy rain leaving F1 unable to run the Belgian Grand Prix properly, there has been some debate about whether changes to the cars should be considered to prevent repeat problems in the future. There has long been intrigue about whether there are car tweaks – such as higher ride heights, different tyres or wheel covers – that could allow races to go ahead in treacherous weather. But ... Keep reading

Norris disagrees with the principle of points being handed out with no proper racing laps completed, while acknowledging that the six earned by his McLaren teammate Daniel Ricciardo for fourth place were useful in the ongoing battle with Ferrari. Norris had a shot pole at Spa having been fastest in Q1 and Q2 on Saturday, before crashing in Q3. That left him in 10th place, before a gearbox ... Keep reading

With bad weather at Spa-Francorchamps making it too dangerous for cars to race, F1 drivers were only able to complete some slow laps behind the safety car before the event was called off. However, the two full laps and one lap into the pits were enough for the official result to be declared and half points handed out. It is a situation that has left many within F1 unhappy, and it has emerged ... Keep reading

Torrential rain and severe delays reduced the Spa race, typically one of the highlights of the season, to a two-lap procession behind the safety car, thus satisfying the requirement to award half points and declare a result for an affair one would not want to dignify by referring to as a true "race". It was a difficult day for F1, one where it faced challenges posed by a factor that was ... Keep reading

Norris disagrees with the principle of points being handed out with no proper racing laps completed, while acknowledging that the six earned by his McLaren teammate Daniel Ricciardo for fourth place were useful in the ongoing battle with Ferrari. Norris had a shot pole at Spa having been fastest in Q1 and Q2 on Saturday, before crashing in Q3. That left him in 10th place, before a gearbox ... Keep reading

Red Bull's Max Verstappen was declared the winner of Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix despite completing just two official laps behind the safety car, meeting the minimum requirement for points to be awarded. Verstappen scored 12.5 points for the win, taking five points out of Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton's lead at the top of the drivers' championship, with Hamilton classified third at Spa meaning ... Keep reading

Red Bull's Max Verstappen was declared the winner of Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix despite completing just two official laps behind the safety car, meeting the minimum requirement for points to be awarded. Verstappen scored 12.5 points for the win, taking five points out of Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton's lead at the top of the drivers' championship. Hamilton was classified third at Spa, meaning ... Keep reading

Formula 1 is to make rule changes to prevent a recurrence of the events surrounding the controversial abandonment of the Belgian Grand Prix.

Conditions were better earlier in the day, when both the FIA F3 and Porsche Supercup races were successfully completed, albeit on a wet track. However after stopping and starting the rain then set in without a break from lunchtime onwards, leading to the delay of the scheduled 3pm start of the Grand Prix. It eventually officially got underway at 6.17pm behind the safety car before it was red ... Keep reading

Torrential rain and severe delays reduced the Spa race, typically one of the highlights of the season, to a two-lap procession behind the safety car, thus satisfying the requirement to award half points and declare a result for an affair one would not want to dignify by referring to as a true "race". It was a difficult day for F1, one where it faced challenges posed by a factor that was ... Keep reading

The Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps is typically one of the highlights of the season following the traditional summer break. But torrential rain and severe delays reduced this year's race to a two-lap procession behind the safety car, thus satisfying the requirement to award half points and declare a result for an affair one would not want to dignify by referring to as a true ... Keep reading

Conditions were better earlier in the day, when both the FIA F3 and Porsche Supercup races were successfully completed, albeit on a wet track. However after stopping and starting the rain then set in without a break from lunchtime onwards, leading to the delay of the scheduled 3pm start of the Grand Prix. It eventually officially got underway at 6.17pm behind the safety car before it was red ... Keep reading

Alfa Romeo - 'sister' team to Ferrari - has issued a brief statement in which it is critical of the handling of yesterday's Belgian Grand Prix.

The Swiss outfit was one of the big losers after half points were awarded for the small number of laps that were completed behind the safety car as rain hit Spa-Francorchamps. Its main rival in the constructors' championship, Williams, managed to take away 10 points from proceedings, with George Russell being classified second and Nicholas Latifi taking ninth. PLUS: The critical calls ... Keep reading

Race director, Michael Masi has confirmed that talks will be held with F1 bosses and the teams in a bid to avoid a repeat of the situation that has put the sport back on the front pages for the wrong reasons.

The Swiss outfit was one of the big losers from the way that half points were awarded for the small number of laps that were completed behind the safety car as rain hit Spa-Francorchamps. Its mains rival in the constructors' championship, Williams, managed to take away 10 points from proceedings, with George Russell being classified second and Nicholas Latifi taking ninth. That double score ... Keep reading

With bad weather at Spa-Francorchamps making it too dangerous for cars to race, F1 drivers were only able to complete some slow laps behind the safety car before the event was called off. However, the two full laps and one lap into the pits were enough for the official result to be declared and half points handed out. It is a situation that has left many within F1 unhappy, and it has emerged ... Keep reading

With bad weather at Spa-Francorchamps making it too dangerous for cars to race, F1 drivers were only able to complete some slow laps behind the safety car before the event was called off. However, the two full laps and one lap into the pits were enough for the official result to be declared and half points handed out. It is a situation that has left many within F1 unhappy, and it has emerged ... Keep reading

Despite the best efforts of race control to get the grand prix going, the elements had other ideas as heavy showers prevented any true race from taking place. Max Verstappen was declared the winner of a grand prix that amounted to a couple of laps behind the safety car, meeting the minimum requirement for a classification to be issued and the result to be official. But few drivers or teams ... Keep reading

With heavy rain leaving F1 unable to run the Belgian Grand Prix properly, there has been some debate about whether changes to the cars should be considered to prevent repeat problems in the future. There has long been intrigue about whether there are car tweaks – such as higher ride heights, different tyres or wheel covers – that could allow races to go ahead in treacherous weather. But ... Keep reading

With heavy rain leaving F1 unable to run the Belgian Grand Prix properly, there has been some debate about whether changes to the cars should be considered to prevent repeat problems in the future. There has long been intrigue about whether there are car tweaks – such as higher ride heights, different tyres or wheel covers – that could allow races to go ahead in treacherous weather. But ... Keep reading

While the FIA and F1 race director Michael Masi have been commended for not pushing on and allowing racing in the dangerous wet conditions at Spa on Sunday, there is unease about the way a result was declared and points handed out after just three laps behind a safety car. World champion Lewis Hamilton was one of many drivers to express his unhappiness about the situation, suggesting F1 had put ... Keep reading

Adding insult to injury, the Spa stewards hit Lance Stroll with a time penalty thus demoting the Canadian to last position.

While the FIA and F1 race director Michael Masi have been commended for not pushing on and allowing racing in the dangerous wet conditions at Spa on Sunday, there is unease about the way a result was declared and points handed out after just three laps behind a safety car. World champion Lewis Hamilton was one of many drivers to express his unhappiness about the situation, suggesting F1 had put ... Keep reading

Amidst growing anger over today's Belgian Grand Prix, F1 boss, Stefano Domenicali insists there was no commercial pressure to start the event, albeit for just two laps.

Today's press conference with Max Verstappen, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.

Lewis Hamilton criticises the Belgian Grand Prix as 'a farce' and accused Formula 1 of cynicism in the way it ran the rain-hit race.

We are all racers and we want to race, but today it just wasn't possible.

The spectators have our commiserations. They endured many fruitless hours in the grandstands out around the track, and stuck it out to the bitter end, cheering on the teams and drivers.

Unfortunately, the conditions were just too bad today and we couldn't complete any racing.

Catie Munnings wins Greenland's first ever motorsport event in Extreme E's Arctic X-Prix alongside her Andretti United team-mate Timmy Hansen.

After a long delay due to the wet conditions the event eventually started behind the safety car, but it was then stopped after just three laps. That was enough to ensure that half World Championship points could be awarded to the top 10. Some observers have suggested that F1 wanted the race to officially start in order to ensure that the commercial deal with the Spa promoter was fulfilled, and ... Keep reading

After a long delay due to the wet conditions the event eventually started behind the safety car, but it was then stopped after just three laps. That was enough to ensure that half World Championship points could be awarded to the top 10. Some observers have suggested that F1 wanted the race to officially start in order to ensure that the commercial deal with the Spa promoter was fulfilled, and ... Keep reading

Follow the 13th race of the 2021 Formula 1 season across BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, the BBC Sport website and mobile app.

With it having long been known that F1 drivers need to finish at least two laps for half points to be handed out, the fact the Belgian GP result was classified after just one lap left some wondering if the Spa race had actually fallen short. F1’s points system in the event of a shortened race is laid out in the Sporting Regulations, where it states the distances that must be completed for ... Keep reading

With it having long been known that F1 drivers need to finish at least two laps for half points to be handed out, the fact the Belgian GP result was classified after just one lap left some wondering if the Spa race had actually fallen short. F1's points system in the event of a shortened race is laid out in the Sporting Regulations, where it states the distances that must be completed for ... Keep reading

Heavy rain in the hours leading up to lights out at Spa resulted in the start being delayed by 25 minutes, after which a handful of formation laps were completed behind the safety car before the race was red flagged. A wait of almost three hours followed, with little change in the levels of rain hitting the circuit, before a window emerged for the field to get out on-track behind the safety ... Keep reading

Heavy rain in the hours leading up to lights out at Spa resulted in the start being delayed by 25 minutes, after which a handful of formation laps were completed behind the safety car before the race was red-flagged. A wait of almost three hours followed, with little change in the levels of rain hitting the circuit, before a window emerged for the field to get out on track behind the safety ... Keep reading

Heavy rain delayed the start of Sunday's race at Spa and a wait of almost three hours under a red flag before the safety car was able to lead the field out of the pit lane after 6pm. The field completed two laps behind the safety car, making the grand prix official and ensuring that a result could be declared, before the red flag returned and officials announced the race would not ... Keep reading

The Briton had qualified a brilliant second for the race at Spa-Francorchamps and, with only two laps being conducted behind the safety car due to the rain, he kept that spot without any challenge. Although the best result of his F1 career came without any laps of racing, Russell said that it was still a more than worthy achievement considering what he and Williams achieved earlier in the ... Keep reading

Verstappen was declared the winner of Sunday's race at Spa after just two laps could be completed behind the safety car due to heavy rain throughout the afternoon. Officials managed to get the laps completed to ensure that the race could be declared official and a classification could be issued, awarding half points by surpassing the two-lap threshold. It is the shortest race in F1 history to ... Keep reading

Heavy rain delayed the start of Sunday’s race at Spa and a wait of almost three hours under a red flag before the safety car was able to lead the field out of the pit lane after 6pm. The field completed two laps behind the safety car, making the grand prix official and ensuring that a result could be declared, before the red flag returned and officials announced the race would not ... Keep reading

The fans that lined the Spa Francorchamps circuit are the genuine stars of the day as Max Verstappen 'wins' shambolic' Belgian Grand Prix.

Result of the Rolex Belgian Grand Prix.

The start of the race was delayed due to a rain storm, and Sergio Perez didn't even make it that far after crashing as he drove to the grid. Following two attempts behind the safety car, the race was red-flagged after the minimum of two laps required to make the result official. As the race clock ran down to under 30 minutes remaining, race director Michael Masi eventually made the call that ... Keep reading

Verstappen was declared the winner of Sunday's race at Spa after just two laps could be completed behind the safety car due to heavy rain throughout the afternoon. Officials managed to get the laps completed to ensure that the race could be declared official and a classification could be issued, awarding half points by surpassing the two-lap threshold. It is the shortest race in F1 history to ... Keep reading

Red Bull's Max Verstappen declared the winner of a Belgian Grand Prix that lasted only two laps behind the safety car.

Following a rain-affected qualifying on Saturday, showers continued to hit the Spa region throughout Sunday in the build-up to the start of the race. Race control announced shortly before the planned race start at 1500 local time that formation laps would be completed behind the safety car, and pushed the start of the formation laps to 1525. The field completed two full formation laps, but ... Keep reading

The start of the race was delayed due to a rain storm, and Sergio Perez didn't even make it that far after crashing as he drove to the grid. Following two attempts behind the safety car, the race was red-flagged after the minimum of two laps required to make the result official. As the race clock ran down to under 30 minutes remaining, race director Michael Masi eventually made the call that ... Keep reading

Following a rain-affected qualifying on Saturday, showers continued to hit the Spa region throughout Sunday in the build-up to the start of the race. Race control announced shortly before the planned race start at 1500 local time that formation laps would be completed behind the safety car, and pushed the start of this out to 1525. The field completed two full formation laps, but with most ... Keep reading

Perez looked set to miss the race after crashing during his first lap to the grid, hitting the barrier on the right-hand side of the track at Les Combes after losing control in wet conditions. Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley informed race director Michael Masi that Perez would not be racing, only for the start to be suspended after two full laps behind the safety car due to heavy ... Keep reading

Perez looked set to miss the race after crashing during his first lap to the grid, hitting the barrier on the right-hand side of the track at Les Combes after losing control in wet conditions. Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley informed race director Michael Masi that Perez would not be racing, only for the start to be suspended after two full laps behind the safety car due to heavy ... Keep reading

The Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix is under a red flag after completing three laps behind the safety car in heavy rain. After Saturday's rain-hit qualifying, heavy showers continued throughout Sunday morning, making for treacherous conditions as drivers completed their laps to the grid. Race control announced in the lead-up to the planned start of the race at 1500 local time at Spa that the ... Keep reading

After Saturday’s rain-hit qualifying, heavy showers continued throughout Sunday morning, making for treacherous conditions as drivers completed their laps to the grid. Race control announced in the lead-up to the planned start of the race at 1500 local time at Spa that the formation laps would take place behind the safety car, which ultimately come out of the planned race distance. But the ... Keep reading

Red Bull driver Perez had been due to start from seventh on the grid, but lost control of his car while going through Les Combes during his reconnaissance laps ahead of the race. Perez crashed front-first into the barrier on the right-hand side of the circuit, leaving the car with significant damage to the front suspension. Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley informed race director ... Keep reading

Williams driver Russell will line up second on the grid for the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix behind polesitter Max Verstappen and ahead of Lewis Hamilton after stunning the Q3 field in qualifying on Saturday. Russell's lap of 2m00.086s in the final moments of qualifying put him on provisional pole, with only Verstappen able to better his time. The Briton had originally left the pits following the ... Keep reading

Red Bull driver Perez had been due to start from seventh on the grid, but lost control of his car while going through Les Combes during his reconnaissance laps ahead of the race. Perez crashed front first into the barrier on the right-hand side of the circuit, leaving the car with significant damage to the front suspension. Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley informed race director ... Keep reading

Russell nearly claimed a shock pole for Williams after rising to provisionally top Q3 in the final moments of the wet Belgian Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday – with rivals including Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton unable to better his time, and only Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finally able to get ahead of claim pole for Sunday’s race. Russell’s result equalled his best F1 career grid ... Keep reading

Like most teams, Mercedes opted to run different wing levels on its cars during practice on Friday to try to find the right compromise between straightline speed and downforce for the long Spa circuit. With rain falling in the lead-up to qualifying on Saturday afternoon, teams faced a difficult call on whether to lean more towards the conditions or to still plan for a dry race on ... Keep reading

Amended starting grid for the Rolex Belgian Grand Prix after penalties applied.

Like most teams, Mercedes opted to run different wing levels on its cars during practice on Friday to try to find the right compromise between straight-line speed and downforce for the long Spa circuit. With rain falling in the lead-up to qualifying on Saturday afternoon, teams faced a difficult call on whether to lean more towards the conditions or to still plan for a dry race on ... Keep reading

Williams driver Russell will line up second on the grid for the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix behind polesitter Max Verstappen and ahead of Lewis Hamilton after stunning the Q3 field in qualifying on Saturday. Russell's lap of 2m00.086s in the final moments of qualifying put him on provisional pole, with only Verstappen able to better his time. The Briton had originally left the pits following the ... Keep reading

After Russell reached Q3 the team decided to focus its efforts on one quick lap right at the end of the session, rather than setting a banker time and then chipping away at it in the rapidly changing conditions. Capito says that making the top 10 was already a good result and that the team then had nothing to lose by holding out until the end of the session – while knowing that Russell was ... Keep reading

Sainz finished the wet Q2 session in 13th place, two places behind teammate Charles Leclerc, although both men will gain positions on the final grid due to penalties for Valtteri Bottas and Lando Norris. Both drivers reported that they had struggled for grip, and they had no explanation for why that had been such an issue. Sainz was particularly frustrated as he had expected to gain from wet ... Keep reading

Red Bull announced on Friday afternoon that Perez would be remaining with the team for next season after agreeing a one-year extension to his contract. While the news was largely expected, it was nevertheless significant as it marks the first time since 2018 that Red Bull will have the same driver line-up that it started the previous campaign with. Perez has scored one race win and one ... Keep reading

Norris suffered a high-speed crash at Eau Rouge after spinning off in wet conditions at the start of Q3, resulting in him being taken to hospital for a precautionary x-ray on his left elbow. While Norris has since been cleared to race by the FIA medical delegate, his car was left with significant damage that left McLaren with a sizeable repair job to complete overnight. Autosport reported on ... Keep reading

Norris suffered a high-speed crash at Eau Rouge after spinning off in wet conditions at the start of Q3, resulting in him being taken to hospital for a precautionary x-ray on his left elbow. While Norris has since been cleared to race by the FIA medical delegate, his car was left with significant damage that left McLaren with a sizeable repair job to complete overnight. Motorsport.com ... Keep reading

Red Bull announced on Friday afternoon that Perez would be remaining with the team for next season after agreeing a one-year extension to his contract. While the news was largely expected, it was nevertheless significant as it marks the first time since 2018 that Red Bull will have the same driver line-up that it started the previous campaign with. Perez has scored one race win and one ... Keep reading

On an F1 weekend where safety at the Belgian Grand Prix’s most famous corner has come under the spotlight, McLaren’s Ricciardo has joined the chorus of drivers urging changes to be made. And with Spa chiefs having already outlined renovation work that will include revisions to the barriers and runoffs at the Eau Rouge/Raidillon complex, Ricciardo says there is no doubt that something has to ... Keep reading

2021 marks 20 years since Alboreto, a five-time F1 grand prix winner with over 200 starts, died at the age of 44 during a sportscar test at the Lausitzring in Germany. To honour the anniversary, the Automobile Club d'Italia took the unanimous decision to rename Monza's famous Parabolica final corner after Alboreto. The final corner of the circuit will now be known as the "Curva Alboreto" ... Keep reading

2021 marks 20 years since Alboreto, a five-time F1 grand prix winner with over 200 starts, died at the age of 44 during a sportscar test at the Lausitzring in Germany. To honour the anniversary, the Automobile Club d'Italia took the unanimous decision to rename Monza's famous Parabolica final corner after Alboreto. The final corner of the circuit will now be known as the "Curva Alboreto" ... Keep reading

On an F1 weekend where safety at the Belgian Grand Prix’s most famous corner has come under the spotlight, McLaren’s Ricciardo has joined the chorus of drivers urging changes to be made. And with Spa chiefs having already outlined renovation work that will include revisions to the barriers and run-offs at the Eau Rouge/Raidillon complex, Ricciardo says there is no doubt that something has ... Keep reading

Unpredictable wet weather for this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix has complicated matters for the drivers regarding the typical downforce-level balance needed to set the fastest times through Spa’s long, straight-heavy first and final third, and the more technical middle sector.  Autosport sources suggested after practice on Friday that with the difficulty of predicting when it would ... Keep reading

GPDA director, Sebastian Vettel insists that lessons must be learned from Lando Norris' horrific crash in Q3.

Unpredictable wet weather for this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix has complicated matters for the drivers regarding the typical downforce-level balance needed to set the fastest times through Spa’s long, straight-heavy first and final third, and the more technical middle sector.  Motorsport.com sources suggested after practice on Friday that with the difficulty of predicting when it ... Keep reading

Without naming names, Toto Wolff had admitted that Mercedes line-up for next season has already been decided.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen starts the race from pole position ahead of Williams driver George Russell, who starred in Saturday's qualifying to claim a spot on the front row. Championship leader Lewis Hamilton will line up third in the lead Mercedes, with McLaren's Daniel Ricciardo joining him on the second row. Ricciardo's teammate Lando Norris suffered a huge shunt in the final part of ... Keep reading

A 13-car pile-up, driver bust-ups, spectacular crashes and an underdog team winning - the 1998 Belgian GP is one of the most incredible in history.

The most important news today is that Lando is fine.

How a minor accident involving a London taxi driver helped Michael Schumacher on the path to Formula 1 greatness.

Norris was fastest in both Q1 and Q2 before he hit the barrier at the top of Raidillon at the start of a soaking wet Q3 session, which Aston Martin's Sebastien Vettel had moments earlier said should have been stopped due to standing water. The incident brought out a red flag and led to a long delay while Norris was taken to hospital for checks, including an x-ray on his elbow. He has been ... Keep reading

Norris was fastest in both Q1 and Q2 before he hit the barrier at the top of Raidillon at the start of a soaking wet Q3 session, which Aston Martin's Sebastien Vettel had moments earlier said should have been stopped due to standing water. The incident brought out a red flag and led to a long delay while Norris was taken to hospital for checks, including an x-ray on his elbow. He has been ... Keep reading

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

Russell made it through to Q3 for the third time in four races in the wet conditions, and was forced to pit to switch to intermediates early in the final session after starting on wets. But Russell opted to save up his engine power and modes for his final lap in Q3, and lit up the timesheets to take provisional pole by 0.013 seconds from Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton. A fairytale pole was ... Keep reading

Following the fatal accident suffered by Anthoine Hubert in a Formula 2 race in 2019, there has been a growing debate about safety at Spa-Francorchamps' famous uphill sweepers in the wake of recent incidents there. Williams F1 reserve Jack Aitken's smash in a Lamborghini GT3 car at the Spa 24 Hours, a six-car pile-up in W Series qualifying on Friday and Norris's qualifying shunt have all served ... Keep reading

Mercedes is yet to reveal whether Russell will be promoted from Williams to drive alongside Hamilton next season, or if it will choose to keep Valtteri Bottas on for what would be a sixth straight year with an unchanged driver line-up since Nico Rosberg's shock departure at the end of 2016. Russell and Bottas remained tight-lipped on progress regarding Mercedes' decision when F1 reconvened for ... Keep reading

Seb, drove a solid quali hour today... another podium finish has to be his target tomorrow.

We have a strong race car, perhaps more set up for the dry. If the weather is like this, we might struggle a bit more, but otherwise we should be in for a good race.

A strong qualifying for us with our first pole position at Spa for 10 years.

Lando Norris has been cleared to take part in tomorrow's Belgian Grand Prix.

The Red Bull driver denied Russell a stunning maiden pole position with a last-lap effort in Q3 that had been earlier red flagged after Lando Norris suffered a heavy crash in wet conditions at Eau Rouge. Norris, who was taken to hospital for checks before being given the all clear to race on Sunday, had been set to fight for pole position having topped both Q1 and Q2 in changing conditions but ... Keep reading

It was a tricky and difficult qualifying session, we managed quite well, placing Esteban in Q3 and in a good position for tomorrow in rainy conditions.

Mercedes has been considering for a number of months who will partner Lewis Hamilton next season, having agreed a new two-year deal with the seven-time world champion earlier this year. Bottas has raced for Mercedes since 2017 and helped the team win four constructors' championships, but could be replaced for next year by Russell, who has starred during his time with Williams and is a member of ... Keep reading

Pierre has put a strong performance in across the weekend so far, being competitive in every session and making Q3 today, securing 6th on the grid.

Mercedes has been considering for a number of months who will partner Lewis Hamilton next season, having agreed a new two-year deal with the seven-time world champion earlier this year. Bottas has raced for Mercedes since 2017 and helped the team win four constructors’ championships, but could be replaced for next year by Russell, who has starred during his time with Williams and is a member ... Keep reading

Tomorrow's strategy is going to be mainly about adapting to changing circumstances, as we saw throughout today.