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Showing posts from October, 2022

Mercedes unsure Ricciardo’s F1 strategy would have changed Mexico result

Verstappen scored his 14th win of the season for Red Bull but was kept honest by Lewis Hamilton through the opening stint as Mercedes opted for a different starting tyre. While Red Bull fitted softs to both Verstappen and Sergio Perez's cars from the start, Mercedes went for mediums with Hamilton and George Russell, favouring a one-stop strategy. Hamilton kept within two seconds of ... Keep reading

Leclerc hopes one of Ferrari’s "worst" F1 races in Mexico will be a one off

As Red Bull and Mercedes fought at the front of the pack in both qualifying and the race, Ferrari failed to put up any kind of fight as it slumped to fifth and sixth place at the chequered flag. Carlos Sainz led the Ferrari cars home in fifth, finishing almost a minute behind race winner Max Verstappen and nine seconds behind fourth-placed George Russell despite the Mercedes driver making an ... Keep reading

Russell drove “too cautiously” in first lap F1 battle with Hamilton

Russell started second, but after giving space to Hamilton he emerged from the opening sequence of corners on the first lap in fourth place, a position he still held at the end of the race. Russell admitted that recent frustrations, including his first corner collision with Carlos Sainz in Austin, encouraged him to take a careful approach, especially when battling with his team-mate. “I ... Keep reading

Verstappen: Sky F1 boycott in Mexico due to "constant" disrespect

Over the Mexican Grand Prix weekend, it emerged that Verstappen and the wider Red Bull Racing team were not taking part in any Sky Sports interviews across all its regional channels in the UK, Germany and Italy. It appeared to come in reaction to a clip from Sky Sports F1's UK coverage of the United States Grand Prix where pit reporter Ted Kravitz used the word "robbed" on multiple occasions ... Keep reading

Vesti tipped for Mercedes F1 run in Abu Dhabi young driver test

The test will feature two cars per team, with race drivers running with the definitive 2023 Pirelli tyres in one car, and rookies – defined as those with no more than two Grand Prix starts – in the other. Mercedes has a rookie slot available because Nyck de Vries has been released to drive for AlphaTauri, as recently confirmed by Franz Tost, the Faenza outfit’s boss. Vesti was ... Keep reading

Vesti tipped for Mercedes F1 run in Abu Dhabi young driver test

The test will feature two cars per team, with race drivers running with the definitive 2023 Pirelli tyres in one car, and rookies – defined as those with no more than two Grand Prix starts – in the other. Mercedes has a rookie slot available because Nyck de Vries has been released to drive for AlphaTauri, as recently confirmed by Franz Tost, the Faenza outfit’s boss. Vesti was ... Keep reading

Ten things we learned from the 2022 F1 Mexican GP

There's little escaping that the Mexican Grand Prix last weekend ultimately failed to deliver on the thrilling climax it teased at certain points. That meant, at a time when the FIA went public with its contentious punishment for Red Bull breaking the 2021 cost cap, there was an equal split between on- and off-track talking points. Max Verstappen writing his name into more pages of the history ... Keep reading

How Verstappen’s underrated skill helped his dominant Mexico F1 win

Verstappen controlled proceedings at the front, but at one point it looked like old title rival Lewis Hamilton may be set to run him close in the fight at the front thanks to his tyre strategy. Yet as the race unfolded, it became apparent that Verstappen had the race well within his grasp, aided by one of his most underrated skills that is not talked about often enough. In the latest edition ... Keep reading

Russell drove “too cautiously” in first lap F1 battle with Hamilton

Russell started second, but after giving space to Hamilton he emerged from the opening sequence of corners on the first lap in fourth place, a position he still held at the end of the race. The Briton admitted that recent frustrations, including his first corner collision with Carlos Sainz in Austin, encouraged him to take a careful approach, especially when battling with his team-mate. “I ... Keep reading

10 things we learned from the 2022 Mexican Grand Prix

There’s little escaping that the Mexican Grand Prix last weekend ultimately failed to deliver on the thrilling climax it teased at certain points. That meant, at a time when the FIA went public with its contentious punishment for Red Bull breaking the 2021 cost cap, there was an equal split between on- and off-track talking points. Max Verstappen writing his name into more pages of the ... Keep reading

Ten things we learned from the 2022 Mexican GP

There's little escaping that the Mexican Grand Prix last weekend ultimately failed to deliver on the thrilling climax it teased at certain points. That meant, at a time when the FIA went public with its contentious punishment for Red Bull breaking the 2021 cost cap, there was an equal split between on- and off-track talking points. Max Verstappen writing his name into more pages of the history ... Keep reading

Mercedes unsure Ricciardo’s F1 strategy would have changed Mexico result

Verstappen scored his 14th win of the season for Red Bull but was kept honest by Lewis Hamilton through the opening stint as Mercedes opted for a different starting tyre. While Red Bull fitted softs to both Verstappen and Sergio Perez's cars from the start, Mercedes went for mediums with Hamilton and George Russell, favouring a one-stop strategy. Hamilton kept within two seconds of ... Keep reading

Ricciardo "didn't plan" to overtake Tsunoda in Mexican GP clash

The pair made contact when Ricciardo made a move on the inside of the tight right-hander Turn 6 as they battled for 11th position on the 51st lap. Tsunoda made it back to the pits, but he was forced to retire due to damage incurred. Ricciardo was handed a 10-second penalty by the FIA stewards. However, his recovery was helped by him being one of the few drivers to switch to soft tyres for ... Keep reading

Russell drove “too cautiously” in first lap F1 battle with Hamilton

Russell started second, but after giving space to Hamilton he emerged from the opening sequence of corners on the first lap in fourth place, a position he still held at the end of the race. Russell admitted that recent frustrations, including his first corner collision with Carlos Sainz in Austin, encouraged him to take a careful approach, especially when battling with his team-mate. “I ... Keep reading

Alonso feels Alpine is "unprepared" after engine failure in Mexico

Alonso had been in contention for a points finish at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, only to suffer a cylinder failure while running seventh before an eventual loss of power forced him to retire from the race with six laps remaining. It came as the latest reliability setback for Alonso in what has been a frustrating season that has seen him regularly lament points lost through no fault of his ... Keep reading

Alonso feels Alpine is "unprepared" after Mexico F1 reliability woes

Alonso had been in contention for a points finish at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, only to suffer a cylinder failure while running seventh before an eventual loss of power forced him to retire from the race with six laps remaining. It came as the latest reliability setback for Alonso in what has been a frustrating season that has seen him regularly lament points lost through no fault of his ... Keep reading

Ricciardo "didn't plan" to overtake Tsunoda ahead of Mexico F1 clash

The pair made contact when Ricciardo made a move on the inside of a tight right-hander as they battled for 11th position on the 51st lap. Tsunoda driver made it back to the pits, but he was forced to retire due to damage incurred. Ricciardo was soon handed a 10-second penalty by the FIA stewards. However, his recovery was helped by him being one of the few drivers to switch to soft tyres for ... Keep reading

Gasly wants talks with stewards after nearing F1 race ban in Mexico GP

The point took his running 12-month total up to 10, just two short of the figure that automatically triggers a suspension for one event. His first points were logged in the Spanish GP on May 22 – which means under the current rules he won’t lose any from his total until after next year’s Emilia Romagna GP, the seventh round of the 2023 championship. Gasly has become increasingly ... Keep reading

Autosport Podcast: F1 Mexican Grand Prix review

The Red Bull driver led from pole and made a surprising soft-medium tyre strategy work, while Mercedes predicted the medium-hard attack to be the quickest in its bid to land a first win of the year. Home hero Sergio Perez played his part in Verstappen’s win as he took third place ahead of George Russell, while it was a nightmare race for Ferrari with Carlos Sainz in fifth finishing almost a ... Keep reading

Gasly wants talks with stewards after nearing F1 race ban in Mexico GP

The point took his running 12-month total up to 10, just two short of the figure that automatically triggers a suspension for one event. His first points were logged in the Spanish GP on 22 May – which means under the current rules he won’t lose any from his total until after next year’s Emilia Romagna GP, the seventh round of the 2023 championship. Gasly has become increasingly ... Keep reading

Leclerc hopes one of Ferrari’s "worst races" in Mexico will be a one-off

As Red Bull and Mercedes fought at the front of the pack in both qualifying and the race, Ferrari failed to put up any kind of fight as it slumped to fifth and sixth place at the chequered flag. Carlos Sainz led the Ferrari cars home in fifth, finishing almost a minute behind race winner Max Verstappen and nine seconds behind fourth-placed George Russell despite the Mercedes driver making an ... Keep reading

Leclerc hopes one of Ferrari’s "worst races" in Mexico will be a one off

As Red Bull and Mercedes fought at the front of the pack in both qualifying and the race, Ferrari failed to put up any kind of fight as it slumped to fifth and sixth place at the chequered flag. Carlos Sainz led the Ferrari cars home in fifth, finishing almost a minute behind race winner Max Verstappen and nine seconds behind fourth-placed George Russell despite the Mercedes driver making an ... Keep reading

Mercedes unsure Ricciardo's F1 strategy would have changed Mexican GP result

Verstappen scored his 14th win of the season for Red Bull but was kept honest by Lewis Hamilton through the opening stint as Mercedes opted for a different starting tyre. While Red Bull fitted softs to both Verstappen and Sergio Perez’s cars from the start, Mercedes went for mediums with Hamilton and George Russell, favouring a one-stop strategy. Hamilton kept within two seconds of ... Keep reading

Alonso set for maiden Aston Martin F1 test in Abu Dhabi

The test, to be held on the Tuesday following the final race of the season, will feature two cars per team. Race drivers will run the definitive 2023 Pirelli tyres in one car, and rookies will drive the other. Traditionally the Abu Dhabi running sees drivers who are moving teams for the following year gain their first experience with their new outfits, assuming that they have been able to ... Keep reading

Alonso set for maiden Aston Martin F1 test in Abu Dhabi

The test, to be held on the Tuesday following the final race of the season, will feature two cars per team. Race drivers will run the definitive 2023 Pirelli tyres in one car, and rookies will drive the other. Traditionally the Abu Dhabi running sees drivers who are moving teams for the following year gain their first experience with their new outfits, assuming that they have been able to ... Keep reading

F1 race results: Max Verstappen wins Mexican GP to set new record

Verstappen led from the start, briefly allowing the Mercedes cars of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell to hold a 1-2 during the pitstop cycle. But Verstappen’s win was never in doubt, as Mercedes’ tyre choice proved to be too conservative, and he won comfortably over Hamilton and Red Bull Racing teammate Sergio Perez. Read Also: Mexican GP: Verstappen eases to record-breaking 14th ... Keep reading

Hamilton: Red Bull "too fast" for Mercedes to beat in F1 Mexican GP

Both Hamilton and George Russell began the race on medium tyres with Mercedes trying to counter Red Bull's start on the soft rubber, as Max Verstappen wanted to cover off the threat of a run into the first corner. Although it seemed that Mercedes was going to attempt to go long into the race on the mediums and switch to softs at the end, the team instead made the jump to hards with Hamilton ... Keep reading

Hamilton: Red Bull "too fast" for Mercedes to beat in F1 Mexican GP

Both Hamilton and George Russell began the race on medium tyres with Mercedes trying to counter Red Bull's start on the soft rubber, as Max Verstappen wanted to cover off the threat of a run into the first corner. Although it seemed that Mercedes was going to attempt to go long into the race on the mediums and switch to softs at the end, the team instead made the jump to hards with Hamilton ... Keep reading

F1 Mexican GP: Verstappen cruises to record 14th victory of 2022

After acing the start from pole and once it became clear well ahead of the final laps that his medium tyres would hold on, Verstappen dominated to take a 14th victory of 2022 and in doing so set a new record for single season wins. Home hero Sergio Perez finished third ahead of George Russell, with the Ferrari drivers a minute behind by the finish in fifth and sixth. At the start, Verstappen ... Keep reading

F1 race results: Max Verstappen wins Mexican GP to set new record

Verstappen led from the start, briefly allowing the Mercedes cars of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell to hold a 1-2 during the pitstop cycle. But Verstappen’s win was never in doubt, as Mercedes’ tyre choice proved to be too conservative, and he won comfortably over Hamilton and Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez. 2022 Mexican Grand Prix race ... Keep reading

Mexican GP: Verstappen eases to record-breaking 14th win of F1 2022

After acing the start from pole and once it became clear well ahead of the final laps that his medium tyres would hold on, Verstappen dominated to take a 14th victory of 2022 and set a new record for single-season wins. Home hero Sergio Perez finished third ahead of George Russell, with the Ferrari drivers a minute behind by the finish in fifth and sixth. At the start, Verstappen launched ... Keep reading

F1 race results: Max Verstappen wins Mexican GP to set new record

Verstappen led from the start, briefly allowing the Mercedes cars of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell to hold a 1-2 during the pitstop cycle. But Verstappen’s win was never in doubt, as Mercedes’ tyre choice proved to be too conservative, and he won comfortably over Hamilton and Red Bull Racing teammate Sergio Perez. Read Also: Mexican GP: Verstappen eases to record-breaking 14th ... Keep reading

Bottas aiming high from “surprising” sixth on Mexico F1 grid

The Alfa Romeo driver split the two works Ferraris in qualifying, outpacing the troubled Charles Leclerc for a spot on the third row of the grid. A good result on Sunday would be hugely valuable in his team’s fight with Aston Martin for sixth in the championship, which the Hinwil outfit leads by just three points. Bottas showed good pace from the start of the Mexican weekend, taking ... Keep reading

“Difficult to drive” Ferrari losing F1 performance in Mexico altitude – Sainz

Relative to the Red Bull Racing and Mercedes cars, Ferrari came off third-best during qualifying at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as Sainz could only claim fifth for Sunday's grid – as Charles Leclerc struggled and qualified seventh behind Alfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas. In particular, the Ferraris seemed to struggle in the high-speed Esses and there were instances where the drivers had to ... Keep reading

Wolff: Mexico is Mercedes’ best F1 chance yet of winning this season

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton fell three-tenths of a second short of Max Verstappen’s pole position lap for Red Bull but struggled on their last run in Q3. Russell called his final lap “terrible”, while Hamilton had an engine oscillation problem that impacted his last effort as he reported feeling power drop outs. Both Mercedes cars may benefit from getting a tow from Verstappen on ... Keep reading

Bottas aiming high from “surprising” sixth on Mexico F1 grid

The Alfa Romeo driver split the two works Ferraris in qualifying, outpacing the troubled Charles Leclerc for a spot on the third row of the grid. A good result on Sunday would be hugely valuable in his team’s fight with Aston Martin for sixth in the championship, which the Hinwil outfit leads by just three points. Bottas showed good pace from the start of the Mexican weekend, taking ... Keep reading

Leclerc fears “nightmare” Mexico F1 race after Ferrari qualifying woes

Both Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz have experienced a lack of power at the high-altitude circuit, with some rivals suspecting that the team may have detuned its power units in some way in a search for reliability. Earlier this year, Sainz suffered a fiery engine failure at the Red Bull Ring, another venue where altitude is an issue, and a non-finish in Mexico could be costly in the team’s ... Keep reading

Wolff: Mexico is Mercedes’ best F1 chance yet of winning this season

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton fell three-tenths of a second short of Max Verstappen’s pole position lap for Red Bull but struggled on their last run in Q3. Russell called his final lap “terrible”, while Hamilton had an engine oscillation problem that impacted his last effort as he reported feeling power drop outs. Both Mercedes cars may benefit from getting a tow from Verstappen on ... Keep reading

Why F1 drivers are calling for respect as fans fill Mexican paddock

In keeping with a recent trend, the F1 Experiences organisation has sold hundreds of packages that give paddock access to well-heeled fans. However, drivers have found the atmosphere oppressive with fans physically pushing and pulling them whenever they try to make it from their hospitality buildings to their garages, seemingly with no respect for personal space. While paddocks have become ... Keep reading

Why F1 drivers are calling for respect as fans fill Mexican GP paddock

In keeping with a recent trend the F1 Experiences organisation has sold hundreds of packages that give paddock access to well-heeled fans. However, drivers have found the atmosphere oppressive with fans physically pushing and pulling them whenever they try to make it from their hospitality buildings to their garages, seemingly with no respect for personal space. While paddocks have become ... Keep reading

Schumacher calls for F1 bollard change after track limits frustration

The Haas driver logged a lap of 1m16.965s towards the end of Q1, which at the time put him in sixth place. Had it stood until the end of the session it would still have been good enough for seventh. However, the time was quickly deleted by the stewards for cutting track limits on the apex of Turn 2. At the end of the session Schumacher was left stranded in ... Keep reading

Schumacher calls for F1 bollard change after track limits frustration

The Haas driver logged a lap of 1m16.965s towards the end of Q1, which at the time put him in sixth place. Had it stood until the end of the session it would still have been good enough for seventh. However, the time was quickly deleted by the stewards for cutting track limits on the apex of Turn 2. At the end of the session Schumacher was left stranded in ... Keep reading

Mercedes: F1 engine issue "definitely affected" Hamilton’s Mexico Q3 lap

Mercedes entered qualifying chasing only its second pole of the season after finishing 1-2 in FP3, but ultimately lost out to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in Q3 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Verstappen beat Russell and Hamilton to pole by three tenths of a second as both Mercedes drivers struggled in their final Q3 runs. Russell called his last lap “terrible” after running wide at ... Keep reading

“Difficult to drive” Ferrari losing F1 performance in Mexico altitude – Sainz

Relative to the Red Bull Racing and Mercedes cars, Ferrari came off third-best during qualifying at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as Sainz could only claim fifth for Sunday's grid – as Charles Leclerc struggled and qualified seventh behind Alfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas. In particular, the Ferraris seemed to struggle in the high-speed Esses and there were instances where the drivers had to ... Keep reading

F1 Mexican Grand Prix – Start time, starting grid, how to watch, & more

The reigning F1 world champion saw off a challenge from both Mercedes drivers to take pole by 0.304s ahead of George Russell with Lewis Hamilton in third place just 0.005s off his team-mate. Qualifying was a fraught fight for home hero Sergio Perez who could only manage fourth place due to an electrical issue with his Red Bull F1 car. But at Ferrari worse was to follow, as Carlos Sainz was ... Keep reading

Leclerc fears “nightmare” Mexican GP after Ferrari F1 qualifying woes

Both Leclerc and team-mate Carlos Sainz have experienced a lack of power at the high-altitude circuit, with some rivals suspecting that the team may have detuned its power units in a search for reliability. Earlier this year, Sainz suffered a fiery engine failure at the Red Bull Ring, another venue where altitude is an issue, and a non-finish in Mexico could be costly in the team’s battle for ... Keep reading

Alonso: We need to stop putting F1 fans against each other on social media

In an interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf that was published on Saturday, two-time F1 world champion Alonso discussed former team-mate Hamilton and current world champion Max Verstappen when reflecting on last year’s podium in Qatar. Alonso said he thought Verstappen had “performed better” than Hamilton last year and was a worthy champion in 2021, adding: "I also have a lot of ... Keep reading

Mercedes: F1 engine issue "definitely affected" Hamilton’s Mexico Q3 lap

Mercedes entered qualifying chasing only its second pole of the season after finishing 1-2 in FP3, but ultimately lost out to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in Q3 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Verstappen beat Russell and Hamilton to pole by three tenths of a second as both Mercedes drivers struggled in their final Q3 runs. Russell called his last lap “terrible” after running wide at ... Keep reading

Alonso: Important to stop putting F1 fans against each other on social media

In an interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf that was published on Saturday, two-time world champion Alonso discussed former teammate Hamilton and current world champion Max Verstappen when reflecting on last year’s podium in Qatar. Alonso said he thought Verstappen had “performed better” than Hamilton last year and was a worthy champion in 2021, adding: "I also have a lot of respect ... Keep reading

2022 F1 Mexico Grand Prix – How to watch, start time & more

Red Bull's Max Verstappen will start the race from pole position, but with Mercedes duo George Russell and Lewis Hamilton right behind him. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) will line up fourth on the grid for his home race, with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc only fifth and seventh - separated by the Alfa Romeo of Valtteri Bottas. When is the F1 Mexico City Grand Prix? The 2022 F1 ... Keep reading

Verstappen: "Very hard to nail" pole lap at low-grip Mexico F1 track

Verstappen trailed Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton in both Q1 and Q2 in qualifying at the low-grip Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez track, but then led from the off in the final segment before sealing pole with a fastest time at the death in Q3. That put him clear of George Russell and Hamilton by 0.304s and 0.309s, taking his sixth pole of the 2022 campaign. Speaking in the post-qualifying press ... Keep reading

Verstappen: "Very hard to nail" pole lap at low-grip Mexico F1 track

Verstappen trailed Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton in both Q1 and Q2 in qualifying at the low-grip Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez track, but then led from the off in the final segment before sealing pole with a fastest time at the death in Q3. That put him clear of George Russell and Hamilton by 0.304s and 0.309s, taking his sixth pole of the 2022 campaign. Speaking in the post-qualifying press ... Keep reading

Perez: F1 Mexican GP qualifying "a total mess" due to electrical problem

The local driver was left without information on his dashboard, including lap times, and in the end he was relieved to recover to earn fourth on the grid for Sunday’s race. The electrical issue also created a DRS problem that left him seventh in Q1, although that problem was rectified for the later sessions. Perez then got through Q2 in fifth place before improving by one spot in the final ... Keep reading

Perez: F1 Mexican GP qualifying "a total mess" due to electrical problem

The local driver was left without information on his dashboard, including laptimes, and in the end he was relieved to recover to earn fourth on the grid for Sunday's race. The electrical issue also created a DRS problem that left him seventh in Q1, although that problem was rectified for the later sessions. He then got through Q2 in fifth place before improving by one spot in the final part ... Keep reading

Russell ‘kicking myself’ over Mexico F1 Q3 lap: “It was our pole to have”

Russell topped both FP2 and FP3 for Mercedes at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, and looked to be in the fight for pole after sitting just 0.132s off Verstappen following the opening runs in Q3. But Russell endured a scrappy final lap, struggling with oversteer at Turn 5 before running wide at Turn 12 at the end of the back straight. This caused him to run wide and ultimately lose ... Keep reading

Russell "kicking" himself after "terrible" lap that cost F1 pole shot

Russell topped both FP2 and FP3 for Mercedes at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, and looked to be in the fight for pole after sitting just 0.132s off Verstappen following the opening runs in Q3. But Russell endured a scrappy final lap, struggling with oversteer at Turn 5 before running wide at Turn 12 at the end of the back straight. This caused him to run wide and ultimately lose ... Keep reading

F1 Mexican GP: Verstappen beats Mercedes duo to pole, Leclerc seventh

Home hero Sergio Perez took fourth, while Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas was a surprise star of qualifying to split the Ferrari drivers and secure sixth on the grid for Sunday’s race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. After Hamilton had led Q1 and Q2, he lost his opening time in Q3 for cutting Turn 3, with Verstappen leading at the head of the times after those first runs in the final ... Keep reading

Mexican GP: Verstappen storms to F1 pole ahead of Russell, Hamilton

Home hero Sergio Perez took fourth, while Alfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas was a surprise star of qualifying to split the Ferrari drivers and secure sixth on the grid for Sunday's race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. After Hamilton had led Q1 and Q2, he lost his opening time in Q3 for cutting Turn 3, with Verstappen leading at the head of the times after those first runs in the final segment ... Keep reading

F1 qualifying results: Max Verstappen takes Mexican GP pole

Verstappen will start ahead of the Mercedes cars of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton after the one-hour qualifying session, which is split into three segments with five cars each being knocked out in Q1 and Q2 before the top-10 shootout of Q3. Read Also: Mexican GP: Verstappen storms to F1 pole ahead of Russell, Hamilton Mexican Grand Prix qualifying results: Verstappen on ... Keep reading

F1 Mexican GP: Russell leads Hamilton for Mercedes 1-2 in FP3

Charles Leclerc took fourth for Ferrari but end up even further back from the dominant Mercedes pair, complaining about understeer aboard his F1-75. If Ferrari can solve that F1 may get a three-team fight for pole on Saturday at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, with Red Bull also needing to ease Verstappen’s path over the kerbs around the track that held him back in this ... Keep reading

Mexican GP: Russell puts Mercedes on top in final F1 practice

Charles Leclerc took fourth for Ferrari but ended up even further back from the dominant Mercedes pair, complaining about understeer aboard his F1-75. As the one-hour session commenced, Valtteri Bottas led the pack out of the pits – the Alfa Romeo running the medium tyres for the initial laps – and he duly set the first-place benchmark at 1m21.462s. A few minutes later, Hamilton was the ... Keep reading

Mercedes: Red Bull calling aero penalty "draconian" is "an exaggeration"

Red Bull was hit with a £6 million fine and a 10% reduction in its aerodynamic testing allocation for the next 12 months after the FIA found it had breached the budget cap by £1.8m in 2021. Red Bull F1 boss Christian Horner said the team had accepted the FIA’s proposed penalty begrudgingly, citing mitigating factors, but called the sanction “draconian” due to the impact on its car ... Keep reading

Mercedes: Red Bull calling aero penalty ‘draconian’ is ‘an exaggeration’

Red Bull was hit with a $7 million fine and a 10% reduction in its aerodynamic testing allocation for the next 12 months after the FIA found it had breached the budget cap by £1.8m in 2021. Red Bull F1 boss Christian Horner said the team had accepted the FIA’s proposed penalty begrudgingly, citing mitigating factors, but called the sanction “draconian” due to the impact on its car ... Keep reading

McLaren: Red Bull F1 cost cap penalty “not harsh enough”

On Friday, the FIA confirmed that Red Bull had been fined $7m and docked 10% of its aero testing for the next 12 months, while Aston Martin was fined $450,000 for a procedural breach. Seidl stressed that it was encouraging to see that the FIA's process worked effectively, but he questioned the size of the penalties, and urged that future sanctions should be harsher. “It's mixed feelings to ... Keep reading

McLaren: Red Bull F1 cost cap penalty “not harsh enough”

On Friday, the FIA announced that Red Bull had been fined $7m and docked 10% of its aero testing for the next 12 months, while Aston Martin was fined $450,000 for a procedural breach. Seidl stressed that it was encouraging to see that the FIA's process worked effectively, but he questioned the size of the penalties and urged that future sanctions should be harsher. "It's mixed feelings, to ... Keep reading

Horner believes Red Bull won’t breach 2022 F1 cost cap

However, he admits he can't say with "100% confidence" that Red Bull will be safe, and suggests that six teams are still at risk of breaching the 2022 cap limit. The FIA announced on Friday that Red Bull has been fined $7m and hit with a 10% reduction in aero testing for the next 12 months after being found guilty of exceeding last year's budget cap. The fact that debate over the disputed ... Keep reading

Horner believes Red Bull won’t breach 2022 F1 cost cap

However, he admits he can’t say with “100% confidence” that Red Bull will be safe – and suggests that six teams are still at risk of breaching the 2022 cap limit. The FIA announced on Friday that Red Bull has been fined $7m and hit with a 10% reduction in aero testing for the next 12 months after being found guilty of exceeding last year's budget cap. The fact that debate over the ... Keep reading

F1 teams bring tech updates to manage Mexico’s high-altitude challenge

With the 2022 season winding to a close and the majority of teams now fully focused on developments for next year, few are bringing many new parts to races. But there has been a big focus on cooling for this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix as teams look to get on top of the high-altitude conditions that make it a race unlike any other. The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez sits at 2.2km above sea ... Keep reading

F1 teams bring tech updates to manage Mexico’s high-altitude challenge

With the 2022 season winding to a close and the majority of teams now fully focused on developments for next year, few are bringing many new parts to races. But there has been a big focus on cooling for this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix as teams look to get on top of the high-altitude conditions that make it a race unlike any other. The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez sits at 2.2km above sea ... Keep reading

FIA set to reduce use of F1 black-and-orange flag warnings

Instead, the onus will be on the teams to ensure their cars remain operating in a safe manner even after sustaining damage in incidents and then prove this is the case to in-competition enquiries raised by the governing body. The black-and-orange flag is used as an instruction to competitors ordering them to pit for repairs if they suffer damage and their continued participation is deemed ... Keep reading

What we learned in opening practice for F1's 2022 Mexican GP

George Russell topped the times at the end of the opening day of practice for Formula 1’s 2022 Mexican Grand Prix, where Ferrari’s strong start was undone by Charles Leclerc’s FP2 crash during the second in-season Pirelli tyre test in a week. Ferrari led the way in a 1-2 in opening practice on Friday afternoon, but Leclerc’s off mid-way through the second session – elongated to ... Keep reading

F1 results: George Russell fastest in Mexican GP practice for Mercedes

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was fastest in FP1 before Russell topped FP2, which doubled as a 2023 Pirelli prototype tyre test and so was unrepresentative in the main. But Russell set the time on 2022-spec soft tyres, as he didn’t run in FP1, so it was a competitively legitimate lap. Read Also: What we learned in opening practice for F1's 2022 Mexican GP How catering costs ... Keep reading

Verstappen expects “a lot of crashes” when F1 ditches tyre blankets

F1 has been toying with the idea of outlawing tyre blankets since the switch to 18 inch wheels was finalised, with that originally set to go ahead in 2021 before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the new car regulations to be delayed until 2022. The series had already elected against a complete tyre blanket ban for 2021 back in 2019, with the phasing out of the warmers taking place ... Keep reading

F1 Mexico Grand Prix qualifying – Start time, how to watch, channel

Ferrari led the way in first practice for the Mexico GP, with Carlos Sainz topping the times ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc. Ferrari has been on pole twice in Mexico since the country's return to the F1 calendar seven years ago, most recently with Charles Leclerc in 2019. Mercedes has six poles out of six attempts, while Red Bull has topped qualifying only once in Mexico City courtesy of ... Keep reading

Ferrari unhappy with “very limited” impact of F1 cost cap penalty on Red Bull

The FIA announced on Friday it had reached an Accepted Breach Agreement with Red Bull over its alleged breach of last year’s financial regulations. The agreement saw Red Bull receive a $7 million fine and a 10% reduction in its aerodynamic testing time for the next 12 months. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner called the penalty “enormous” and “draconian”, claiming a number ... Keep reading

What we learned in opening practice for F1's 2022 Mexican GP

George Russell topped the times at the end of the opening day of practice for Formula 1’s 2022 Mexican Grand Prix, where Ferrari’s strong start was undone by Charles Leclerc’s FP2 crash during the second in-season Pirelli tyre test in a week. Ferrari led the way in a 1-2 in opening practice on Friday afternoon, but Leclerc’s off mid-way through the second session – elongated to ... Keep reading

How catering costs contributed to Red Bull’s F1 budget cap overspend

The FIA announced on Friday in Mexico that it had struck an Accepted Breach Agreement with Red Bull after finding the team had exceeded the $145 million budget cap last year. Red Bull was fined $7m and docked 10% of its aerodynamic testing time in the next 12 months. Red Bull fiercely denied throughout the saga that it had spent beyond the budget cap, but said on Friday that it accepted the ... Keep reading

How catering costs contributed to Red Bull’s F1 budget cap overspend

The FIA announced on Friday in Mexico that it had struck an Accepted Breach Agreement with Red Bull after finding the team had exceeded the $145 million budget cap last year. Red Bull was fined $7m and docked 10% of its aerodynamic testing time in the next 12 months. Red Bull fiercely denied throughout the saga that it had spent beyond the budget cap, but said on Friday that it accepted the ... Keep reading

FIA set to reduce use of black-and-orange flag warnings

Instead, the onus will be on the teams to ensure their cars remain operating in a safe manner even after sustaining damage in incidents and then prove this is the case to in-competition enquiries raised by the governing body. The black-and-orange flag is used as an instruction to competitors ordering them to pit for repairs if they suffer damage and their continued participation is deemed ... Keep reading

Ferrari unhappy with “very limited” impact of FIA F1 penalty against Red Bull

The FIA announced on Friday it had reached an Accepted Breach Agreement with Red Bull over its alleged breach of last year’s financial regulations. The agreement saw Red Bull receive a $7 million fine and a 10% reduction in its aerodynamic testing time for the next 12 months. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner called the penalty “enormous” and “draconian”, claiming a number ... Keep reading

Szafnauer: "Justice prevailed" on Alonso F1 mirror penalty

Alonso was originally given a post-race 30-second penalty after a protest by Haas that claimed the Spaniard’s car was in a dangerous condition after he drove for many laps with a flapping right mirror, and then finished the race with no rear visibility after it came loose and fell off. Haas also protested the Red Bull of Sergio Perez, which ran for six laps with a damaged endplate that ... Keep reading

Alpine: "Justice prevailed" on Alonso F1 mirror penalty

Alonso was originally given a post-race 30-second time penalty after a protest by Haas that claimed the Spaniard's car was in a dangerous condition after he drove for many laps with a flapping right mirror, and then finished the race with no rear visibility after it came loose and fell off. Haas also protested the Red Bull of Sergio Perez, which ran for six laps with a damaged endplate that ... Keep reading

Wolff: Red Bull F1 cost cap breach penalty "too little"

It was announced today that Red Bull had signed an Accepted Breach Agreement with the governing body. As a result, it has been docked 10% of its aero testing for 12 months from now and fined $7 million. "I think as for any penalty, for us, it's too little," Wolff told Autosport. "For them, it will be too much." Regarding the Red Bull penalties, Wolff added: "I think any reduction in ... Keep reading

Wolff says Red Bull F1 cost cap breach penalty "too little"

It was announced today that Red Bull had signed an Accepted Breach Agreement with the governing body. As a result, it has been docked 10% of its aero testing for 12 months from now and fined $7 million. "I think as for any penalty, for us, it's too little," Wolff told Motorsport.com. "For them, it will be too much." Regarding the Red Bull penalties, Wolff added: "I think any reduction in ... Keep reading

Red Bull: F1 cost cap breach penalty "enormous" and "draconian"

The FIA announced on Friday that it had struck an Accepted Breach Agreement with Red Bull after finding it had exceeded the $145 million cost cap through 2021. Red Bull was slapped with a $7m fine for the breach, which was found to have been £1.8m, as well as a 10% reduction in its aerodynamic testing allowance for the next 12 months. The FIA noted in its report that Red Bull acted in "good ... Keep reading

Red Bull accepted FIA cost cap breach agreement for good of F1 - Horner

The FIA announced on Friday in Mexico that Red Bull had entered an Accepted Breach Agreement after it was found to have exceeded the $145 million budget cap in 2021. Red Bull was handed a $7m fine and a 10% hit on its aerodynamic testing allowance for the next 12 months, a sanction that team principal Horner called "enormous" and "draconian". Had Red Bull not accepted the proposal made by ... Keep reading

Autosport Podcast: Red Bull’s F1 cost cap punishment explained

F1’s governing body revealed after the Japanese GP that both Red Bull and Aston Martin were in breach of F1’s financial regulations for 2021, putting them at risk of sanctions. Red Bull fiercely denied it had broken the budget cap, but entered talks with the FIA over an Accepted Breach Agreement to reach a settlement. Both Red Bull’s and Aston Martin’s respective penalties have been ... Keep reading

Red Bull accepted FIA cost cap breach agreement for good of F1, says Horner

The FIA announced on Friday in Mexico that Red Bull had entered an Accepted Breach Agreement after it was found to have exceeded the $145 million budget cap in 2021. Red Bull was handed a $7m fine and a 10% hit on its aerodynamic testing allowance for the next 12 months, a sanction that team principal Horner called "enormous" and "draconian." Had Red Bull not accepted the proposal made by ... Keep reading

Verstappen expects “a lot of crashes” when F1 ditches tyre blankets

F1 has been toying with the idea of outlawing tyre blankets since the switch to 18-inch wheels was finalised, with that originally set to go ahead in 2021 before the COVID pandemic forced the new car regulations to be delayed to 2022. The series had already elected against a complete tyre blanket ban for 2021 back in 2019, with the phasing out of the warmers taking place gradually. Teams are ... Keep reading

Red Bull: F1 cost cap breach penalty "enormous" and "draconian"

The FIA announced on Friday that it had struck an Accepted Breach Agreement with Red Bull after finding it had exceeded the $145 million cost cap through 2021. Red Bull was slapped with a $7m fine for the breach, which was found to have been £1.8m, as well as a 10% reduction in its aerodynamic testing allowance for the next 12 months. The FIA noted in its report that Red Bull acted in "good ... Keep reading

Aston Martin fined $450k for F1 cost cap procedural breach

The FIA announced after the Japanese Grand Prix that both Aston Martin and Red Bull were found to have breached the financial regulations for 2021 after completing their audits. Although Aston Martin was under the cost cap for last year - unlike Red Bull, which received a $7m fine and a reduction in aerodynamic testing on Friday - the FIA deemed it had committed a procedural breach, meaning it ... Keep reading

Full FIA report on Red Bull F1 cost cap breach and penalty

Here is the FIA’s report in full: An Accepted Breach Agreement (“ABA”) dated 26 October 2022 has been entered into by the Cost Cap Administration and Red Bull Racing F1 Team (“RBR”) pursuant to Article 6.28 of the FIA Formula 1 Financial Regulations (“Financial Regulations”). The Financial Regulations are issued by the FIA and form part of the terms and conditions of participation ... Keep reading

FIA hands Red Bull $7m fine, aero testing reduction for cost cap breach

The FIA revealed after the Japanese Grand Prix that both Red Bull and Aston Martin were in breach of F1’s financial regulations for 2021, putting them at risk of sanctions. Red Bull was deemed to have exceeded the $145 million cost cap, committing a minor breach that was less than 5% over the limit. Red Bull fiercely denied it had broken the budget cap, but entered talks with the FIA over ... Keep reading

FIA hands Red Bull $7m F1 fine, aero testing reduction for cost cap breach

The FIA revealed after the Japanese Grand Prix that both Red Bull and Aston Martin were in breach of F1’s financial regulations for 2021, putting them at risk of sanctions. Red Bull was deemed to have exceeded the $145 million cost cap, committing a minor breach that was less than 5% over the limit. Red Bull fiercely denied it had broken the budget cap, but entered talks with the FIA over ... Keep reading

Full FIA report on Red Bull F1 cost cap breach and penalty

Here is the FIA’s report in full: An Accepted Breach Agreement (“ABA”) dated 26 October 2022 has been entered into by the Cost Cap Administration and Red Bull Racing F1 Team (“RBR”) pursuant to Article 6.28 of the FIA Formula 1 Financial Regulations (“Financial Regulations”). The Financial Regulations are issued by the FIA and form part of the terms and conditions of participation ... Keep reading

FIA hands Red Bull $7m fine, aero testing reduction for cost cap breach

The FIA revealed after the Japanese Grand Prix that both Red Bull and Aston Martin were in breach of F1’s financial regulations for 2021, putting them at risk of sanctions. Red Bull was deemed to have exceeded the $145 million cost cap, committing a minor breach that was less than 5% over the limit. Red Bull fiercely denied it had broken the budget cap, but entered talks with the FIA over ... Keep reading

Leclerc: Ferrari "getting there" against Red Bull on Sunday F1 race gains

The Scuderia flew out of the blocks to win two of the opening three races this season as it sought to end a title drought dating back to its 2008 constructors’ championship triumph. But the combination of strategic disasters (notably at Silverstone and Budapest) plus its early unreliability has contributed greatly to its drivers’ and teams’ championship challenge collapsing. Red Bull ... Keep reading

Leclerc: Ferrari "getting there" against Red Bull on Sunday F1 race gains

The Scuderia flew out of the blocks to win two of the opening three races this season as it sought to end a title drought dating back to its 2008 constructors’ championship triumph. But the combination of strategic disasters (notably at Silverstone and Budapest) plus its early unreliability has allowed contributed greatly to its drivers’ and teams’ championship challenge ... Keep reading

2022 F1 Mexico Grand Prix session timings and preview

Mercedes and Red Bull Racing are the only two teams to have won at Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez since the circuit's return to the F1 calendar in 2015. It will be a special race for Red Bull's Sergio Perez, who has a strong chance of winning his home event after finishing third to teammate Max Verstappen and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton last year. Red Bull is yet to be beaten in the second ... Keep reading

Verstappen expects “a lot of crashes” when F1 ditches tyre blankets

F1 has been toying with the idea of outlawing tyre blankets since the switch to 18-inch wheels was finalised, with that originally set to go ahead in 2021 before the COVID pandemic forced the new car regulations to be delayed to 2022. The series had already elected against a complete tyre blanket ban for 2021 back in 2019, with the phasing out of the warmers taking place gradually. Teams are ... Keep reading

Sainz: FIA “a bit easy” on Russell with US GP F1 collision penalty

Russell nudged polesitter Sainz into a spin, sending him to the back of the field. The Ferrari driver pitted at the end of the lap and had to retire due to the damage caused in the clash. Russell was given a five-second penalty that he took at his first pitstop, before going on to finish the race in fifth place, his own performance compromised by damage to his front wing. Sainz believes ... Keep reading

Russell: "Really exciting" Hamilton plans to sign new Mercedes F1 deal

Hamilton revealed in an interview with select media including Autosport over the United States Grand Prix weekend that he intends to sign a new deal with Mercedes. His current contract expires at the end of next season. Russell started working fully alongside Hamilton this year after spending the past three seasons with Williams, giving him a chance to learn from the seven-time world ... Keep reading

Tech: Mercedes tweaks new F1 front wing design

As part of its final F1 update package of season, Mercedes introduced a new front wing for the W13 at the United States Grand Prix last week, with the first glimpse emerging last Thursday. But it emerged that some of Mercedes’ rivals had flagged concerns with the FIA about the use of a novel slot gap separator bracket design on the wing and where it lay within the regulations. Mercedes ... Keep reading

Mercedes tweaks new F1 front wing design for Mexico GP

As part of its final F1 update package of season, Mercedes introduced a new front wing for the W13 at the United States Grand Prix last week, with the first glimpse emerging last Thursday. But it emerged that some of Mercedes’ rivals had flagged concerns with the FIA about the use of a novel slot gap separator bracket design on the wing and where it lay within the regulations. Mercedes ... Keep reading

Hamilton won’t set limit on F1 career as he plans multi-year Mercedes deal

Seven-time F1 world champion Hamilton revealed in an interview with select media including Autosport in Austin he plans to sign a new F1 contract in the next couple of months. Hamilton’s existing Mercedes F1 contract expires at the end of the 2023 season, but he made clear that he is looking to continue beyond that point as he goes in search of a record-breaking eighth world title. Asked ... Keep reading

Sainz: FIA “a bit easy” on Russell with US GP collision penalty

Russell nudged polesitter Sainz into a spin, sending him to the back of the field. The Ferrari driver pitted at the end of the lap and had to retire due to the damage caused in the clash. Russell was given a five-second penalty that he took at his first pitstop, before going on to finish the race in fifth place, his own performance compromised by damage to his front wing. Sainz believes ... Keep reading

Sainz: FIA “a bit easy” on Russell with US GP collision penalty

Russell nudged polesitter Sainz into a spin, sending him to the back of the field. The Ferrari driver pitted at the end of the lap and had to retire due to the damage caused in the clash. Russell was given a five-second penalty that he took at his first pitstop, before going on to finish the race in fifth place, his own performance compromised by damage to his front wing. Sainz believes ... Keep reading

2022 F1 Mexico Grand Prix session timings and preview

Mercedes and Red Bull are the only two teams to have won at Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez since the circuit's return to the F1 calendar in 2015. It will be a special race for Red Bull's Sergio Perez, who has a strong chance of winning his home event after finishing third to teammate Max Verstappen and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton last year. Red Bull is yet to be beaten in the second half of ... Keep reading