- F1 Saudi Arabian GP qualifying - Start time, how to watch & more
03/12/2021 - 21:07
The Mercedes driver completed a clean sweep of top times on Friday in Jeddah, leading FP2 by 0.061s from team-mate Valtteri Bottas despite both drivers having their soft tyre qualifying-style runs hampered. The second practice session was ended prematurely by a heavy crash for Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
As F1 drivers got to grips with the new Jeddah Corniche Circuit on the opening day ...Keep reading
- Hamilton says F1 in "danger zone" over Jeddah circuit traffic
03/12/2021 - 20:18
The high-speed characteristics of the Jeddah circuit, with blind apexes and a narrow run to the final corner, means drivers on flat-out laps only get to see slower cars ahead of them at the very last moment.
With huge closing speeds between those cars waiting for a clear bit of track to start their run, and those putting in hot laps, one small miscalculation could lead to a big crash.
World ...Keep reading
- Hamilton: Mercedes F1 has "work to do" on one-lap Saudi GP pace
03/12/2021 - 20:06
Hamilton topped both free practice sessions at the Jeddah Corniche street circuit, narrowly edging out teammate Valtteri Bottas and AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly in the second session.
His title rival Max Verstappen ended up fourth in FP2 in the Red Bull, two tenths behind Hamilton, after the Dutchman finished a close second to the world champion in the first session.
Despite being quickest out ...Keep reading
- Horner: Red Bull "desperately needs" Perez at front to help in F1 title battles
03/12/2021 - 20:05
Red Bull enters the penultimate race of the season in Saudi Arabia trailing Mercedes by just five points at the top of the constructors’ championship, while Max Verstappen sits eight points clear of Lewis Hamilton in the drivers’ standings.
It has given the team a shot at winning its first title since 2013, but Perez struggled to match Verstappen or Mercedes drivers Hamilton and Valtteri ...Keep reading
- F1 Saudi Arabian GP: Hamilton leads Mercedes 1-2 as Leclerc crashes heavily in FP2
03/12/2021 - 19:09
Both title contenders had their mid-session qualifying simulations disrupted, with Hamilton’s session-topping time remaining his best from the early running on the medium tyres.
Under the lights with night having set in over Jeddah, Carlos Sainz Jr led the pack around to set the first time of the day’s second one-hour session, the Ferrari driver – running the hard tyres – posting a ...Keep reading
- F1 Grand Prix practice results: Hamilton fastest in Saudi Arabia
03/12/2021 - 19:08
Hamilton beat his title rival Max Verstappen of Red Bull in FP1 by 0.056s and was then 0.061s ahead of Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas under the floodlights in FP2.
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix FP1 results: Hamilton fastest from Verstappen
Cla
Driver
Chassis
Laps
Time
Gap
Interval
km/h
1
Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes
21
...Keep reading
- F1 outlines Williams tribute plans including FW07 lap of honour
03/12/2021 - 17:25
Williams died at the age of 79 last week, leading to an outpouring of emotion and tributes from the F1 community to one of motorsport's most iconic figures.
Plans were already in place for the iconic Williams FW07 car to complete show runs in Saudi Arabia, as the car was sponsored by Saudia, the national carrier, as part of wider sponsorship deals between the team and companies in the ...Keep reading
- Pirelli: Kerb use behind Qatar GP F1 tyre failures
03/12/2021 - 16:33
A fortnight ago Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas, McLaren's Lando Norris and Williams duo George Russell and Nicholas Latifi all suffered similar looking left front tyre failures during the race at Losail.
The puncture caused a retirement for Latifi, while the remaining three victims managed to get back to the pits and continue their race, although Bottas eventually retired due to the damage his ...Keep reading
- Wolff offers to meet Grenfell United after Kingspan F1 deal anger
03/12/2021 - 16:20
Ahead of the Saudi Arabian GP, Mercedes announced a new sponsorship deal with the insulation and building envelope firm Kingspan – with the company’s logos appearing on the W12 car.
The move triggered a backlash from survivors and those families impacted by the Grenfell fire disaster in 2017, which killed 72 people.
Kingspan’s K15 insulation was one of the products installed on the ...Keep reading
- Haas bonus scheme idea prompted by real concern, says Mazepin
03/12/2021 - 15:58
A gruelling travel schedule with more regular triple-headers, allied to a 23-race calendar next year, has prompted a growing number of F1 regulars to look for job opportunities elsewhere.
Haas has not escaped losing a number of its staff who have decided against staying on for the long haul.
But with the American-owned squad needing as many good people on its books as possible as it bids to ...Keep reading
- F1 Saudi Arabian GP: Hamilton pips Verstappen as drivers get first taste of Jeddah
03/12/2021 - 15:39
Following Porsche Supercup and Formula 2 practice sessions earlier in the day, F1 became the third series to sample the high-speed Jeddah Corniche Circuit, which many had compared to the Baku and Valencia tracks.
Championship leader Verstappen managed set the early pace in the session for Red Bull, completing his initial runs on the hard compound tyre. The Dutchman sat almost two seconds clear ...Keep reading
- The McLaren F1 configuration that has helped Sainz shine at Ferrari
03/12/2021 - 13:07
His ability to hit the ground running, and be up there fighting it out alongside teammate Charles Leclerc, has been critical in helping the Maranello squad’s battle with his old team McLaren for third place in the constructors’ championship.
One interesting aspect of his switch to Ferrari has been how he has adopted a similar clutch arrangement to the one he preferred at his previous ...Keep reading
- Leclerc: 2022 F1 cars will require different driving style at low speed
03/12/2021 - 11:57
F1 is overhauling its technical regulations for next season in a bid to make the field more competitive, as well as making it easier for cars to follow each other and race wheel-to-wheel.
The cars are set to be almost 40kg heavier than in 2021 owing to new-spec tyres and an increase in the chassis weight due to safety changes.
Drivers have been completing their first simulator running with ...Keep reading
- F1 Stewards: Who are they, what do they do & how are they chosen?
03/12/2021 - 10:54
Formula 1 stewards often find themselves making headlines when they’ve been forced to hand out penalties that haven’t gone down well with fans.
While most people would love to see battles settled on the track, it’s the nature of any sport that someone has to interpret the rules and enforce them as fairly as possible.
They are there to ensure the regulations are followed; not to make ...Keep reading
- The new Jeddah F1 track: Is it ready and is it any good?
03/12/2021 - 10:53
With images showing just how much construction work was still ongoing in the corniche area north of Jeddah, comments from the championship’s bosses were always explicit that the ‘track’ would be sorted on time.
The inference from that was that a lot of the intended infrastructure around the circuit that is normal for F1 venues – like offices, hospitality units and other facilities – ...Keep reading
- Hamilton "more relaxed than ever" in Verstappen F1 title fight
03/12/2021 - 10:04
Hamilton heads into this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix trailing Verstappen by just eight points at the top of the drivers’ championship, having cut the gap with back-to-back wins in Brazil and Qatar.
While Verstappen can mathematically be crowned world champion on Sunday in Jeddah, Hamilton and his Mercedes team are widely regarded to be the favourite for the race weekend, potentially ...Keep reading
- Verstappen: Fresh F1 engine will not bring Mercedes-type power gains
03/12/2021 - 09:50
With this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix taking place on the high-speed Jeddah track, which will put a premium on power, Verstappen’s title rival Lewis Hamilton will be boosted by his freshest engine.
It is the same one that Hamilton put to good use at the Brazilian Grand Prix, with its power advantage helping him charge from the back of the grid in the sprint race to take a brilliant ...Keep reading
- Sainz urges Jeddah F1 marshals to “stay sharp” amid accident risks
02/12/2021 - 19:40
The high average speeds and sequences of flat out and blind corners on the track, which is hosting the country's first grand prix this weekend, means that drivers will have little warning if there’s an accident ahead.
With the circuit's characteristics in mind, Sainz says drivers will have to rely on track marshals and race control to react quickly to incidents.
When asked by ...Keep reading
- Vettel hosts women-only karting race in Saudi Arabia
02/12/2021 - 18:50
The Aston Martin driver has been quite active this year in promoting equality, and has been open about being uneasy regarding some of the attitudes towards women that are common in Saudi Arabia.
But rather than elect to simply speak out against what he does not like, Vettel used his presence in the country to better understand the situation.
He hired a local kart track and invited some local ...Keep reading
- Gasly: AlphaTauri understands "worst performance" of F1 2021 in Qatar
02/12/2021 - 18:31
Gasly started the inaugural F1 race at the Losail International Circuit from second, the first front-row start of his F1 career, after yellow flag penalties demoted Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas.
But despite pursuing a two-stop strategy to mitigate the heavy tyre wear expected at the Qatar track, Gasly struggled badly with overheating and wearing his tyres, causing him to fall outside the ...Keep reading
- Hamilton not "comfortable" racing in Saudi Arabia amid human rights issues
02/12/2021 - 16:53
The event has faced criticism from the Human Rights Watch organisation, which has called on Formula 1 to express its concerns over what it calls "a deliberate strategy to deflect from the country's image as a pervasive human rights violator".
The report issued by HRW, which follows a letter requesting a meeting with F1 senior leadership and FIA president Jean Todt, says F1's presence in the ...Keep reading
- Why aren't F1 trophies given at the last race of the season?
02/12/2021 - 14:26
In many sports the last event of the season sees the presentation of the trophy to the winner. At the Indy 500 the Borg-Warner trophy is given to the winner moments after they step out of the car, in the NFL the Lombardi Trophy – given to the winners of the Super Bowl – is presented to the winners on the field, while at the World Cup the trophy is given to the winning team moments after the ...Keep reading
- Alonso, Vettel will miss "outstanding" Raikkonen when he exits F1
02/12/2021 - 14:01
Raikkonen announced in September that the 2021 season will be his last in the sport, bringing a career that spans over 20 years to a close.
The 42-year-old Finn made his F1 debut with Sauber in 2001 and went on to win the 2007 title with Ferrari, scoring a total of 21 victories with the Italian squad and McLaren.
Vettel was Raikkonen's teammate at the Scuderia from 2015 to 2018, and the ...Keep reading
- Williams hires ex-VW motorsport boss as F1 sporting director
02/12/2021 - 13:00
Smeets previously served as the team manager of Volkswagen’s World Rally Championship team, working under current Williams CEO and F1 chief Jost Capito.
After playing a role in VW’s charge to three consecutive drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles in the WRC, Smeets took over as the marque’s motorsport director in 2016 following Capito’s exit to join McLaren in F1.
Smeets continued ...Keep reading
- The photos that offer clues to Red Bull's rear wing problems
02/12/2021 - 12:31
The issues faced by Red Bull began to reveal themselves at the United States Grand Prix, as the team was forced to make repairs to the rear wing’s mainplane during final free practice.
The repairs were largely believed to be caused by the bumpy circuit at COTA, with hairline cracks appearing that the team felt they needed to repair ahead of qualifying.
An interesting note to make is the ...Keep reading
- Brundle: Russell can't go on "missing list" when he joins Mercedes
02/12/2021 - 11:32
Russell will leave the Williams team at the end of the current season, having spent his first three years in the sport with the Grove-based outfit.
The Briton will replace Valtteri Bottas alongside seven-time champion Hamilton, who has been with Mercedes since the 2013 season, winning six titles with the team.
Russell raced for Mercedes in the 2020 Sakhir GP when he replaced Hamilton after ...Keep reading
- Williams boss Capito to miss Saudi Arabian GP after positive COVID-19 test
02/12/2021 - 10:17
Williams confirmed in a statement on Thursday ahead of the inaugural race at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit that Capito had not travelled to Saudi Arabia as a result of his positive test.
“Williams Racing can confirm that CEO and team principal Jost Capito has tested positive for COVID-19 prior to travelling to Jeddah for this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix,” reads a short statement from ...Keep reading
- Hill: 2021 ending in Hamilton/Verstappen crash "sad for F1"
02/12/2021 - 09:57
With Red Bull finally capable of mounting a sustained title challenge to the all-conquering Mercedes team, the 2021 season has arguably been the most intriguing campaign in years.
Hamilton and Verstappen are just eight points apart heading into the final two grands prix of the year in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.
But after collisions between the pair in Silverstone and Monza, followed by ...Keep reading
- Hamilton ready to help Russell become next British F1 champion
01/12/2021 - 17:39
While Hamilton is expecting nothing less than a strong challenge from Russell when he steps up from Williams to replace Valtteri Bottas next year, the seven-time champion senses a golden opportunity to help guide his new team-mate.
He thinks that 23-year-old Russell’s positive attitude and strong work ethic, allied to them being at difference stages of their careers with Hamilton 13 years his ...Keep reading
- Vettel explains drag weakness of Aston Martin F1 car
01/12/2021 - 16:22
Aston Martin was hit hard by F1's aero rule tweaks for 2021 and has struggled to keep up with its midfield rivals throughout the season.
The former Racing Point team scored big in Monaco and Baku, where Vettel claimed his first podium for the Silverstone outfit, and was within a point of fifth-placed AlphaTauri following the British Grand Prix in July.
But it has since slid to seventh in the ...Keep reading
- Norris: Ricciardo can strike back when things click at McLaren F1
01/12/2021 - 14:42
Despite being beaten by Ricciardo to McLaren’s only win of the campaign so far at the Italian Grand Prix, Norris has shone against him in their first season paired together.
The 22-year-old has amassed 153 points so far, compared to the former Renault driver's tally of 105.
But with the team aware that some of Ricciardo’s deficit down to him simply needing time to adapt to ...Keep reading
- Brundle: Bottas will play bigger role than Perez in F1 title battle
01/12/2021 - 12:33
Red Bull driver Verstappen goes into this weekend's Saudi Arabian GP - the penultimate round of the season - with an eight-point gap over Hamilton after having scored nine victories to the Briton's seven.
That advantage means Verstappen will have his first match point of the year at the Jeddah circuit, and will be crowned champion if he leaves Saudi Arabia with a 26-point gap to ...Keep reading
- Chandhok: Why charming F1 boss Williams will be dearly missed
01/12/2021 - 12:27
The first Formula 1 race I ever watched was the 1987 British Grand Prix. We all know the story – Nigel Mansell stops to change tyres, chases Nelson Piquet down, and then dramatically passes him for the win, kicking off an incredible crowd invasion.
That race made me an F1 fan, but it also made me a Williams fan. Sure, I was only three at the time, but in the next couple of years I started to ...Keep reading
- Why do Formula 1 cars spark? F1's sparking cars explained
01/12/2021 - 10:43
Why do F1 cars spark?
Formula 1 cars have what’s known as a plank underneath the car, which runs from the rear of the car up to just before the front wheels. The plank was introduced by the FIA as a way to try to reduce under-body aerodynamics, as well as prevent the car from bottoming out on the straights.
While one might expect it to be made of carbon fibre or another highly-specialised ...Keep reading
- Hamilton has "moved into overdrive" in F1 title battle - Brundle
01/12/2021 - 10:17
Mercedes driver Hamilton took victory in the Russian Grand Prix at the end of September, but then went without a win in the next three events as championship rival Verstappen increased his lead in the standings to 19 points.
But, after fitting a new engine in the Brazilian Grand Prix, Hamilton took a superb win despite starting from 10th on the grid after a penalty.
The seven-time champion ...Keep reading
- F1 2022 cars to be on edge like F2, says Norris
01/12/2021 - 09:48
The young Briton has driven early versions of the new 2022 design in his McLaren’s team simulator, as preparations ramp up for the all-new rules next year.
And although the feeling from the car is evolving as teams get to better understand the design concept, Norris says he already has a firm view about how different the new generation of cars will be – and how drivers will need ...Keep reading
- McLaren F1 driver Norris to move to Monaco from UK
30/11/2021 - 23:01
The young Briton has long resisted joining other F1 drivers in the tax haven of Monaco, despite the clear money benefits from doing so, and committed to living near the McLaren factory in Woking.
But, after getting more established in F1 and having extended his McLaren contract earlier this year, Norris thinks now is the perfect opportunity to make a change.
"It's something that obviously a ...Keep reading
- How Williams restarted his F1 team from scratch after Wolf split
30/11/2021 - 17:52
After seven years of endless financial struggle since his 1969 debut with Piers Courage as Frank Williams Racing Cars, the dreams of late F1 boss Williams - who died earlier this week aged 79 - appeared to have come true as he finally found a generous benefactor in wealthy Canadian oil entrepreneur Walter Wolf for 1976.
Wolf acquired the cars and assets of the defunct Hesketh ...Keep reading
- Seidl: F1 doesn't need permanent stewards for consistent decisions
30/11/2021 - 15:30
Several times this year, the stewards' calls have been criticised for their inconsistency, with different verdicts for incidents that drivers have found to be similar to previous ones.
The decision not to penalise Max Verstappen for pushing Lewis Hamilton off the track in Brazil made McLaren driver Lando Norris say his penalty for a very similar incident in Austria was unfair.
Earlier this ...Keep reading
- Top 10 Williams F1 drivers ranked: Mansell, Hill, Montoya and more
30/11/2021 - 14:20
Williams has been competing at car racing's pinnacle for more than four decades and 16 drivers have won world championship races with the team.
Top 10: Ranking the greatest Williams F1 cars
That makes selecting the top 10 Williams F1 drivers a challenge.
For this list we’ve taken into account the amount of success the drivers scored with Williams, the impact they had on the team and the ...Keep reading
- Ocon: "Just a matter of time" before Piastri lands F1 seat
30/11/2021 - 11:11
Piastri currently leads the Formula 2 standings after taking the FIA F3 title at his first attempt last year with Prema.
But despite his rapid rise the Australian will spend 2022 on the sidelines, becoming Alpine's reserve driver after missing out on a potential F1 seat.
Piastri was said to be in the frame for a seat at Alfa Romeo, but that berth went to his F2 ...Keep reading
- F1 world champion Alan Jones hails "true enthusiast" Frank Williams
30/11/2021 - 10:26
The recent passing of the legendary Formula 1 team owner has prompted a flood of tributes from around the motor racing world.
The latest to pay his respects to Sir Frank is Alan Jones, who took the Williams team to the first of its seven drivers' world championships, driving the FW07 in 1980.
Speaking to Autosport, Jones admitted that hearing of Sir Frank's passing had been hard to ...Keep reading
- Verstappen has "polished up" aggression in F1, says Ricciardo
30/11/2021 - 08:30
Red Bull driver Verstappen is fighting for the championship for the first time this season, having won nine races to lead Lewis Hamilton by eight points ahead of the final two grands prix of the year.
The fight between the two title contenders has been extremely intense, clashing several times, including accidents at the British and Italian races.
Verstappen's aggressive driving was back in ...Keep reading
- Ex-F1 racer Fontana recovers helmet stolen 23 years ago
29/11/2021 - 18:19
Fontana, who took part in four F1 grands prix in 1997 with the Sauber squad, received the helmet over the weekend after a fellow racer happened to spot it being worn by a motorbike rider in the street.
The helmet was stolen from Fontana’s family dwelling in his hometown of Arrecifes, located 180km away from Buenos Aires City. Thieves broke into the house and stole some of Fontana’s ...Keep reading
- Sir Frank Williams obituary: F1 team owner legend dies aged 79
29/11/2021 - 17:38
Former Williams drivers and people from all areas of motorsport united in expressing their admiration for a man who had achieved so much success over the decades, and yet remained at heart the ultimate enthusiast, always eager to see the next race or support the latest young star coming through the ranks.
He served as an inspiration to many, having overcome the dreadful road accident he ...Keep reading
- Sainz: Jeddah F1 track will compress midfield battle
29/11/2021 - 16:21
While the fast sections of the new Jeddah track are expected to favour Mercedes in the fight at the front, the characteristics looks set to blow wide open the battle for best of the rest.
Ferrari has been better on higher downforce circuits, while closest rival McLaren has excelled at lower downforce venues. Plus, AlphaTauri appears to have unlocked more pace from its car recently, and Alpine ...Keep reading
- Sauber chairman opens up on disagreements that triggered resignation
29/11/2021 - 13:17
Picci has been an important figure at Sauber over recent years, having played a key role in saving the team in 2016 when it was sold to investors Longbow Finance.
He stayed on board as chairman of Sauber holdings to work closely with the Islero Investments consortium of entrepreneurs that were headed by Finn Rausing, as it rebranded under the Alfa Romeo moniker.
But ahead of the Mexican GP ...Keep reading
- Sir Patrick Head pays tribute to Sir Frank Williams
29/11/2021 - 10:41
I met Frank in late 1975. I had worked at Lola Cars in the early 1970s for three years, after a degree in engineering at University College, London, and after involvement with a project developing Super Vee Volkswagen engines and then designing the Scott F2 car. I’d then worked with Ron Tauranac at Trojan Cars part-time while building a boat in the Surrey Docks, and received a call to meet Frank ...Keep reading
- Hamilton: Windtunnel gains mean no point in 2022 F1 car sim run
29/11/2021 - 08:57
While there are still two races to go this year, F1 teams are working flat out to ensure their designs for all-new rules next season are as advanced as possible.
While some drivers, like Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz Jr, have already tried the new cars in the simulators and had a first taste of how different they are, Hamilton says that he sees little benefit to doing so.
As well as not ...Keep reading
- Tributes paid to F1 legend Sir Frank Williams
28/11/2021 - 16:28
The former team principal, who originally founded Williams Grand Prix Engineering in 1977, died on Sunday.
People from across the paddock paid their condolences to the legend, who led his team to 114 victories between 1979 and 2012, when he stepped down from the Williams board of directors.
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said in a statement: “This morning Claire Williams ...Keep reading
