2021

Mercedes blame comments made by Red Bull bosses for the booing and backlash aimed at Lewis Hamilton since the British Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion was the target of intense criticism and abuse, some racial, on social media after colliding with Max Verstappen at Silverstone. Then, after taking pole position in Hungary on Saturday, portions of the Hungaroring crowd were heard jeering Hamilton, perhaps partially caused by perceived delaying tactics prior to the final run of Q3. “I don’t normally [talk] about this kind of thing, what I think, but I heard a lot of booing at end of qualifying and I don’t understand it,” Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas commented. “I would like the people to question themselves and the behaviour, which I don’t think is fair. “We are here as athletes to give every single thing we have to the sport we love, and Lewis did an amazing lap at the end and then you get booing. “So, the people, just question yourself; it’s not right, it’s not fair and we don’t want to see this kind of thing.” The assumption is most of those booing Hamilton are Verstappen fans, and before the weekend began, Mercedes were highly critical of Red Bull bosses Christian Horner and Helmut Marko for stirring up the animosity. “I think the comments that were made [after Silverstone], surely out of emotion, were going directly against a seven-time world champion,” Toto Wolff told Sky Sports. “Words like ‘amateurish” should have no place and what it triggered was an avalanche of comments in the social media, a lot of controversy added to the further polarisation and I think we as a sport should do the contrary. We should de-escalate.” Even though Hamilton addressed those booing him in Parc Ferme, claiming the reaction “fuelled” him, he too also pointed the finger at Red Bull for stirring tensions. “It’s not a surprise to me given the things that have been said from the heads of that team that have incited that, right?” he said via Formula1.com. “I think over this [summer] break people really need to look within in the things that have been said because it is unacceptable the things that have [been] said and on top of that the things that have escalated. “We’ve got to continue to stay positive. I’m really proud of my team for staying so focused during this time because it’s been a whirlwind of emotions and things coming at us in all different directions, but we’ve kept our heads down and come here and delivered.” Hamilton also called on those within F1 to maintain a level of respect. “I’m a sporting fan. I’ve never booed any other team in any other sport because it’s just not in my character,” he added. “We do have to be so careful with our words because there are young kids watching and we are supposed to be shining a light, encouraging people and spreading positivity. “Leaders of this industry need to be leaders. They have people following them and kids following them. As a sport we’ve got a responsibility, so there should be some strong talks probably over the next weeks.

Williams Formula 1 reserve driver Jack Aitken has suffered collarbone and vertebra fractures in a terrifying Spa 24 Hours crash, but feels “quite lucky” to have escaped worse consequences. Aitken, who stood in for a Mercedes-drafted George Russell in F1’s Sakhir GP last year, was contesting his first Spa 24 Hours in an Emil Frey Lamborghini when he was involved in a multi-car accident at the top of Raidillon. He was taken to the hospital along with fellow accident participant and sometime Ferrari F1 tester Davide Rigon. Rigon was reported to have avoided major injuries and has since left hospital, but Aitken was diagnosed with “a broken collarbone, a fractured vertebra (which is stable), and a very small lung contusion”. Aitken’s accident prompted a strong reaction from his long-time junior single-seater peer and rival Callum Ilott, the Ferrari F1 tester writing: “I would also like to say that there needs to be a change at this corner and I’m very surprised nothing has changed yet. Enough is enough.”

Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen will race with a fresh internal combustion engine after the team’s Japanese engine supplier Honda detected a reliability problem on the Dutchman’s engine overnight. After the British Grand Prix, there were some concerns regarding Verstappen’s power unit due to his heavy crash on the opening lap. The integration of power unit means that they are well protected in case of incidents, but the Dutchman’s 51G crash had impact on several parts of his PU. Honda sent the Silverstone crash power unit back to its Sakura factory and changed a few parts which is allowed by the Sporting Regulations. The Japenese engine manufacturer then installed the PU into the car of Verstappen for this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix in order to give it a proper test on Friday. The analysis indicated that the engine works as normal, prompting Honda to give an all-clear to the unit. However, following qualifying on Saturday, post running inspection uncovered a problem which forced Honda to swap Verstappen’s engine for a fresh one. A statement from Honda said: “During post-qualifying checks we noticed something on Max’s PU which might have developed over the course of the weekend, likely to be an after-effect of the Silverstone crash. “We have therefore changed it for a new PU of the same specification. According to the regulations, Max is allowed to start from his third position on the grid with no penalty incurred,” read a statement from Honda. Verstappen first used his second engine that powered his RB16B during his high-speed clash at Silverstone at the French Grand Prix, meaning that it was a relatively fresh engine that completed a race less than the second PU of his championship rival Lewis Hamilton. With 12 races left after the Hungarian Grand Prix, it is highly unlike that the Dutchman will be able to complete 12 races with a single power unit. The installation of a fourth internal combustion engine would result in a grid-drop penalty, which would, of course, have a massive implication on the championship fight, giving Hamilton an opportunity to gain a significant amount of points on Verstappen. The Hasselt-born could theoretically receive a fourth engine in Monza, where the Sprint Qualifying format will be in use, giving him the sprint race and the grand prix to fight his way up the order.

After Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas topped Friday’s sessions, it was Lewis Hamilton who finished fastest of all in Saturday’s final practice for the Hungarian GP. He clocked a 1:16.289 in a session where once again a rookie brought out the red flags, this time it was Mick Schumacher. Saturday’s final practice at the Hungaroring saw the drivers back in the hot seat, literally, with the track temperature above 50’C and rising. Yuki Tsunoda, who crashed his AlphaTauri on Friday morning, was one of the first out, the Japanese rookie looking to make up for lost track time having missed most of the second session as a result. He was joined by Carlos Sainz, the Spaniard’s SF21 fitted with a new engine overnight with Ferrari stating that “some parameters did not satisfy” in the data. He put in a 1:19.443 on the medium Pirellis to lead the way after the opening 10 minutes. Sainz, reporting that his brakes were a “bit bad”, upped his pace to a 1:18.832. He was overhauled by Lewis Hamilton, the Mercedes driver, chasing a ninth Hungarian GP win, clocking a 1:18.587 on the soft tyres. He headed back into the pits after one hot lap, reporting that “there’s a pin on my right tyre”. His mechanics pulled that out and sent him back out, the Brit shaving almost four-tenths off his previous best. Max Verstappen ventured out earlier this Red Bull’s usual Saturday run, easily quickest on the soft tyres with a 1:17.510. He wasn’t P1 for long, Valtteri Bottas crossing the line with a 1:17.428 to lead the way. Sergio Perez slotted into fourth place behind Hamilton with Pierre Gasly the fastest driver not racing for Mercedes or Red Bull driver, the AlphaTauri driver ahead of the Ferraris. Nicholas Latifi was up to eighth place midway through the session, although he did have a small problem with Williams letting him know that his left-side mirror was cracked. With Ferrari looking to do a bit of aero testing, Charles Leclerc admitted he made a mistake – “it’s actually me who is stupid, I don’t know the corner numbers” – as he was told to do constant speed in certain corners but did it in the wrong ones. As the track temperature rose to 57’C, Lando Norris bolted on a fresh set of soft tyres and jumped up to third place. Hamilton also left the pits but headed back in without doing a hot lap as Mick Schumacher brought out the red flags. The Haas rookie lost it at the fast Turn 11 right-hander, slamming into the barrier with the left side of his car. He sounded winded but otherwise okay. “I know what that means” he added, the driver likely out of qualifying. The action resumed with nine minutes on the clock, the track temperature down to 51’C, and a flurry of soft tyre runs in preparation for qualifying. Verstappen went quickest, and Hamilton went quicker. A 1:16.826 for the Mercedes driver, 0.088s up on his title rival. Bottas was third, 0.229s down. Alfa Romeo and Antonio Giovinazzi will be in trouble with the stewards, the driver released into the path of Lance Stroll with the Alfa’s wing making contract with the Aston Martin’s rear right tyre.

AlphaTauri hopes to confirm shortly that Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda will continue to race for it in the 2022 Formula 1 season. Gasly and Tsunoda are Red Bull-contracted drivers placed at the sister team, so their futures are determined by Red Bull itself. There are some variables that could theoretically delay a decision, namely the form of Sergio Perez who is currently the incumbent of the second Red Bull Racing seat, and Tsunoda’s progress in his rookie season being enough to convince Red Bull to keep supporting him. However, AlphaTauri team boss Franz Tost has indicated the line-up could be confirmed during the summer break, which begins after this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix. Asked if it would be settled during the summer, Tost said: “Yeah, I hope so because I don’t see any other driver there and I hope that we go on to next year both with Pierre and Yuki.” Tost added that he doesn’t see “any reason to change anything during the summer break on our driver line-up” and reiterated he does not consider there to be “any alternatives”. Red Bull has three junior drivers in Formula 2 in Juri Vips, Liam Lawson and Jehan Daruvala, with Vips the highest-placed in the championship in fifth. In Formula 3, Red Bull-supported Dennis Hauger is fighting for the title. But Tost is clear that the existing line-up is considered AlphaTauri’s best option for 2022. “Pierre is doing a fantastic job and Yuki is a newcomer and he is doing a good job,” said Tost. “He has to get experience and he has to learn a lot. That’s nothing special. That’s logical with young drivers. It’s the risk you take when a rookie comes onboard.” Though Gasly has been in fine form since losing his Red Bull Racing drive and returning to AlphaTauri (then known as Toro Rosso) in mid-2019, a return to the main team for him has never seemed to be on Red Bull’s agenda. He is seen as a worthy lead driver for AlphaTauri in its bid to become more than just a midfield team, having also tried to shed the ‘junior team’ label since its 2020 rebranding. “He is driving on a very, very high level and he shows the potential of the car,” said Tost. Tsunoda is almost halfway through his rookie season in F1 and has various setbacks, including five major incidents across practice and qualifying – the latest being a costly off in opening practice for this weekend’s Hungarian GP. That reflects a weakness Tsunoda has admitted to in terms of not being calm enough at times and getting carried away in the car. But he also scored points on his debut and has finished in the top 10 in four of his 10 grands prix so far, so Red Bull and AlphaTauri remain convinced by his potential. “He is learning fast,” said Tost. “Sometimes he’s maybe a little bit too motivated. We must not forget he was here for the first time with a Formula 1 car and if you look at his laptimes at the beginning of FP1 he was very, very fast. “Now afterwards he was maybe a little bit too fast and I said to him it’s better to be in FP1 a little bit slower and to do many laps because every lap helps you to increase your technical understanding and your experience.”

Williams chief executive Jost Capito would support George Russell’s move to Mercedes for 2022 insisting the Briton is now ready to fight for the title with a top team. As a Mercedes protégé, Russell served his apprenticeship in Formula 1 with Williams and is currently in his third season with the Grove-based outfit. But the speculation in the paddock is swelling that Russel will replace Valtteri Bottas next season at Mercedes, a conjecture supported by recent reports that the Finn’s management had met with Alfa Romeo team boss Fred Vasseur to discuss Bottas’ potential move to the Swiss outfit for next season. Regardless of Mercedes’ decision, Capito has offered Russell his full support and genuinely hopes the Briton will move to Brackley at the end of the season. “I would wish that George gets the seat because he’s in the position now, in his time of career, where he can handle to be in an absolute top team and fight for the championship,” said Capito. “And I would never hold a young driver back if he can have this type of opportunity. So I hope for him, that he gets this opportunity. “From the team’s side, of course we would very much love to keep him, so if he goes to Mercedes and gets the offer, he gets the full support from us. If not, he gets the full support from us. “That’s why we can easily wait for that driver decision whichever way it comes and we’ll be OK.” As for who would eventually replace Russell at Williams, Capito suggested that his team’s short list is growing by the day! “I think every driver who hasn’t got a fixed seat for next year or has an option for next year is talking to us at the moment,” the German said. “It seems the Williams seat is the most aspired seat in F1 right now for a team that has to fill a seat.”

The incident involving Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen has continued to be a topic of conversation during the weekend in Hungary. On Thursday Red Bull were told that Hamilton’s penalty, ten seconds, would not be increased. Since then the focus has returned to the track and the racing itself. ZiggoSport spoke to the main players, including Hamilton, prior to the weekend. The Brit indeed says to have spoken with the Dutchman, without really going into the content of the conversation. “It was a respectful conversation. The goal was to check that he was ok and emphasize that we all know that the drivers never deliberately harm each other.” The current number two in the standings also had another goal with the conversation. “I wanted to confirm the mutual respect. I think we continue to race each other hard, but fair.” Yesterday, both men drove together again on track for the first time since the incident. Qualifying will follow today, followed by the race on Sunday. Verstappen will then want to take sporting revenge and Hamilton will try to catch up further.

Formula 1’s 2021 title battle was already proving to be intense, but the fallout in the wake of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen’s British Grand Prix collision has given it an extra edge. Thursday media days are typically routine and sometimes uneventful affairs by F1’s standards. However, that was not the case on the eve of the Hungarian Grand Prix as everyone waited to find out how the dust had settled (if at all) following that controversial Copse clash. It marked the first time that Verstappen had spoken publicly since his 51G smash, while Hamilton would also get a chance to respond to Red Bull and Verstappen’s claims. Minutes after F1’s leading protagonists had wrapped up their press conference duties, the duo’s respective team colleagues were attending a gathering with the stewards. This was a consequence of Red Bull requesting a right to review the 10-second time penalty given to Hamilton for being “predominantly” at fault for the coming together that eliminated Verstappen from the race on the spot and left the Dutchman requiring a trip to hospital for precautionary checks. Red Bull firmly believed that Hamilton’s punishment was too lenient because he was still able to recover to win the race, while it was left facing a £1.3m repair bill and a significant points loss. As such, the team pushed the FIA to re-examine the crash in what appeared to be a bold and, as it turned out, unsuccessful attempt to retrospectively get the seven-time world champion’s penalty increased. It ultimately came as little surprise when Red Bull’s petition was rejected due to a lack of “new, significant and relevant” evidence. The outcome means Hamilton’s win definitively stands, leaving him just eight points behind Verstappen heading into the weekend. While the verdict had been considered a foregone conclusion by many in the paddock, elements of information that emerged from the hearing created unexpected intrigue and left some unanswered questions. Along with a series of slides of GPS data and a comparison of Hamilton’s overtake on Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, Red Bull included a “re-enactment” of Hamilton’s first-lap line driven by its reserve driver Alex Albon in what was the most bizarre element of the ‘new evidence’ it presented. Red Bull got Albon to re-create Hamilton’s line into Copse during a private testing day at Silverstone on 22 July, four days after the British GP. This followed a two-day Pirelli tyre test and came just a day before Albon contested the Lausitzring DTM round. Because Red Bull used a 2019-spec RB15, the test was unrestricted, meaning it did not have to adhere to the 100km limit permitted for filming days, which are used purely for marketing or promotional purposes. As per article 10.2 of F1’s sporting regulations, teams carrying out testing of “previous cars” should provide at least 72 hours notice “where possible” before it is due to commence, as well as details surrounding the nature and purpose of the test. It is not clear whether Red Bull already had this outing lined up, or whether the test was specifically used with the sole intention of re-enacting Hamilton’s entry to Copse in a bid to gain evidence it felt was compelling enough to validate its petition. Either way, it underlined the lengths Red Bull was willing to go to in its attempt to revisit Hamilton’s British GP penalty. In the end, the information presented was dismissed for being created rather than “discovered” and the stewards ruled there were “clearly” no grounds for the incident being re-examined. Red Bull’s submission also consisted of a letter – seen by Mercedes representatives Ron Meadows, Andrew Shovlin, and James Vowles – that was referenced as containing “certain allegations” which the stewards noted “with some concern”. The stewards concluded these “may or may not have been relevant to the stewards if the petition for review had been granted” and confirmed they had been addressed directly, adding they will make “no comments on those allegations”. Mercedes declined to reveal the nature of the allegations when reached for comment. For the time being at least, the exact contents of Red Bull’s letter are set to remain private, prompting further mystery around the case. In a strongly-worded statement condemning Red Bull’s conduct in its relentless and scathing public criticism of Hamilton in the days following the crash, Mercedes “welcomed” the stewards’ decision. “In addition to bringing this incident to a close we hope that this decision will mark the end of a concerted attempt by the senior management of Red Bull Racing to tarnish the good name and sporting integrity of Lewis Hamilton, including in the documents for their unsuccessful right of review,” it read. “We now look forward to going racing this weekend and to continuing our hard-fought competition for the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

Formula 1 championship leader Max Verstappen laid down the early benchmark by topping the timesheets in opening practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix, while Yuki Tsunoda caused a red flag. Two weeks on from his dramatic, race-ending collision with title rival Lewis Hamilton at the British GP, the Red Bull driver set the pace in first practice on the soft tyres, lapping the Hungaroring in 1m17.555s. Verstappen’s time put him just 0.061s clear of Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas at the end of FP1, while Hamilton was third, 0.167s adrift of his main championship rival who holds an eight point advantage heading into the last race before F1’s summer break. The 60-minute practice session was interrupted when AlphaTauri rookie Tsunoda lost control of his car and spun rearwards into the barriers at Turn 4, causing a brief suspension. Carlos Sainz was half a second down on Verstappen’s benchmark as he finished fourth-fastest for Ferrari, ahead of AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly. A day after celebrating his 40th birthday, two-time world champion Fernando Alonso took sixth for Alpine, having outpaced the second Ferrari of Charles Leclerc by just 0.006s. Sergio Perez was nearly a full second slower than his Red Bull teammate in eighth, while Lando Norris and Lance Stroll completed the rest of the top-10 for McLaren and Aston Martin respectively. Alpine’s Esteban Ocon missed out on a spot in the top 10 by just 0.010s as Tsunoda’s session-ending crash left him 12th in the FP1 order. Further down the timesheets, Robert Kubica finished 18th in his third FP1 outing of the season for Alfa Romeo. The Pole, who deputised for Kimi Raikkonen on Friday morning, ended up faster than Nikita Mazepin’s Haas and Antonio Giovinazzi in the other Alfa Romeo. 2021 F1 HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX – FREE PRACTICE RESULTS (1) POS DRIVER NAT. TEAM TIME 1 Max Verstappen NED Red Bull Racing 1m17.555s 2 Valtteri Bottas FIN Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 1m17.616s 3 Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 1m17.722s 4 Carlos Sainz ESP Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow 1m18.115s 5 Pierre Gasly FRA Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda 1m18.181s 6 Fernando Alonso CHI Alpine F1 Team 1m18.385s 7 Charles Leclerc MON Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow 1m18.391s 8 Sergio Perez MEX Red Bull Racing 1m18.466s 9 Lando Norris GBR McLaren F1 Team 1m18.649s 10 Lance Stroll CAN Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team 1m18.755s 11 Esteban Ocon FRA Alpine F1 Team 1m18.765s 12 Yuki Tsunoda JPN Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda 1m18.770s 13 Sebastian Vettel GER Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team 1m18.989s 14 Daniel Ricciardo AUS McLaren F1 Team 1m19.265s 15 George Russell ISR Williams Racing 1m19.724s 16 Nicholas Latifi CAN Williams Racing 1m19.824s 17 Mick Schumacher GER Uralkali Haas F1 Team 1m20.383s 18 Robert Kubica POL Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen 1m20.639s 19 Nikita Mazepin RUS Uralkali Haas F1 Team 1m20.992s 20 Antonio Giovinazzi GBR Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen 1m21.889s

Pierre Gasly says he is expecting to receive an update on his Formula 1 future from Red Bull “at some point in the summer break”. Gasly has turned in a series of impressive displays this season for AlphaTauri and is likely to stay put at the Faenza outfit for at least another year alongside rookie teammate Yuki Tsunoda. Red Bull already has Max Verstappen signed up to a long-term deal and is expected to offer Sergio Perez an extension to his initial one-year contract after the Mexican’s strong performances across the opening 10 days. Asked for an update about his future ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, Gasly replied: “I think it’s pretty clear on my end, it’s in Red Bull’s hands. “Max is signed for next year in the top team, Sergio I think has a one-year contract, so we’ll see what happens there and then what we do going forward together. “I’m obviously contracted with them for some more time and I’m pretty confident we should get some answers at some point in the summer break, or after the summer break.” The 25-year-old Frenchman, who claimed a podium finish in Baku, indicated that he would like to return to Red Bull but revealed that the Milton Keynes squad is keen to retain a ‘team leader’ figure in AlphaTauri for next year. “They want a leader in AlphaTauri to really push the team forward and bring this team up,” Gasly explained. “I think there is a great working relationship and a real will to push AlphaTauri forward. “As a driver, you always want to be in the best car and fighting for the best positions and that’s what we are discussing. Ultimately, on my side, I’m only focusing on performing weekend after weekend and race after race and show my potential. “It’s in their hands whether they want me to step up, or whether they want to stick with the pair that they are having. It depends on how Sergio is performing and how they are planning the future for AlphaTauri. “We are discussing a lot of things and I think generally it’s really positive. It’s always better when there’s communication and when things are going well, but at the moment there is no more answer than that. “But I expect some more news over the next few weeks.”

Helmut Marko admits he “feared” Max Verstappen would need more time to recover from his Silverstone crash, but the good news is he is fighting fit. Verstappen suffered a massive crash at the British Grand Prix, sent hurtling into the tyre barrier with an impact of 51G as he came off second best in his battle against Lewis Hamilton. The Dutchman was taken to a local hospital for a check up having complained of dizziness, and was released later that night. Thankfully he had suffered nothing worse than bruises and a sore neck. Marko, though, was initially worried that his driver wouldn’t be fit for the Hungarian Grand Prix given the huge impact of the crash. He told Sport1: “I feared that it would take a little longer after the severe accident before Max was fully recovered. So that’s good news. “He will fight back in Hungary.” And, he insisted, it will be “with fair means. There are no thoughts of revenge.” Red Bull have requested an official review of Hamilton’s penalty, feeling the 10 seconds was too lenient. The Milton Keynes squad says they have new evidence that will the stewards had not seen, evidence that will put the incident in a “different light”. But one thing that won’t be different is Verstappen’s attitude out on track. Marko is confident the driver won’t feel the need to adopt a less aggressive approach when he again comes up against Hamilton in an on-track fight. “No,” Marko said, “he didn’t do anything wrong.” Verstappen heads into the Hungarian Grand Prix with an eight-point lead in the Drivers’ Championship. It was 33 before Sunday’s British GP.

Birthday boy Fernando Alonso says he never imagined early on in his career that he would still be racing at the highest level of motorsport at the ripe old age of 40. The Alpine driver celebrated his 40th birthday at the Hungaroring on Thursday, the venue where he won his first F1 race, 18 years ago, driving for Renault. But for Alonso, age is just a number, and it’s a bigger number than what he feels. “I feel not 40 for sure,” he said. “It’s the number, but it’s surprising me as well when I see it, when I see everywhere in the motorhome, because the team prepared a very nice decoration in my room and in the lunch area as well. “It’s a bigger number than what I feel, but it’s the way it is.” Asked whether he imagined he would still be on the grid eighteen years after his debut, the 32-time Grand Prix winner said: “No, probably not. “You live only the present, you’re not thinking too much about the future at that age and you’re just focused on the race weekend. You can’t imagine yourself more than two or three years in time from that moment. “Now it’s a different thing, I’m more used to the sport, to Formula 1 and the things that are quite unique here. “When I came into the sport, I was from a very small town in the north of Spain with no experience, no background, no nothing and then you arrive into this world and you’re shocked for five, six, seven years until you are used to everything. “Now it’s a little bit different. You know how things are and you’re enjoying a little bit more.” Alonso was paired in Thursday’s presser at the Hungaroring with Sebastian Vettel, one of his fiercest past rivals, and a driver with whom he continues to spar, although not at the front of the field. Vettel paid a heartfelt tribute to Alonso, insisting the Spaniard was one of the biggest talents ever seen in the sport. “The first race that Fernando was back this year, we had some wheel to wheel, and I was actually smiling in the cockpit, because I’d been looking forward to more of it this year, and I think we had a little,” said Vettel. “I always enjoy [racing] Fernando. He won here in 2003 [and] I was in front of the TV and I remember when he won. “I think his talent is without doubt, the skills on track one of the biggest that the sport has seen, and he’s done something which I thought was impossible to do, which is beating Michael, because when I grew up, it was like, Michael is the number one and impossible to beat – and Fernando started beating him. “I think that’s an achievement and obviously he’s had such a long career, so many different cars, so I consider it a pleasure to race beside him and fight him on the track.”

Formula One world champions Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel have spoken out against the Hungarian government’s planned LGBT law referendum. Hungary’s government wants a national referendum to showcase public support for a new law that the European Union says discriminates against LGBT people. The government says the law aims to protect children, but many have criticized it as an attack on LGBT rights. The seven-time F1 champion Hamilton, who is chasing a record-extending 100th grand prix win this weekend, made his opposition known on social media. “Ahead of the Grand Prix this weekend, I wish to share my support for those affected by the government’s anti-LGBTQ+ law. It is unacceptable, cowardly and misguiding for those in power to suggest such a law,” Hamilton wrote on Instagram. “Everyone deserves to have the freedom to be themselves, no matter who they love or how they identify. I urge the people of Hungary to vote in the upcoming referendum to protect the rights of the LGBTQ+, community, they need our support more than ever.” Last week, Prime Minister Viktor Orban posted a video on Facebook to say the referendum was necessary to counter strong opposition to the measures by the EU, which he said abused its power by launching legal action against Hungary over the law. The four-time F1 champion Vettel spoke out on Thursday at the Hungarian GP. “I find it embarrassing for the country,” said Vettel, who is third all-time in F1 history with 53 race wins. “I can’t understand why they (the government) are struggling to see why everybody should be free to do what they like.” The law passed last month by Hungary’s parliament bans the depiction of homosexuality or gender reassignment to minors in school education programs and media content. Its passage set off a heated confrontation between Orban’s right-wing government and the 27-member EU, which argued it discriminates against LGBT people and contravenes the bloc’s fundamental values. The referendum will cover such issues as whether children should be introduced to topics of sexual orientation in schools, and whether gender reassignment should be promoted or depicted to children. Last Saturday, thousands of LGBT supporters marched in the annual Budapest Pride parade. Budapest Pride spokesperson Jojo Majercsik said the was not just a celebration and remembrance of the historical struggles of the LGBT movement, but a protest against Orban’s current policies. This month, activists erected a 10-meter-high (30-foot-high) rainbow-colored heart opposite the country’s neo-Gothic parliament vowing to wage a civil disobedience campaign. At the Turkish GP last November, Vettel wore a special helmet promoting a message of diversity and inclusion. The helmet’s design depicted a diverse crowd, a prominent rainbow stripe, and a white-to-black gradient with his chosen message “No borders, just horizons – only freedom” written on top. Hamilton, the only Black driver in F1, has spoken out at length against racism. He and other drivers have been taking a knee against racism before races for the past year.

Hamilton has enjoyed dominance at the Hungaroring throughout his career and could be in line for a ninth victory on Sunday. Lewis Hamilton has rarely had it so tough. Midway through the 2021 F1 season, the seven-time world champion finds himself in a frustratingly unfamiliar position. For the first time since 2016 he is in a very real battle for the drivers’ championship. He is eight points behind Max Verstappen – the new villain of Hamilton’s dramatic career and the first challenger to the veteran’s supremacy in his Mercedes since Nico Rosberg five years ago. The pair have exchanged the lead at the top of the standings, and clashed quite literally on the track. Red Bull have successfully earned a review of the collision that saw Verstappen crash out of the British Grand Prix last time out – to which Hamilton was handed nothing more than a 10-second time penalty on his way to victory at Silverstone. “We’ll just keep on attacking,” said Hamilton after criticism of his race strategy that saw Verstappen hit the Silverstone tyre wall with extreme force. “There needs to be respect on track, but if not, this will happen more often I guess. And I tried my hardest just to stay as clean as possible.” Verstappen, for his part, is trying to stay out of the soap opera unfolding between the pair. Speaking in the week, the Dutchman said: “I am not interested in getting involved in any of that. “I know what happened at Silverstone as I was in the car and obviously I feel a certain way about how my race ended, but now I’m just focusing on making sure we are the best we can be on track so we can stay ahead in the championship. “The team can take care of the official side of things and anything that needs looking into after the crash but my job is the same as always: to be the best I can and try to win on Sunday.” Thankfully for Hamilton – and perhaps worryingly for Verstappen – he not only heads into the Hungarian Grand Prix having ended Red Bull’s five-race winning streak, but he also has history on his side at the Hungaroring. Hamilton has won the Hungarian Grand Prix eight times – including each of the past three years. The multiple world champion is at home on the wide circuit where his Mercedes engine can eat up track over his rivals. Were Hamilton to win on Sunday he would break a new record for the most race wins by any driver at a particular circuit. His eight in Hungary is currently equalled with his eight at Silverstone and Michael Schumacher’s eight achieved at the French Grand Prix between 1994 and 2006.

Honda has confirmed that it will run the power unit involved in Max Verstappen’s Silverstone crash during opening practice in Hungary on Friday. Red Bull driver Verstappen suffered a 51g impact at the start of the British Grand Prix after clashing with Lewis Hamilton through Copse corner. Formula 1 power units are made up of six components and drivers are restricted on how many they can use through a season. They are permitted three engines, three MGU-Hs, three turbochargers, three MGU-Ks, two energy stores and two control electronics. If this allocation is exceeded a driver faces a 10-place grid penalty for the first change, followed by other demotions if further parts are installed. At the British Grand Prix Verstappen was on his second of the components for which three are permitted, and first of the components for which two are allowed. The newer components were installed at the French Grand Prix, in late June, and consequently were firmly within their anticipated life cycle. The power unit was transported to Honda’s facility in Japan and a thorough analysis was undertaken. Honda has now given the power unit the green light to be run during opening practice at the Hungaroring, after which a full analysis will be carried out to determine whether it is fit for purpose in race trim, as it seeks to avoid penalties later in 2021. “The PU was sent back to Sakura for thorough checks,” Honda said in a statement. “We also replaced certain parts, as allowed in the regulations, without breaking the FIA seals. “We will use the engine this Friday to give it a proper track test, after which we should have a clearer picture of its viability as a race engine.” Verstappen claimed his maiden pole position at the Hungaroring in 2019 and has finished runner-up to Hamilton in both the 2019 and 2020 races.