Formula 1

Jeddah Circuit approved by FIA just a day before the inaugural Saudi Arabian GP

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

FIA has awarded the necessary Grade 1 safety licence to the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, clearing it to host the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Construction of the circuit truly had been a race against time as the inaugural Saudi Arabian GP loomed, though the main facilities were indeed in place once F1 personnel arrived in the paddock on Thursday. That gave FIA race director Michael Masi the opportunity to officially inspect the track on Thursday, and thankfully, the all-clear was given. “It has been an impressive journey for all involved to make the first FIA F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix a reality, and the progress that I have seen on each of my visits over recent months has been remarkable,” said Masi. “The circuit itself has now been completed to a high level and complies with FIA Grade 1 standards that we require for hosting a grand prix. “The Jeddah Corniche Circuit will provide an interesting new challenge for the drivers and teams, and I’m looking forward to another exciting weekend as this fantastic 2021 F1 season draws closer to its conclusion.” Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation chairman Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal added: “We are thrilled to have joined Michael Masi today as he completed his final inspection of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. “We are even more delighted that he has given it his expert seal of approval, meaning that we can let the world know that we are ready to race this weekend on the world’s newest and fastest street circuit. “The fact we have reached this point after only 8 months is an achievement that cannot be overstated. The hard work and dedication of all our staff has helped to make this happen and we can now look forward to an unforgettable race weekend.” Now that the circuit has been cleared, it was also confirmed that there will be three DRS zones around this 3.8-mile, 27-turn track.

Hamilton receives criticism from Grenfell Tower survivors after sporsorship deal with Kingspan

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

Mercedes Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton is facing protests from survivors of the Grenfell Tower tragedy over a decision to be sponsored by the company that made combustible insulation used on the tower. Kingspan, which campaigners say played a central role in the fire that killed 72 people, has agreed a deal with Mercedes that will see its logo emblazoned on Hamilton’s and other drivers’ Formula One cars. The survivors’ group Grenfell United called for the seven-time world champion to cancel the relationship. The insulation company changed the composition of its plastic foam boards before the fire in June 2017, which tests at the Grenfell Inquiry found “burned like a raging inferno”. It continued to sell the boards around the UK despite concerns, including a small amount on the Grenfell tower block in west Loandon. Mercedes said after the partnership was announced that it was “n exciting partnership”. The firm said in a statement that sponsorship deals were not decided by individual drivers. “Our partner Kingspan has supported, and continues to support, the vitally important work of the inquiry to determine what went wrong and why in the Grenfell Tower tragedy,” Mercedes said in a statement. “Our new partnership announced this week is centred on sustainability, and will support us in achieving our targets in this area.” Hamilton has previously spoken out in solidarity with victims of the blaze. On the third anniversary of the fire he posted on Instagram: “Remembering the 72 souls we lost and their loved ones, and everyone affected by this tragedy.”

Vettel holds a karting event exclusive to females in Saudi Arabia

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago07 mins

Aston Martin F1 driver Sebastian Vettel held a karting event exclusive to females in Saudi Arabia to address the nation’s social issues with positivity. Much has been made of the troubles surrounding human rights and attitudes to the LGBTQ+ community in Saudi Arabia, as was the case in Qatar previously, but Vettel wanted to take a different approach, that being to focus on the positives. The four-time world champion decided to set up a karting event for women which was inspired by the 2018 ruling which gave women the right to drive alone in Saudi Arabia. “If you look from a Western or European lens, that there’s still lots of things that should be improved and have to be addressed – but it’s also true that some things are changing. And for those people, they make a huge difference,” Vettel said. “There’s been a lot of talk and thought heading into the race here, the first time we race in Saudi Arabia, there are a lot of questions that have been asked and I’ve asked myself. “I was thinking of what I can do. In general, we have so much attention or so much focus on negative examples when it comes to shortcomings of certain countries, in regards to maybe human rights and other things, but I really try to think of the positives. “And so I set up my own karting event today under the hashtag Race For Women. And we had a group of seven or eight girls and women on the track. “I was trying to pass on some of my experiences in life and obviously on track, to do something together to grow their confidence. Some of them had a licence, others they did not, some of them were huge F1 enthusiasts, others had nothing to do with Formula 1 or racing before today. “It was a good mix of women from different backgrounds and a great event, everybody was extremely happy. “And I was, I have to say, very inspired by their stories and their background, their positivity about the change in the country. “This way it was important to get to know some of these women. And I think it was a very, very memorable and inspiring day and a great way to kick-off the weekend by focusing on the positive.” Vettel also believes that negatives are present throughout the world, and so it is not fair for him to necessarily be the judge of what is right or wrong when visiting nations like Saudi Arabia. And so, while the changes that needs to happen will take time, he feels the best course of action is to celebrate the good which already has happened. “It’s clear that some things aren’t going the way they should, but that’s our point of view. And it’s also probably true that things are always taking time,” he explained. “I would love to change the world in some things overnight. But who am I to judge about right and wrong? I think that’s a slippery slope. “It’s true that in some countries, some shortcomings are bigger than others. I think there’s trouble in Germany, there’s trouble in the UK when it comes to individual freedom, probably to a different scale and level. “But I feel that we don’t really get anywhere by just highlighting the negatives and being so negative, because in the end, it makes you sad. “Much more inspiring I find is to highlight the positives, and listen to those who have been touched and whose life has been improved. “And to see today these women, the confidence they had, and maybe in an area that is male dominated when it comes to driving or racing, to give them the chance and the focus, I think it’s been great. “And it’s given me a lot of pleasure as well, even though it wasn’t a race or something that maybe people imagined, but just the fact that I’m spending time and giving something back and some of my experience, they really enjoyed that.

Cyril Abiteboul honors Ricciardo’s tatoo bet

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago01 mins

Daniel Ricciardo has FINALLY managed to ink former Renault F1 managing director Cyril Abiteboul after winning a bet last season. Several races prior to Ricciardo’s first podium for Renault at the Eifel Grand Prix, details of a wager between the Australian and his then-boss Abiteboul leaked. Put simply, stand on the podium and Abiteboul would get a tattoo. The size and placing Ricciardo later confirmed would be down to the Frenchman but the design would be of the driver’s choosing. Pressure mounted on Abiteboul to finally get inked after McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown faced his own fears as part of the annual ‘Industry Leaders’ Challenge’ begun by the Grand Prix Trust. Ricciardo always maintained Abiteboul was keen to hold up his end of the bet, and now the moment has arrived.

Mazepin: Uralkali still planning to buy a Formula 1 team

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago04 mins

Nikita Mazepin’s father, Dmitry Mazepin says his company is “ready” to ramp up its backing of Haas and he’s also not ruling out buying a Formula 1 team outright. The tycoon who is listed in the top 100 wealthiest businessmen in Russia, is backing the small American outfit via his potash fertiliser company Uralkali. “The agreement is long-term,” the 53-year-old told Russian broadcaster Match TV. “There is a fixed term and an extension option. I understand that many fans are interested in the cost, but it is a commercial secret so I cannot reveal the numbers.” That mystery number could now be set to rise, even though Haas’ 2021 season has been particularly disappointing. “This season has turned out to be difficult,” Mazepin snr confirmed. “The car was slow. “The team announced early this season that it would not be developed, but there were these two young drivers. And although they have almost no chance to fight for points, they both worked tirelessly,” he said, referring also to Mick Schumacher. “I’m happy with their attitude, but I think for next season it is encouraging. First of all, there will be a new car,” said Mazepin. Indeed, the car is even being developed at a new facility on the very grounds of Ferrari’s headquarters in Maranello – and now it appears as though there will be extra funding. “We are ready to voluntarily offer additional conditions, with which we would like to motivate Haas employees to stay in the team and be more involved in the process,” said Mazepin. “I understand that it is difficult to travel to 23 countries of the world in a season – the human factor plays a big role here. Therefore, we are doing our best to increase motivation internally and, as a sponsor, to be a part of the team.” Dmitry Mazepin also reiterated that he still aims to one day soon call himself a Formula 1 team owner. “We have great ambitions in motorsport,” he said, before alluding to his failed bid to take over the Force India team. “Yes, there was an unsuccessful attempt to buy a team, but we will not leave this topic behind. And it isn’t about Nikita’s career,” added Mazepin. “These are our long-term plans – we want to expand our presence in Formula 1. We are represented in Formula 4, Formula 3 and Formula 2, and ideally the crown should be a Formula 1 team and we want to be its owner. “At the moment we are not negotiating with anyone, because everyone is waiting for the cards to be revealed in 2022,” he said. “If some small teams suddenly become successful, then the cost and the attractiveness will be different.”

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to host Spanish Grand Prix up to 2026

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

Formula 1 has renewed its deal with the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to keep the Spanish Grand Prix on the calendar until at least 2026. Spain’s long-term future had been in doubt over recent seasons having only signed a one-year extension after the 2020 race. Barcelona has been a regular fixture on the F1 schedule since 1991, making it one of the longest-serving grand prix circuits of the current venues. As part of the new agreement, the track and facilities will undergo improvements ahead of the 2022 race having largely remained unchanged since it was built in the run-up to the 1992 Olympic Games. “We are delighted to announce this deal with Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya,” said F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. “I want to thank the promoter and the authorities for their enthusiasm and commitment to keeping Formula 1 in Barcelona, with improvements that will be made to the track and facilities, and continuing our long history together. “The teams and drivers always look forward to racing at the circuit and visiting Barcelona, and the Spanish fans will continue to see their national heroes, Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz, up close.” Roger Torrent, the Catalan minister of business and labour and president of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, stressed the strive for sustainability was a key factor in agreeing a new deal. “We welcome the renewal of this contract, which includes a mutual commitment clause to help us turn Circuit Barcelona-Catalunya into a model and world benchmark of sustainability applied to this type of facility,” said Torrent. “We want the circuit to become an exponent of the green transformation and the adaptation of infrastructures to the demands of the climate emergency.”

Alfa Romeo boss admits Zhou’s financial background was key to his signing

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago04 mins

Alfa Romeo boss Frederic Vasseur admits the financial backing Guanyu Zhou will bring to the team was “a pillar” of his decision to give him a drive next year, but insists “not the only one”. Zhou has been recruited to run alongside Valtteri Bottas at Alfa next season and will bring a significant level of funding to the team – coupled with the potential marketing opportunities for the sport which will present themselves through having its first ever full-time Chinese driver. But despite those factors, the team principal insists Zhou’s driving was still a big factor in his appointment to the seat. “The first criteria is the performance of the team,” Vasseur told reporters in Qatar. “It means that to be performant you need to have good drivers, good technicians, good engineers, a good feeling from the drivers and a good budget. “It was a pillar of the decision, for sure. I was always clear like this because we want to get the cost cap. It’s the best way for us to be performant. “But it’s not the only one. I think Zhou is doing a very good job in F2 and I think everyone underestimates the level of performance and the job done by Zhou this season.” Vasseur also reiterated Zhou has been released by the Alpine junior ranks to be able to drive for Alfa, with having a “free hand” being a significant part of his decision to opt for Zhou over Oscar Piastri. The two drivers are locked in a battle at the top of the Formula 2 standings heading into their final rounds of the season and Vasseur feels Zhou’s drive and “determination” have proven he was “the right choice” to drive for the team next year. “The performance is speaking for itself,” he said. “He’s a front-runner, he won this season at Bahrain and Silverstone. In F2 they are probably the two most demanding tracks – Bahrain for tyre management and Silverstone [for] its high-speed corners. “But he did some pole positions, he’s always there, consistent and I’m sure he will do well next year. “And also I would say the determination, because he moved from China to Europe and we know perfectly that when you move from Europe even to Japan, it’s not an easy move for a driver and Zhou did the opposite. “When you are 13 and you move to Europe just because you want to become a racing driver, for me it’s a mega, huge commitment. “I’m convinced he will put all of his energy into the project and I’m convinced he will do well.”

Bottas had a different car from Hamilton in Qatar GP

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

Valtteri Bottas has revealed he had a different spec W12 compared to Lewis Hamilton in Qatar, but couldn’t go in further details. The departing Mercedes driver topped two of three practice sessions at the Losail International Circuit and qualified third for Sunday’s race, but the weekend started to unravel quickly after that for the Finn. Slapped with a three-place grid drop for failing to respect yellow flags in qualifying, Bottas lost more valuable places at the start and, just eight laps in, was soon given the hurry-up by a less-than-impressed Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. Bottas made slow but gradual progress back up the order, but a puncture just past the pit-lane entry and an eventual retirement from the race due to too much damage to his car compounded his misery. The Mercedes driver said he had no prior warning that he was risking a puncture, but did suggest elsewhere in his media rounds after the race that he had a different set-up compared to Hamilton. “I have found out the reason, but I cannot give details,” Bottas said. “But my car was no longer quite the same as it was, nor was it the same as Lewis’. “There were little differences in the cars.” Meanwhile, Wolff gave Bottas his vote of confidence after being quizzed about the Finn’s latest below-par performance. “We know that he can drive away when he’s at the front,” Wolff said. “So the speed is there. “I have absolute confidence in him for the next races and I hope that we will have a good car. Then Valtteri will be at the front again because we need him there. As for Bottas puncture, Wolff added to Sky Italia: “He’s very unlucky, because his start was very bad, then he recovered, he was P3 on track, and then there was this puncture. “If he had finished the race, we would have had a bit of a safety margin for the Constructors’ Championship, now it will be all decided at the end.”

Ricciardo blames Qatar GP woes on Fuel saving ‘system error’

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago05 mins

McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo has revealed that he was forced to fuel save for half of Formula 1’s Qatar Grand Prix after a “system error”. After a disappointing qualifying which left him 14th on the grid in Qatar, Ricciardo hoped to bounce back on race day. Ricciardo failed to make any progress on the opening lap after going three-wide into the first corner with Charles Leclerc and Lance Stroll. The Australian’s race was thwarted by the amount of fuel-saving he had to do, costing him around two seconds per lap. Explaining the issue, Ricciardo said: “After the start we had fuel saving from super early in the race. I started doing what I thought was already a lot, and it was not enough. “So Tom [Stallard, his engineer] said you need to do more. It is not enough. To a point where at times we were losing two seconds a lap by fuel saving. And without the brakes get cold, the tires get cold, and you lose grip. It is a downward spiral. “So we were fuel saving for a good half of the race, and that took us way out. And then Tom said no more fuel saving. Maximum push. I’m only saying Tom because he is the one that feeds me the information, but it is clearly a system error today. It is a shame because when I could push the referenced time I was able to get… But we were at the mercy of error today with the reading.” Ricciardo believes it cost him a chance of scoring points in Qatar. “It is the most I’ve had to save and the earliest in the race that I ever had to save,” he added. “I think you guys could’ve driven a similar pace when I was fuel saving. I was coasting into every corner. “And it was never enough. I don’t know what happened to the system or if they got another reading, and then Tom said no more just push. “I’m going to look at the bright side and say I’m glad it did not happen in a podium position because that would have been the most painful thing ever. But it definitely took us out of a chance at the points.” McLaren boss Andreas Seidl didn’t have an explanation as to what caused the fuel issue as the team continues to investigate the issue. “On Daniel’s side, a good start to the race, unfortunately, he had a lot of fuel-saving, unexpectedly which compromised his race quite a lot and any chance to get back into the points,” Seidl explained. “It’s something that we need to analyse why this happened.”

Mercedes to use Brazil GP power unit on Lewis Hamilton’s car in Saudi Arabia

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago05 mins

Mercedes has revealed Lewis Hamilton will use his fresher Formula 1 engine from Brazil for the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix to aid his 2021 title bid. Hamilton closed to within eight points of championship leader Max Verstappen with a dominant victory in Qatar, despite reverting back to his older-spec power unit. The seven-time world champion took a five-place grid penalty at Interlagos after fitting a fifth ICE of the season, and will use the engine again for Saudi’s high-speed layout. As Hamilton’s title aspirations gain momentum following back-to-back wins, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said the team would get its “spicy equipment out” for the next encounter. “In Saudi it should be a good track for us but we know this year, when we think it is a good one, it can turn the other way around,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1. “But it is long straights and we will get our spicy equipment out, the engine, for Saudi Arabia. “Hopefully Valtteri [Bottas] can be right up there because we need him, but in any case if everybody finishes the race it is going to Abu Dhabi.” Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin is also buoyant about the team’s chances for Saudi Arabia, particularly knowing Hamilton would run his fresher power unit. “We’ve seen pretty big swings of performance over the recent races, [but] if we look at the track in Saudi, I think it should suit us,” Shovlin said, as quoted by Motorsport.com. “For Lewis, we have got the more powerful engine to go in the car, so that’s going to give him a useful engine.” Shovlin explained the decision to not fit the more powerful engine in Qatar was down to the Losail track having fewer straights than Saudi’s street circuit. “There are two [power units] that we are racing,” he said. “Here we had the less powerful of the two in the car, due to the nature of the circuit. So that side of it is in a good place at the moment.” But while Mercedes goes to Saudi Arabia full of confidence, Shovlin stresses it cannot expect to come away with a result after its defeat to Red Bull at last month’s US Grand Prix. “The track should suit the car, but then we would have probably said in Austin that we would have felt that we should be able to put together a decent set-up and take the fight to Red Bull, and they had a bit of an edge there,” Shovlin said. “So we’re always cautious to go to a race thinking that it’s all going to go our way. “What we do know though are the things we’ve got to get right on the set-up, what we need to get right on the tyres and how they’re working, and that’s what we’re going to be busy doing over the next few days, making sure we’re taking every possible opportunity to arrive there in good shape. “With a new circuit, arriving in good shape is such a big thing from the learning curve, if you’ve got a good car to start with, you can just improve it from there.”

‘No time for celebrations’ for Lewis Hamilton after Qatar Grand Prix win

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago04 mins

Lewis Hamilton vows to uphold in the final two rounds of the season the momentum that saw him win in Qatar Grand Prix his second race in succession and reduce the gap to Max Verstappen in the Drivers’ championship to just 8 points. The seven-time world champion is on a roll, as his comfortable 202nd career win in F1 on Sunday at the Losail International Circuit clearly proved. On the track, Mercedes has regained the upper hand over Red Bull while off the track, the two teams continue to spar while their representatives take turns visiting the stewards’ office. After his triumph on Sunday, Hamilton said that he had enjoyed a “straightforward” and relatively “lonely” evening under the floodlights in Qatar, adding that he’s never felt as good as he currently feels, both physically and onboard his car given Mercedes’ strength of late. However, despite his spell of success, the Briton is keeping his head down, knowing that the battle for the title with Verstappen will likely go down to the wire in Abu Dhabi. “The last two weeks have been fantastic, just amazing,” said Hamilton. “But there’s no time for celebrations. “I’ll be back in with the team already again next week and just back in training tomorrow. Just stay on it, head down.” Overall, Hamilton has outscored Verstappen by 11 points in the last two races, but with 52 points on offer – including fastest lap bonus points – there’s still all to play for in the final 108 laps of the 2021 season. “I don’t really have too much emotion except for [being] driven right now,” he added. “But it’s amazing… To close that gap by so many points in these last few races has been important. “They’re obviously still very fast as you could see today with their fastest lap and both their cars getting past pretty much everyone quite easily. “So we’ve still got our work cut out and a big shame for Valtteri today. “[But] I feel positive going into these next couple of races. I think they should be quite good for our car, so I’m looking forward to that battle.”

Horner summoned and given warning by FIA after ‘rogue marshal’ comment

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago07 mins

Christian Horner has been given an official warning after calling into question the competence of marshals at this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix. Max Verstappen was handed a five-place grid penalty after not slowing during the Pierre Gasly incident which occurred during yesterday’s qualifying session, the Dutchman maintaining his pace despite waved yellow flags. Red Bull boss Christian Horner was forthright in his views on the matter when speaking to Sky F1 earlier today, putting it it as a “rogue marshal”. “We’re really struggling to understand it,” Horner said to Sky Sports. “It looks like a complete balls-up. The FIA have effectively said, ‘Play on, the circuit is safe, it’s clear.’ Max was in the first sector, we had so much time to look at it. The dash, everything for him, if indicated otherwise, we would of course, had informed him. “Unfortunately there’s a yellow flag — he just didn’t see it. He saw the white one (panel), he saw the car, he even saw a green light on the right-hand side. I think it’s just a rogue marshal that stuck a flag out. He’s not instructed to by the FIA — they’ve got to have control of the marshals. It’s as simple as that. That’s a crucial blow in the championship for us. We’re now starting P7 at a track you can’t overtake at. That is massive. “What’s frustrating is that the race director has said, ‘Get on, it’s fine, it’s a safe track, finish your laps.’ All the signals that we have say that the track is safe, even the slippery surface is gone, so there’s nothing to communicate to the driver. I think there needs to be some grown-ups make grown-up decisions.” Red Bull’s young driver guru Helmut Marko wasn’t much softer with his words. “It’s ridiculous. You know the FIA can’t organise a proper marshalling system and they are hiding their incompetence on the shoulders of the driver. Unbelievable.” The comments weren’t warmly received by the FIA, which duly summoned Horner to the Stewards office as soon as the flag fell in Losail for allegedly being in breach of the International Sporting Code – specifically Articles 12.2.1 f) and 12.2.1 k), in relation to competitors conduct. The two articles concerned say an offence is committed if a competitor has issued: “Any words, deeds or writings that have caused moral injury or loss to the FIA, its bodies, its members or its executive officers, and more generally on the interest of motor sport and on the values defended by the FIA.” After apologising to the Stewards, Horner was issued with a warning. “Team Principal (Christian Horner)[…]explained his reaction was one that was made under the pressure of competition following the penalty imposed on the driver of Car 33,” an FIA statement said. “The Stewards explained that the marshal concerned was doing his job in precisely the way prescribed in the International Sporting Code. “Mr Horner offered to apologise to the marshal concerned and explain to the media he meant no offence. “He also offered to participate in the 2022 FIA International Stewards Programme in early February.” Prior to the hearing, Horner was apologetic when interviewed by Sky after the race. “Some comments from our interview earlier, where you asked me about the marshalling – marshals do a wonderful, wonderful job and volunteers, they do a great job and my frustration in what I voiced earlier wasn’t a marshal’s [fault] it was a circumstance and so if any offence was taken by any individual then obviously I apologise,” he said. When Damon Hill suggested that Horner is “quite punchy” with comments he makes in the media, the Red Bull boss replied: “I’m straight, I tell you what I think. If I think you’re being an a* I’ll tell you you’re being an a*.” Tensions have been mounting in the F1 paddock as the title fight between Mercedes and Red Bull has intensified, with Horner earlier this week accusing the Brackley squad of contravening rules by using an alleged flexi-wing, saying the team’s speed was “not normal”

Hamilton wins Qatar GP cutting Verstappen’s championship lead down to 8 points – Race results

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago010 mins

Lewis Hamilton claimed a dominant victory at the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix to close in on Formula 1 title rival Max Verstappen in the championship, as the Red Bull driver recovered to second. Hamilton led from start to finish with a commanding drive to convert pole position into his seventh victory of the season to further cut Verstappen’s championship advantage with his second consecutive win. A superb start helped Verstappen overcome a five-place grid penalty for failing to respect double waved yellow flags in qualifying as the Dutchman charged from seventh to second in just five laps. While Verstappen was never really in contention to challenge Hamilton, he importantly took the fastest lap bonus point to hold an eight-point championship lead heading into the final two rounds. A one-stopping Fernando Alonso turned in a stunning drive to claim his first F1 podium since 2014 as he finished third for Alpine. Sergio Perez had a strong start and moved up into 8th, progressing further ahead past Sainz and later Ocon to be 6th by lap 8. Valtteri Bottas on the other hand had a very poor start from the dirty side of the track and found himself in 12th after the first lap. In stark contrast, Verstappen got past Gasly when he went wide on the final corner of lap 2, followed by an easy DRS pass on Alonso another lap later. At the time, the gap with Hamilton was 3.3s as Mercedes soon requested Hamilton to “at least” maintain this gap. On lap 10, when Tsunoda and Raikkonen had already pitted to exchange their soft tyres for fresh mediums, Hamilton had 5.77s in hand. Alonso meanwhile on the soft tyres dropped back rapidly, trailing Verstappen by 17s. Gasly failed to keep up even that pace and got passed by Norris for 4th that same lap. Perez soon did the same to take 5th and then 4th by passing Norris. Gasly on the other hand got pitted on lap 13 to switch his dying soft tyres with a fresh set of medium compound Pirellis. Roundabout that time, Bottas also seemed to have come alive as well, steadily making up positions to end up in 7th. On lap 17, Verstappen pitted to take on hards, followed by Hamilton the next lap do do the same. Both retained their positions as Alonso and Norris in 3rd and 4th were stretching their first stints on their soft tyres. As Norris got company from Bottas, he lost some pace trying to defend his position, helping to further increase Alonso’s advantage to P4. When Bottas eventually made it past the McLaren, the gap to the Spanish Alpine driver ahead amounted 11 seconds. Alonso then pitted on lap 23 of 57, changing to hard tyres and rejoining the race in 8th, 4s behind Leclerc and coming out just ahead of Daniel Ricciardo. Ocon shadowed the same pitstop the next lap, ending up in 12th. At the very front, the gap between Hamilton and Verstappen remained largely the same as both drivers exchanged fastest laps and drove away from everybody else. In the battler for fourth, Sainz first got out of the way of Alonso by pitting and then Leclerc missed his braking point to give Alonso an easy pass. It took Perez a little bit longer, but he too got past the Ferrari driver half a lap later before passing Alonso around Turn 1 after a DRS draft on the main straight. On lap 33, Bottas suffered a puncture and ended up in the gravel trap. He managed to continue and return to the pits, but by the time he arrived there, he got passed by Perez and Alonso. The Finn got a new front wing and hard tyres, rejoining the track down in 14th, one lap down on race leader Hamilton. On lap 40, Verstappen pitted to take on a fresh set of medium tyres while maintaining position. The same lap, Perez pitted as well, rejoining the track in 7th on used medium tyres. Without surprise, Mercedes shadowed Verstappen’s pitstop one lap later, switching to a set of used medium tyres. These stops brought Alonso back up in fourth, 35s behind Verstappen. Norris followed in 4th, halfway in the 14s gap between both Alpines. Lance Stroll was 6th with Perez closing up quickly on his new mediums. Perez quickly got past Stroll with DRS on the main straight, and despite having been asked to defend with “elbows out”, Ocon really had nothing to keep Perez behind. Lando Norris then pitted from 4th to take on new medium tyres. At the same moment, Russell pitted with a broken front wing and took on soft tyres and Bottas was told to pit and retire the car. A single lap later, Latifi found himself with a punctured front left tyre. As the Canadian had just passed the pit entry, he retired from the race at the end of the race. Meanwhile, Alonso was asked to avoid the kerbs in high-speed corners as he tried to nurse his tyres and maintain fourth ahead of a charging Perez. 3 laps from the end, a VSC period is started to get Latifi’s Williams cleared off the track. During this period, Verstappen pitted for softs, securing the fastest lap of the race in the final lap as the VSC ended just in time. As Hamilton won, Alonso was voted as driver of the day as he returned to the podium after a 7-year draught, making for a brilliant result for Alpine in the Constructors’ Championship as well. Qatar Grand Prix Full Race Results Pos. No. Driver Car Laps Time Pts 1 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 57 1:24:28.471 25 2 33 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 57 +25.743s 19* 3 14 Fernando Alonso Alpine Renault 57 +59.457s 15 4 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 57 +62.306s 12 5 31 Esteban Ocon Alpine Renault 57 +80.570s 10 6 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 57 +81.274s 8 7 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 57 +81.911s 6 8…

Horner blames Verstappen grid penalty on ‘rogue marshal’

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago05 mins

Red Bull has blamed a “rogue marshal” for Max Verstappen receiving a five-place grid penalty for Formula 1’s inaugural Qatar Grand Prix and has demanded that the FIA has “better control of their marshals”. Verstappen improved on his final qualifying lap to qualify second but passed double-waved yellow flags that were out for Pierre Gasly’s stricken AlphaTauri. The stewards met four hours before the start of the grand prix on Sunday to discuss the incident with Verstappen and his team. Although Red Bull argued that there was no trackside light panel or yellow flag on his dashboard display, the stewards noted that Verstappen ignored the physical double-waved yellow flags that require the drivers to react. Therefore the stewards said they had no choice but to award the usual five-place drop for ignoring double-waved yellows, moving Verstappen down to seventh on the grid. The decision was finally announced 90 minutes before the start of the race and led to immediate fury from Red Bull Christian Horner when he spoke to SkySports F1 about the penalty. “I’m struggling to understand it,” Horner said. “The race director [Michael Masi] effectively said ‘play on, it’s safe, it’s clear’. “Max was at the beginning of the lap, in the first sector, so he has so much time to look at it. Otherwise, we’d have informed him. Unfortunately, there’s a yellow flag, he just didn’t see it, he even saw a green light on the right-hand side [in the pitlane]. “I think it’s just a rogue marshal that’s stuck a flag out, he’s not been instructed to by the FIA, they’ve got to have control of their marshals, it’s as simple as that, because that’s a crucial blow in this world championship for us. “Now he’s starting P7 at a track you can’t overtake at. That is massive.” Horner admitted that there’s “no point” in appealing the decision with such little time before the start of the grand prix, and expressed his frustration that Sainz was not penalised for failing to slow for yellow flags like Verstappen and the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas was. “What I really don’t understand is Carlos Sainz has done exactly the same thing,” Horner explained. “He hasn’t seen it, driven straight past, gone past with his DRS open, fully planted, he’s lifted about 10 meters before the line and that’s OK.” The stewards report indicated that Sainz hadn’t seen the yellow flag as Horner stated, but he did “make a significant reduction in his speed in the relevant mini-sector” when he saw Gasly’s stricken car. Horner said there “needs to be some grown decisions made by grown-ups” and fumed that the “race director should have control of the circuit”.

Confirmed starting grid for Qatar GP after penalties

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago02 mins

The top order of the Qatar Grand Prix starting grid has been shaken up in the wake of penalties for Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas. Lewis Hamilton will start the inaugural race at the Losail International Circuit from pole position, his first in nine races and the 102nd of his F1 career. But he will be joined on the front row by AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly whose puncture in the final moments of qualifying sparked investigations into Verstappen and Bottas. Red Bull driver and championship leader Verstappen drops five places from second to seventh after being found guilty of ignoring double-waved yellow flags as Gasly’s stricken car crawled slowly onto the main straight. Bottas has been handed a three-place penalty for not seeing single-yellow flags and drops to sixth from third. As Bottas completed his timed lap first, his penalty was also applied before Verstappen’s. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz has avoided a penalty for an alleged single yellow-flag breach and will start fifth.

Bottas gets a three-place grid penalty for yellow flags breach in Qatar

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

The Qatar stewards have announced that Valtteri Bottas will drop 3 places on the grid for today’s Qatar Grand Prix. Of the three drivers summoned by the stewards post-qualifying, the Finn was the last to be seen, however his was the first ‘verdict’ to be announced. Having reviewed video, telemetry and the marshalling system evidence, the stewards head that Bottas admitted he did not notice the yellow flag displayed at Flag Point 16.6 and conceded that he did not reduce speed as required in the yellow flag area despite noting that Pierre Gasly was stationary on the pit straight. Deeming the failure to respect the single yellow flag a breach of Appendix H, Art. 2.5.5.b) of the FIA International Sporting Code and noncompliance with Race Director’s Event Notes 7.2, the stewards deem that Bottas drops of 3 grid positions and is handed 1 penalty point, bringing his 12 month total to 5. Bottas was shown a single waved yellow flag as he approached the start/finish line at the end of his final flying lap in Q3, due to Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri which was stopped beside the pit wall. The stewards said the Mercedes driver “admitted he did not notice the yellow flag displayed at flag point 16.6 and conceded that he did not reduce speed as required in the yellow flag area despite noting that car 10 [Gasly] was stationary on the pit straight,” the stewards noted. The penalties for Verstappen and Bottas will promote Gasly, who originally qualified fourth, to the front row of the grid for today’s race.